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How to use Prolific Driver

W

Walt Shipley

Active Member
Yesterday I made my first attempt to upload the latest firmware to my FlightDek D180 and failed miserably. I kept getting the message "Error
connecting to FlightDek D180: can't find instrument on any serial port
Please close any programs which may be using a comm or serial port."

For some background, this is my continuing battle to eliminate a high fuel
pressure alarm. I have installed the Kavlico sensor, downloaded the latest
Dynon firmware - 5.4.3 and downloaded the Prolific software driver for the
USB to serial port and Van's unlock file.

My problem is, how do you bring the Prolific driver into play? Do you power up the EFIS (with the GPS turned off) , plug the USB to serial converter into
the lap top then go to where the Prolific program resides on the laptop and
click on "run" and then follow the prompts from the firmware program?

Thanks for any help

Walt Shipley
 
Walt,

Where did you get the Prolific driver? Did you get it from Dynon's website?

Also did you get your USB to Serial adapter from Dynon or somewhere else?


Typically you install the Prolific driver before you ever plug in the USB serial adapter. This ensures the driver is already on the computer when Windows initializes the adapter.

If you plugged it in before installing the driver, Windows will most likely load the wrong driver for the adapter. If you did this, you may be able to unplug the adapter, install the driver and then plug the adapter back in to get it to work.

First get the adapter working properly and then run the Dynon support program. To see if the adaptor is working properly you can go to control panel, then click on system, then select the hardware tab, then click the device manager button, then look under the PORTS listing. You should see the adaptor listed in there and what serial port number it is assigned.

Call me at 423-608- 3 6 4 5 and I will walk you thru it.....
 
dynon update

Had the same problem for about three weeks. The issue may be where you are connecting the USB cord from your laptop. Early finish kits had update connection in the tunnel harness with a 9-pin dsub in the tunnel near the fuel flow transducer. Later avionics kits had a short 9-pin dsub harness coming directly out of the D180 and located behind the panel, with old tunnel connection no longer connected to anything. Update took about 3 minutes once I was connected properly. Otherwise sounds like you doing everything right.
 
Not familiar with Dynon side but very familiar with Prolific USB driver issues on both Windows and Mac. I eventually switched to FTDI USB<->Serial as the drivers are built-in to both Windows and Mac, and they are stable. For my particular application I needed RJ-45 serial so made my own. DB-9 would be very easy too.
 
Brantel, I got the prolific file off Dynon's website and it was already installed on my computer before I plugged me laptop into the serial connector. I guess from what you're saying, once the prolific file is installed on my computer, the firmware update should proceed. If that's the case, the problem may be that as One2Lew indicated, I am plugging into the wrong 9 pin d sub.

I do remember now that I have a 9 pin dsub behind the instrument panel and another one in the tunnel. I hooked my computer up the latter, so maybe that's my problem. I'll try connecting to the other dsub and see if that takes care of my problem. If not, Brantel, I'll give you a call as you so graciously offered and let you walk me through the process.

Thanks, guys....

Walt Shipley

Chuckey, TN (Hensley Airpark)
 
prolific driver Win7

If you upgraded to Windows 7 64-bit (like me) you may want to use a different USB/RS-232 device. Prolific was unstable on my platform.
 
RFSchaller said:
This may be a stupid question, but are you sure you don't have a high fuel pressure?
Click to expand...

I removed the original VDO sender and installed an oil filled pressure gauge
to the fuel hose and the fuel pressure was indicating between 4-5 psi, which
is normal. Also, it seems the VDO'S are notoriously prone to failure.

Walt
 
To finish the play on this issue Walt was having, we got him up and running the latest firmware last night so he could use the new solid state fuel pressure sensor.

We had several challenges that we had to overcome before we could get him fixed up.

Walt had a laptop with Vista which is well known to cause all kinds of trouble with the drivers required to make a USB-Serial adapter work. The bottom line is that the driver that Dynon has on their website won't work for his particular version of Vista and the Prolific USB-Serial adapter. After trying to get it to work, I punted on that idea and decided to start searching the Internet for a driver that would. After a few minutes, we had a driver that would properly initialize the unit and fully install with no errors on initialization.

