RACECAPTURE APP WILL NOT CONNECT TO PC

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G111ORH
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RACECAPTURE APP WILL NOT CONNECT TO PC

Post by G111ORH »

HI,

i have a mk1 running software 2.8.7 which will load to the logger over usb from a dell pc running windows 10.....this pc will not however run the racecapture app - some versions (before v1.6) give kivy error and chinese... v1.6.0 says i need open gl ver2 in english....

this is very annoying as this was the laptop that i used to connect and configure the datalogger

i have tried another device - microsoft surface running w10 , the v1.6.0 app will run on this but the logger will not connect to this computer - permanently green flashing arrow and connecting / searching com 3 message .... i downloaded version 1.4.1 of app ...... i have same problem.......

please help BRENT feels like i have a couple of hundred dollars of silicon junk at the moment .....

brentp
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Post by brentp »

Hi,

Sorry you're having problems.

For your Windows 10 computer, the RaceCapture app needs Open GL 2.0 capable video drivers. You may check the Dell web site to see if there is updated video drivers available for your computer.

For the other computer, you will need to ensure it can see the RCP device under Device Manager under COM ports. If you do not see the device under COM ports, you will need to address this problem first. If the computer is Windows 8, then you will need to install the drivers first; See the special note about Windows 8:
https://wiki.autosportlabs.com/RaceCapt ... USB_Driver

Windows 10 does not need drivers, as windows 10 will automatically detect RaceCapture/Pro.

Hope this helps, please let us know what you find out.
Brent Picasso
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GTIspirit
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Post by GTIspirit »

Hmmm, I have similar problem. A Windows 7 laptop which previously connected to a Mk1 RCPro now doesn't want to connect. Device is visible in Control Panel Device Manager, RaceCapture/Pro (COM11), but the App just skips over it and keeps cycling through the ports.

Another computer, Windows 8 tablet, connects. Appears the same in Device Manager as on the laptop.

Driver version and configuration is identical on both computers. Both computers use RaceCapture app 1.7.6.

So why would one computer connect but not the other when device is recognized same by both?

P.S. it would be great if there was the option to manually set the COM port instead of having the app keep cycling through.....

brentp
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Post by brentp »

Hard to tell why your vista computer is doing that.

If you have the RC app shut down, then connect RCP, then fire up a terminal program like hyperterminal or RealTerm, what do you see after hitting 'enter' on the keyboard? You should see a command prompt with some menu items show up.

Also, try using a previous version of the app to see if that makes a difference.

-Brent
Brent Picasso
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GTIspirit
Posts: 249
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Location: SE Michigan

Post by GTIspirit »

Yeah, it's a little frustrating and annoying when something which previously worked now doesn't. Looks like it should work but it doesn't. Even more frustrating when same thing works on a different computer. Computers. :roll:

No go with app version 1.6.0.

So what to do from here? It's probably something with the computer, but I've double checked the device manager settings, even turned off the Windows Firewall on the W7 laptop. Plugged and unplugged the RCPro a few times, cycled power a few times, re-started the computer a few times. What are some other typical troubleshooting steps?
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brentp
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Post by brentp »

Try this:

Boot up windows in "Safe mode with networking" mode. This loads up a bare bones minimal version of Windows that will still allow drivers to load. Could provide some insight.

Your typical windows computer isn't the most controlled, predictable environment. They're all at different windows update levels, they may or may not have software that may cause problems for other bits of software, including causing conflicts or might actively block applications from running, like virus scanners. It's a classically difficult environment to work in.

Let us know what you find out!
Brent Picasso
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toga94m
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Post by toga94m »

GTIspirit wrote:Hmmm, I have similar problem. A Windows 7 laptop which previously connected to a Mk1 RCPro now doesn't want to connect. Device is visible in Control Panel Device Manager, RaceCapture/Pro (COM11), but the App just skips over it and keeps cycling through the ports.

Another computer, Windows 8 tablet, connects. Appears the same in Device Manager as on the laptop.

Driver version and configuration is identical on both computers. Both computers use RaceCapture app 1.7.6.

