Serial Port issues WinXp

Hello Everyone,
First post here. I love this board, seems to be a great resource.
My problem is that I got a Lacrosse 2310, and have tried hooking it up to my better and faster computer via Heavy Weather software. It will not recognize that the station is hooked up. I tried it on my win 98 se machine and it took right away. I tried all available com ports, (Modem is on Comm 3) no go, I tried setting the port from BIOS from auto to on, didn’t help, tried installing a new comm port, didn’t like that. I am not sure what to do now. I would like to get it on the bigger faster machine, if possible. Anyone run into this before? TIA
Dell 4600
2 80 gig drives
1 gig ram
Nothing else hooked to USB or Serial
WinXp Home
Heavy Weather 2.0 Beta, also tried the latest release version, same effect.

DankWx
Great resource here, thank you for providing it.

Hey another user in Oregon…!

Don’t know much about the newer Dell PC’s, but how many com ports are on the system board, one or two?

You mentioned changing BIOS setting for com port, in BIOS can you change the IRQ and address also?

How many ports is XP seeing in device manager? (under ports) what are the settings that windows is using?

I ran Heavy weather for a while on my WS2310 before I switched to Weather Display, I’m on Com1 at 9600,8,none,1,none with the resource settings at 03F8 - 03FF irq 04

I assume COM port technology hasn’t changed much. If so, then COM1 and COM3 usually share an IRQ as do COM2 and COM4. It can be problematical running active devices on two ports sharing the same IRQ. So it would be best if you can put your station on COM2 or COM4 (assuming there isn’t something else actively using the other port).

You might have tried this, in which case I’m afraid I can’t offer any other suggestions.

Hello Mike and Chris,
I will try to answer what I can, I’m at work now so don’t have the computer in front of me, so I will answer what I can, and check more out once I get back home.

“How many ports is XP seeing in device manager? (under ports) what are the settings that windows is using?”

When I looked at the device manager, under ports, I think it listed 1 Comm port, and 1 LPT, and that is all that is listed. I don’t get that, because in the modem properties it shows it on Comm3, but device says only Comm1? From what I remember the settings seemed the same, will have to look when I get home.

“So it would be best if you can put your station on COM2 or COM4 (assuming there isn’t something else actively using the other port).”

I am not sure how to switch ports around, on the Heavy Wx software, it had comm’s 1,2,3,4, I tried all of them, none worked, I then tried to install one, it showed on device manager, but had a yellow(!)
I am not sure how to change IRQ, or Addresses.

Sorry for not having more definite answers, but should this weekend. I’m at work now, and the computer in question is at home, I will re look at these replies and repost what I find out.
Thanks a bunch for the info so far, appreciate it.
DanK

Maybe double check the port speed. Make sure they both match up. Gotta go with the easy stuff first…

have you tried to see if weather display will work with it?
(and try different com ports…to see if you get a data received light flash)

Hi Everyone,
Here is what I tried. I did download WD and it would not pick up the Wx station on the XP machine, but when I installed it on the Win98 computer it took fine. On the XP machine, I tried a bunch of different com ports, I always got the Red data recieved and quality lights. XP reports no coflicts with com ports, and trouble shooting wizard did not help. It sure sounds like a setting somewhere, but not sure were. I have no other problems on the XP machine that I know of.
Another question (Brian)? Is there a reason that on the dials page, the wind speed and average wind speed needles are flashing? I’m just not sure if it is trying to tell me something or not. Absolutely a wonderful program, thanks for pointing me towards your software.
Thanks
DankWx

once you get some data, that flashing stops…
did you try other com port numbers?>

Hello Brain,
I did try (on the WinXp Machine) com ports 1-6, I believe, didn’t go. The flashing on the wind dials was reffering to the program that is running on the Win98se machine, I get green data recieved, and green Data quality on the main page, on the win98 machine, the needles are still flashing on the machine that has WD working.

WD seems to work fine on the Win98 machine, green data lights, but flashing needles, (Wind dials), but get wind readings???

XP machine, have never been able to get serial port to work. Never had WD working on this machine.

