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RailPro => RailPro Specific Help & Discussion => Topic started by: nortoneye on November 08, 2019, 06:24:39 AM

Title: download issue
Post by: nortoneye on November 08, 2019, 06:24:39 AM
ok,  went to download new versions this morning...installed 4.01 RPA on laptop, laptop is connected to RE and HC-2 is connected to laptop, both are noted as "connected"....when attempting to load newer software on to the HC-2 I get either a "waiting for file size", "timed out" or "cannot connect" message.  I am unable to load anything from RPA to the HC-2  before I call Tim, any ideas??

FYI--I'm still paying 10 bucks per month extra to work around the GCNAT issue to connect to RE, hoping TR gets the new server that he mentioned in January online this year

jim
Title: Re: download issue
Post by: William Brillinger on November 08, 2019, 06:51:23 AM
Contact Tim Ring as soon as you can and tell him you are having connection issues with the new version.
Title: Re: download issue
Post by: nortoneye on November 08, 2019, 07:02:36 AM
update...so I rebooted the laptop-ver 2.09 for HC-2 "cannot read file from RE" but HC-2b update installed without a problem, hopefully the update from HC 2b will work on my HC-2
Title: Re: download issue
Post by: G8B4Life on November 08, 2019, 07:56:08 AM
Which do you actually own? the HC-2 or HC-2b? or both? from memory it won't allow you to try and update the wrong firmware for the device so you can't download HC-2 rev 2.09 onto the HC-2b and you can't download HC-2b rev 2.09 onto the older HC-2.

FYI, I think he did put the new server online (or at least he did make changes to the old one), the ports have changed for the new version of RPA. Sadly, how the ports are used did not change, and that was the major part of the problem. If only I could work out one little programming problem I'd have a proxy/forwarder that could be used.

- Tim
Title: Re: download issue
Post by: nortoneye on November 08, 2019, 08:00:25 AM
I have a HC-2 and the -2b update did not load on the -2, I may have hit the wrong line on the RE site (oops)   I am unable to get the 2.09  update to load, will call TR today
Title: Re: download issue
Post by: G8B4Life on November 08, 2019, 08:13:52 AM
From your earlier post I'm gathering that you have done this but just checking did you enable the "Use Older HC-2 USB Drivers" button in RPA setup?

rpa401_enable_hc2_driver.png

Have you previously installed the drivers for the older HC-2? If not you'll need to download and install them separately (https://www.ringengineering.com/Software/HC-1UsbDriverInstaller.EXE (https://www.ringengineering.com/Software/HC-1UsbDriverInstaller.EXE))

- Tim
Title: Re: download issue
Post by: nortoneye on November 08, 2019, 08:55:42 AM
Tim

I did enable, but am not sure about the driver issue-I'll check that next

thanks

jim
Title: Re: download issue
Post by: nortoneye on November 08, 2019, 11:25:26 AM
well, after a hour on the phone with TR and my ISP...I am no further along :(, so TR said he will send a link for me to download RPA v3.21 and roll with that for now.  No one seems to have an idea as to the problem.  I'm connected to RE, and see the files that are available, I can add them to the list to download on the right screen, the HC-2 is successfully connected to the laptop, but when hit the download button on HC-2, I get a "cannot connect" response.  TR used his HC-2 while we were talking and it worked for him.  We did uninstall and reinstall RPA with not change.  He did note that a file was not properly loaded on his end, but after that repair-no change. My ISP checked and said it was properly configured on their end...feels like deja vu all over again
Title: Re: download issue
Post by: nodcc4me on November 08, 2019, 11:32:50 AM
I occasionally get the "Cannot connect" error when attempting to downlead through RPA. It has been that way from the beginning, although not as often lately. Try unplugging the controller and plug it back in again. You may have to do it several times to get a connection.
Title: Re: download issue
Post by: nortoneye on November 08, 2019, 12:31:46 PM
whats' confusing is the HC-2 shows "connected" but get the error message when trying to download, same after several attempts...interestingly when TR was on the line we uninstalled the 4.01 and reinstalled the 3.21 and it works!   
Title: Re: download issue
Post by: nortoneye on November 08, 2019, 01:43:19 PM
well....I certainly are the problem child.  Reinstalling 3.21 did not fix the connection issue nor did trying a different port on the laptop or changing cables.  Downloading the HC simulator does work, so there is something either conflicting with the old drivers (which I did install) or the HC-2 itself.  I am going to send the HC-2 back to Ring and see what, if anything, is wrong in the unit.  If there is some conflict with drivers, that could be hard to find according to TR.  I doubt is anyone else has had this issue, but will certainly accept advice!

Jim
Title: Re: download issue
Post by: G8B4Life on November 08, 2019, 07:23:43 PM
Just out of interest, did you try to download anything else other than the HC-2 firmware (like a picture or two) to see if downloading them worked? I imagine it wouldn't work but it's another data point in tackling the solution. While there could be something wrong with the HC-2 itself (and sending back to TR would find that out) I'm not 100% sure that there is, as the HC-2 is successfully detected.

