Need Major Help With Profilux 2ex issues

[The Grizz]

I am having some major issues with my Profilux 2ex controller communicating with my laptop. All my USB com ports are numbered as 0 but I need one to be numbered 1, 2, 3 or 4. I need to renumber one of them and cant seen to figure it out. Everytime I plug in the controller I get a message of ' one of the USB devices attached to this computer has malfunctioned & windows does not recognize it. '

Micheal from Aqua Digital has been trying to help me and provided me with this link but I dont understand how to do what it is telling me to do.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1913058

Can anyone help me with this.

[Edmonton newbie]

you at your computer now griz or on your phone?

[The Grizz]

On my Ipad with laptop right beside me

[The Grizz]

Still looking for a little help.

[rjengen]

You still stumped? Let me take a look, and if I can't figure it out, I'll go talk to my IT guy tomorrow and have him show me.

[rjengen]

What OS are you running on the laptop bud?

[mike31154]

Not sure I can help much but I'll give it a shot. I have a handheld VHF radio and in order to change the frequencies it operates, I need to hook it up to my notebook through a USB adapter cable since it doesn't have an RS232 port. I needed to download USB to RS232 port emulator to get the Kenwood software to see the radio through the USB connection. The emulator allows a USB port to emulate the RS232 connection. I assume your Profilux comes with the USB cable interface as well & more than likely includes some sort of port emulator? On a side note, I can't figure out why companies are still making hardware with RS232 interfaces, don't think any computer less than 5 years old physically has an RS232 connection.

In any case, when I hook up the radio via the USB interface and open the Kenwood programming software, the Setup menu item allows me to assign a Communication (COM) Port. I still run Win XP on my notebook & the Kenwood software 'Setup' menu brings up a window with a total of 20 COM ports. Two of them end up being selectable COM3 & COM5, the remainder are greyed out. The one that usually works in my case is COM5. No idea if the Profilux software allows you to access the same info but if it does, you can try whatever ports it shows. Failing that, you'll need to get into the Windows Device Manager and try to find the "Ports (COM & LPT)" feature. With the Profilux on & connected, you should see your USB to Serial Comm Port option in there, although since you're getting the 'not recognized' error, your only option might be to find the feature through your Profilux menu somehow. When my radio is hooked up, turned on and I've selected COM5 from the Kenwood software interface 'Setup' menu, I see "Prolific USB-to-Serial Comm Port(COM5)" under "Ports (COM & LPT)" in the Windows Device Manager. This is the USB to RS232 port emulator software I downloaded & installed.

Best of luck. The link provided by the AquaDigital dude isn't all that detailed & not much help. Perhaps it's best to try & get hold of Profilux themselves. Could be that there's a hardware or firmware problem with the Profilux that needs to be fixed.

[Slick Fork]

I know when I set up my laptop to work with the profilux I had to find a driver for the USB-RS232 cable as it wasn't native to windows 7.

If yours is the EX version though shouldn't you be able to connect via LAN?

[The Grizz]

What OS are you running on the laptop bud?

Running XP on both my laptops

I know when I set up my laptop to work with the profilux I had to find a driver for the USB-RS232 cable as it wasn't native to windows 7.

If yours is the EX version though shouldn't you be able to connect via LAN?

I have know idea about connecting via LAN, are you saying use an Internet cable from the controller to the laptop? I am somewhat computer stupid.

Not sure I can help much but I'll give it a shot. I have a handheld VHF radio and in order to change the frequencies it operates, I need to hook it up to my notebook through a USB adapter cable since it doesn't have an RS232 port. I needed to download USB to RS232 port emulator to get the Kenwood software to see the radio through the USB connection. The emulator allows a USB port to emulate the RS232 connection. I assume your Profilux comes with the USB cable interface as well & more than likely includes some sort of port emulator? On a side note, I can't figure out why companies are still making hardware with RS232 interfaces, don't think any computer less than 5 years old physically has an RS232 connection.

In any case, when I hook up the radio via the USB interface and open the Kenwood programming software, the Setup menu item allows me to assign a Communication (COM) Port. I still run Win XP on my notebook & the Kenwood software 'Setup' menu brings up a window with a total of 20 COM ports. Two of them end up being selectable COM3 & COM5, the remainder are greyed out. The one that usually works in my case is COM5. No idea if the Profilux software allows you to access the same info but if it does, you can try whatever ports it shows. Failing that, you'll need to get into the Windows Device Manager and try to find the "Ports (COM & LPT)" feature. With the Profilux on & connected, you should see your USB to Serial Comm Port option in there, although since you're getting the 'not recognized' error, your only option might be to find the feature through your Profilux menu somehow. When my radio is hooked up, turned on and I've selected COM5 from the Kenwood software interface 'Setup' menu, I see "Prolific USB-to-Serial Comm Port(COM5)" under "Ports (COM & LPT)" in the Windows Device Manager. This is the USB to RS232 port emulator software I downloaded & installed.

Best of luck. The link provided by the AquaDigital dude isn't all that detailed & not much help. Perhaps it's best to try & get hold of Profilux themselves. Could be that there's a hardware or firmware problem with the Profilux that needs to be fixed.

All my com ports are labeled as com0 and can't figure out what happened, there was one that was com4 but don't have it anymore. :noidea:

[Slick Fork]

Yeah, if you have a LAN port on the profilux you can connect it via an internet cable to your laptop. Not sure of the details as I don't have the LAN connection on my profilux.

[The Grizz]

I will give that a try later after I am finished with the days work, thanks Chris :biggrin:

[The Grizz]

Well stupid me I was looking at the wrong port on my controller thinking it was a LAN but it was something else. Back to my delema again.

[mike31154]

Try this:

http://forum.aquariumcomputer.com/showthread.php?634-Connection-with-USB-please-read-first!

[The Grizz]

I took a look at the link and hit a snag. On my device manager there is no line that list Ports and LPT, last thing on the list is USB controller.

[Slick Fork]

What's the connection like between your profilux and laptop? On mine, I have the GHL supplied RS232 cable plugged into the back of the profilux... connected to that I have an $8 futureshop RS232->USB adaptor cable.

WHen I plug into my laptop, my laptop recognizes the USB->serial adaptor and then I can connect via the profilux control program.

I don't know if it makes a difference or not but it might also be worth trying a new cable.

[The Grizz]

What's the connection like between your profilux and laptop? On mine, I have the GHL supplied RS232 cable plugged into the back of the profilux... connected to that I have an $8 futureshop RS232->USB adaptor cable.

WHen I plug into my laptop, my laptop recognizes the USB->serial adaptor and then I can connect via the profilux control program.

I don't know if it makes a difference or not but it might also be worth trying a new cable.

I will be trying that for sure, I was wondering if there was on adapter for the RS232 to go to a USB. Thanks for the info Chris.

[The Grizz]

Well problem solved, went to Best Buy and picked up a RS232 to USB adapter like Slickfork suggested. Got home excited to try it out, plugged it in and BAM..........CONNECTION COMPLETED.

Thanks for the idea Chris :thumb:

[Slick Fork]

Sometimes it's the goofiest things that make the difference! Glad you got it working

[The Grizz]

Me to :biggrin: now I can adjust my lights.