Connecting to the serial console on Windows 7

noblepepper
 
Posts: 240
Joined: Sat Nov 29, 2014 3:22 pm

Connecting to the serial console on Windows 7

Wed Jan 04, 2017 4:55 pm

I'm not sure if this problem is solved or not but here is a way to get Windows 7 to recognize the USB CDC device.
IF YOU ALREADY HAVE PuTTY TALKING TO THE VOCORE2 THROUGH USB IGNORE THIS!

What I did to accomplish this is below, but I think all you need to do is create a file named usb_device.inf somewhere easy to find:
Code: Select all
; usb_device.inf

[Strings]
DeviceName = "VoCore2 CDC serial link"
VendorName = "vocore.io"
SourceName = "Arduino drivers"
DeviceID   = "VID_28e9&PID_018a"
DeviceGUID = "{0A8015E2-EC15-4270-878D-FACCC22F89BC}"

[Version]
Signature   = "$Windows NT$"
Class       = Ports
ClassGuid   = {4D36E978-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}
Provider    = %VendorName%
CatalogFile = usb_device.cat
DriverVer   = 07/18/2015, 1.0.0.0

[Manufacturer]
%VendorName%=DeviceList, NTamd64, NTia64

[DestinationDirs]
FakeModemCopyFileSection=12
DefaultDestDir=12

[DeviceList]
%DeviceName% = DriverInstall, USB\%DeviceID%

[DeviceList.NTamd64]
%DeviceName% = DriverInstall, USB\%DeviceID%

[DeviceList.NTia64]
%DeviceName% = DriverInstall, USB\%DeviceID%

[DriverInstall]
include=mdmcpq.inf,usb.inf
CopyFiles = FakeModemCopyFileSection
AddReg=DriverAddReg

[DriverAddReg]
HKR,,DevLoader,,*ntkern
HKR,,NTMPDriver,,usbser.sys
HKR,,EnumPropPages32,,"MsPorts.dll,SerialPortPropPageProvider"

[DriverInstall.Services]
include=mdmcpq.inf
AddService=usbser, 0x00000002, DriverService

[DriverService]
DisplayName=%ServiceName%
ServiceType=1
StartType=3
ErrorControl=1
ServiceBinary=%12%\usbser.sys
LoadOrderGroup=Base


Then plug in the VoCore2 and let Windows fail installing the driver, go to Devices and Printers and right click on the "GD32 Virtual ComPort" icon and select Properties. On the Hardware Tab click the Properties button and then the change settings button. On the Driver Tab
click on the Update Driver button and take the browse my computer option and navigate to the folder where the usb_device.inf file is, click OK then click next. Tell Windows to "Install this driver anyway".

When it finishes installing the driver the name in Devices and Printers should change to "VoCore2 CDC serial link", if you don't like this name it is set in the usb_device.inf file, change it. Note what COM port it is assigned to.

Now you should be able to use a serial session in PuTTY with this COM port (don't forget to set the baud rate)

I'm a linux geek, I think Windows is an abhorrent waste of disk space, so don't expect me to improve on this much. Hopefully a Windows geek can use this information to come up with a better solution.

How I did this on Windows 7 Home Premium running on a AMD64 platform:

1. Follow these instructions except install the 1.8 version of Arduino. The second bullet under "Windows" is especially important.

2. Copy the usb_device.inf file in My Documents>Arduino>hardware>Arduino_STM32-master>drivers>win>maple-serial somewhere else.

3. Change the usb_device.inf file to what is above, this line is critical
Code: Select all
DeviceID   = "VID_28e9&PID_018a"

cory
 
Posts: 35
Joined: Sun Dec 18, 2016 1:00 am

Re: Connecting to the serial console on Windows 7

Wed Jan 04, 2017 7:13 pm

it's clear that vocore2 cute machine and low price point has generated lots of new comers from window side like me. Vonger should have a FAQ section that devotes to window people. I think his instruction and resource for window people are too spread out. For example the win driver is in paragraph 2 of http://vocore.io/v2u.html it should be in paragraph 1 instead. On window side we do re-install process a lot, just stick in win CD, say yes to everything to get it back to original state. So you reboot sequence should feature front and center in that FAQ section. Microsoft takes care most of the tasks but for this endeavor we need lots of links.

herci
 
Posts: 27
Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2016 2:32 pm

Re: Connecting to the serial console on Windows 7

Wed Jan 04, 2017 9:25 pm

It worked for me with the inf file, I have it under com5

Can't connect to putty. Not sure what settings I need.
Can anyone help, I get a black screen and I can't type and see nothing happening when I try it with these settings.
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noblepepper
 
Posts: 240
Joined: Sat Nov 29, 2014 3:22 pm

Re: Connecting to the serial console on Windows 7

Wed Jan 04, 2017 10:57 pm

Did you hit [Enter] when you get the black screen? I'm old school the first thing I do on a black screen is hit enter half a dozen times, just instinct.

