21 replies to this topic

[Blhorrocks]

I have an AVX and CGEMII mount that I have used for a few years.  I connect my laptop to my mount via the hand controller with a mini USB cable.  I have done this for quite a while and around June this year it stopped working.  Now my Celestron Hand Controllers are not recognized by my computer.  I have reinstalled all the drivers for USB to Serial and still nothing.  I am running Windows 10 most current version and have updated my ASCOM just in case and still nothing.  I have tried like 3 different mini USB cables and nothing.  When I run the ASCOM diagnositic  it says that no COM port are detected.  Anyone have this issue and how did you solve it. ?  Help please, it is getting cold outside.

[ram812]

Hello!

  Sorry about the cold! You've probably done this already but did you open your device manager and then see if a com port was "Seeing" the device? Is the power to the port (If powered) on/off? Look in the properties and see if any/all of your ports at all are hooked up/recognized. If ASCOM doesn't see one (Detect) I'd look there (In the PC) first, especially after an update or upgrade. Also, does the PC still recognize the serial?

  FWIW, I haven't done an Celestron update in years as I have found that some just don't "Work like they used to". Ah, technology!

Also, extreme cold (Below freezing, usually... dependent upon humidity, too) will cause strange things to happen to the LCD display on our handsets. Hope this helps, and good luck! Ralph

Edited by ram812, 27 November 2020 - 09:37 PM.

[Blhorrocks]

Hello!

  Sorry about the cold! You've probably done this already but did you open your device manager and then see if a com port was "Seeing" the device? Is the power to the port (If powered) on/off? Look in the properties and see if any/all of your ports at all are hooked up/recognized. If ASCOM doesn't see one (Detect) I'd look there (In the PC) first, especially after an update or upgrade. Also, does the PC still recognize the serial?

  FWIW, I haven't done an Celestron update in years as I have found that some just don't "Work like they used to". Ah, technology!

Also, extreme cold (Below freezing, usually... dependent upon humidity, too) will cause strange things to happen to the LCD display on our handsets. Hope this helps, and good luck! Ralph

Thanks for the suggestions.  Yes i have looked in my device manager and it doesn't show any COM ports either.  I have a CGX-L in my obervatory and I connect directly to the mount via USB and that does work.  It just won't go thru the hand controller.  I use my AVX for star parties and now I am unable to control it or do a firmware update.  I think it must be some kind of windows thing or somethin.  

[MJB87]

Moved to the Celestron Computerized Telescopes forum for a better fit.

[mclewis1]

Go through and uninstall the software including the ASCOM platform and driver and the USB driver (if it's visible).  Reboot. I'd then install the Prolific driver off of Mike's website www.nexstarsite.com (your HCs have a in built USB-serial adapter that uses the Prolific chipset). 

 

Then plug in the HC USB cable, you should get the "good USB" chime and the com port should show up in the device manager. From there you can re install the ASCOM platform, driver and whatever other software you are using.

 

You could of course not bother uninstalling and just jump to re installing the Prolific driver off of Mike's website ... but there's a reasonable chance that something else at the driver level is messed up. Doing the whole uninstall and reinstall step will despite taking a bit longer likely save you some time and sanity in the long run.

[Noah4x4]

+1 for Marks suggestion, but with a caveat.

 

After deleting all of your astro software, reinstall  your Prolific serial to USB adapter cable driver  first. 

 

I had a myriad of problems after a Windows 10 update. Deleting all my astro software and starting again was the only solution after three months of trying to reassign COM ports to avoid conflicts. I reckon Windows 10 doesn't like legacy stuff like virtual serial ports. Installing the driver for the serial to USB adapter first, then followed by more contemporary (plug and play)  devices seemed to do the trick. 

Edited by Noah4x4, 28 November 2020 - 06:45 PM.

[Blhorrocks]

Go through and uninstall the software including the ASCOM platform and driver and the USB driver (if it's visible).  Reboot. I'd then install the Prolific driver off of Mike's website www.nexstarsite.com (your HCs have a in built USB-serial adapter that uses the Prolific chipset). 

 

Then plug in the HC USB cable, you should get the "good USB" chime and the com port should show up in the device manager. From there you can re install the ASCOM platform, driver and whatever other software you are using.

 

You could of course not bother uninstalling and just jump to re installing the Prolific driver off of Mike's website ... but there's a reasonable chance that something else at the driver level is messed up. Doing the whole uninstall and reinstall step will despite taking a bit longer likely save you some time and sanity in the long run.

