Windows 7 x64 with FTDI USB interface (solved)

[bobdobolina]

I have a JP1 USB adapter I bought (DG-JP1-U02) from Tommy Tyler years back. Programming (or trying to) a URC-8820 JP 1.2 remote (worked fine under XP).

Now trying to get it working on my Win7 x64 box. It seems the FTDI drivers here ( http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/D2XX.htm ) won't work on Win7 x64.

I see mention of some sort of adapter in this thread:
http://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=11891

According to the end of this thread, it looks like Tommy's current hardware might? But I'm gathering this is updated hardware, dissimilar to my 3-4 year old cable?
http://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/viewt ... &&start=60

I think I'm SOL here?

thanks

[3FG]

Is the interface really for a JP1? Or is it a JP1.2/1.3 flash interface? If it is the former, that interface cable uses a chip made by Delcom Engineering, and does not use the FTDI drivers.

The Delcom driver is somewhat problemetic with Win 7, and many of the computers running Win 7 have hardware which is marginally compatible with the Delcom chip.

We spent quite a bit off time last year to make this combination work, using WinUSB drivers supplied by Microsoft. Here is the FAQ and instructions for obtaining and installing WinUSB dirvers which will allow a JP1 USB cable to work with Win 7.

[bobdobolina]

Sorry 3FG, looks like I have two cables. Just dug up the JP 1.2/3 cable, which is newer, I think. Been a while.

So I think I need to use this latter cable with the remote I have. It is labeled JP 1.2/3.

I'm gathering THIS one uses the FTDI drivers; has a solution been found for these?

thanks!

[jimdunn]

I have a JP1 USB adapter I bought (DG-JP1-U02) from Tommy Tyler years back. Programming (or trying to) a URC-8820 JP 1.2 remote (worked fine under XP).

Well, assuming all this is correct, if you were happily programming a URC-8820 under XP, then I don't see how the interface could be JPI EEPROM. It would surely have to be JP1.x flash?

You might want to download, and work through this excellent troubleshooting guide: http://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/dload ... le_id=5965

Oops.. you replied while I'm typing this

Sounds like you have Tommy's latest interface (at least that's how mine is labelled) - if that's right you'd have red and green LEDs which flash while downloading/uploading.

If that's the case, the drivers here: http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/VCP.htm say they are for Windows 7, version 2.08.02 being the latest WHQL certified, with 2.08.08 being a later interim bugfix, and the troubleshooting guide should help you check they are installed ok.

[3FG]

OK, if you do have a Tommy Tyler flash cable, that uses FTDI drivers. But I think you'll find that you don't need to load drivers-- the FTDI chipset is supported in Win 7, I think.

Just plug the newer interface into the computer and see what Win 7 says.

[jimdunn]

It seems the FTDI drivers here ( http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/D2XX.htm ) won't work on Win7 x64.

In any event, whether there are drivers built into Win7 or not, this seems the wrong driver set to be looking at, so you should probably uninstall these drivers if you have tried to use them.
I don't think D2xx drivers are what you need at all - D2xx drivers are to allow direct access to the USB device through a DLL.

For use with IR.exe, you need VCP (Virtual Com Port) drivers (if you need any) - which just serve to allow the USB device to appear on a virtual COM port.

So I'd do this:
1. Uninstall the D2xx drivers, reboot, and see if it "just works"
2. If it doesn't, try with the right VCP drivers for your 64 bit OS: http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/VCP.htm

[bobdobolina]

Ya, unfortunately, I get a failed driver in Device Manager. Showing under Other Devices are:

FT232R USB UART
USB-Serial Controller D

Fortunately, I still had an XP box kicking around (for now!), so I was able to get things rolling there.

[jimdunn]

Ya, unfortunately, I get a failed driver in Device Manager. Showing under Other Devices are:

FT232R USB UART
USB-Serial Controller D

Fortunately, I still had an XP box kicking around (for now!), so I was able to get things rolling there.

Well, personally, assuming you have no other virtual COM devices to confuse the issue, I'd just uninstall both of those in device manager, run any uninstallation program that the D2xx drivers came with (or added to Add/remove programs) and try the VCP driver instead of the incorrect D2xx one you've already installed (with a reboot for good luck)

I'm pretty certain that the D2xx drivers you've installed are incorrect, and you are probably going to need to remove them and use a VCP driver (or built in OS support) instead...

[mdavej]

I can confirm that Tommy's JP1.3 cable works fine on Win7 64 without downloading any drivers. As 3FG said, they're built in to the OS. The OP needs to remove all traces of the drivers he installed before, like Jim said.

[bobdobolina]

2. If it doesn't, try with the right VCP drivers for your 64 bit OS: http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/VCP.htm

THAT seems to have done the trick. I swear I'd attempted to install those drivers yesterday, without any luck. However, trying again today, it works.

Many thanks, everyone!

[jimdunn]

2. If it doesn't, try with the right VCP drivers for your 64 bit OS: http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/VCP.htm

THAT seems to have done the trick. I swear I'd attempted to install those drivers yesterday, without any luck. However, trying again today, it works.

Many thanks, everyone!

The confusion seems to have arisen because, initially, you found and installed a "second" (not useful for JP1) set of FTDI drivers from their website. (D2xx) - installing these made your chip not work for JP1. The drivers you originally said you were using were from ( http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/D2XX.htm ) - they would not work for JP1

...since that is a different driver entirely from the ones which I linked (and which are linked in the first post of Tommy's interface thread : http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/VCP.htm

The former (wrong ones you found) (D2xx) are for direct communication through a dll with the USB device, which is not what you want at all. You must have found them yourself through a Google search, since they aren't linked anywhere here.

The latter (correct ones) (VCP) are to use the device as a Virtual Com Port, and they are what you need, since a Com Port is what IR.exe is "looking for", and these VCP drivers are already built into Win7, so you could either use the Win7 built in support, or the VCP drivers from the site which you are now using successfully.

In the great scheme of things, starting from scratch, you probably didn't need to install any drivers at all for Win7, but: NOW THAT IT WORKS, DON'T TRY TO "FIX" IT...

Regardless of all that - glad you solved it

And as for:

However, trying again today, it works.

Well, yes, I believe that particularly joyful user conundrum has been a feature of Microsoft Windows since at least version 2.0 ...

Jim