Error: hardware not found on Com Port

John22

New Member
Hello

I'm new to PICAXE. I keep getting error: hardware not found on Com port 9. I've purchased the AXE027 USB cable and using this with the 18M2 chip. I've downloaded and installed the update drivers and program editor. I've done this on two different machines, still get the error: hardware not found on Com Port (com5 on one pc and com9 on the other). I've tried uninstalling and re-installing the USB driver and Program Editor sereral times. I've used both battery power and a stabilized 5VDC supply. If you press F8 (i.e. PICAXE, Terminal on the menus) I get the Hello: I'm your PICAXE-18M2 message. I'm using the 22k & 10k resistors for the download circuit as per the manual, but the Hardware message is still there on both machines. Is this a AXE027 faulty cable? If you check the devices & printers menu on Win7, the drivers are present and installed USB drivers registered against the PICAXE027 device. Any ideas on why I'm getting the error: hardware not found on com 9 message?
 

John22

New Member
Circuit diagram?
hi Nick12ab

thanks for responding, the circuit diagram is as per the download circuit of the manual. I've not tried anything special yet, just trying the get the test procedure of the manual from PICAXE working. My USB cable AXE027 doesn't seem to be seen by the PICAXE program editor software, when you press the Program button on the software, it gives an error: hardware not found on com9. I believe it's a hardware issue? The USB drivers are installed and the Program Editor sees the USB cable on com9. But it just doesn't program. Any ideas?
 

jtcurneal

Senior Member
What voltage are you using on the PicAxe?
Many chips do not program easily with less than 4.5 volts.

Joel
 

hippy

Technical Support
Staff member
Seeing the "Hello" message means you've got the AXE027 installed, the right port selected and everything basically working. It could just be that the 18M2 needs a kick with a 'hard reset' to get it listening ...

Turn the power to the PICAXE off
Click the download button
Wait for the pop-up to show "Connecting to hardware..." in the title bar
Turn the PICAXE power back on.

With a fair wind the download should then commence.
 

nick12ab

Senior Member
Also see the port test tools in P.E. Options if the hard reset doesn't fix it. All PICAXE chips when new seem to need a hard reset to start the first download.
 

Goeytex

Senior Member
These problems usually boil down to bad or incorrect connections to the Picaxe serial in/out pins. It's easy to get them mixed up or get the resistors in the wrong place.

See the attached file and triple check the connections.

In the Program Editor Go to Options> Serial Port. Make sure Com 9 is selected.

Put a check in the box that says "Show Port Help Tools". Then click on "test port". Follow the instructions in the window to the letter. Report back with the results.

Since we can only guess how your circuit looks it is always helpful to
take a hi res photo of your circuit/breadboard and post it here. If there
is a problem someone will find it.
 

Attachments

John22

New Member
These problems usually boil down to bad or incorrect connections to the Picaxe serial in/out pins. It's easy to get them mixed up or get the resistors in the wrong place.

See the attached file and triple check the connections.

In the Program Editor Go to Options> Serial Port. Make sure Com 9 is selected.

Put a check in the box that says "Show Port Help Tools". Then click on "test port". Follow the instructions in the window to the letter. Report back with the results.

Since we can only guess how your circuit looks it is always helpful to
take a hi res photo of your circuit/breadboard and post it here. If there
is a problem someone will find it.
Hi Thanks for responding.

I've tried the hard reset, but still it's not able to Program. I've quadruple check the resistors and the voltage issues all mentioned by the kind guys here (I thank you all). I've a stable 5.02Vdc supply. the resistors are correct, again the Hello: I'm your PICAXE-18M2 message is present in Terminal mode. I've done the check for USB test and the simulated green light appears on that test no problems, but I still cannot download the test program:-

main: high 4
pause 1000
low 4
pause 1000
goto main.

comes up with error: hardware not found on com 9

What's it like! maybe a hammer! no only kidding.

Any ideas?
 

KingsJester89

New Member
Are you using a Stereo 3.5mm jack socket?
A mistake I often make is not connecting the two pins on either side of the middle pin together.
which produces the error you discribed.
 