Thanks for the advice.  I did just like you said and still not working.  I even went and tried this on my wife's laptop and still can't get it to work.  I have tried 3 newer cables and nothing.  I am sure it is something with the Windows update or something.

[Blhorrocks]

+1 for Marks suggestion, but with a caveat.

 

After deleting all of your astro software, reinstall  your Prolific serial to USB adapter cable driver  first. 

 

I had a myriad of problems after a Windows 10 update. Deleting all my astro software and starting again was the only solution after three months of trying to reassign COM ports to avoid conflicts. I reckon Windows 10 doesn't like legacy stuff like virtual serial ports. Installing the driver for the serial to USB adapter first, then followed by more contemporary (plug and play)  devices seemed to do the trick. 

Thanks,  I will try that as well.  Very frustrating and i am almost at the point of just getting a new computer.

[Noah4x4]

Thanks for the advice.  I did just like you said and still not working.  I even went and tried this on my wife's laptop and still can't get it to work.  I have tried 3 newer cables and nothing.  I am sure it is something with the Windows update or something.

I think it is critical that you clean out everything, then restart PC,  and then start reinstallation with the Prolific serial to USB driver. I am pretty computer savvy and had previously tried everything to fix my glitch. With hindsight, I  am convinced there was some unreported conflict. By allowing the legacy device to take the port It wanted then the newer (plug & play) devices to take positions around that seems to assist.  Another suspicion was related to the ZWO camera driver. Make sure you use the latest. 

[windowpane]

Thanks for the advice.  I did just like you said and still not working.  I even went and tried this on my wife's laptop and still can't get it to work.  I have tried 3 newer cables and nothing.  I am sure it is something with the Windows update or something.

This would point to a problem with the the HC, not the PC, I would think.

[mclewis1]

OK, time to clarify a few things ...

 

1) Are they both + model controllers (do they both have gem5.xxxx firmware)? Do they both have the built in little USB connection (and not the small RJ22 connector)? Do they both exhibit the connectivity issue?

 

2) Had your wife's laptop ever been connected to the hand controller before you tried it?

 

3) What are the revision/update levels of your Win10 PCs (don't need to be really specific but have they both had the 2020 03 update done)?

 

 

I'd probably do the Win10 reinstall function on your laptop and then a) after Windows does any additional updates and stabilizes try just plugging in the hand controller and seeing what happens ... and then b) only install the Prolific driver off of Mike's website and try the hand controller connection again (but no other software installed) and see if the driver successfully creates the com port.

[Blhorrocks]

OK, time to clarify a few things ...

 

1) Are they both + model controllers (do they both have gem5.xxxx firmware)? Do they both have the built in little USB connection (and not the small RJ22 connector)? Do they both exhibit the connectivity issue?

 

2) Had your wife's laptop ever been connected to the hand controller before you tried it?

 

3) What are the revision/update levels of your Win10 PCs (don't need to be really specific but have they both had the 2020 03 update done)?

 

 

I'd probably do the Win10 reinstall function on your laptop and then a) after Windows does any additional updates and stabilizes try just plugging in the hand controller and seeing what happens ... and then b) only install the Prolific driver off of Mike's website and try the hand controller connection again (but no other software installed) and see if the driver successfully creates the com port.

Mark,  Thanks for your comment.  I have an AVX, CGEMII and CGX-L Mount.  I have tried to connect with all three of these thru the HC and none of them would work.  They all three have a mini USB port in the bottom, and they are all mounts I have got in the last 2 years (the CGX-L just got here last week).  I have never tried to connect to my wife's laptop prior to this, and I only tried with the AVX mount.  My update on the Windows 10 is the 20H2 build, i believe.  When I select the Device Manager on my computer a few months ago i would see the in the COM and Port area a driver for Prolific USB to Serial.  Now when I click on this it is not there.  Celestron sent me a link to the CFM update and a link to Prolific to get their updated driver.  I run the Prolific Driver install in the Administrator mode, but i am still not seeing this appear in my Device Manager.  This makes me think there is something with my computer that is stopping this driver install even though i think i have done it.

[mclewis1]

I would like to see what happens with an up to date but clean "virgin" system, just the Prolific device driver (either from the Celestron supplied link, or Mike's website) and the HC plugged in.

