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TinyG and tgFX – need some help/suggestions

From the original Synthetos forum (2011–2025)

Started by cmcgrath5035 on in TinyG Support. 14 replies, last activity Sep 30, 2013.

cmcgrath5035Staff #

I received my re-flashed TinyG v7 (thanks, Riley)and am back experimenting with the interface to tgFX.
Having read the useful summary from InPhase, I decided to focus on 64bit.

Computer: ,

WinXP Pro 64 bit Vbox VM (running on openSUSE 12.3)
Serial Driver - from FTDI Website

CLI Interface - PuTTY ver 0.63 `Serial Interface - COM3
Baud Rate 115200
Flow Control XON/XOFF`

TinyG v7 hardware - These results from Putty Session`$
[fb] firmware build 380.05
[fv] firmware version 0.96
[hv] hardware version 8.00
[id] TinyG ID 9H3906-P2T
[ja] junction acceleration 100000 mm
[ct] chordal tolerance 0.001 mm
[st] switch type 0 [0=NO,1=NC]
[mt] motor disble timeout 60 Sec
[ej] enable json mode 0 [0=text,1=JSON]
[jv] json verbosity 4 [0=silent,1=footer,2=messages,3=configs,4=linenum,5=verbose]
[tv] text verbosity 1 [0=silent,1=verbose]
[qv] queue report verbosity 0 [0=off,1=filtered,2=verbose]
[sv] status report verbosity 1 [0=off,1=filtered,2=verbose]
[si] status interval 50 ms
[ic] ignore CR or LF on RX 0 [0=off,1=CR,2=LF]
[ec] expand LF to CRLF on TX 0 [0=off,1=on]
[ee] enable echo 0 [0=off,1=on]
[ex] enable flow control 1 [0=off,1=XON/XOFF, 2=RTS/CTS]
[baud] USB baud rate 5 [1=9600,2=19200,3=38400,4=57600,5=115200,6=230400]`

Comment 1 - Note that TinyG is now set to XON/XOFF flow control. The default was RTS/CTS, I changed it because in WinXP Device Manager the only Port options were None, Hardware and XON/XOFF. I was not sure that Hardware and RTS/CTS were considered the same. Should this work OK?
Or perhaps the Application(PuTTY, TgFX) resets this anyway when taking control of the serial port, I have not played with these in a long time.

tgFX `Installed from tgfx_windows-x64 v.95-build 2012
Connects to Serial Port COM3
Reports Version .95 Build Number 2,102 under tgFX Settings Tab
Machine Settings Tab -no useful info, Query fails to populate`

Observation 1 - The PuTTY interface to TinyG seems OK - I get expected responses to queries, I can make changes(e.g. flow control) and I can rest the TinyG from command line

Observation 2 - tgFX connects to COM3 OK. Here is what I see in the scroll window `[+]Connected to COM3 Serial Port Successfully.

Getting TinyG Firmware Build Version....
Getting TinyG System Settings...
[!]Resetting TinyG....
.
$`
Nothing seems to be coming back from the TinyG.
The reset command shown above was the result of selecting the Reset button on the GCODE tab and does work.

Observation 3 - Windows Task Mangager reports Process tgFX.exe*32 running. I have zero experience with WinXP 64bit, but assume this means txFX running as 32 bit process. Is this correct?

Observation 4 - Closing txFX using either the X in the upper right of the window or right click-close on the icon in upper left of the window kills the window display but the process continues to run, as seen in Task Manager. Attempts to restart tgFX fail. Putty will not start, with COM3 unavailable error. Manually kill txFX.exe*32 in Task Manager works as expected.

Other info - This is my first install of WinXP 64 bit, it seems to be running OK; it is up to date. Java 7 Update 40 loaded, as well as .Net 4.

This VM is dedicated to TinyG at the moment, so I can hack away at any suggestions.

Makerboost #

I've got the same problem with tgFX after I updated my TinyG's firmware to latest version. tgFX just can't recognize the new version.
Also, I understand that tgFX doesn't use XON/XOFF like a normal terminal client, but controls TinyG differently. This has caused my TinyG's $ex value to revert to 0 every time I start up tgFX.

I'm now using Coolterm, and it works, but it's not ideal since I've gotten used to the visual feedback.

cmcgrath5035Staff #

Interesting, user InPhase seemed to have good luck with a v8 TinyG and 0.96, but only with 64 bit computers.

My tinyG is v7.

Did you see the note about setting the hardware version properly with the new FW? Apparently there is a HW difference between v6(and earlier, I guess) and v7 and v8. See Alden's comment on the top post where the URL to current FW is presented.

