random connection USB elink

[96RAF]

If you want to interogate your pc/laptop then try this...

http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/cpu-z.html

Download CPU-Z from centre screen left hand side - pick the one for your pc, then run it and pick tools at the bottom of the screen that pops up and click save report as .txt and you can send that txt report file to AC for him to look-see at your specs.

Rob

[Mantagt]

Please also note that RM & eLink / Elite seem to have issues using a USB3.0 port. Using a native USB2.0 port seems to give more reliable connections. I appreciate that your ASUS doesn't have a USB2.0 port, but using the ASUS USB3.0 ports may be the cause of your reported issue.

Just had one of those light bulb moments! I was not aware of the difference between USB3.0 and USB2.0 ports and checked my computor connection. I have change from what I think was the USB3.0 port to the USB2.0 port and I do seem to have a more reliable connection, onlly time will tell.

[96RAF]

Despite all this chat about USB 3.0 not being suitable for RM, my train PC - an HP i5 Intel tower ran out of USB 2.0 rear ports supporting keyboard, mouse, webcam and printer and I didnt want wires hanging out of the two front USB 3.0 ports so I installed a USB 3.0 pci card  to the motherboard with two x USB 3.0 ports, which I use exclusively for my RM connection of  Elite and eLink controllers. All works fine and I have never had any comms or driver problems not ever.

[Augustus Caesar]

@RAF

Just to add though that not all USB 3 sockets are fully wired up for full backward compatibility. I've been advocating this for a while on here now.

The ones you installed to the PCI slot on your mobo may just be wried correctly and that's it in a nutshell.

The fact, also, that Mantagt, above, has switched to USB 2 and has, thus far, found stability backs this up.

Not all USB sockets will have a problem... but some do, especially those that are simply NOT backward compatible and say so. Thus, as stated prior, the intro of USB-C.

 

@Mantagt

If your system stays stable with the change you have made do let us know here, thanks.

[jodel]

Thanks for your interesting replies.

I have load cpuz. i have a report text file . but i dont know hos to send it in this forum . i can only send images..

thanks for your help

[96RAF]

Dont send it to the forum send it to Augustus as an attachment to an email, he is analysing your pc not us.

His contact email is on his help site reached from the pinned post link at top of Railmaster forum topics.

Rob

[Mantagt]

First a little background info. About a month ago I tided the computor leads and for convenience connected the Elite lead from com3 to com4. I then updated both the Elite and RM, so three changes in one go, and this resulted in the random connection problems between RM and the Elite. This varied from a short loss of contact (regular) requiring a second click of the mouse to a complete loss of connection (rare) requiring the elite to be used to stop all operations followed by a total shut down and restart. Having changed the ports from com4 (USB3.0) to com3 (USB2.0) and had an hours session on the layout the results are as follows.

The computor still needs to be powered up first before the elite to get a good connection. I ran five locos, three with sound, and all operated with a single click of the mouse. The mouse did not stick to the small throttle and operated correctly in the blank area as a remote throttle, it did not work as a remote on the large throttle. I tried setting a decoder and reading/writing cvs and only had one wrong reading which corrected on rereading. I did not notice any loss of connection between RM and the elite. I did not have time to do a full check of all operations but so far the results look promising. I will let you decide.

The only issue a did note was the mouse sticking to some sliders but this has been noted in another thread and I don't believe relates to this one.

I hope this helps

[Augustus Caesar]

So far so good then Mantagt...

I will stress however, that the Elite should nearly always be turned on AFTER Windows boots up. This allows spurious USB drivers on certain boards to load correctly and in the right order where, if the Elite is on for example, that driver may be loaded before the correct USB driver for the socket the Elite is plugged into.

The idea of USB connections was a good one at the time of introduction but many issues regarding how they are hardwired to boards has caused problems all over the place.

Even in Windows 10 there is an option to turn off error reporting if the OS finds a 'dodgy' USB connection because this is not a fool proof error reporting option and occasionally get s it wrong. So even Microsoft are cutely aware of issues otherwise that trap wouldn't be there!

 

Hope you follow that (second para). It is also outlined in the second thread at the top of this sub-forum too.