  ... otherwise you've done everything I can think of, and then some.

[Noah4x4]

Agree with Mark. The clean start and install the Prolific driver first was the only solution for me after a lot of trying other stuff. 

 

But if the HC won't work with three different mounts that sounds like the problem. Have you tried a HC factory reset etc?

[robbieg147]

Mark,  Thanks for your comment.  I have an AVX, CGEMII and CGX-L Mount.  I have tried to connect with all three of these thru the HC and none of them would work.  They all three have a mini USB port in the bottom, and they are all mounts I have got in the last 2 years (the CGX-L just got here last week).  I have never tried to connect to my wife's laptop prior to this, and I only tried with the AVX mount.  My update on the Windows 10 is the 20H2 build, i believe.  When I select the Device Manager on my computer a few months ago i would see the in the COM and Port area a driver for Prolific USB to Serial.  Now when I click on this it is not there.  Celestron sent me a link to the CFM update and a link to Prolific to get their updated driver.  I run the Prolific Driver install in the Administrator mode, but i am still not seeing this appear in my Device Manager.  This makes me think there is something with my computer that is stopping this driver install even though i think i have done it.

If you want to see a list of all the installed drivers on your system then one way is:

 

Open up the command prompt and type:

 

driverquery | more

 

 

This will list them all a page at a time.

[scopewizard]

Have you tried installing CPWI and select connection via HC?

I use CPWI for my CGX using the mount USB or HC.

Use Ascom to CPWI to connect software as required.

[robbieg147]

I think it is critical that you clean out everything, then restart PC,  and then start reinstallation with the Prolific serial to USB driver. I am pretty computer savvy and had previously tried everything to fix my glitch. With hindsight, I  am convinced there was some unreported conflict. By allowing the legacy device to take the port It wanted then the newer (plug & play) devices to take positions around that seems to assist.  Another suspicion was related to the ZWO camera driver. Make sure you use the latest. 

I don't use cables which use the Prolific chipset and never had a problem? I always buy ones based on the FTDI chipset.

 

I may be wrong here but some devices can detect a cable using a fake chipset which is exposed after a windows update which is why sometimes things suddenly stop working?

 

Also some software need comm ports within a certain range <9 which is why the order of install may help??

[Blhorrocks]

Have you tried installing CPWI and select connection via HC?

I use CPWI for my CGX using the mount USB or HC.

Use Ascom to CPWI to connect software as required.

Thanks for your comment. I have a CGX-L mount in my observatory and I can connect thru the USB directly to the mount and use CPWI.   I have an AVX mount that I use for star partys and traveling.  With it I connect thru the HC.  This is where i run into problems.  As i have googled for answers i have seen several other people that have had the same issues since about the middle of June.  Many automotive diagnostic computer devices that use a USB to serial type connection have had issues as well. I am sure it is some type of Windows 10 update and issues with drivers that is stopping something from working.

[scopewizard]

Thanks for your comment. I have a CGX-L mount in my observatory and I can connect thru the USB directly to the mount and use CPWI.   I have an AVX mount that I use for star partys and traveling.  With it I connect thru the HC.  This is where i run into problems.  As i have googled for answers i have seen several other people that have had the same issues since about the middle of June.  Many automotive diagnostic computer devices that use a USB to serial type connection have had issues as well. I am sure it is some type of Windows 10 update and issues with drivers that is stopping something from working.

You should be able to connect to the HC on an AVX using CPWI

Edited by scopewizard, 07 December 2020 - 04:35 PM.

[cken1]

If you can use CPWI, that means the ports are working well. Shut CPWI off while you using Ascom.
That is what I did.

[skaiser]

Maybe I missed something.

From what I understand, you CAN connect to your CGX mount through hand control with all you computers correct?

have you tried plugging your AVX or CGEMII hand control into the CGX and then plug pc into hand control to see if it shows up in device manager.

if it doesn’t show up then problem is probably in hand control.

the usb to serial module inside the hand control may have a broken connection.

Take care

[mlord]

If you are in doubt as to whether the USB portion of the HC is actually working or not, then you could just boot any computer from a Linux LiveCD (or Live USB stick) image, and then use the lsusb command (it lists all attached USB devices) from a terminal window.  No fussing with device drivers or other complicated factors.  Issue the lsusb command once with the HC connected, and again after unplugging it.  If you see a difference in the two lists of devices, then you know the USB on the HC is good.

 

Cheers