Yosikuma Posted July 6, 2019 Share Posted July 6, 2019 Hey guys! Hoping someone here can assist me. I have owned an LTO Flash for about a year now, and have it plugged into my PC about 4 or 5 times. I recently bought new games, and was ready to try them out on my actual hardware. However, it seems the user interface refuses to recognise my LTO Flash cart. It is the same computer so I am confused. I have tried different USB ports, and even bought a new micro USB cord, all to no avail. "Find devices" insists that nothing can be found. The Windows 8 happy "ding" noise upon plugging the cart in seems to suggest something is happening, but whatever it is, it's not being recognised by the user interace. Suggestions? I have spent far too much time on this already unplugging, replugging, resetting, etc. Also: if there is a more appropriate place for this, then accept my apologies. Not sure where this should go! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+intvsteve Posted July 7, 2019 Share Posted July 7, 2019 Have you checked Device Manager to see if your cart shows up as a COM (serial) port? It sounds like you’ve tried different USB cables but it can’t hurt to make sure the cable works for data transfer. Some cables only support charging. Have you tested the cable to be sure it supports data transfer like copying pictures from a phone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yosikuma Posted July 7, 2019 Author Share Posted July 7, 2019 Under "Ports (COM and LPT)" I have "USB Serial Port." Would this be it? The current cord I was using was described as a "sync cable"; the cable I used the prior four times also was and, again, worked fine up until now. I was told that I could try to install drivers, but the file linked on the LTO Flash Site doesn't seem to have any executables in it, so I have no idea how to do this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+intvsteve Posted July 7, 2019 Share Posted July 7, 2019 The link takes you to this page: https://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/VCP.htm That page has numerous links to different drivers. Depending on if you're running 32-bit or 64-bit windows, there are different things you would download. There are various links there. Regarding the DeviceManager, I don't have access to Windows 8 right now, but here's a sample screen grab similar to what you might see -- you'll need to be sure you see a 'COM' in the name. I *think* it still looks that way in Windows 8. If it doesn't have a 'COMxxx' name then there's something else going on. Before we get too far in the weeds though ... Do you have your cart in the console at the same time? If so, you need to be sure the console is powered off when you want to add files. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yosikuma Posted July 7, 2019 Author Share Posted July 7, 2019 The COM part is not there. And nope, the cart is sitting next to my computer, quite a bit a distance from the console. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+intvsteve Posted July 7, 2019 Share Posted July 7, 2019 Hmm.... Not sure if that's normal in Windows 8... If you right click on that USB Serial Port and look at Properties, do you see things like this? The first image is really basic. The 'Details' part is the trickier one. You'll need to poke around a bit to see that part. I'm on the road and can't access a Windows 8 setup to see if things are different, but if memory serves, the old fashioned Device Manager hasn't changed much even in Windows 10. If you have another program that lets you examine the serial ports on your system, it would be good to know if it can "see" the port. Just a wild question, but you don't have other programs running that might be using serial ports, do you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+intvsteve Posted July 7, 2019 Share Posted July 7, 2019 If you have a separate program to independently check out your COM port, we can see if basic device communication works. I've used RealTerm ( https://realterm.sourceforge.io/ ) to do this kind of thing in the past. Below is a screen shot using RealTerm. In this case on the test machine the cart shows up as COM5. You have to configure the baud rate to 2000000, 8, N, 1, with hardware RTS/CTS control. Whenever the cart is connected and not busy, it broadcasts a 'beacon' as you see in the image below. Be sure not to have any programs running that may want to use the serial port if you run a test like this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yosikuma Posted July 7, 2019 Author Share Posted July 7, 2019 Fascinating. Now that you bring it up, I had recently reinstalled Skype; I wonder if this uses a COM port? I sadly don't know enough about the software to make a judgement. Everything