Computer Wire Help

[Guest The Modfather]

Hi Chris.

 

Yes mate was on. One thing I have found on the MJ forum is that the MJ needs to be switched on BEFORE connecting to the laptop, unfortunately I've only just seen this, and I'm sure I was doing it with laptop connected and then switching on the MJ. I will have to try tomorrow now, because if it works I know I'll be out there playing all night!

[ZeroKnowledge]

Hi Daz

have you tried

 

clicking on the "get ignition configuration" icon on the top toolbar (its a blue arrow pointing up)

 

Cheers Paul

[Guest The Modfather]

Hi Paul.

 

I pressed everything mate, it came back with something like *unable to communicate" or similar.

 

I'll try the turning on sequence as described above, and then I think I'll have to remove the unit (which will be a right pig) and check all of my joints just in case.

 

Daz

[Guest The Modfather]

Today I tried the "turning on" process, and it still don't work. I have now placed a post on the Autosports Lab forum in the hope that the "guv'nor" will jump on the case.

If anyone here has any ideas I'm all ears.

 

Daz

[Mat-Moo]

At best guess I would say the port settings are wrong, or the cable doesn't have enough wires depending on what megajolt needs. I would check the com port settings in the device manager, as if anyone of these is out, the chances are it won't play ball.

[Guest The Modfather]

Hi Matt.

 

I managed to borrow a laptop with a serial port from Graham B, and it works!

 

There is a big problem with Megajolt and these serial converter cables being cheap, although the price is expensive for the cr@p inside them. I had sorted the COM ports correctly, even trying every one on 3 laptops, but it seems to be these cables.

With Grahams old laptop with serial port, it worked staright away! I have now found a cable with an FTDI chipset which I will get, and they are supposed to be the best chipset, and it is actually half the price of the cheap Prolific chipset that everyone is selling. Having spoken to Brent from Megajolt, these Prolific chipsets are flooding the market, and every one may or may not work, so really it is a case of good or bad luck, as one won't work but the next on the rack might work. At £15 a pop, I'm not prepared to keep buying these ones just to POSSIBLY find one that might work.

 

If anyone else is doing a Megajolt set up, then have a look at these cables http://www.tronisoft.com/prod.php?id=2455 I have been told that these DO work, so this is the one I'll be getting next week.

 

Daz

[ZeroKnowledge]

at least you now know its the connection & not the megajolt at fault.

[Guest Alan_builder]

 

There is a big problem with Megajolt and these serial converter cables being cheap, although the price is expensive for the cr@p inside them.

 

Daz

 

 

 

 

Hi Daz,

 

It's be clear it's not the Megajolt it's the crap USB to serial interface cables that are available for sale, cheap and yes we always buy them. You need quite a bit of circuitry to do the conversion.

 

The cheap crap uses minimum circuitry and a CPU chip to change the function of the circuitry at different points in time. The trouble is the programmers have bluper races and the spikes upset RS232 handling. A fully implemented USB to RS232 will set you back £30 not sub £10.

 

 

Shame you didn't email me (I am not on the board much) as I have been there and done that, designed RS232 interfaces some 30 years ago when we had TTY (Telly Tripe Writers). I even had to make them work at -40C yeah typing "the quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog" 100 times at -40 is no fun!

 

 

[Longboarder]

If I had a quid for every post I have seen on 'I can't get my lappy to talk to my megawhatsit' I'd have enough cash to pay for the petrol to Stoneleigh and back.

It's nearly always com ports and is easiest to solve by buying an ancient laptop, the sort that sell for £20 on ebay, with a proper serial port, windows 95/98, 2 gig hard disc, 16 megabytes ram and a pentium 166 processor. That's the spec of my lappy that I keep just for the omex ecu. Totally problem free coms.

 

Nigel

[Guest The Modfather]

Good point Nigel. I will get the cable as described as I'm told they defo work. Failing that then it will be an old laptop.