No response from the interface

venik · Post by **venik** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 9:29 pm

I have been a happy user of JP1 and IR for a while now. When my old Thinkpad died, I bought another one, installed JP1 on it, and tried to download my carefully crafted configuration for my RS2116.
However, IR (V. 6.15) complained that it could not communicate with the interface, even though the cable and plugs seem fine.

What is going on? What can I do? I tried the remedies mentioned in Rob's response (no batteries, new batteries, etc.), but to no avail.

HELP!!!!!!!!! (please)...

Capn Trips · Post by **Capn Trips** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 2:22 am

What interface are you using?

If it's the simple parallel, there is an "old design", that used 10K-ohm resistors and a "regular (?)" diode, and the "new and improved" version that uses 1K-ohm resistors and a Schottke diode.

The old design works fine under many circumstances (mine did for three years with four different computers and six different remotes) - frequently using various battery tricks to get it to work, but every once in a while you come across a combintation of hardware that won't work with it no matter what (as I recently did with a Sky remote).

Replacing the 10K resistors with 1K fixed it.

It's worth a try.

venik · Post by **venik** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 7:06 am

It's a parallel interface, and I think it has a diode and a resistor. The parallel port works fine with the printer, so I assume that the problem is in the cable/connector.

pH7_jp1 · Post by **pH7_jp1** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 7:16 am

venik said

...I think it has a diode and a resistor.

Well, that is nice, but what Capn Trips was suggesting that you check which value resisters are used in your interface and if they are the 10k ohm resisters, then you should try replacing them with 1k ohm resisters.

Capn Trips · Post by **Capn Trips** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 7:22 am

venik wrote:...I think it has a diode and a resistor. ... so I assume that the problem is in the cable/connector.

Precisely! It should have TWO resistors and ONE diode, and as I described above, THOSE are the components I recommend you look at.

underquark · Post by **underquark** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 7:42 am

Check out this resistor color code calculator which might help.

The statement that it "must be the cable" isn't sound logic. The only thing to have changed, as far as I can see from the above, is your laptop and with it the type of parallel port, the parallel port settings and the parallel port voltage may also have changed.

If the resistors and diode are the newer, approved versions the next step would be to check the port settings in the BIOS and try changing it to ECP, EPP or whatever. Better still would be to check the settings in the old laptop first if you still have it.

whompus · Post by **whompus** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 4:54 pm

Also try copying gwiopm.sys to your windows directory on the new system. Some reports have been made that they had to do that for whatever reason to get it to work.

I dont remember if I had to but I just checked and a copy of gwiopm.sys is in my windows directory. I may have been testing and left it there or it may have been needed there not sure now.

venik · Post by **venik** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 6:46 pm

The two resistors are 1k.
I have checked all the possible settings of the parallel port on my new laptop: bi-directional, ECP and output only.
None of them worked.
My only remaining hope is to try that mysterious qwiopm.sysfile and hope that it is not a virus that wipes my boot sector.
(unless the Wise Men of the JP1 community can come up with a different solution)

Mark Pierson · Post by **Mark Pierson** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 7:13 pm

venik wrote:that mysterious qwiopm.sysfile

That's not a mysterious file at all... it's REQUIRED by IR (included in the zip file) to implement its communications routines. I think it's actually a Delphi (IR's programming language) library file.

venik · Post by **venik** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 7:23 pm

That's sad, since I have now copied that file to my WINDOWS (XP) directory, but the interface still fails. Not only that, but the testing apparently erased some of the data from the remote, making a solution to this vexing problem even more urgent.
Can anyone help? Am I the only one with this problem?
My laptop is a Thinkpad 43p running WinXP (SP2).
Thanks,

underquark · Post by **underquark** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 2:47 am

Worth a shot copying that file to Windows/System, System32, the IR directory and anywhere else you can think of. Then (if it works) delete them one by one and report back where the successful "put" was.

Next suggestion - new, USB cable (but beware that some have had problems with setting it up correctly re drivers etc.) but also worth checking your existing cable on a desktop machine if you get the chance. I don't think you are the only one with problems. I take it that you have tried a search for "Thinkpad" which yields 16 threads on this forum.

venik · Post by **venik** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 10:21 am

The latest from the parallel interface struggle:
Tried it on another Thinkpad (T40). It failed, but on that one I could not sign on as an Administrator, so all bets are off.
Then I tried it on a desktop (Dell) running XP Pro (SP2). Failed, but after I reversed one battery, the interface checked out OK, and I was able to upload stuff to the remote (RS-2116). When I get home I'll check if the remote works correctly (as it did before I tried the new Thinkpad).
The parallel port on the desktop machine is configured as ECP.
Is the USB interface less prone to such trouble?

Mark Pierson · Post by **Mark Pierson** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 2:39 pm

venik wrote:Is the USB interface less prone to such trouble?

It doesn't suffer from the voltage issues that the simple interface does. However, there have been a few reports of people having trouble getting the USB driver installed.

Does the ThinkPad have any software/hardware that might be taking control of the parallel port (i.e. printer, zip drive, scanner)? Does the interface fail even if you try it immediately after booting the machine? Is the Auto Check entry on the Interface menu selected? If so, deselect it.

venik · Post by **venik** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 5:03 pm

My attempt to use the remote after it sort of communicated with another computer (after reversing one battery and uploading to the remote stuff I saved long ago) failed miserably.

I then deleted the printer from the Thinkpad, unchecked the Autocheck, but to no avail.
This is terrible-- I have gotten so used to my very useful 2116, and it has now lost most of its brain. Where do I get a USB cable?

greenough1 · Post by **greenough1** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 5:49 pm

Try this one:
http://www.diygadget.com/store/index.ph ... 654c934e34
jeff