in the device driver menu (except it listing a COM port) seems to match up perfectly. I used the RealTerm program, set it to what you described, and got no kind of beacon whatsoever on the settings you described. I assume this beacon should just pop up upon the cart being plugged in? I'm now wondering if I should try to uninstall the driver and reinstall everything? Oy, this is frustrating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+intvsteve Posted July 7, 2019 Share Posted July 7, 2019 In the RealTerm software, about the only thing I didn't circle was the 'Port' setting.... I.e. are there ports listed? If you then disconnect the cart (and restart RealTerm just to be sure), does that list of ports change? Also, after making the changes, you need to click the 'Change' button. I usually toggle the 'Open' button as well. About once a second, that 'LOCUTUS' beacon is sent. If the settings aren't right, then at best you might see 'LF' show up periodically. At worst you might not see anything. An even simpler test (should have thought of this first) is to open 'cmd.exe' (command prompt) and use the 'mode' command. WITHOUT the cart connected when you type 'mode' and then <enter> you see: Status for device CON: ---------------------- Lines: 300 Columns: 80 Keyboard rate: 31 Keyboard delay: 1 Code page: 437 WITH the cart connected the same command produces: Status for device COM5: ----------------------- Baud: 1200 Parity: None Data Bits: 7 Stop Bits: 1 Timeout: OFF XON/XOFF: OFF CTS handshaking: OFF DSR handshaking: OFF DSR sensitivity: OFF DTR circuit: ON RTS circuit: ON Status for device CON: ---------------------- Lines: 300 Columns: 80 Keyboard rate: 31 Keyboard delay: 1 Code page: 437 The exact settings don't really matter -- we're just interested in seeing that it's present as a COM port. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+intvsteve Posted July 7, 2019 Share Posted July 7, 2019 As to software installation, the GUI software does not install any drivers, so it would not impact the ability of the machine to detect the COM port. Installing the FTDI driver might make a difference. Maybe an OS update changed something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yosikuma Posted July 7, 2019 Author Share Posted July 7, 2019 Using mode I got: Status for device COM3: Baud: 57600 Parity: None Data Bits: 8 Stop Bits: 1 Timout: OFF XON/XOFF: OFF CTS handshaking: OFF DSR handshaking: OFF DSR sensitivity: OFF DTR circuit: ON RTS circuit: ON Status for device CON: Lines: 300 Columbs: 80 Keyboard rate: 31 Keyboard delay: 1 Code page: 437 Toggling OPEN did in face send the LOCUTUS beacon. Excitedly, I ran to the GUI, and ... no LTO Flash! devices were found. I am so so confused. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yosikuma Posted July 7, 2019 Author Share Posted July 7, 2019 Okay, update: after FINALLY finding an executable for Windows 64-bit systems (the current one has none!) I uninstalled and then reinstalled all the drivers and -- wouldn't you know it ! -- there is my device, on COM3. Thank you for the help! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+intvsteve Posted July 8, 2019 Share Posted July 8, 2019 W00t! Wonder if a win8.x update hosed something. The virtual machines I use when testing have so many variables I tend to lose track of when driver install is needed or not. Glad you stuck with it and got it working. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
microsurgeon Posted August 14, 2020 Share Posted August 14, 2020 Hello, I can’t get the GUI to recognize my LTO Flash cart...I’ve changed USB cables and downloaded/ installed VCP drivers from FTDI, but still no success? In device manager, my Port shows a “Intel active management technology - SOL (com3), but not USB Serial Port? Im using win 10 64bit pc. Any suggestions? thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Steve Jones Posted August 14, 2020 Share Posted August 14, 2020 There are micro usb cables that are only used for charging things like phones but don’t send data, are you sure the ones you are using do data? I tried 3 different ones before I got one that worked. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+intvsteve Posted August 15, 2020 Share Posted August 15, 2020 10 hours ago, microsurgeon said: Hello, I can’t get the GUI to recognize my LTO Flash cart...I’ve changed USB cables and downloaded/ installed VCP drivers from FTDI, but still no success? In device manager, my Port shows a “Intel active management technology - SOL (com3), but not USB Serial Port? Im using win 10 64bit pc. Any suggestions? thanks Here's a screen shot of what you should see - one of the COM ports should have info something like this: The 'FTDIBUS' and VID 0403 identify it as the FTDI chip, and the JZxxxxx is part of the ID programmed into the profile IIRC. When you unplug the cart, that COM port should disappear. I'm also running Win10 64-bit - more specifically Version 1903 (OS Build 18362.959) - though nothing has changed in quite awhile. Have you been using or cart for awhile, or is it brand new? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