[Mantagt]

Good advice Augustus. I usually follow the computor first rule but for the test I tried both ways and it showed elite first gave an unreliable connection. I am using Windows 8 and with all the reported problems with Windows 10 I won't be upgrading until I really have to. 

[Chrissaf]

My power on my layout all stems from a single switched 250VAC wall mains socket & plug. Thus, switching on at the wall socket powers up my Elite, before I have even got as far as sitting in front of my laptop. Therefore, my setup powers up the Elite first. Once I get the 003 display on the Elite LCD. I power up the laptop, wait fully for Windows 10 to stabilise before then firing up RailMaster.

.

For me, this order of starting up works 100% reliably. I'm not saying that doing it the other way round is wrong, just that different PC (hardware/software) combinations can function in different ways for different users and that the process documented above, for me at least, is faultless.

.

PS - I am using a native USB2.0 port on my laptop. I leave its USB3.0 ports spare for other peripherals. My ACER laptop was originally a Win 8.1 laptop upgraded to Win 10 under the free MS offer. Also, to note that ACER did not officially support the Win 10 upgrade on my particular ACER model (they never stated 'why' on their support pages, but it works just fine and dandy with W10).

 

[Augustus Caesar]

Quite right Chris... it works both ways but HRMS support the firing up afterward. So I just went with that for clarity. Nothing stopping anyone trying the other way for curiosity to see if it does work for them both ways... glad you pointed it out though.

Myself? I did it your way until I stopped using the Elite in favour of the eLink which fires up in W10 either way as well.

We must think alike because my laptop is an Acer which had W7 on it and I upgraded to a full release of W10 Pro and removed the orginal HDD with W7 still on and working. I did have the free W10 but as I can obtain licenses legitimately for all MS products I used the Pro version as my W7 was Home Prem.

The laptop also was not listed as 'supported' by Acer and that is simply because they did not test all laptops with older hardware built in before drivers and tech came out for W10. I have a laptop which ran XP Pro and now works with W10 very well. It just depends upon the hardware. As we know those lists are not really definitive but just a guide... a useful one but not always accurate. They just don't want someone going back saying 'Hey, you said this would work...'

[Augustus Caesar]

@Mantagt

Waiting for Windows 10 to become so stable that it works perfectly each time is like waiting for a hundred buses to turn up all at once. It's not going to happen. It didn't happen with any prior release of Windows either.

What I am trying to say really is that Windows 10 is, surprisingly to some, a very stable operating system indeed. With all the experiences I have had with Windows since the days of Windows 3.1 I think I know them only too well.

Don't wait just do it. It is a far better system altogether than Windows 8 or 8.1 ever was. It is a very decent OS and all the dark stories you hear about it are mostly down to folk who just aren't used to a new OS or can't find their way around a new interface. Some hardware doesn't work with it but this is the story of Windows anyway... no matter the version.

Being an experienced techie of many years I can honestly report that I have had no blue screening, freezes or sluggish performance whatsoever from this OS... none. What yo do is trim the installs of background running software, delete programs you won't ever need and configure settings for YOUR needs and not the companies who install their s/w with new incarnations of the OS. Keep the system clean of muck and dust inside and you will prolong its life.

I am not the biggest fan of W10 but I can advocate an upgrade to it. It works very well wit railMaster whe insatlled and ran properly with the right conditions and software and settings behind it... just as in any other OS.

[96RAF]

My sequence is like Chris, I power up the Elite and eLink as the 'room' powers up, then I boot the pc. Once Skype has loaded I know the pc is stable and I can start RM.

 

At the moment because my Elite is duff and I need to read CVs I have temporarily swapped my programming track wiring over to the eLink and designated that as controller A on the associated comm port. Works a treat - no hassle from RM.

 

Never had a problem with comms on this pc, even though it is Win8 upped to Win8.1 to Win10 and its got add-on USB ports and its an HP.

 

So the moral is whatever sequence works for you - stick with it.

[Chrissaf]

Given a completely free choice I would stick with my Desktop PC Windows 7 Pro. I still prefer Win 7 to Win 10. But as far as my RM Laptop PC is concerned. The Win 10 upgrade is SO MUCH better than the Win 8.1 OS it replaced. Win 8 was dire......

.

I have peripherals on my Win 7 desktop PC that have NO Win 10 driver support. So I am not looking forward to when Win 7 becomes unsupported (2020 ?).