Another question I forgot to ask is has downloading worked previously?

There is more tests that can be performed on our side if you want to, though I'll be out for the rest of today.

- Tim
Title: Re: download issue
Post by: nortoneye on November 08, 2019, 09:34:41 PM
yes, was unable to download any file-tried photo and sound--again it works on the simulator, so at a loss to explain it.  it did work fine last year on 3.21-but not since 4.01 installed..even uninstalling 4.01 and reloading it along with the drivers did not fix the issue-will see if the HC-2 is the cause
Title: Re: download issue
Post by: William Brillinger on November 09, 2019, 07:23:53 AM
Do you have a second cable to try?
Title: Re: download issue
Post by: G8B4Life on November 09, 2019, 08:07:26 AM
I think Jim tried another cable as he mentioned changing cables 3 posts back. It wouldn't be unheard of to have two faulty cables but I'd say it's a fairly rare occurrence.

Definitely more tests I'd like to run but I haven't had the time to check out how safe all the test software I'd like run is. This is sounding like the USB messages are not getting through from the HC to RPA. Whether that's a driver issue or if the HC is not sending the messages is what I'd like to find out.

Jim, another thing I should ask is: when you pressed the "download" button on the HC-2, did the RPA download list change at all like it was trying to download or the list section didn't change at all?

- Tim
Title: Re: download issue
Post by: nortoneye on November 09, 2019, 11:42:56 AM
Tim.

when I pushed "download", the file to be downloaded did not change at all-the percentage did not roll up as expected-prompt said "waiting for internet connection" until it timed out and stated "could not connect"

kinda out of ideas...
Title: Re: download issue
Post by: G8B4Life on November 10, 2019, 07:50:23 AM
I'm kinda dropping the ball at the moment  :-[  Gotta stop replying in the early am! What I meant was not the download list but the buttons to list the download categories. When the command to download is received by RPA those buttons disappear and are replaced by a grey message stating "Handheld controller loading now" which you would have seen when using HC Sim. I'm guessing that that never happened when trying to download with the HC-2.

I still have a few ideas but need to test the test tools myself first, which won't happen until at least Thursday. In the meantime all you can do (besides sending it to TR for examination) is try any other cables you have or can borrow, or try unplugging and plugging the cable in when it happens. Getting the Can Not Connect message was once common amongst us older HC-2 users and doing that usually eventually established a working download.

- Tim
Title: Re: download issue
Post by: nortoneye on November 10, 2019, 01:42:08 PM
Tim,

with the initial try I get "cannot connect" with repeated tries I do have the "HC loading now" message then l get "timeout waiting for file size" (this is the most common one) and "cannot find file from RE SW 1021"  TR looked at his server and could see I was connected and he made sure all the correct update files were loaded on his server.  Not sure this helps or not

jim

Title: Re: download issue
Post by: G8B4Life on November 11, 2019, 06:59:05 AM
This is an interesting development (never seen the can not find file message before). I'll have to dig out my HC-2 on Thursday and see if I get any errors when trying to download files.

If you haven't sent the HC-2 back yet this test might be worth running as a data point (to see if it works).

- Reload RPA 4.01.

- Using HC Sim and RPA 4.01 download some pictures, small sounds etc.

- Try loading the now stored in RPA files (buttons under Select here to load files from this computer to handheld controller) to the HC-2.

What you described in your last post very much sounds like a network issue, though it still could be anything at this stage of the investigation.

- Tim
Title: Re: download issue
Post by: nortoneye on November 12, 2019, 11:26:18 AM
Tim,

The CI-1 is in the mail so I can try just that.  Should have it later this week and will try prior to sending the HC-2 back to RE

jim
Title: Re: download issue
Post by: nortoneye on November 13, 2019, 05:11:02 PM
OK,

Cl-1 is here.  Can use simulator to download program and effects files to LMs in locos.  The HC-2 then can be used to update buttons and change lighting etc, it sees the updates on the LMs just fine.  I guess this would work to update files, etc but does not explain the initial problem.  I may send HC-2 in for testing to RE, but since this system works fine and loads more quickly, not sure I need to.

Jim
Title: Re: download issue
Post by: William Brillinger on November 13, 2019, 05:57:24 PM
You'll want the latest HC software update on your HC - if you cannot load it to the HC you should send it in.
Title: Re: download issue
Post by: G8B4Life on November 13, 2019, 08:28:28 PM
What Bill said, you'll want to be able to update the HC to newer software when released so I'd send it in or if you want we can try more troubleshooting first (or if you send it in and he find's nothing wrong we can try more troubleshooting when you get it back).

- Tim
Title: Re: download issue
Post by: nortoneye on November 14, 2019, 06:39:03 AM
The HC-2 will be in the mail to RE, will see what happens...