PINNED - Info on PROGRAMMING PGDT and others

[DougL]

having problems getting rid of "Com Inactive"...

I purchased this kenwood cable( KPG-4 http://amzn.com/B00KKDZZGG ) but it only had 3 wires( red/white/blk ). I looked on the scope and found black was GND and what was a 5V high but pulsed low when data was echoed to the device. So I made the white alone as the data wire and black as gnd. Booted the laptop for maybe the 2nd time in 5 years into Win7, installed the PL22303 driver from the zip posted on this forum( v3.2.0.0 for Vista/Win7 ) and had com3. The software does not complain about not finding the port but will not go out of "Com Inactive". I even tried using both the Red and White wires in the event one was TX and one RX but no difference.

I then built up an FTDI cable using a 50k R and a diode. Installed the FTDI driver(certified and obtained from FTDI). Again, the software accepts the comm port but will not go out of "Com Inactive".

Under Tools menu and Comm I can select different com ports and it will give status when it can't find a port and happily accepts when I pick the com port the Kenwood cable or FTDI cables are connected to.

Am I missing something? The device I'm trying to read the configuration from is a Jazzy Select.

Doug

[woodygb]

I have had no joy with my GENUINE 5v TTL level FTDI cable ...BUT my GENUINE 3.3v TTL level FTDI lead worked just fine.

but it only had 3 wires( red/white/blk )

Colour codes vary and can be almost any combo ....I would however suggest that it's probably WHITE = TX and RED = RX ... I often "pop" open the USB cases on new makes/models/suppliers and look.

[woodygb]

Have you turned the pod on?

I also find that is necessary to restart the PGDT software each time I make a change to my leads ..swap them or change ports etc...

[DougL]

Have you turned the pod on?

I also find that is necessary to restart the PGDT software each time I make a change to my leads ..swap them or change ports etc...

I have restarted the software a few times for that reason but didn't notice anything different. What "pod" are you referring to?

Also, I didn't notice the diode used for the Kenwood cable at the beginning of this thread so didn't use it. I will both open the module and look at wire colors and try with a diode.

Doug

[Burgerman]

You need to restart everything, PC, chair, software, etc. And try every port. Mine like com8 and ignores all the rest. My laptop only works on com1

[DougL]

You need to restart everything, PC, chair, software, etc. And try every port. Mine like com8 and ignores all the rest. My laptop only works on com1

I saw a mention of liking com8 and had tried that on the Kenwood cable but without the diode. I'll try walking through all the ports. As for restarting "everything" does restarting the chair mean unplug power input to controller or just using the joystick(alone) power up then down then up and verify movement? Also, does it matter if the joystick is turned on or not? From probing the joystick JSIG and INH it would be wiggling the INH line if in the ON position so I've been attempting connecting the software with the joystick OFF.

[woodygb]

Joystick POD and controller should be ON.

I've never had much problems with USB ports and numbers ...any combo that I have tried works for me on ALL the various puters that I have kicking about.

Restarting the PGDT software is the only thing that I sometimes need to do.

[Burgerman]

I have lots of USB com port related stuff on all of mine.

5 chargers (all on different coms) and these get alloted even when the device is unused or disconnected. Plus RC transmitters, quadcopters, cams, leccy meters, and many more.

[DougL]

OK, the joystick "pod" should be on, open the USB end and verify tx/tx/gnd and use the diode along with cycling com ports and the app.

Thx, I will try these tonight when I get back in.

[DougL]

on my Kenwood cable, Tx was the red wire and Rx white. I wired the diode according to Tx/Rx(not color) and while I now saw the joystick pod LEDs go into a charge blink cycle when I plugged in the USB cable, I never could get Com Inactive to go away. I even tested the diode with the DMM and it checked out ok.

Very picky is this funky one wire I/F they have.

I also tried rebooting the computer, reconnecting the USB and trying with both the "pod" LEDs blinking and not blinking(power off then back on).

[woodygb]

The pod lights should just show the battery charge state ...no "ripple"...which suggests to me a possible cable error.

[DougL]

The pod lights should just show the battery charge state ...no "ripple"...which suggests to me a possible cable error.

that only happens if I have the pod/chair turned on and connected to the cable before I plug the cable in.

I pulled out the Oscope and looked at my FTDI Tx and Rx lines and they float to 5V with Tx doing low going pulses on sending chars. But my Kenwood cable only shows 1.5V on Tx(red wire) and 5v on Rx(white wire). looking at the Kenwood board, there are 4 transistors with 4 resistors between the first 2 and 3 resistors between the 2nd 2 and sure enough, the missing resistor location is the Tx line on one end and the other side is 5V. ie a pullup resistor. I don't know if this is the problem or not but it would be a problem if I were to use the serial cable for other things. I just pulled an old system board out of the junk pile, found this tiny 4.7k resistor and got it out and onto the kenwood board so now Tx is at 5V with clear/clean low signal pulses. I will try the software again.