.

PS - My definition of "stable" meant when 'hard drive' loading activity had died down to a normal background level and all the Win 10 startup 'online' checks had been completed, like looking for 'Windows Updates' etc.

[Mantagt]

Interesting! Following the third failure of my Vista laptop my localrepair shop ( a proper one} said it was dead and I bought a new Lenovo G50 with the free Win 10 upgrade. Being a non techy the shop adviced staying with Win 8 and set it up for me. The jump from Vista to Win 8 was mind boggling. Later I bought a refurmished Lenovo G50 from a well known supermarket on line, just for use in the loft, at less than half the price.This is a previous model but looked brand new, it came with the Win 10 upgrade but was not used. It is slightly slower and has other slight differences and works well  I do think using any operating system reliably depends on what is inside the computor. I agree with the ' if it works for you leave it alone'.

I know this has gone a little off subject but to return. Has the original jodel problem been fixed?

[Augustus Caesar]

Awaiting details of his second of two mobo's (which he may or may not be able to offer up - see his posts) and possibly a report from his running of CPU-Z......

[Augustus Caesar]

@Chris

Win 7 reaches end of life in 2020, yes. That end of life is unlikely to be extended as has been the case in the past with some MS OS's.

MS are researching OS's that will be hired out like their latest Office incarnations per month. Stupid idea!

[Yelrow]

Augustus, my brother is still running XP, quite happily,  so i presume there is no reason to suspect that windows 7, will not do the same, even in 10 years time. Its just presumablt the support that is ending. john

[Augustus Caesar]

John

 

Windows XP is still being operated by some clients I have in business along with Server 2003 and both reached end of life together a good while back now.

 

Users can use each for many years after end of life (which merely means no more support directly or indirectly from Microsoft via updates etc.). That's all it means though Microsoft do tend to scare folk by saying their machines are no longer safe from viruses and the likes. Whilst true in one sense other vendors have to legitimise this by not supporting the operating system themselves by not releasing new definition files for their security software. Browsers also (including some newer software) will not work as the OS is simply too old and vendors have no vested interest in updating software so they write new versions instead.

 

I know you are aware of all of this but I include it for those who are not. So, Windows 7, 8, 8.1 and eventually 10 and later will be exactly the same.

[Mantagt]

I give up. RM loosing connection with elite again resulting in runaway. Help key doesn't work. All going in the bin

[St1ngr4y]

What is the value of the Alternate comms parameter in your INI file. I have an Elite which has been running fine connected to RM on a Windows 10 pc. I use Alternate comms=0 which I believe is not the recommended value. But if you are using =1 it may be worth trying =0 to see if it makes a difference.

BTW if you are going to bin your Elite, can I have it - I'll pay for the postage 😀

 

Ray

[Mantagt]

Sorry not playing trains until blood pressure comes down and have checked loco for damage  ☹️

[Yelrow]

Runaway loco damaged, if so, contents insurance/ accidental damage. Same if it fell on the floor. john

[Fishmanoz]

Hi Mantagt, just reread this thread to see where you came in v Jodel and your setup v his.  His setup is of course with eLink and yours Elite.

 

The significant things here are that you have upgraded from Vista to W8, and you have Elite not eLink.  The upgrade requires that you have 2 new lines in your ini file, and with Elite, these lines are different to eLink and hence the advice given to Jodel on their values.

 

There are many threads on here where Chris gives advice on these lines, including that he says even if they are in your ini file correctly, he suggests they be deleted and rewritten at the end of the file.  Incorrect entries are the major cause of connection problems from W7 version on to W10.

 

But instead of searching for one of Chris 's entries, go to the 2nd top locked thread, Setting Up and Getting Started, and read the last entry from HRMS on those ini file entries and how to edit them.

 

PS.  Forgive me if this has already been suggested and corrected, couldn't see it had been, and it's most important.

[Mantagt]

Just to clarify, vista was on the old computor that failed. The replacement runs Win 8.1 and has a fresh RM installed with no files transferred and the correct ini file settings. The layout has not been run since the Feb 3 test run and I find I'm now back to square one with all the previous problems.

The computor is now out of the loft for a good wifi connection and will try a fresh update to see if that was the problem. Fortunately the two month old Q6 is undamaged.