Orchid V4, V4+ Programing Tool Support

KevinLawry

OK, bear with me, because I am not sure what the problem is yet so his may take a few tries. Also because your modem is what is known as a 'soft modem' i.e. it fakes some of its functionality by using the processor, what we need to do may not be possible at all

I am going to take this through in baby steps so that anyone else who needs to refer to this can see what we were doing even if they lack PC skills

Open a command prompt

How:
Click on the 'Start' button
Click 'Run'
delete anything already in the box that pops up
type CMD in the white box
click OK

You should now have a black command box open

Type

MODE COM3

and press enter

The current state of the com port should be listed

Leave the command window open, and start the test version of the spreadsheet you downloaded previously.

Check that cell F10 on the 'config' sheet says COM3 (I know you already did this, just make sure it was saved before proceeding)

switch back to the 'Main' sheet

press the red 'Reset Modem' button

minimise the spreadsheet

back in the command window that you left open type

MODE COM3

and press enter

the current state of the com port should be reported - it may or may not have changed.

Can you copy the 2 reports and post them so that I can take a look

jem16

1st report

Status for device COM3:

---

Baud: 115200
Parity: None
Data Bits: 8
Stop Bits: 1
Timeout: ON
XON/XOFF: OFF
CTS handshaking: OFF
DSR handshaking: OFF
DSR sensitivity: OFF
DTR circuit: ON
RTS circuit: OFF

2nd report

Status for device COM3:

---

Baud: 115200
Parity: None
Data Bits: 8
Stop Bits: 1
Timeout: ON
XON/XOFF: OFF
CTS handshaking: OFF
DSR handshaking: OFF
DSR sensitivity: OFF
DTR circuit: ON
RTS circuit: OFF

KevinLawry

That would indicate that the spreadsheet is not resetting the com port correctly, the values are pretty much what I get when I force my local modem into a condition that makes it fail to work.

The question is why?

First, double check the com port setting on the spreadsheet, check it says COM3 - in capitals, (I know you did that, but step by step because what I thought should work isn't) and check that you have not caught any spaces in there - for example make sure it is not <space>COM3 or COM3<space> or COM<space>3 - unlikely, but just to be sure.

Assuming that is OK

back at the command window (or a new one if you have closed it) type

MODE COM3:9600,N,8,1,P

are any errors reported? If yes, what.

If no, type

MODE COM3

and let me know what the status report says.

Also, just for completness, I know that the modem can do call waiting (I don't know if it can under XP however) can you check that there are no utilities running that might checking the call waiting & thus preventing us resetting the com port - under win95 you needed to stop the call waiting monitor to be able to force dialling

jem16

KevinLawry wrote: »

First, double check the com port setting on the spreadsheet, check it says COM3 - in capitals, (I know you did that, but step by step because what I thought should work isn't) and check that you have not caught any spaces in there - for example make sure it is not <space>COM3 or COM3<space> or COM<space>3 - unlikely, but just to be sure.

No spaces in the wrong place - says exactly COM3

back at the command window (or a new one if you have closed it) type

MODE COM3:9600,N,8,1,P

are any errors reported? If yes, what.

No errors reported.

If no, type

MODE COM3

and let me know what the status report says.

C:\Documents and Settings\System User>MODE COM3:9600,N,8,1,P

Status for device COM3:

---

Baud: 115200
Parity: None
Data Bits: 8
Stop Bits: 1
Timeout: ON
XON/XOFF: OFF
CTS handshaking: OFF
DSR handshaking: OFF
DSR sensitivity: OFF
DTR circuit: ON
RTS circuit: OFF


C:\Documents and Settings\System User>MODE COM3

Status for device COM3:

---

Baud: 115200
Parity: None
Data Bits: 8
Stop Bits: 1
Timeout: ON
XON/XOFF: OFF
CTS handshaking: OFF
DSR handshaking: OFF
DSR sensitivity: OFF
DTR circuit: ON
RTS circuit: OFF

Also, just for completness, I know that the modem can do call waiting (I don't know if it can under XP however) can you check that there are no utilities running that might checking the call waiting & thus preventing us resetting the com port - under win95 you needed to stop the call waiting monitor to be able to force dialling

None that I'm aware of.

Heinz

To take account of the change to/from British Summer Time, the clocks in Orchid V4, V4Plus and Ranger 400 LCRs have to be corrected on the last Sunday in March and October each year.

This can no longer be done using the 'Force Home' procedure because the server is no longer operational. Hence, the below manual method must§ now be used:

To manually reset the clock in a V4, V4Plus or Ranger 400, lift the handset (press the handset button on a Ranger DECT handset) and 'dial' the following:

** # 0 0 0 0 * hh mm DOW dd mm yy *2

N.B. The DOW (Day Of Week) entry is a single digit:

Monday = 1
Tuesday = 2
Wednesday = 3
Thursday = 4
Friday = 5
Saturday = 6
Sunday = 7

So, for example, 1.30pm (13:30) on Sunday 31 March 2013 would be entered as:

** # 0 0 0 0 * 1 3 3 0 7 3 1 0 3 1 3 *2 (then hang up).

N.B. When following the above manual procedure, users will probably hear an announcement like, "Please hang up and try again" but that does not mean updating has failed. Ignore the announcement and hang up after you have finished keying the sequence (or just hang up if you have already finished when you hear it).

§ Those using Kevin Lawry's spreadsheet for programming can, of course, just click cell D33 (or D34) to update their dialler's time/day/date setting - but it will probably be quicker to just use the above manual procedure.

KevinLawry

USB modems seem OK Heinz, traditional serial port, and in this case soft, modems seem to be where the problems occur

KevinLawry

Jem, can you try this for me please

from the command prompt

MODE COM3:115200,N,8,1,P

and again let me know what it says

jem16

C:\Documents and Settings\System User>MODE COM3:115200,N,8,1,P

Status for device COM3:

---

Baud: 115200
Parity: None
Data Bits: 8
Stop Bits: 1
Timeout: ON
XON/XOFF: OFF
CTS handshaking: OFF
DSR handshaking: OFF
DSR sensitivity: OFF
DTR circuit: ON
RTS circuit: OFF


Seems to be just the same as all the other times.

KevinLawry

much as I hate to say it, for now I must accept defeat. This modem is not responding as it should, and I have read internet reports of it being a problem modem to work with. It can be driven, because you can dial an ISP with it, but not by the methods I have access to at the moment.

I will ponder on it and see if I can find another way, but for now you will need to use your laptop or buy a different modem.

Can I appeal to anyone who has a working setup to please let me know what modem you are using, make, model and method of conection, and I will try & keep a list of known good modems in this thread.

jem16

KevinLawry wrote: »

much as I hate to say it, for now I must accept defeat. This modem is not responding as it should, and I have read internet reports of it being a problem modem to work with. It can be driven, because you can dial an ISP with it, but not by the methods I have access to at the moment.

Don't worry about it. I had also found problems after googling the modem

I will ponder on it and see if I can find another way, but for now you will need to use your laptop or buy a different modem.

It will be good if you can but at least I can use my laptop which is not really a big problem as i don't envisage changing the routing table that often. It would just be easier if everything was already connected up.

Many thanks for your help so far and thanks also for a great piece of software in the Excel spreadsheet.