CodeWarrior USB-to-Serial Problem

[Dakota]

Good Morning,

I am trying to use a Prolific USB-to-Serial adapter with CodeWarrior (version 5).  My processor is an MC6868HC908KX8, and the board programs properly on other computers with serial ports.  Unfortunately, I am now using a computer with USB only.  CodeWarrior will not recognize COM6 (the USB-to-Serial adapter).  I have installed all available patches and updates for both CodeWarrior and the USB-to-Serial adaptor.  I have also tried refresh.

Interestingly, this same Prolific USB-to-Serial adapter worked until I changed my hard drive and reinstalled CodeWarrior.  COM6 used to appear in the list of COM ports, and I successfully programmed an earlier revision of this board (the revision was extremely minor – jumpers were added).

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

[hc08]

I think Codewarrior assumes that there are no COM ports after any available blank COM ports.

Especially if you are using a USB to serial converter that doesn't assign the next available port.

For example, in device manager, COM 1 - serial port on computer, COM 3 USB to serial converter

COM 1 (in use)

COM 2

COM 3 (in use)

If you change the COM 3 to COM 2 then code warrior will recognise COM1 and COM2.

Otherwise you will only see COM1.

[mke_et]

I don't think that's true. I have only one serial port on my laptop, and my USB-BDM pod configures up around COM4 or higher, and it works fine.

However, I'm using CW 3.1, it may be a bug introduced in later versions. Also, I had to specifically install a patch for USB support.

Mike

Message Edited by mke_et on 2008-05-09 08:22 PM

[hc08]

Hi Mike,

There are no problems if you are using codewarrior V3.x, it presents a list of COM ports,

however with the later editions, as you have mentioned, does have this problem. I'm am

using V6.x, you can try the newer edition and let me know, but then again, if V3 works fine

for you and you're happy with it, then you probably don't need the later vesions.

Steven.

[J2MEJediMaster]

What error message are you getting? Did you update your license key? The license key is based on your hard drive's ID number, which changes when you reformat or replace the drive.

---Tom

[Dakota]

There is no error message - it simply will not detect COM6 (or COM5, if I switch USB ports).  The only serial port it detects is COM1, which is not an option for my USB adapter.  My USB-to-serial adapter is working properly (I use it to download waypoints to my GPS).  The license file is also installed properly.  I can compile, download, and run code on the M68DEMO908GB60 demo board using the same USB-to-serial adapter on the same computer, and it detects COM6.  Also, I can compile, download, and run code on my MC68HC908KX8 board on another computer running CodeWarrior version 5 with an RS232 serial port (not using the USB-to-serial adapter).

The problem seems to be that, when creating a new project for the HC08 (not HCS08), CodeWarrior will not detect some COM ports.  Maybe it is a compatibility problem with my USB adapter.  Does anyone use a USB-to-serial adapter with HC08 (MON08 mode) processors?  Which ones work?

[CompilerGuru]

Check this thread (subject "Recognition codewarrior usb2serial adapter"):

http://forums.freescale.com/freescale/board/message?board.id=CWCOMM&message.id=767&query.id=1739#M76...

Daniel

[Dakota]

Thank you.  Apparently I am not the only one having a problem with USB to serial adapters.  It would be nice to know which adapter works properly.

There is something unusual, however, with the way that CodeWarrior (version 5) detects COM ports.  I have two known working boards (both can be programmed on other computers with RS232 serial ports).  Here are the results of two experiments:

1) I created a new project for the M68DEMO908GB60 board.  When I select HC08 Serial Monitor, it successfully detects COM6 on the USB-to-serial adapter and I can program the board.

2) I created a new project for the MC68HC908KX8 board.  When I try to download code, it does not detect the USB-to-serial adapter (only COM1 appears in the pulldown menu).

I just ran these two experiments again several minutes ago to confirm the results.

[Dakota]

After submitting the last post, I realized the difference between the two devices.  Although they both use RS232, the MON08 interface for the KX8 works differently that the serial interface to the GB60, and it will be much more sensitive to timing.

Does anyone have any experience using PCMCIA RS232 cards?  It seems that they may be able to handle the timing better.

[mke_et]

You'll pay a premium for a PCMCIA serial card. And it will be a 'hack' in the sense that they are all multi-com port and share a single interrupt... (Only one on PCMCIA sockets) If you could find a CardBus serial card, that would be better, but they are even more rare than PCMCIA serial cards.

Also, remember that if you're having trouble with timing on a USB serial cable, don't expect PCMCIA to be that much better. PCMCIA is more likely going to slow down for it's 8-bit I/O cycles on the bus.

You might be better off looking at a USB-MON08 pod. I don't have one (I still use the LPT version MON08-MultiLink, but I've been told there's a USB version. I did pick up the USB-BDM for my Star12 stuff, and it says it works with the '08 parts, but not all of them. Unfortunately the KX08 is one of those it doesn't.