Device not found (Windows 11 driver issue?)

preinagel

Hi folks, not sure if this is something about the Bpod device or Win11 but in case someone knows a solution:

I have a computer running Win11Pro, and when I plug in our working Bpod FSM r2 to a USB port, the Device Manager immediately shows a USB Serial Device (COM7), and if I run Bpod('COM7'), I can connect to the Bpod just fine.

However, I have another Bpod finite state machine, that when I plug into the same USB port (or any other one) fails to show up as USB Serial COM port. If I use Add Legacy Hardware in DeviceManager to add COM ports, an "unknown device" appears when the non-working Bpod is plugged in, and if I click through the screens, a COM port is assigned, but it doesn't work (exclamation point icon). The error message is"
"Windows cannot determine the settings for this device. Consult the documentation that came with this device and use the Resource tab to set the configuration".

Checking the settings of the COM port for the Bpod that works vs. the one that doesn't, they are identical except for the driver version (the one that works has later version). However I cannot find a way to force the nonfunctional Bpod to use the other driver version. I can't update firmware because I can't connect.

Suggestions?

preinagel

Additional details in case helpful:
The working Bpod is using the driver usbser.sys and shows version 10.0.22621.3672.

The hw and firmware versions of the nonfunctional Bpod are unknown, as its history is obscure and I can't connect to it. W11 insists on assigning it the drivers serenum.sys and serial.sys (which files are dated 2022), but it shows a driver date of 6/21/2006 with version 10.0.22621.1. If I select "have disk" and manually point it to the folder containing the above driver, it says no compatible driver is found, with the error message "if the folder contains a driver, make sure it is designed to work with Windows for x64-based systems".

Josh

Hello preinagel,

If the device doesn't automatically register as a USB serial port, something is wrong with the hardware or firmware.
If the issue is corrupted firmware, you can rescue the device by putting the microcontroller into programming mode:

Ensure that /Bpod_Gen2/Functions/ and its subfolders are in the MATLAB path.
Open the lid of the enclosure
With the state machine connected to the PC, press the white button next to the microSD slot on the green Teensy board
From the MATLAB command prompt, run LoadBpodFirmware. If the device was detected, it should show in the 'Port' menu as SER#XXXXXXXX where X are digits of the serial number
Select the correct state machine firmware. The latest version will be selected by default.
Click 'Load'. If all went well, the device should show up as a COM port again.

Please let me know if this works for you.

Thanks,
Josh

preinagel

Thanks Josh, I had not tried that. However, the device does not show up on the port menu, all I see is COM1. After I uninstalled COM1 in the DeviceManager, LoadBpodFirmware will not run at all (no USB serial devices were detected).

Josh

The device will not show up as a COM port after you push the white button. It becomes an HID device, visible to LoadBpodFirmware. If LoadBpodFirmware doesn't run after pushing the white button, the device isn't registered with the operating system, and the issue is likely hardware.

If this was a unit purchased from Sanworks, please reach out to support@sanworks.io and we'll send a replacement.

Best,
Josh

preinagel

ok thanks

preinagel

Hi Josh,
The replacement unit you sent showed the same behavior as the broken one - not showing up as COM port, and not even showing up with LoadBpodFirmware, while other Bpods showed up fine. Upon further troubleshooting, I finally traced the problem to the USB cable. Although the cables and connectors are visually identical, I am now guessing that the one that doesn't work is USB2 and the one that works is USB3? Or maybe one is just a bad cable. In any case, with a good cable both the "broken" Bpod and the replacement one work fine.

Problem solved, and I owe you for a Bpod!
Pamela

Josh

Hi Pamela,

I'm glad the issue is solved. Thanks for the update!

Josh