USB to RS232 TTL Serial Interface Cable (HCCABL0015)

[admin]

USB to RS232 TTL PL2303HX auto converter module adapter with a 5V output, which provides the most convenient way to connect your RS232 TTL devices to your computer via the USB port. The cable has a built-in TTL COM PC-PL2303HX Chip and uses a standard USB type A male and TTL 4 pin connector. The cable length is approximately 100cm in length.


Pinout:
Black - GND
Green - TXD
White - RXD
Red - VCC (5V)





WINDOWS 8/VISTA/10 USERS:

Please note the latest version of the Prolific drivers breaks comparability with versions of Windows from 8 and above. If you are using one of these versions of Windows do not use the driver provided through Windows update or download the driver from the Prolific website as these do not work. Instead please use the one available below and follow the installation guide provided.

Profilic_Win8_x64_x86.zip

[PLEASE LOGIN TO DOWNLOAD THE DRIVER]

To install the driver unzip the folder and right click the ser2pl.inf file and select 'install' from the context menu.

Next open up device manager and plug in the USB cable. Once installed you should see the cable appear as 'Prolific USB-to-Serial Comm Port (COMx)'.

In some cases Windows may automatically install the latest driver instead. If you see a yellow caution symbol beside the entry do the following steps to force windows to install the correct driver:

Right-click the entry in device manager and in the window that opens up select 'Update driver software'.

Click the second option (Browse my computer for software).

In the new windows that opens up select 'Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer'

Another window will open. In this windows select the driver version 3.3.2.102 dates 24/09/2008 and then click next.

This should now force the correct driver to install.




Older versions of Windows:

For older versions of Windows please use the latest version of the driver available from the Prolific website here:

Windows Drivers: (http://www.prolific.com.tw/US/ShowProdu ... 25&pcid=41)


PL2303HXD Datasheet

PL2303HXD_Datasheet.pdf

[pootle]

I can't upload a new prog to my 4x4x4 cube. it compiles OK, but fails to upload with:

Code: Select all

Global variables use 25 bytes (1%) of dynamic memory, leaving 2023 bytes for local variables. Maximum is 2048 bytes.
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 1 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x56
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 2 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x56
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 3 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x56
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 4 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x56
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 5 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x56
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 6 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x56
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 7 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x56
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 8 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x56
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 9 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x56
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 10 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x56
Problem uploading to board.  See http://www.arduino.cc/en/Guide/Troubleshooting#upload for suggestions.

I'm trying to do the update described here ( I have the warning yellow thingy on the com port (Prolific USB-to-Serial Comm Port (COM6))with an event:

Code: Select all

Device USB\VID_067B&PID_2303\5&2301df1d&0&4 was not migrated due to partial or ambiguous match.

Last Device Instance Id: USB\VID_05AC&PID_12A8\d18636c1d25b1fea6d0f5ec790285bc3764cc583
Class Guid: {EEC5AD98-8080-425F-922A-DABF3DE3F69A}
Location Path: PCIROOT(0)#PCI(1400)#USBROOT(0)#USB(4)
Migration Rank: 0xF000FFFFFFFF0033
Present: false
Status: 0xC0000719

If I try to update the driver I get to the folder (which I unzipped to my desktop). I can't open the folder to see files though. If I click next I get

Windows has determined that the best driver for this device is already installed....

Is there anything else I can try?

[andrew]

I'm trying to do the update described here ( I have the warning yellow thingy on the com port (Prolific USB-to-Serial Comm Port (COM6))with an event:

If I try to update the driver I get to the folder (which I unzipped to my desktop). I can't open the folder to see files though. If I click next I get
Windows has determined that the best driver for this device is already installed....

Unfortunately the driver supplied by the Windows update process is broken. You'll need to completely remove all copies of this version before you can install the one provided in this forum. Yuo can do this by following these steps:

1) Plug the cable into your computer

2) Open up device manager and locate the cable in the list which should be listed as 'Prolific USB-to-Serial Comm Port (COMx)'.

3) Right-click on it and then select 'Uninstall device'

4) This next bit is important - make sure that the 'Delete the driver software for this device' check box is checked.

5) Click the uninstall button

6) Remove the cable and plug it back in.

7) If Windows attempts to reinstall the wrong driver again just repeat the above steps until it can no longer find a driver.

8) Next, right click it again and this time select 'Update driver'

9) In the window that opens up select 'Browse my computer for driver software'

10) In the new window that opens up click the browse button and then browse to wherever you unzipped the downloaded drivers.

11) Select the folder (note that sometimes there may be another folder inside your unzipped folder, if so then select that one - it needs to the actual folder that the .ini file is stored in). Then click the 'OK' button to install the driver.


If all goes well and the driver installs correctly there should no longer be a yellow triangle beside the device.

[Dom]

Hi Andrew

I am on Windows 11 and tried all the suggestions you have posted but still get the error message:-

"avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding"

I have tried the uninstall device at least a dozen times but Win 11 always manages to find its own driver (I think) as it still comes back with the best driver already installed. I have tried select and manual install to no avail. I do browse and locate the unzipped .inf driver file but cannot find the any .ini file you suggest. Even on C:. I don't know where they are stored and not sure what to search for. Tried all obvious I think.

I could try copying the file to a disc and the select "Have Disk" option to keep it isolated from the C: drive but which file do I copy?

The downloaded ser2pl.inf file installed the driver no problem.

