Sparkey test

[Chris]

I'm having real problems with my sparkey USB dongle and wonder if there is a test utility available.

I'm running Widows 7 64bit, Sparkey is reconised by the OS, I have the correct(?) 64 bit sparkey driver installed, sparkey is in both the inf file and system32 file. I am running IDE Version 2.0.0.4 and Compiler version 3.4.0.5 so it should work, but doesn't.

I actually had it working for 1 day which is why I have perservered with it, but it's getting past a joke now, it HAS to be the dongle.

The sparkey does light, but very dimly.

Any help appreciated thanks.

Chris

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[Lester]

At present we dont support sparkey under Windows7 64bit.

The Vista drivers are all that is available, i'm gussing thats what you are using. However we do not ahve windows 7 64 bit, so we cannot test.

However you are saying that it worked for a day, so i'm assuming that its not a driver issue,

or that there is some really wierd situation whereby windows 7 64 bit and the drivers you have installed interact to cause an issue witht he license key.

So assuming that its not the above, it's just coincidental that your license key has failed, simply send it back and we'll test it and exchange it if its faulty. Same day test, same day despatch.

Or test it yourself on a Windows 32 bit XP installation, which we do fully support.

[Chris]

Thanks for the quick response Lester, what are doing there at this time? LOL. Ive tried it on a Vista 32bit machine today (with the Vista 32bit drivers) - same result.

I'm seriously cosidering just 'cobbing' an old machine together and putting XP Pro on it just for programming PIC's.

I'll get it in the post tomorrow with all the relevant details at least I'll know if it's good or bad.

Thanks Chris

[johntabb]

I have just built a win7 64bit machine and the Vista drivers seem to work for me.

regards John

[fanie]

an old machine together and putting XP Pro on it

Eh Chris ! My XP is only a few years old and still brand new You can say what you want about XP, at least my sparkey works

[Lester]

Ok chris,

contcat me direct i'll need your address to arrange an advance replecement.

[Chris]

I have just built a win7 64bit machine and the Vista drivers seem to work for me.

regards John

It worked on mine after some updating and cajoling, then I shut it down as normal and next day it wouldn't work, I also tried it on a Vista 32bit laptop with the same result, which is why I suspect the Sparkey, could still be me though.

The added problem with anything 64bit is not all manufacturers have fully supported it, so if your motherboard drivers aren't truly 64bit and you shut down your computer the OS always rebuilds the drivers on startup if it finds any conflicts (not necessarily anything to do with the sparkey, but some other USB device) it installs default drivers which inevitably means Windows drivers, and hardware disappears from your system. At least the sparkey driver is signed so it should default to that unless your OS sees a later 'update' (which again might be nothing to do with the sparkey) and it will install that driver instead.

One anomaly this sparkey business has thrown up for me is my old Samsung ML1210 laser printer, Samsung have not released any 64bit drivers as yet, and it was causing a USB conflict with the USB hub, but that was OK as it didn't effect anything else til I tried my sparkey and my printer and sparkey disappeared, they were there in Device Manager, but they didn't work. No problem just don't turn on the printer on startup, re-install the sparkey and Proton, and that's how I got it to work. As soon as I turned the system off I was back to square one again.

I sympathise with Lester it's a minefield.

I'm old enough to remember exactly the same problem when 16bit moved up to 32bit though it wasn't anything like as bad as there were only a few devices way back then and no USB.

That's why I think I'll put together a 'bare bones' running XP 32bit, then I know there are no such issues.

Chris

[yvesmazzon]

Hi John,
Please can you send me the drivers or point to me where I can get them because i am still battling with my win 7 64 bit system.
many thanks,
Regards,
Yves

[johntabb]

Hi Yves,
I honestly don't recall where I got the drivers.

If you do a search on Vista Drivers, there is a page with both Vista 32 bit and vista 64 bit drivers for download.

Best of luck Yves.

Regards John

[billyminor]

Hi John,
Please can you send me the drivers or point to me where I can get them because i am still battling with my win 7 64 bit system.
many thanks,
Regards,
Yves

Click on updates at the top Menu on this page or any forum page and it will take you to the drivers