Back out to the airplane and we had him upgraded in no time after getting the driver issue solved.

While troubleshooting we also found the common issue with the Blue wire on the ELT being crimped to the shield of the White GPS data wire that goes back to the ELT. This seems to be a common issue because most people do not realize this small White wire is actually a shielded wire and that you must strip the shield back and crimp to the center conductor and not the shield. This would be really easy to do by mistake.

Couple of pointers for those that see this in the future:

1. You must ensure your USB-Serial adapter is properly initialized before trying to use the Dynon Support program to update your unit. Go to device manager on your computer and if there are any warnings on the adapter which will be listed under PORTS, there is no reason to try the update. It won't work and you may brick your Dynon.

2. You may have to try a different USB-Serial driver than what Dynon has on their website.

3. For the RV12 with avionics bought from Van's, you will need the proper locked settings file from Van's in order to update the firmware.

4. If you install the new solid state fuel pressure sensor, you must go into the EMS settings and change the sensor type to match the sensor. In Walt's case, this was a #6.

5. Check the connection for the GPS signal to the ELT at the ELT. The White wire is a shielded wire. You want the center conductor.... If you accidently connect the Blue wire to the shield, or the shield is accidently connected to the center conductor, your AP may not work properly, your ELT may not get GPS position, and you may not be able to do a firmware update.


Walt, glad to meet you in person last night and also very glad we were able to get you up and running. I wish you a safe first flight!
 
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Brantel said:
.......While troubleshooting we also found the common issue with the Blue wire on the ELT being crimped to the shield of the White GPS data wire that goes back to the ELT. This seems to be a common issue because most people do not realize this small White wire is actually a shielded wire and that you must strip the shield back and crimp to the center conductor and not the shield. This would be really easy to do by mistake.
Click to expand...

I and many others have asked Van's Engineering to clarify this in the plans. For some reason, they refuse to add this simple note in the plans. Many assume the white wire is a piece of wire vice a coaxial cable and end up with a short between the center conductor and the shield.
 
Brian (alias Brantel), I can't thank you enough for giving up 4 or more hours of your time with the family to come help a computer challanged builder. This is what makes the Van's family tick!

Unfortunately, my high fuel pressure problem isn't solved; I rolled the 12 out today fully expecting to see normal pressure and danged if it wasn't just about the same as before I installed the Kavlico sensor. I still get a very annoying female voice (I think I was married to her once) yelling "Fuel pressure high, fuel pressure high."

On researching problems with the Kavlico, I find that at least one person, PeterK, had a similar problem of high pressure indications and solved it by installing a uf 330 capacitor between the green and black wires of the sensor.

My next question is where do I get the uf330 capacitor?

Walt
 
Walt,

Your welcome....

Sorry you still have false FP readings....on the capacitor: Radio Shack should have them. Just make sure that if it is an electrolytic cap (look like a cylinder) that you get the polarity correct when connecting it or it will explode. They should be less than a couple bucks.

Good luck!
 
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Capacitor voltage rating

Also make sure the capacitor voltage rating is high enough, 25 volts minimum, or 35 or 50 volts will work too. The exact value of capacitance is not as important. 100?f to 470?f are worth a try.
Joe Gores
 
Also, you can put a 220uf a 100uf and a 10uf (or some other combination) in parallel to make 330uf. Good luck with the Kavlico sender. Mine never settled down and I ended up putting another older style sensor in. I am now seeing fuel pressures in the green consistently and no more high pressure warnings. Don't know what I was doing wrong.

Rick.
 
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morsesc said:
Also, you can put a 220uf a 100uf and a 10uf (or some other combination) in parallel to make 330uf. Good luck with the Kavlico sender. Mine never settled down and I ended up putting another older style sensor in. I am now seeing fuel pressures in the green consistently and no more high pressure warnings. Don't know what I was doing wrong.

Rick.
Click to expand...