Thanks,
Dan

On the XP machine (Dell 4600)

Hi Mike,
In the BIOS there is only the option under serial port to turn ON/OFF/Auto. I haven’t checked to see if there is a BIOS update yet, will do that when I get home.

I guess it is no biggie that I have it running on the Win98 machine, but the newer one has more room, faster, etc. They are hooked together via direct cable connect, and KVM switch, it is just a nagging mystery as to why the XP machine won’t take.
Thanks a Bunch,
Dan

I feel your pain about the com port on the XP machine…

I just had one other thought, have you looked at the pins on the com port to make sure they are all there and not bent? (should be 9 pins in the shell)

Running on the older machine may not be such a bad idea, depending on what you use your PC’s for. I currently have my station and WD on my “main” workstation, and I’m considering moving it to one of my other PC’s. WD can get a bit intense on machine useage when it’s updating via FTP, and other programs kind of slow down…(new games and WD at the same time are out of the question…)

Are you going to set up a website to post your weather data to?

Hi Mike,
I think I am starting to lean towards just keeping it on the old machine. It would probably be easier for the sig other to use, she would just have to switch the KVM switch, and not shut down or start up the WD program. The easier the better for her. So, I may just keep it on the old machine.
As far as websites, I would like to do one pretty soon, but that is a whole new can of worms I have yet to open, never have done a website. But we are planning on creating a website for our small Lapidary business, and would love to put a current conditions page up on that website.
Any recommendations on a good website creation, site/program/etc?
Thank You a bunch for the info so far. How’s the Wx in PDX, lol, never mind I will just look at your website, pretty cool. I used to live on 93rd in Tigard, 20 years ago.
Thx
Dan

DankWx,

You may be experiencing the same problem that I had. Since I have a OS WMR968, I tried using FreeWx software, and I used the right cable and everything, but it just said Comm Error. I don’t know if the cable was faulty or not, but I am going to buy a new one to see if that works…I also have a new Dell, and it could possibly have something to do with that. That is the best information I know about this, since I am pretty new, and I hope it helps you.

Hi Tim,
Thanks for the info, sounds like we may be in the same boat. I will let you know if I get it resolved, if you could do the same to me, that would be wonderful.
At least you get a com port error message, I get nothing, just a dead com port with no message. I’m glad that it at least works on the old machine.
Thanks for the info, may be a Dell factory setting???
Dan

No problem, I have not given up, and I will let you know if I find anything else out about the problem. I don’t know if it is just the Weather Station Software that I was using, since I tried on a different one than you are. As I said before, I got the right cable, but it was any old one so it may be faulty. I will probably buy a new one online in the next few weeks, as I am busy and I trying to find a new setup for my weather station. If I find anything else out, I will be sure to let you know. Thanks.

Just had another brain flash, in another section of the forum Brian asked another user if they were running any other software that accesed the USB ports like Palm PDA sync stuff (well actually he asked about TSR’s, eveyone gave him a good ribbing about showing his age on that…). Do you have anything like that on your XP machine? I have noticed that when my wife updated her Palm hotsync, it defaulted to trying to use USB, Com1, IR AND Bluetooth!

Hum, rocks and weather? Well, maybe you could make shiny “weather rocks”, and folks could use your site to “calibrate” them… :lol:

My site is pretty basic, I’m in the same boat as you, haven’t done hardly anything on website creation… Seem’s like there’s aways something else that needs to be done first, never get enough time to work on the site.

Tigard 20 years ago, bet you wouldn’t recognize it now! South out of Tigard on 99, is pretty much build up all the way through Tualitin, and almost to Sherwood! Bull Mt. looks more like San Francisco now a days…

maybe I should have used the buzz word Hotsync huh, instead of TSR, LOL

Hey it was CHRIS that called you old! Not me! Although, IIRC he’s older that you. (but not as old as me!) :lol:

Brian is mentally old…his brain seems to work 72 hours in a normal 24 hour day so it must be older than the rest of him. I’m just old mentally, physically and any other ‘lly’ you might want to add in