Simon 1966 again to the rescue.
Little background on my PR 3 and PS 14 power supply. It would read none sound decoder with no problem but would read a sound decoder, just error 308 all the time.
Last Sunday while Simon and his son's where over we tried a new USB cable. It read the motor decoder in a Blue Line but not the sound decoder. OK, that better than before. Next we tried a BLI QSI Class J with sound, back to error 308.
For the heck of it, Simon took the PR 3 and PS 14 home with him. Guess what, it is now reading QSI and Loksound decoders? PR 3 must think I gave it to him!
OK, any ideas? Could it be my computer USB power supply puts out to little? If so, how do I fix that? While I use the PR 3 I have my cable modem, keyboard and mouse running of USB ports. Computer has 4 built in ports and is around 6 years old or so. Mother board is a Intel D850EMV2, board was cutting edge when I bought it, and a Pentium 2.4.
Figures I would need buy a new computer to get a $60.00 devices to run!
Cuda Ken
I hate Rust
How funny is that, looks like Ken and I were pounding away on our keyboards at the same time! I would delete my thread, but I don't seem to be getting that option.
Simon Modelling CB&Q and Wabash See my slowly evolving layout on my picturetrail site http://www.picturetrail.com/simontrains and our videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/MrCrispybake?feature=mhum
I am guessing a defective USB port is the culprit, I presume an IDE card with USB ports can be purchased not too expensively.
Just for information I am running the PR3 on an old IBM Think Pad 390X. This is an Intel PIII 447MHz with 320 Mo Ram, one USB 1 port.
I have no problem reading sound decoders with this set up.
Jack W.
jalajoieI am guessing a defective USB port is the culprit,
I think it has to be. Good to know USB1 works OK, I had wondered if that might be the issue.
just wondering what computer cudaken has?? i ask because i had an issue with something ( i can't remember what it was now??!! it was railway related, i'm thinking it was either my ESU loksound sound programmer? or maybe my locobuffer USB ) but it just wouldn't work on a sony vaio, nothing available in the settings would make it work. put the same item on my dell desktop and it worked first time. perhaps using a different pc would help?
Locoworks, I remember that episode. You couldn't connect JMRI with Locobuffer USB on your computer.
jalajoie I am guessing a defective USB port is the culprit, I presume an IDE card with USB ports can be purchased not too expensively.
I tend to agree that it's the USB port, although Intel boards are usually pretty solid.
If you're a PC hardware geek, try determining if you can get the PR3 on a different root hub from all your other USB stuff by segregating which external ports they're all plugged into. That might help.
Otherwise, the suggestion of an add-in USB card is a good one, although I think Jack meant PCI rather than IDE (IDE is the older, parallel attachment used mostly for hard and optical drives). The Intel D850EMV2 has five PCI slots, hopefully you still have one or two available.
Finally, be sure that your PC's power supply is up to the task. A weak/failing power supply can cause all sorts of weird things to happen. Do you ever experience any "unexplained" events such as BSOD's when you're using your PC, especially under any sort of load?
Steve
Stevert Otherwise, the suggestion of an add-in USB card is a good one, although I think Jack meant PCI rather than IDE (IDE is the older, parallel attachment used mostly for hard and optical drives). The Intel D850EMV2 has five PCI slots, hopefully you still have one or two available.
You are right I meant PCI, my bad. Sorry for the confusion.
LOL, somebody else remembers my problems better than me, but well remembered, that was the issue. is it relevent to cudakens situation though? or is it a proper dodgy hardware issue?? still find it amusing you remembered MY problem.
cudaken Simon 1966 again to the rescue. Little background on my PR 3 and PS 14 power supply. It would read none sound decoder with no problem but would read a sound decoder, just error 308 all the time. Last Sunday while Simon and his son's where over we tried a new USB cable. It read the motor decoder in a Blue Line but not the sound decoder. OK, that better than before. Next we tried a BLI QSI Class J with sound, back to error 308. For the heck of it, Simon took the PR 3 and PS 14 home with him. Guess what, it is now reading QSI and Loksound decoders? PR 3 must think I gave it to him! OK, any ideas? Could it be my computer USB power supply puts out to little? If so, how do I fix that? While I use the PR 3 I have my cable modem, keyboard and mouse running of USB ports. Computer has 4 built in ports and is around 6 years old or so. Mother board is a Intel D850EMV2, board was cutting edge when I bought it, and a Pentium 2.4. Figures I would need buy a new computer to get a $60.00 devices to run! Cuda Ken
Have you tried removing and reinstalling Java ? What version of JRE are you running ? You can find it in the control panel. The fact that your other USB ports are working fine, points to a possible software issue. I use Java version 6 build 15. I'd suggest a remove and reinstall the latest version of Java from Sun's website.
Engineer Jeff NS Nut Visit my layout at: http://www.thebinks.com/trains/
Hey guys, thanks for all the answers. I sure hope Simon knows what you folks are talking about. My USB ports have been flake for some time, mainly with the Keyboard. USB plug for the keyboard got stepped on a few years ago. I bent it back into shape and it fits but it is tight. Sometimes when I boot up the keyboard does not come on, have to unplug and re plug it to get it to work.
Simon, to answer your PM, I have 2 ports in the rear and 2 in the front.
Far as slots in the mother board, it looks like there are still 4 open.
Thanks again, Cuda Ken
Ken, I have a plan of action, and as of right now Friday looks good to come over and try it out.
cudaken Hey guys, thanks for all the answers. I sure hope Simon knows what you folks are talking about. My USB ports have been flake for some time, mainly with the Keyboard. USB plug for the keyboard got stepped on a few years ago. I bent it back into shape and it fits but it is tight. Sometimes when I boot up the keyboard does not come on, have to unplug and re plug it to get it to work. Simon, to answer your PM, I have 2 ports in the rear and 2 in the front. Far as slots in the mother board, it looks like there are still 4 open. Thanks again, Cuda Ken
I've had "bad" USB devices cause weird behavior in other devices while seemly working OK. The fact that your USB keyboard doesn't always work could mean that, while you bent it back into the appropriate shape, internally some of the wires shielding may have been compromised and you are having arcing or cross talk inside the keyboard plug.
Do you have another keyboard to test with? If not, fire up JMRI, put the offending loco on the PR3 programming tracks, unplug your keyboard and use your mouse to try to read back from the decoder. If it works, you need a new keyboard.