So why would one computer connect but not the other when device is recognized same by both?

P.S. it would be great if there was the option to manually set the COM port instead of having the app keep cycling through.....
Try disabling all those other COM ports, so there's only one for it to look at. I had to turn off bluetooth on my Win8 laptop, starting around app version 1.4ish. Previous versions would hunt for devices with the racecapture name.. later app versions scan all comm ports (real RS232, USB adapters, and bluetooth virtual). So if you've only got one available, it's more likely to work. I have to edit Lua scripts on my laptop (kindle fire keyboard takes over the script window, typing blind != good) so I needed to get a reliable connection via the USB port.
------------
Learning Race Capture Pro... on someone else's car
Learning Python/Kivy on my own PC

brentp
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Post by brentp »

Important to note:

* The desktop app only looks at serial ports; it does not search by any name.
* Mobile in bluetooth mode searches by Bluetooth Name
* Mobile in WiFi mode searches by IP address, after waiting for the beacon.

In all cases the last known port/name/IP address is tried first before falling back to searching.

HTH,
Brent Picasso
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GTIspirit
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Post by GTIspirit »

toga94m wrote: Try disabling all those other COM ports, so there's only one for it to look at. I had to turn off bluetooth on my Win8 laptop, starting around app version 1.4ish. Previous versions would hunt for devices with the racecapture name..
Winner winner chicken dinner, Houston we have a problem!

The tip about bluetooth was a good hint, because I tried to connect to the RCPro with bluetooth on my Win8 tablet, but no my computer. I just double checked my laptop, Bluetooth was disabled. I disabled all the COM ports in the Device Manager except for the one for RaceCapture/Pro. Still no go.

RaceCapture 1.6.0 and 1.7.8 just seem to cycle through the COM ports with a momentary blue blip on the upload, but it's like the app just skips over the ports. Strange thing, RaceCapture even cycles through the disabled ports :o

I had also tried Safe Mode with networking, but Kivy wasn't happy :(

What worked was RaceCapture app version 1.4.2.

So now the question is, can I upload configs into 1.4.2, edit them, and then write them? Running the latest Mk1 firmware 2.8.7. I only want to use the laptop to edit the Lua script because it has a proper keyboard.... Wasn't planning any other edits.

Is this an acceptable workaround until someone hopefully figures out what's different with the COM communication between 1.4.2 and 1.6.0/1.7.8?
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toga94m
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Post by toga94m »

I was able to use 1.7.5 on my Win8 laptop via USB to the RCP mk1 last week, for script editing. Now that I think of it, it worked both when the RCP was powered byUSB (in the house at the couch), and also when the RCP was in the car powered off 12V, but still connected to the laptop by USB. Laptop has Bluetooth is off, so there's only one COM option in the device manager. There were a few times when it wouldn't connect at the couch (USB power) but I swapped back and forth between two USB ports on the laptop until it worked. One identifies as COM3, the other is COM10. Doing this also powercycles the RCP, of course. In all of these cases, the external bluetooth adapter was physically connected to the RCP.
------------
Learning Race Capture Pro... on someone else's car
Learning Python/Kivy on my own PC

GTIspirit
Posts: 249
Joined: Wed Jan 09, 2013 11:20 am
Location: SE Michigan

Post by GTIspirit »

toga94m wrote:Laptop has Bluetooth is off, so there's only one COM option in the device manager.
Yes, that's it! Something in RaceCapture app versions later than 1.4.2 must handle the COM ports differently, since 1.4.2 was connecting on my laptop when 1.7.8 wasn't.

I had Bluetooth disabled, but still had a bunch of BT COM ports listed in the device manager, even after disabling them. I just uninstalled them so after connecting RCPro to USB there was only COM one device listed, RaceCapture/Pro.

Voila, now RaceCapture app 1.7.8 connects on my laptop. :) Thanks toga94m for the tips to point me in the right direction.

brentp
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Post by brentp »

Awesome - great debugging. glad you got it to work!
Brent Picasso
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