Regards
Barry

[andrew]

I have tried the uninstall device at least a dozen times but Win 11 always manages to find its own driver (I think)

Hi Barry, assuming you are following the steps in this post (the one above yours)…

viewtopic.php?p=7398#p7398

… and in particular step 7, it could be that Windows has also assigned this driver to something else and so is not completely uninstalling it. With the cable connected try this…

Follow the steps in the guide but when you get to step 4, notice there is some text at the bottom of the window with a link to ‘Devices by driver’:

Prolific_Uninstall Device_By_Driver.png

Click this link and the device manager window should now show a list of drivers rather than devices.

It should already have selected your USB device (note on your system it may read something different to the one shown in the window below:

Prolific_Uninstall Device_By_Driver_2.png

Select the actual driver listed above your device. In the example it is listed as oem31.inf (ser2pi.inf) but it may read something different on yours as the example is showing the correct driver, the the broken one windows is installing.

Right click it and select ‘Remove driver’

In the window that opens up make sure both the ‘Uninstall this driver from any devices that currently use it’ and the ‘Attempt to force removal of this driver while it is still in use by devices’ checkboxes are checked then click the ‘remove’ button.

Hopefully this will completely remove the broken driver that Windows insists on installing.

You can then switch back to the normal devices view in device manager by going to View->Devices by type

Once you have followed the above try steps 8 to 11 to install the driver you downloaded from the first post of this forum thread.


Hopefully that will fix it.

[Dom]

Hi Andrew

I followed your instructions and the Prolific for COMx was finally no longer listed in device manager.

I downloaded the prolific drivers again from your link, Just to make sure, unzipped and installed your driver as listed.
Checked the driver version in Properties and it is 3.3.2.102 date 24/09/2008
There has never been any yellow caution signs

Unfortunately am still getting the same error "programmer is not responding".

Having never tried the MS version and thinking they may have caught up, I uninstalled and reinstalled the Microsoft/Prolific version. Checked the version to make sure and it is theirs dated 24/02/2023. But still no luck.

Sorry Andrew but I have no idea what to try next. Its probably something I am doing wrong and I did notice the reset button starts the light sequence from the beginning but I would have expected a delay while it loaded I have tried both holding the reset button down for several seconds or just a quick on/off

Regards Barry Hawthorne

[andrew]

Unfortunately am still getting the same error "programmer is not responding".

What is reporting this error message? Is it the Arduino IDE? If so could you copy and paste the exact error.

Having never tried the MS version and thinking they may have caught up, I uninstalled and reinstalled the Microsoft/Prolific version. Checked the version to make sure and it is theirs dated 24/02/2023. But still no luck.

Yeah, don't use any version supplied by Microsoft or Prolific, they don't work. Just use the one in the first post of this thread. If device manager is not reporting any errors then it's probably not a driver problem.

One thing you could try to confirm if the cable is working is to do a loop-back test:

Plug the serial cable into your computer but don't connect it to anything. Instead use a piece of wire to link the TXD and RXD wires (green and white cables) together.

Then in the Arduino IDE open up the serial monitor window (tools->Serial Monitor) and type something into the text box at the top of the window then hit enter. With the TXD & RXD cables linked together whatever you type should appear in the Rx area below.

[Dom]

Hi Andrew

Loop-back worked fine.

Yes the error is the result of trying to to upload:

/* FILE: HC8x8x8_Play_Patterns
DATE: 14/03/16
VERSION: 0.1
AUTHOR: Andrew Davies

14/03/16 version 0.1: Original version


Error message below

Sketch uses 13624 bytes (42%) of program storage space. Maximum is 32256 bytes.
Global variables use 123 bytes (6%) of dynamic memory, leaving 1925 bytes for local variables. Maximum is 2048 bytes.
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 1 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x5c
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 2 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x5c
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 3 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x5c
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 4 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x5c
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 5 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x5c
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 6 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x5c
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 7 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x5c
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 8 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x5c
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 9 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x5c
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 10 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x5c
Failed uploading: uploading error: exit status 1

[andrew]

Loop-back worked fine.

Great. That means we can rule that out as the problem.

avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 1 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x5c
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding

The error message simply means 'I can't upload the sketch for some reason'. Which could be any number of things like a physical bad connection on the Tx or Rx lines somewhere, a wrong setting in the Arduino IDE, or just getting the timing wrong on when to press the reset button.

The first thing to check is the Arduino settings. Under the tools menu can you check that you have the following:

Board: "Arduino Nano"
Processor: "ATMega328P (Old Bootloader)
Port: The COM port of your cable

If the above are correct then maybe it's a timing issue on pressing the reset button. Just to sanity check - because the cable doesn't have a DTR line you need to manually reset the cube just at the right point. You need to press the reset button just at the point the Arduino IDE switches from saying it’s 'Compiling' the sketch to saying it’s 'Uploading' it. The timings are pretty critical so it may take a few goes to get right.

[Dom]

Hi Andrew

Sorry but still cant get this to upload. I have tried many many many times to hit the right moment but from "Compiling" to the first "Uploading" message there is only milliseconds. No time to press the button and release. But there are two brief messages on the bottom left of the IDE screen about *Building Sketch" and "Indexing 0/1". Takes about a second. Then I guess the upload starts. I have tried all points in between.

The processor is a problem. There is no processor shown in the tool menu. I have attached a document with screen print of my tools menu and one from the Arduino IDE help/support page hoping it would tell me what I have done wrong.
I selected another board and back again to check the tools menu was working.