Microchip HID USB Device communication with Labview

[Kabanga]

Hi everyone!

I have a custom board with the USB PIC24FJ256GB110 from Microchip. I'm using the HID Class for communication with the PC application (Labview 8.6 under Vista 32-bit).

I have created a driver using the VISA Driver Wizard but apparently it's not being recognised and still being enumerated as HID device. As soon as I connect my device to the

PC it's immediately installed.

I've read the nuggets of Shane (wonderful one) and other posts on that forum without finding a solution to my problem, or may be I just couldn't understand the solutions proposed here.

How to get my device recognised?

Best regards

Kabanga

[JK1]

Just look into this link

 (you might have visited!!!)

[Intaris]

Hi Kabanga,

I don't have experience with Vista so all of this may not apply....

You need to replace the current driver with the VISA-generated driver so that the device is linked to the driver.

If the device does not have a USB serial number, then each and every port will remember it's own driver for the device since the OS cannot remember which driver was for which device.  This means you'll have to re-install the driver after plugging into a new USB port.  The advantage of this is that you can switch drivers just by switching USB ports, a great tool for testing.....

Sorry if none of this helps.

It might also be that VISTA "Grabs" all HID class devices before any other drivers can be loaded.  I know Mac OS X does this.

 One of these days I need to get a copy of VIsta.  I just can't motivate myself to part with money for it..... 

Regards.

Shane.

[Kabanga]

Hi Shane, Hi JK

I've just given it a try on a PC with XP. And you know what, it's working perfectly !!!

Now I'd like it run on a Vista PC. I've used the same procedure but it was not successful.

I remarked that Vista is not creating the .PNF file when you write click on the .INF file's name and choose install

Any idea?

Best regards

Kabanga

[Intaris]

You have to do more than just right-click and choose "Install".

This will just add it to the list of drivers for that device.  If VISTA already has a suitable driver, it might still prefer that over the VISA driver.

You need to go to your hardware manager and actually replace the OS-installed driver with the NI-VISA version.  The difference is that XP doesn't have a proper HID Class driver so there the right-click and "install" will wor.

Shane.

[Kabanga]

My device is recognised and working under XP.

But every time I unplug and plug again, XP is automatically installing my board as HID device.

I must then manually update the driver to make it enumerate as NI-VISA USB device.

Is there any way to do that just one time, so that my board is recognised as NI-VISA USB device?

Best regards

Kabanga

[Kabanga]

Now my board enumerates as NI-VISA USB Device both on XP and Visat (32-bit)

thanks for your help

Kabanga

[Intaris]

Kabanga,

Can you share with us how you solved the problem so that others with the same problem may be able to use your experience?

Shane.

[Kabanga]

Sure, Shane!

here I put together(pdf file attached)  the different steps I followed to get my device enumerated as NI-VISA USB Device under Vista 32-bit.

One again, thanks for your help and best regards

Kabanga

[Kabanga]

I think, the steps are similar to those discribed here:  http://zone.ni.com/devzone/cda/tut/p/id/4478

Best regards

Kabanga