microsurgeon Posted August 15, 2020 Share Posted August 15, 2020 Hello, I have tried two different cables, but will try one more and make sure it’s a data cable. I don’t have “USB serial port (com 3)” listed in Device Manager either when I plug it in. Actually nothing happens when I plug or unplug? Its a brand new cart, so never been used. Thanks for the tips! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+intvsteve Posted August 15, 2020 Share Posted August 15, 2020 Hmm... If you don't see ANY COM ports arrive (it could be a different number than COM 3), and / or the machine doesn't make that little "trill" of a device connecting, then something's at issue for sure. It's not something more esoteric, like you're running Windows 10 ... in a virtual machine or something, I assume. (Which can work by the way! I test old versions of Windows as well as Linux that way.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
microsurgeon Posted August 18, 2020 Share Posted August 18, 2020 Just an update...I used a third USB cable and the LTO cart was recognized! Finally!!! thanks for the help! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+intvsteve Posted August 18, 2020 Share Posted August 18, 2020 3 hours ago, microsurgeon said: Just an update...I used a third USB cable and the LTO cart was recognized! Finally!!! thanks for the help! ?Glad to hear! Super frustrating that a good cable was hard to find. Maybe most just think nobody uses them for anything but charging any more? *sigh* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
microsurgeon Posted August 19, 2020 Share Posted August 19, 2020 Yes! I'm excited to try the LTO out...I've maintained my original 2609 since the early 80's...still works! Any recommendations for sites to download ROM sets? TOSEC, etc? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1980gamer Posted August 20, 2020 Share Posted August 20, 2020 IntellivisionLives.com used to have 2 cd's that had MOST if not ALL ( some under different names ) of the original Mattel games plus unreleased and unfinished games on one CD. Then Activision and Imagic and ECS? games on another. Plus some great extras. I wish I knew what I did with them. Actually, now thinking about it... 3 cd's. But I think the 3rd was similar to the 1st. but worked on XP or something? Maybe the BSR can put out a download pack for the 60 or 61 they can release? Or maybe they are waiting for Amico's release and will be able to add other content like Tron and Bump n' Jump etc. Many post 125 games ( I don't like to say home brew, because some are amazing and have incredible packaging etc. ) are generously made available for free. Others are available for a few dollars. I try to keep up and support the effort. Then some other options are also available.... but I'll let others provide that info. I don't want to make a list of locations because it would certainly be incomplete. But they are easy enough to find right here in the intellivision section. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr_me Posted August 20, 2020 Share Posted August 20, 2020 (edited) Intellivision Entertainment controls the old Mattel and INTV Corp properties now. And they even have permission to use Imagic's stuff. On 8/18/2020 at 8:37 PM, microsurgeon said: Yes! I'm excited to try the LTO out...I've maintained my original 2609 since the early 80's...still works! Any recommendations for sites to download ROM sets? TOSEC, etc? There's archive.org . All the collections out there pretty much have the same files. They don't include the memory map info (e.g. .cfg files). So you'd have to find or create those where needed. Does the ltoflash software provide all the memory map info? Edited August 20, 2020 by mr_me 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rickster8 Posted February 28, 2021 Share Posted February 28, 2021 I'm having issues with my new LTO Flash. Exactly what drivers should I re-install for Windows 10 Pro? I'm asking because my LTO Flash Software is not detecting my LTO Flash cart...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Steve Jones Posted February 28, 2021 Share Posted February 28, 2021 Make sure the usb cable you are using is a data cable, there are some that are only for charging devices that look physically the same Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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