MartinM57

Moderator
the simulated green light appears on that test no problems
The green light means nothing with regard to the test being successful - read the words on the screen carefully. You need to probe the actually PICAXE serin pin when the green light is on to see what voltage is appearing there....
 

Goeytex

Senior Member
The green light means nothing with regard to the test being successful - read the words on the screen carefully. You need to probe the actually PICAXE serin pin when the green light is on to see what voltage is appearing there....
Exactly.

You have to measure the voltage with your meter directly on Pin 3 of the 18M2.

What is the voltage when the green light is off ?
what is the voltage when the Green light is on ?

Added: If you have a scope, you can also do a test on the serial out (Pin 2). When the green light
is on you should see a data signal flashing from 0v to V+ about every 2 seconds. Set the
scope Time/Div to 1ms per division.


Where is your photo ? :)

===============================

And someone please tell me where this "Hello: I'm Your Picaxe 18M2" Message come from. I've never seen it
with any of my 18M2's. Is this something new in a different firmware version ? Only on new unprogramamed chips maybe ?.
 
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hippy

Technical Support
Staff member
Can you also describe what your hardware setup is ( PCB, stripboard, breadboard ) and perhaps post a picture of it.

Check the voltage for the download test as suggested and check that you don't have the download interface 22K/10K wired as a voltage divider.
 

eclectic

Moderator
Just out of interest, I've just
duplicated this problem.

18M2 and a AXE029 adapter.

Simple program:
Code:
#picaxe 18M2

main:
sertxd ("Hello World", "    ")

pause 2000
goto main
Downloads, then works fine

Step 2. Remove the "serin" wire.
Still the "Hello World" output to the terminal.

Step 3. Attempt to download the program again.
"Error Hardware not found" .......

@John22.
I'm not a gambler, but I'll donate a fiver to charity
if it isn't a problem with your Serin circuit.
C.4, leg 3.
Whether it's resistors or a
mis-wired adapter or something else.


e
 

Technical

Technical Support
Staff member
A very simple way to test the transmit/receive wires of the AXE027 cable is to remove it from the PICAXE project board completely and use a wire/paperclip to short together the two rings (not the tip, leave that unconnected) of the AXE027 3.5mm plug.

Assuming you have the correct COM port selected, then open the Serial Terminal (PICAXE>Terminal menu).

Anything you type in the bottom 'Transmit' box should be instantly echoed back to the 'Receive' buffer when you click the 'Send' button, as you have joined the transmit and receive wires of the AXE027 together with the paper clip.
 

John22

New Member
To You All

I thank all of you for your input, you'll all very kind. I will perform over the weekend some of the checks suggested. I'm a complete beginner to PICAXE and microcontrollers so please bear with me. I'm sure it's a mistake by me, I'll post my findings no matter how embarrassing it maybe. I sure it's a case of beginners errors, I'll get there in the end. A big thank you, stand by. I'll also post a jpg too.
 

John22

New Member
I've just performed the looping of the Tx & Rx connections on the 3.5mm plug and I get the echo of the Rx no problems, that would suggest my download circuit error as people here have been describing. A point that KingsJester89 pointed out was the two pins either side of the centre pin of the 3.5mm jack need to have the two left side pins looped and the two right side looped, this I'll need to do, I check back once I've done that. Thanks again to you all.
 

John22

New Member
Success!

Hi guys

Just thought I'd let you know, the error: hardware not found on com9 has been resolved. It was the linking of the two connections either side of the centre pin of the 3.5mm stereo socket that I missed. A amateur mistake, lesson learnt. Thank you all, it won't be the last time you'll hear from me I'm sure, but I must say this forum and the members here are fantastic, Thanks again, I'll forward to learning a wealth of information on these Microcontrollers and hopefully pick your brains again soon. All the Best.
 

Attachments

KingsJester89

New Member
I feel so happy for both of us. You got your circuit working and I actually
helped out on this forum! :) (And I beat the experts as a bonus :p)
 

YeMa

New Member
Hello to you all.
I have just finished soldering my first picaxe board. But, unfortunately, I am receiving this "Error: Hardware not found on COM1!" message. I've read this thread all over and triple checked everything. Soldering is correct. Two outer pins on download stereo socket is soldered. Made a hard reset. Replaced the chip. Battery - 3AA alkaline. Made a test of USB download cable just like in the manual for picaxe. Output voltage is 5.03V. Com port is correct. It shows USB cable. Circuit is exactly as in the manual. But no luck. What am I doing wrong or missing?
 

inglewoodpete

Senior Member
Welcome to the PICAXE Forum.

