Post by: atsfguy on July 07, 2019, 07:42:50 PM
If it becomes necessary to uninstall RPA, is there a specific method to do this?
Thank you.
Cecil
Post by: Alan on July 07, 2019, 10:01:04 PM
Post by: William Brillinger on July 08, 2019, 06:33:30 AM
What anti-virus program are you running?
Also see this article: Troubleshooting RailPro Internet Connection problems
https://rpug.pdc.ca/index.php/topic,656.0.html
- Bill
Post by: atsfguy on July 08, 2019, 06:58:18 AM
Bill, I am running AVG antivirus and I forgot to turn it off. I will attempt to connect this morning and I will keep you informed.
Thanks to both.
Cecil
Post by: atsfguy on July 08, 2019, 01:26:53 PM
An error message said the usb cable is faulty. Is that due to the coil inline? Is this fairly normal or is it more symptomatic of wireless laptops such as mine?
Alan, you referred to an Etherenet cable. I have been away so long from computer technology other than simply operating one that I, frankly, don’t remember an etherenet cable. There is a port on one side of my Toshiba laptop for what appears to be a telephone plug. Is this it? I have a spare cable router and can scare up a length of cable with telephone connections to hardwire this rig, if it is the cable you referred to.
I appreciate any help you can give me. This has raised my fighting spirit, so it may as well as surrender and connect!
Thank you for your help.
Cheers, Cecil
Post by: Alan on July 08, 2019, 07:48:33 PM
A direct wire configuration may allow you to connect if RP over wi-fi is your problem.
Post by: William Brillinger on July 09, 2019, 06:52:36 AM
Post by: G8B4Life on July 09, 2019, 08:42:39 AM
If it's RPA does not recognise the HC is attached you might need to try a different USB cable (cables can go bad, and that EMI suppression device that you called a coil is actually beneficial, not harmful) - or - check to see which HC you actually have. If you have the older HC-2 (identified by having a USB port and a round charging port) you will need to install the FTDI drivers from Ring's site: https://www.ringengineering.com/Software/HC-1UsbDriverInstaller.EXE (https://www.ringengineering.com/Software/HC-1UsbDriverInstaller.EXE). If you have the later HC-2b (identified by only having a USB port) then you don't need to load the FTDI drivers.
If it's that RPA does recognise the HC is attached but RPA fails to download anything then I do suggest trying with an Ethernet cable instead of Wi-Fi just to eliminate that possibility however if you downloaded RPA over Wi-Fi in the first place then I suspect Wi-Fi is not your problem.
As Alan said, an Ethernet cable looks similar to a phone cable but the plugs on an Ethernet cable are larger and have 8 pins. Most people would simply call it a network cable.
Also, I'm presuming by your description that RPA downloaded and installed fine and when you run it it indicates it has a connection to Ring Engineering?
- Tim
Post by: atsfguy on July 09, 2019, 11:52:29 AM
I am using the supplied USB cable that came with my RPK-1 kit. I have no other.
I have no problem connecting with Ring’s site other than while trying to use RPA.
My next move will be to acquire an Ethernet cable, if I can find one in this backwoods Ohio town.
Thanks for the help to this point. We will conquer this!
Cecil
Post by: William Brillinger on July 09, 2019, 12:43:53 PM
It sounds like your USB cable may be bad.
Contact Ring to troubleshoot it, if the cable is bad he will probably send you a new one.
- Bill
Post by: atsfguy on July 09, 2019, 02:39:31 PM
Cheers,
Cecil
Post by: G8B4Life on July 10, 2019, 08:37:03 AM
Not trying to stop you calling Ring and you may have done so already before reading this (if so please do let us know what the outcome was) but there's a couple of things that aren't adding up that make me wonder if it is the USB cable or not (I was too tired when replying the other night and didn't register a bit of what you said).
"Cannot Connect" is an error message shown by the handheld controller not RPA so which of these scenarios most accurately describes what you are seeing.
With RPA running and the HC plugged in:
1.
- RPA shows it has an internet connection.
- RPA shows "USB Connected" under the "Download List to Handheld Controller" heading.
- When you try to download a file after touching the "Press to begin downloading" button on the HC RPA indicates it's downloading files.
- You then get the Cannot Connect error.
2.
- RPA shows it has an internet connection.
- RPA shows "USB Not Connected" under the "Download List to Handheld Controller" heading.
- When you try to download a file after touching the "Press to begin downloading" button on the HC RPA doesn't change.
- You then get the Cannot Connect error.
If your experiencing a different set of circumstances than either of the above please try to write out what you see and what you do here.
In regards to the USB cable, while they can go faulty the odds of just the data pair in the cable going faulty but not the power pair is probably very minute and I'm presuming you can still charge the HC with that USB cable without a problem. If you could confirm / deny / expand on what your seeing as per the above scenarios that would be helpful.