Perhaps Alden or Riley can better explain what flow control settings are required

cmcgrath5035Staff #

OK, after reading another thread I downloaded tgfx_windows-x64 v.95-build 2077.exe from Experimental and IT WORKS!!

More testing and familiarization ahead.

Also, I note that this Build 2012 is properly identified by WinXP_64 as a 64 bit application and installed in C:\Program Files\tgfx and runs as 64 bit per windows Task Manager.
I am not sure why build 2012 did not.

cmcgrath5035Staff #

OOps, just noticed type in last post, it's Build 2077 that properly runs as 64 bit.

HOWEVER, I still see the tgfx.exe process active in task manager after closing the window. Killing it in Task Manager allows a restart.

RileyStaff #

Hey guys,

Sorry I have been out of a touch a bit. With the Maker Faire and then some vacation. Anyhow, Yes you guys are on it. I think its the default flow control setting that is hanging tgFX. I am doing some testing tonight and should be posting new bins for all platforms very very soon.

If you set $ex=0 and then connect to tgFX it should work. If it does not then I have a bit more troubleshooting to do :)

Thanks for your patience.

Riley

RileyStaff #

I verified this. The latest version (read in code not the binaries) work just fine with 380.05. The bad news is packaging software on the windows side was giving me fits. I am going to take another go tonight at this.

Setting $ex=0 and then connecting does not seem to work either, you need a specific code fix for now in tgFX. I will post again once I have these working tonight.

Riley

cmcgrath5035Staff #

OK, my TinG V7 has Firmware 0.96 Build 380.05
I loaded tgfx_windows-x32 v .95-build 2072 (from Dropbox above) into my WinXP(32) VM (VBox on openSUSE 12.3).

I confirm that this combination works similarly to the x64 build previously tested (above in thread). THANKS!

Riley - an additional observation w.r.t. Task Manager/Program not shutting down properly

A. After loading the tgFX software, I powered up my TinyG and started the txFX software. I went to select my COM3 port on the txFX page, nothing showed and I realized that I had not connected that USB port to the VM. I made the connection, but COM3 not visible so I shut down tgFX.
txFX disappeared from Windows Task Manager.
B. I restarted tgFX, COM3 was now selectable and txFX connected to TinyG.
I could view parameters in tgFX windows and I could interact with TinyG via the cli interface at bottom of tgFX window. I then closed the tgFX window with the upper right corner "X". The txFX window closed but process tgFX.exe remained active in Task Manager.
C. I killed the tgFX.exe process, then restarted it. Connected to COM3, communicated with TinyG, all was good.
I then "Disconnected" from COM3 on the txFX window, then closed the window with upper right "X" and see that txFX.exe disappears from Task Manager.

I can only assume that you would be able to execute a disconnect from all COMx before shutting down the window, but have never programmed such myself so leave this meaty bone for you to chew on.

RileyStaff #

Great to hear its working now. I will look more into the task hanging. I did know that if you do not disconnect it hangs if you do this in say.. Netbeans.. I did not know it was doing that via the binary.

I will look into it more. However you need to disconnect for now :)

Riley

jcl5m1 #

FYI - had this exact same problem. Windows7 64-bit. It worked with CoolTerm, but would not work with the 64-bit version of tgFX (it would hang trying to query the Firmware build version). It also required the TaskManager to kill tgFX.

I've download the 32-bit version of the Windows tgFX, and it appears to work (so far).

cmcgrath5035Staff #

jcl5m1 - Which 64 bit version did your try? Build 2077 from Experimental did work for me on a WinXP64.

Are you running the 32 bit app on a 64 bit machine or 32 bit machine?
What Win? (XP, 7, 8,...)?

Riley - this prompts me to ask; why you are maintaining both 32 and 64 bit apps - since (I believe) all (?) 64 bit machines will run 32 bit apps?

jcl5m1 #

i was using the builds here:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/huiupgemipv8f4q/X2l_1EH-gx

at the time of this post it was:
tgfx_windows-x32 v.95 - build 2072.exe
tgfx_windows-x64 v.95 - build 2012.exe

what worked for me was x32 build 2072. I was running Windows 7 64-bit.

RileyStaff #

@cmcgrath,

I think I am doing the dual builds because of the RXTX native serial libs that I have to include.

@All,
Building new bins now for all platforms. After this push I am getting jogging working asap. Other feature requests.... Please open "issues" on the tgFX github page. Label them as feature requests.

Riley

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