[DougL]

it didn't work but it keeps getting interesting. Only a couple of times I was able to see the status flash "COMM ACTIVE" if I wiggled the joystick around just enough to disengage the motor brakes. I was not able to repeat this reliably.

For the heck of it, I went back in to Linux and tried the app under WINE but this time I started Minicom first to see if I could see data on /dev/ttyUSB0 and indeed I did see chars on it. The app seems to keep polling the port and mostly stops when the pod is powered off. When the pod is powered on, the app, or the pod, wiggles the serial port a bunch and then it goes back to the app polling with just one or two chars showing up.

BTW, the baud rate seems to be 9600,8n1

But still, I'm stuck seeing COMMS INACTIVE no matter what I've try. I don't know if the joystick model makes a different but this one is model number D51157.01

[DougL]

Is there any chance some form of software/firmware lock in in play here?

[Burgerman]

Bad conection at the charge port?

[DougL]

Bad conection at the charge port?

I'm using alligator clips/wire on some solder/crimp pins which fit snug(not tight but friction is felt on insertion). I've put pressure with my finger on the pins just to make sure and saw no change. Same goes for when I was running through WINE on Linux and could watch the serial device and didn't see any changes.

[woodygb]

Doug...

The pod type makes no difference ...
Having said that ..I have had leads that will work on the Pilot+ but not the VSi or VR2 ...BUT any lead that works on the VSi or VR2 will also work on the Pilot+.

None of my leads give a charging flashing sequence if plugged into the charging port ...either with the USB of the programming cable connected or with the USB disconnected.

I think that you may have an inhibit / ground problem of some description with your cable.

Woody

[woodygb]

I can post you a lead ... either with or without the XLR plug ... that works for me.

[DougL]

Doug...
None of my leads give a charging flashing sequence if plugged into the charging port ...either with the USB of the programming cable connected or with the USB disconnected.

I think that you may have an inhibit / ground problem of some description with your cable.
Woody

The issue was probably the missing pullup on the board. The Tx line was low instead of high and the 4.7K pullup I put in fixed that. I doubt it'll cause the flashing LEDs now.

Thanks for the offer of sending the cable but for now I think the main problem is my controller( GC2 ) is not listed as one of the supported models in the software. When I opened the File->New menu option it does not show GC2 but only VSi,Pilot+,Sdrive, EGIS, VR2. We do have a VR2 power base but I've not hacked the joystick stream yet so I started working on what I have hacked and that's the Jazzy Select power base with the GC2 controller. On the outside it looks like the VR2 but at 40A it's not the same inside.

[woodygb]

4.7k? ... I use 47k.

[DougL]

4.7k? ... I use 47k.

You did on the FTDI cable but I had to install a 4.7K pullup on the TX line of the Kenwood cable. When I put it on an Oscope, the TX line was on 0v while Rx was 5V and I saw the same high 5V on my FTDI cable. So when I opened up the Kenwood cable and looked at the circuit board, there was a missing resistor on the Tx output line. And BTW, with Tx low and how the diode gets oriented, it would pull the RX line down and cause an Inhibit condition. I pulled an old PC system board out of recycle bin, found a tiny 4.7k resistor and took it out and put it into the Kenwood circuit. Now I get a nice clean 5V on TX and clean transitions to 0V for signals.

[jones834]

Hello to everyone.
I'm an eletrician and the cable was easy to make and it worked for months, but than my hdd crashed ,...
is there anyone who will pm me the software oem version?
It would be so great!

(Sorry for bad english - you guys are wonderfull and so helpfull! Thank you for that!)

[irun4fundotca]

I would also like the OEM version if that's possible
tried numerous links to no avail the PGDT programming software is hard to find

Charles

[Burgerman]

Burgerman@ntlworld.com if you are still looking.

[kpy]

I am trying to program my new Permobil but I am having difficulty finding the R–net OEM PC programmer. I am not very good with building electrical things so I was wondering if someone could sell me a programmer or an already built interface that would replicate an OEM PC programmer. Thank you for your help.

[woodygb]

Sadly you will have to buy the Rnet dongle and software...or borrow it.

[irun4fundotca]

looks like I'm out of luck on my cart controller it does not have an interface port, being from 91

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[woodygb]

Correct.
http://www.bineco.dk/ellert/manual/1204.pdf

[irun4fundotca]

have any idea what could be the cause of a studder when the pedal is pressed much, just a little and it moves the motor fine but if its much more it studders from a stop
if you push the cart it goes ok from a rolling start

i did notice the precharge resistor is broken off one side have a new one coming

[woodygb]

Not really ...I'd suggest that you check your throttle box , motor brushes and your batteries.