If you set the baud rate to 115200, PuTTY's default settings should work. Just in case they are 8 bit chars, no parity, 1 stop bit, XON/XOFF flow control.

Note: Edit on 20170105 - corrected PuTTY default flow control setting but either XON/XOFF or none will work.
Last edited by noblepepper on Thu Jan 05, 2017 1:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.

herci
 
Posts: 27
Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2016 2:32 pm

Re: Connecting to the serial console on Windows 7

Thu Jan 05, 2017 9:46 am

Okay I get this now with the error (flow control was xon/xoff instead of off)
I quickly typed reboot and see this very short. Then the error again. What should I do now?
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noblepepper
 
Posts: 240
Joined: Sat Nov 29, 2014 3:22 pm

Re: Connecting to the serial console on Windows 7

Thu Jan 05, 2017 1:20 pm

I misspoke, PuTTY's default setting for flow control is XON/XOFF but the connection will work with either XON/XOFF or none.

You have at least a couple of ways to go from here but here is what I think is the easiest:

You will need the 20161224 image, go ahead and download it to your computer put it somewhere easy to find.

First we will put the VoCore2 back like it was when you got it
Code: Select all
1. Close PuTTY
2. Unplug the VoCore2
3. Start PuTTY, get all the settings correct, Serial Connection, the COM port your VoCore2 shows up on, Speed 115200, Put your cursor over the "Open" button but DON'T click the "Open" button to start the connection yet.
4. Plug in the VoCore2, watch for the led to light
5. Click the "Open" button
6. Get ready to type "f" and [Enter] but don't do it yet
7. When the garbage starts type "f" and [Enter]. (Don't put in the quotes just type the letter f and press the enter key)
8. Wait a few seconds, if the counter on the left of the console is past 10 you have waited long enough
9. The garbage continues but blindly type "rmmod mtk-sd" and press [Enter]
10. The garbage should stop but if it doesn't repeat step 9, it is hard to type with the garbage in your face.
11. Type firstboot -y, press [Enter] (you can actually do this with the garbage spewing but it is easier to be sure you get right if you have to garbage off)
12. You should see a message telling you mtdblock6 will be erased on the next mount.
12. Close PuTTY, unplug the VoCore2


Your VoCore2 will be reset to the original configuration the next time you plug it in. The main thing we want is the Luci web interface. So now we will load the latest image. It doesn't spew garbage on the console and it is easier to configure for the STA+AP WiFi:

Code: Select all
1. Plug the VoCore2 back in
2. Wait until the VoCore2 AP is available, it takes a couple of minutes, I use an app on my phone to watch for it to appear.
3. Connect to the AP with your computer
4. Open your web browser and point it at 192.168.1.1 (I think you are using the image with this IP but some later ones use 192.168.61.1 try it if 192.168.1.1 doesn't work)
5.  Login to Luci using the password "vocore"
6. Go to System->Backup/Flash Firmware
7. Use the Choose File button in the "Flash new firmware image" section.  This is at the bottom of the page, don't use the one in the Backup/Restore section!
8. Click the "Flash image" button.
9. On the next screen it should tell you the checksum is 2a6b06ee7ec7b3fa6fd3e9eeb5c83531, if this is correct click the Proceed Button.


In a few minutes the VoCore2 AP will go away then a few minutes later come back up. You are now running the latest image and probably want to do Setup AP + STA Mode on this page.
Last edited by noblepepper on Thu Jan 05, 2017 8:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.

herci
 
Posts: 27
Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2016 2:32 pm

Re: Connecting to the serial console on Windows 7

Thu Jan 05, 2017 7:10 pm

Noblepepper you are the BEST.
It worked. It's back online. You explained everything clearly for a noob like me.
I can't thank you enough! Thank you!!
You're the best helpdesk, vocore should hire you. :D
Now I'm going to stay off it until someone can explain step by step how to set up the vocore audio for ipad-stereo because the tutorial online is too difficult for me.
https://www.hackster.io/nzlamb/vocore-a ... ver-c73351

noblepepper
 
Posts: 240
Joined: Sat Nov 29, 2014 3:22 pm

Re: Connecting to the serial console on Windows 7

Thu Jan 05, 2017 8:40 pm

Hopefully it helps people more than just you.

There are some really crappy howto's out there and they really piss me off so I am anal about making mine work.

sloshnmosh
 
Posts: 10
Joined: Sun Feb 12, 2017 10:11 pm

Re: Connecting to the serial console on Windows 7

Sat Feb 18, 2017 5:09 am

Thanks SO much for the ".ini" file "noblepepper"! I was unable to install the device driver that was linked to due to "Access Denied" errors! Your file did the trick! :D

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