JP1 Remotes

greenough1 · Joined: 30 Jan 2005 Posts: 659

Unclemiltie, I've ordered a usb to serial converter to test the interface on another computer. All of other computers do not have a serial port, just usb.

When you say "COMtest thing works", do you mean that comtest detects a JP1.X remote?

I don't get that far. Tommy's tests for the interface (using 2 resistors and a 9V battery)indicate:
1) the serial port loop-back is ok
2) the interface receive and/or transmit is broken.
Did your interface pass that as well?

jeff

unclemiltie · Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2007 8:23 pm Post subject:

re: Comtest

No, Tommy's guide used to have a reference to a serial com test program that you could use to send characters to the interface and while using a 9-V battery to power the interface could check it out. (I don't know if that's still in there since this was a while back)

Anyway, like I said, I have never been able to maek the JP1x interface work on my Latitude L400. The USB cable route is probably your best bet at this point.
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this JP1 stuff is a sickness!

greenough1 · Joined: 30 Jan 2005 Posts: 659

Tommy's comtest setup is in the write-up. The downloaded version of comtest didn't work for me. As I wrote above, I went to B&B electronics' website and downloaded and used it, with the jp1 connector of the interface rigged as he describes, using the 9V battery.

When you say you couldn't make it work, how did it not work? no jp1.x detected type messages? Did you get any blinks from the remote using the jp1.x test program?

unclemiltie · Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2007 9:02 pm Post subject:

no jp1x remote detected

The older test program didn't blink, so the only blinks that I got was the blinks on the remote when it reset.
_________________
this JP1 stuff is a sickness!

CalgaryBen · Joined: 10 Mar 2008 Posts: 6 Location: Calgary, AB, Canada

I know this is an OLD thread, but FWIW...

I encountered the same problem with the JP1.x interface I bought from DIYGadgets way back when (months and months ago). I got the double-blink from the remote, but all utilities claimed to detect no JP1.x remote.

I figured it was a bad interface, but never investigated further until just the last few weeks...

It boiled down to no data being transmitted from the remote to the PC because of two things: Pins 5+6 of the ribbon cable broke off from the PCB inside the DB-9 shell (I resoldered pin 6, and left pin 5 disconnected), and the side of pins 5/6 of the IDC connector wasn't fully clamped, so pin 6 wasn't making contact (detected this when I checked all lines for continuity). I don't know if the interface was damaged in shipping, or was just poorly manufactured and not fully tested, but I was very pleased once I fixed it and got it going.

My 2¢...