Picaxe Download Circuit Discrepancy

R

rob53

New Member
Hello again, I've only posted a couple of threads on this forum, but in both cases, you guys have been very courteous and VERY helpful. Anyway, to my problem. For years I have been using a 1X PCI-Express Serial card to program my Picaxes. At first, I just made myself a Serial programming cable using an RS232 Female Cable that terminated in nine wires, I taped up all but the three I needed, and used Dupont male crimp connectors on the RX, TX and GND, and this worked just fine, but then I decided get a little fancier, and got some 3.5mm plugs that terminated in three wires (TRS), which I connected via the information in the Picaxe Manual, which the diagram showed the Tip=0V, Ring=SERIN and Sleeve=SEROUT. This worked just great for a long time, but then I started getting the error msg "hardware not found". I tried everything to resolve the problem, but nothing worked. Finally I had come to the realization that my PCI-E Serial Card had gone belly up, even though device manager stated that it was working properly. SO, I have recently order and just received a AXE027 USB Download Cable from RobotShop.com, because it was sold out at the Picaxe Store. The Google AI is telling me that the corrected pinout for the 3.5mm plug is TIP=SEROUT, RING=SERIN and SLEEVE=GND. This seems to contradict at least 5 web-sites, and, if I understood Hippy's drawing in another thread on this forum, the correct pinout is the way I've been using it with the Serial Card, which is TIP=0V, RING=SERIN and SLEEVE=SEROUT. I'm sorry for the long winded intro into my issue, but can someone (with 100% certainty) tell me which way to connect my AXE027 USB D/L Cable, so that I don't ruin this thing by connected it wrong? Just give it to me like this (so that I am sure to understand) TIP=? RING=? SLEEVE=?.

Also, are there any other drivers that I need for this AXE027 besides the one that I downloaded from this web-site HERE? Thank You very much in advance.
 
Hi,

Yes, the "AI" is wrong, because the PICaxe Interface uses a "non-standard" format for the 3.5mm coaxial plug (where "sleeve" normally would be screen/earth).

So the pin connections should be as you originally used, i.e. Tip = 0v/Earth, Ring = Serin and Sleeve = Serout. This could cause problems if you used a "chassis mount" style of 3.5mm socket with a metal body through a hole in an earthed metal box (i.e. not the regular PCB pinned type of socket).

Personally I haven't used an AXE027 download cable, but some people do have problems installing the drivers, perhaps because apparently it is a "two stage" process. However, follow any instructions supplied, or on this website, and come back to the forum if you have any problems.

Cheers, Alan.
 
I'll never listen to that Google AI again. That darn thing had me chasing my tail for a couple of hours. I figured something had to be wrong when web-site, after web-site, after web-site, including this web-site AND the AXE027 Datasheet all contradicted what that AI was telling me. Anyway, your confirmation is good enough for me.

As for the drivers, Window 11, or at least my Windows 11 apparently automatically installed the necessary drivers when I plugged it in to a USB port, as it immediately showed up in Device Manager under Ports, it states "AXE027 PICAXE USB (COM6)". Then when I click the "Driver" tab, it states Revolution Education LTD. with "driver version" 2.12.36.4. and driver date 7/5/2021. Under "OTHER DEVICES", there is nothing there relating to the AXE027 or Serial Drivers. I guess I'll know for sure when I attempt to program a Picaxe with it. Thank you so much, Alan.

AllyCat said:
This could cause problems if you used a "chassis mount" style of 3.5mm socket with a metal body through a hole in an earthed metal box (i.e. not the regular PCB pinned type of socket).
Click to expand...

No, I'm using these ones HERE. I soldered one of them to a small piece of Veroboard (stripboard), along with some exra long breakaway male header pins to make it breadboardable. It works great when everything else works, that is :) Thanks again,, Alan
 
rob53 said:
I'll never listen to that Google AI again.
Click to expand...
Join the club. (Actually, I've never trusted any AI 'engines'.) Particularly when dealing with technical issues or documents. You just don't know where the AI has sourced its "truth" from.

In some parts of the world, thankfully including my country, Microsoft has provided a version of Microsoft (Office) 365 without their version of AI ("Copilot"), which saves me quite a few dollars each year.
 
Another case of AI hokum and the manuals being the definitive guide. Suggest you tell AI it's wrong in the hope that others can be spared.

If you're interested here's a recent project with a novel approach to making the breadboard adapter pretty.
 
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