Don't know if my kavlico will settle down or not either; Yesterday I experimented with 100uf, 220uf and 470uf, all with the same result as before I removed the VDO sender and installed the Kavlico with the necessary 5.4.3 firmware update. The pressure is still running in the yellow with frequents jumps into the red. VERY FRUSTRATING, to say the least.

So, when you say you ended up putting in the older style sensor in, I'm assuming you mean the original VDO type sensor? Did you buy a new VDO?

Walt
 
Walt, yes, another VDO. I tried everything I could think of on the Kavlico but just couldn't get it to be consistant. Mostly, it would show normal fuel pressure until I pulled power on downwind and then I would sometimes see fuel pressure rise into the red. I got tired of listening to fuel pressure warnings while landing the plane. On other occasions, I could watch the fuel pressure fluctuate in and out of the red after flying for a half an hour or so. I added another ground but it didn't help. The plane is much happier now and so are my passengers. :D

Rick.
 
A possible reason for high fuel pressure alarms

In my continuing battle with frequent high fuel pressure warnings on my D180, I found someting interesting: I removed the Kavlico sensor so I could screw in another different fuel pressure gauge, and as I unscrewed
the sensor from the hose fitting, some orangish fuel with tiny bits of debris came out. The debris was in a couple forms - some pieces looked like string, and I also noticed a globule of viscous fuel that was sort of like orange jello.

I'm now wondering if this could be the same situation with Rotax quality control that prompted the recent fuel pump pressure hose AD, and if the debris could be clogging the pressure sensor aperture and
causing the high pressure reading. (My fuel pump serial number is not included on the AD list, by the way).


After discovering this situation, I turned on the master switch and let the boost pump run about a half gallon of fuel into a container. Then I reconnected the kavlico sensor and hose and started the engine. This time I ran the engine about 20 minutes with only one or two high fuel pressure warnings. Previously I would have had many warnings in this time frame.Maybe the fuel flowing through the line flushed most of the debris out?



Walt Shipley
 
RFSchaller said:
Walt,

Maybe the goo is plugging the return line orifice which would cause a hi fuel pressure.

Rich
Click to expand...

You might be right, hadn't thought of that. But, on the other hand, fuel in the pressure sensor line doesn't flow through the fuel system; it stays in the line and exerts pressure against the sensor, right or not? Fuel stagnating in the line maybe could cause deterioration inside the hose if it's the same material as the hose that prompted the recent AD.

Walt
 
Hey Walt, the statement: "This time I ran the engine about 20 minutes with only one or two high fuel pressure warnings." That's sounds like 2 too many. :eek:

I went through the same thing with my Kavlico. When I replaced it with the VDO, I left the Kavlico wiring in place so I can hook it back up in the event the problem is figured out. By the way, I tested two new style fuel pumps and two Kavlico sensors before I gave up.

Rick.
 
morsesc said:
Hey Walt, the statement: "This time I ran the engine about 20 minutes with only one or two high fuel pressure warnings." That's sounds like 2 too many. :eek:

I went through the same thing with my Kavlico. When I replaced it with the VDO, I left the Kavlico wiring in place so I can hook it back up in the event the problem is figured out. By the way, I tested two new style fuel pumps and two Kavlico sensors before I gave up.

Rick.
Click to expand...

You're right, Rick, but it's a heck of a lot better than all the other times. However, just a few minutes ago I tried to run 'er again and right away started getting high fuel pressure warnings.

I talked to Eric at Lockwood this morning and after I filled him in on my continuing problems, he agreed that the fuel pressure hose may be the culprit. He suggested removing the float bowls from the carbs and checking
for contamination. If there is none, he suggested continuing to run the boost pump with the pressure hose disconnected from the pressure sensor and run
some gas through the hose. If that didn't work, he suggested I might want
to get a new hose, as this one may be incompatible with gasoline (can you
imagine that?)

I also sent an email to Van's support detailing my problems and Ken Scott
said "We don't have a magic wand to wave, Walt" "It looks like you have
already done quite a bit to solve the problem - way beyond what we've done
or needed to."


Walt
 
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