Please tell us about the PICAXE chip you are using. What model is it and what are the markings on it. Is the chip new or has it been programmed before?
 

westaust55

Moderator
Com1 also happens to be the default comm port that the PICAXE programming editor (PE) will use if the AXE027 or other USB cable is not plugged in before the PE is started.

Are you sure that the PC is set for the right comm port?
What indicates that ?

Which version of the PE are you using V5 or V6?
It is fairly easy to scan the USB ports with the PE (under "options" from memory).

Even telling us what USB to serial cable you have, what version of Windows or other operating system, what board the PICAXE chip is plugged into. If your own board with an X1 or X2 part do you have the reset pin pulled high with a resistor?
Have you installed the required USB cable drivers?
 

westaust55

Moderator
If your PICAXE chips are brand new and never been programmed, then with the USB to serial cable connected open the PE terminal program with the [F8] key and you should see a message from the PICAXE chip along the lines of "Hello I'm your PICAXE chip".
That would help to indicate if the wiring side from the SerialOut pin is correct.
 
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lbenson

Senior Member
Welcome to the picaxe forum. Be assured that people here will work with you step by step if needed to get your picaxe working.

If you go into Control Panel, Hardware, Device Manager, under ports do you see your port listed? If others are listed, what are they?

If on your serial cable, with no picaxe connected, you connect Rx and Tx, and then start a terminal (e.g., putty, but you can also use the picaxe terminal) on that serial port, if you type on the PC, do you see what you typed? If you do, your serial port is working.
 

snteague

New Member
well, I'm new here but also have the "Can't find hardware on com port" error. And I hate to start by saying I've tried everything, but I think I have. All help would be greatly appreciated.

I have the 08M2 chip on the picaxe proto board, using the picaxe AXE027 cable with a 5v DC power supply putting out about 6volts. I have carefully checked my solder joints under my magnifier and found nothing amiss.

I get the "Hello, I'm your picaxe..." message when I run the terminal, and when I type in the terminal I get the letters back when I hit "send." I have also run the cable test and everything reads as it should. I have removed, inspected and reinserted the chip and done the hard reset several times as well as unplugging everything, closing down the editor and turning all back on.

I'm on com port 4 which shows in the editor and in the device manager. The only thing I see that doesn't show up on this thread is this: when I run "configure and test the com port" in the editor then hit "refresh list" I get a small red box with "16!" on the right side of the line where com4 axe027 picaxe usb is listed. I wonder what that means??

I oftentimes find these noob type situations are new user error, but I'm stumped. Any help for this new user will be appreciated. Thank you. Steve (If I've posted in the wrong place, I apologize.)
 

hippy

Technical Support
Staff member
If you can run the loopback test, can receive the "I'm your PICAXE" message, it would seem the cable drivers are installed and the cable is working. Not sure what the red "16!" would indicate though.

It sounds like you might not have the Hard Reset timing right or not following the process to the letter. If the PICAXE is taken out of reset too early or too late the Hard Reset may be ineffective.

In PE6, if you loko at the bottom of the Workspace Explorer panel ( usually at the top left ) there are two tabs; "Settings" and "Compiler". If you select "Compiler", then initiate a download, You will see a "Connect power now, searching for hardware" message which indicates when to turn the power back on during a Hard Reset.

If that does not solve things there may be a solder short on the board or a missing component from the download interface.
 

snteague

New Member
thanks for the quick reply. I'll check it out later today and let you know. I have another proto board that I will solder up and try. Also, the specific hard reset . Thanks again
 

snteague

New Member
well, what do you know! I soldered up one of the other proto boards and it worked! First time. So, I must have a problem with my solder joints on the first board. I'll have to inspect it more carefully. I'm sure it's my fault.

Thanks for your help. Steve
 
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