- Tim
Post by: atsfguy on July 10, 2019, 10:38:19 AM
He said it sounds like the charge wires are in good condition but one or more data wires is (are) broken but I tried the other cable.
I emailed him the results and he will send me a new USB cable.
Tim from Oz, scenario number two more closely fits. It does not say Not Connected but on the dashboard the USB cable to the handheld has an X across it. I did charge the HC successfully as far as I can determine. I left it on charge until it showed Done.
Post by: William Brillinger on July 10, 2019, 10:43:04 AM
You should also try it in each of the USB ports on your PC.
And in case you haven't please reboot your PC first. (not sleep, full restart)
- Bill
Post by: atsfguy on July 10, 2019, 11:02:19 AM
Bill, I had tried shutting down all the way and launching the program from a fresh start but I think the Ethernet cable will solve my problem. Alan told me to get one two days ago but I couldn’t find a computer repair store in this town. They don’t believe in signs and street numbers to ease locating them.
Once I set up with the Ethernet cable and try to connect, I will post the results.
Thanks to all who volunteered help.
Cheers
Cecil
Post by: William Brillinger on July 10, 2019, 11:07:02 AM
Post by: G8B4Life on July 10, 2019, 11:13:22 AM
It does not say Not Connected but on the dashboard the USB cable to the handheld has an X across it.
RPA can only show one of two possibilities for the USB connection, either Connected with no X across the "connection" or Not Connected with a X over the "connection"; it physically can not display anything else so this is the one you are seeing yes?
This means that RPA can not detect your HC as being plugged into your computer so yes you will get the Cannot Connect error from the HC if you try to download anything as the HC and RPA can not see and talk to each other.
I'd firstly do what Bill has suggested and try a different USB port on your computer if you haven't tried that already. If that doesn't work there are other tests we'll be able to try. As to a faulty USB cable, I'm doubtful this will be the case as you tried a second USB cable and while it's true that not all USB cables are created equally having two faulty cables in your possession at the same time is too much co-incidence for me. I hope it's not a faulty USB port on the HC.
Edit:
Quote
explained where to look on the handheld and I was startled to see no connection
Eh? Where did he say to look on the handheld for a connection status? Or do you mean on RPA and not handheld?
- Tim
Post by: atsfguy on July 10, 2019, 02:59:24 PM
I am unable to find an Ethernet cable in town, so I will order one. In the meantime, I will continue with building roadbed, laying cork and tracks and wiring the road. Once the ethernet cable arrives, I will connect the router to the laptop and try again. This will work, sooner or later.
Today, I started by opening RPA, verified it was connected to the Internet, went to Programs and selected HC-2b rev2.09.
Then I connected the USB cable to the hub and HC and turned on the HC. I went to Tools, Software update and pressed USB button to download the update. The indicator on the HC showed an X indicating no connection and an error message saying just that appeared.
There was also a message stating the there was an unrecognized USB device in use.
I will put this away until my ethernet cable arrives in a week to ten days.
Thanks for all the suggestions.
Cheers
Cecil
Post by: William Brillinger on July 10, 2019, 03:03:03 PM
Quote
RPA is connected to the Internet.
I am unable to find an Ethernet cable in town, so I will order one.
I don't think you need the Ethernet cable, as you state the connection to the internet is working.
Quote
There was also a message stating the there was an unrecognized USB device in use
This message says you have a problem with the USB driver for the HC and the USB cable is probably not the problem.
Post by: atsfguy on July 10, 2019, 03:39:43 PM
Cheers,
Cecil
Post by: William Brillinger on July 10, 2019, 03:44:29 PM
https://rpug.pdc.ca/index.php/topic,469.msg3669.html#msg3669
Post by: atsfguy on July 10, 2019, 06:41:48 PM
Cheers,
Cecil
Post by: G8B4Life on July 10, 2019, 11:00:44 PM
Cecil, I'm going to PM you a link to some software I wrote that tests whether your computer (separately from RPA) can see the HC properly or not.
I'd like you to run the software and post me back the results of the tests.
- Tim
Post by: atsfguy on July 11, 2019, 10:57:26 AM
Thank you to each and everyone who volunteered help. I sincerely appreciate it. Now, on to better railroading!
Thanks to all, Cecil
Post by: William Brillinger on July 11, 2019, 01:44:53 PM
Quote
I rearranged the devices in my hub
Doh, That would do it.
I totally didn't think to ask if you were directly connected to the PC. I knew that USB Hubs Don't work with RPA very well.
Post by: atsfguy on August 19, 2019, 04:52:37 PM
Getting old is not for sissies! Try, try again (then call Tim).