Another "Unitor8 + serial RS232 + XP" thread. How do I choose the port?

[DJ Hellfire]

Originally Posted by undertone

There's 4 ways you can look at a connection plug: from the back or from the front and from the female or male perspective (what kind of wiring did you say you did? )

Usually DB9 pins are numbered with tiny letters in the plastic (you might need to magnify), either in the front, or in the back if you can open the connector. Or alternatively go here where all the views seem to be into the connector from the front. When in doubt follow the numbers.

("Inn maee contree, wee 'ave dis ting, iss cauld 'Google'....")

UPDATE: If you refer to the connection page I just linked to in this message, the diagram from the manual is in fact a null modem cable. So Mick is right - if that is the right cable.

Good info! I wired it backwards as I was going of the male diagram. I should have followed the pin numbers on the cable like I first thought to. But since that one site said it was a "special" cable, I just followed the diagram. So I will first rewire it again from the female perspective and try again.

As for what I did specifically, I started with a standard serial cable where each pin goes to it's own respective pin on the opposite side. I pretty much rewired it according to the diagram so Pin 2 when to Pin 3, 3 to 2, 7 to 8, 8 to 7, etc. That was simple. But like I said, I was going as if the pins were numbered left to right, which is as you posted, incorrect for a female connector.

[DJ Hellfire]

Originally Posted by joykrash

just having another look @ this thread! wooh.. it'z got big.. i just wanted 2 add apart from seeing ur device in device manager.. there's no other way 2 really see what'z happening apart from opening up a cubase/ableton/fruity etc and testing it. can you select these ports in your application? ?? i cant see if u have said or not in tha thread.

i got an mpc.. i just use a £5 gameport midi cable workz fine.

Com portz are old technology. they're not plug and play.. (so u have 2 tell windows xp how to deal with it) they're the equivalent of an ISA card (",)

so all ur ever gonna see is the driver up.. which u have.. so now 2 select this port in ur app and test, windowz wont tell u itz working.. it doesnt have a midi sensor app builtin! your app will light midi 4 incoming information.. or u could download midi-ox and test "incoming midi data" with that..

not sure about tha loopback test.. but why cant you open up your app.. choose it.. then test it?

it maybe something 2 do with tha config of it. which can be modified with soundiver.. (awful app!) lol! not tha easiest!

u get lightz on tha front on tha in.. (flashing!) when u hit ur keyboard?

wat givez!? (",)

The unit works. I does send and recieve midi messages. It also syncs my MPC's and controls my synths. Only problem is, any input message goes out every output channel. So the unitor is controlling all synths regardless of what channel/track I am on in the MPC. So I need to set up patches. Dig?! All I need to do is get this thing working on any computer once, program my patches and I will never have to connect it again (according to the manual, patches flash to the eprom permanently until overwritten).

[DJ Hellfire]

Undertone, homie! I owe you big time! With all of your help, I think got this bitch working on my old computer. Once I rewired the cable for the second time, the correct way going from right to left, my old Dell found it right away. I did some midi patching to test it out and transmitted it, and it reflected on the unitor. Only thing I see is that the manual says when it's in computer mode, the patch light goes out. Mine is still lit. But I am on my lunch break. Gotta go back and fix some cars. I will tinker more after work!

[DJ Hellfire]

OK, I found that it works great on my old computer with the OEM com port. However, it is not working on my studio computer with the PCI com port. So I will do what you said and contact Dell to see what I can do about getting a functioning port. I have it programmed that way I need it for now, so that's the important part. Thanks a lot, again!

[undertone]

Wha? No more HUMONGOUS screen grabs?

Glad you figured it out. Now go make some music.

[DJ Hellfire]

Hahahaha! Will do!

[DJ Hellfire]

Undertone, what do you think could be the difference that allowed you to get yours working with with a standard cable? Firmware perhaps?

[sprawl]

Hello guys,
i have the exact same problem with a unitor8 i just grabed from ebay.
I read the whole thread and tested everything you came up with.
Bur so far i'm out of luck.

I use win xp sp2.
I installed the driver as said in the read me that came with the uni2k227 driver.
There's a section describing the install procedure for a serial unitor with win xp.
It's more or less the same as described in this thread.
Windows confirmed the successful installation of the driver and the device status now sais: The device is working properly.
Though the Location sais: Unknown.
Sounds like i managed to go as far as DJ Hellfire did in the first place.

I checked the registry to see if i have the 10 midi devices bug but there are only 3 midi entries.

I additionally checked my com port. My computer has only one com port and i can find that one in the bios. It's configured as com1 and i can also find it in the device manager.

I also checked the wiring of the rs 232 cable. I don't have an original one so i bought a nullmodem cable at the computer store across the street. It's a cheap one and i was able to open the connectors. The cables are all color coded so it's easy to see where all the small cables go to. The cable is wired like this

except for pin 9 which is not connected to anywhere and pin 1 and 6 are connected to the same cable.

Could that be a problem?

Atm it's the only idea i have. I'm going to check the com port with an old com port mouse as soon as i find that thing. I know i have one somewhere...

Or maybe the unitor is f##ked. But i don't think so because i can see incoming midi from my keyboard.

Any ideas?

I would appreciate some help.

Phil