CAN tutorial

[FrankJ]

The solid light means the jag has a signal which infers communication. Seems like I was getting this problem earlier, but I didn't actually have communication. Turned out I had a pin wrong in my RS232 adapter cable.

If the led remains solid after you press the assign button, it is not getting the command for some reason.

Can you down load the Version 92 firmware? Is the temp updating? That would eliminate some possibilities.

Some computer comm questions. Look in system settings is your RS232 port really comm 1? What kind of RS232 port are you using? Do you have another program trying to use the com port. RSlinxs (Allen Bradley & the old Palm software was real bad about that. Do you have a IR port.

[ratdude747]

I may also suggest reading my whitepaper on serial CAN... the later firmware sections in particular.

there is a link in my signature

[Eric Sakshaug]

Originally Posted by FrankJ

The solid light means the jag has a signal which infers communication. Seems like I was getting this problem earlier, but I didn't actually have communication. Turned out I had a pin wrong in my RS232 adapter cable.

If the led remains solid after you press the assign button, it is not getting the command for some reason.

Can you down load the Version 92 firmware? Is the temp updating? That would eliminate some possibilities.

Some computer comm questions. Look in system settings is your RS232 port really comm 1? What kind of RS232 port are you using? Do you have another program trying to use the com port. RSlinxs (Allen Bradley & the old Palm software was real bad about that. Do you have a IR port.

Thank you for yet another speedy response!

I can re-check the pins on the RS232 to CAN cable (the next time I'll be able to do so is on Thursday), this is the only thing I can think of that would be the issue, because it's not even updating the temperature.

We have not updated the firmware from factory default, I was afraid that the issue was with sporadic communications, not no communications, and that might risk bricking the jag.

Under the system settings, it used to be that a printer port on the laptop (a very old laptop) was assigned to COM1, we disabled that in the system settings, and forced the com port on the jag to 1, under the software of the usb to serial interface that we use.

When we select "connect" in BDC comm, the status LED on the adapter blinks (it's active), and the software shows it as a "busy" state, all leading me to think that we do have comms, but it must be with wiring. I will also try with another black jag, and see if it's the jag that's the issue, I'll keep you posted

[FrankJ]

Sounds like what I had with a bad cable. The BCD-Comm program was showing connected but that just seems to mean it is talking the the serial port. I apparently had transmission to the jag because the LED on the jag was solid. I fixed the pins & suddenly everything works.

[Eric Sakshaug]

I believe I have figured out the issue here, and it is totally 100% human error if so. I believe that the issue arose from the fact that I forgot that DB9 female is reverse on its pin numbering from DB9 male... This would explain why it was a solid yellow LED (jag was receiving comms from the computer, because pin 3 is the same on both male and female, and is Tx), but was not appearing on BDC-comm (Rx was not wired in at all, rather, it was the DTR pin) it might also explain why it could not change its number, it must require some sort of handshaking to do so. Again, this is theory, and will not be tested until Thursday, but I'm willing to make a solid bet that that's the issue here. I'm sorry that I sort of wasted your time.

[FrankJ]

Don't be sorry. Wasting time is one of my favorite activities.

BTW I did not see this as a time waster.

[Eric Sakshaug]

Originally Posted by Eric Sakshaug

I believe I have figured out the issue here, and it is totally 100% human error if so. I believe that the issue arose from the fact that I forgot that DB9 female is reverse on its pin numbering from DB9 male... This would explain why it was a solid yellow LED (jag was receiving comms from the computer, because pin 3 is the same on both male and female, and is Tx), but was not appearing on BDC-comm (Rx was not wired in at all, rather, it was the DTR pin) it might also explain why it could not change its number, it must require some sort of handshaking to do so. Again, this is theory, and will not be tested until Thursday, but I'm willing to make a solid bet that that's the issue here. I'm sorry that I sort of wasted your time.

Yes, this was the issue, all of our Jaguars are now working just fine, and I'm excited for working with CAN this build season