Cannot get ControlCal to communicate with 151

[bruin95]

First post here and a complete newbie when it comes to this stuff, so please be kind. :) I am using about a 5 year old laptop with XP Pro.

I followed the instructions, hooked up the serial cable (bought the recommended one from Monoprice), start up ControlCal, set the program to auto send, deselected the error dialogs, and loaded the proper profile. Clicked the 'power on' button and nothing happens. The terminal window says SENT, but the 151 does not turn on. OK, now I have to admit, I know nothing about com ports and how to use them. Basically, I just kept changing the com port in the ControlCal's settings to see if anything would work. Seven of the nine gave a message stating that the port could not be opened. I could only use com1 or com3. Nothing happened with either selected. I did later find out that the laptop's modem is using com3. Where do I go from here? How do I know what com port to use? Googling 'com ports' only leads me to become even more lost. Can someone point me in the right direction? Thanks in advance.

[Turbe]

It was common for Laptops with built-in Serial Ports and Modems to have COM1 assigned to the built-in Serial Port and COM3 for the Modem. If you select COM3 in ControlCAL and COM3 is in fact the Modem, you should see the following (in the Terminal Window) when you use a Control (nothing will happen on the Display):

<---- SENT
----> RECEIVED


I think your Serial Port has been assigned to COM1, you can check this in your Control Panel (SYSTEM/HARDWARE/DEVICE MANAGER).

I also think you have a problem with your serial cable.. Are you sure it's configured as Straight-Through? They may have sent you a Null-Model Serial Cable.

Most of the communications problems (nearly all) are because of the cable, see:

http://www.controlcal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=29

What is the link you used for Monoprice and what is their Part #?

[bruin95]

Here is a link to the cable I bought. It is part #449.

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10212&cs_id=1021201&p_id=449&seq=1&format=2

It should be the right cable. I clicked a link in one of your posts. I believe it was the step by step instructions for using ControlCal. I checked the settings, in the device manager, and they are set to the defaults that ControlCal uses. The device manager states that the device (com1) is working properly, so maybe I got a bad cable. I don't have access to another laptop, so I may have to try the USB adapter instead.

You are right about the com3. I did get the "received" message in the terminal window. So that must mean that the cable is good. I'm totally clueless about why this won't work.

[Turbe]

EDIT: I meant: They may have sent you a Null-Model Serial Cable.

[Turbe]

From that link:

"High quality, high value, Serial (DB9) Straight, F/F Patch Cable."

It does say Straight... either something is up with the cable or there is an issue with that COM Port (assuming you have it plugged in correctly)...

[bruin95]

I guess I'll try the USB adapter. Hopefully that will work. I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks for your time.