LM4F232 Unresponsive After Windows Reinstall

Hello Jim,

Are there any error messages displayed when you are trying to use the board?  Are you unable to connect to the board?  You shouldn't need the board connected to install the drivers or are you referring to enumerating the ICDI interface?

Please provide a little more detail on the steps you are performing, any messages displayed and any other relevent information such as Device Manager info.

Regards,

Craig

Hi Craig,

Thanks for your prompt response.  I've got a plane to catch.

I'm following instructions in the READMEFirst-LM4F232-Eval-Kit.pdf

The new hardware pop up does not list "Stellaris Virtual Serial Port" or "Stellaris ICDI JTAG/SWD."

when I plug in the board.

Can you tell me how to install the above windows drivers without the board,

so that when I plug in the board, USB recognizes the board?

Thanks.

Jim

Hello Jim,

In the Stellarisware\boards\ek-lm4f232\qs-logger directory you will find the source for the logger as well as pre-built binary that you can load directly (\qs-logger\ccs\debug).  You can try to reload the code via the USB connection for the ICDI interface (may have to change the jumper setting for power on the board for OTG or to ICDI) and reload the code that way.  Then go back to your original connection and see if you can locate the logger driver with the found new hardware wizard.

Hope that helps.

Regards,

Craig

Thanks.  Since I can't load the driver to talk to the board,  I'm lacking understanding.

Are you telling me I can talk to the board through the ICDI USB connector somehow

to reload the code without the windows driver installed?

Thanks.

Jim

Hello Jim,

The other USB connector on the board is used for the debug interface as well as a virtual comm port.  These are different drivers then the logger driver that you are referencing, but if you are not getting prompted to load the logger drivers they are either a) already getting recognized by Windows or b) the device is not enumerating.  If you are not seeing the logger in Device Manager then most likely the board is not enumerating and something may have happened to the board.  In this case you can use the other USB interface to reload the code via Code Composer Studio or with the LM Flash Programmer.  This is accomplished through the ICDI interface.  If you need the ICDI drivers they can be located here:

http://www.ti.com/tool/stellaris_icdi_drivers

Once the logger code is reloaded, hopefully you can swith back to the OTG USB connection and see the board enumerate properly (Data Logger showing up in Device Manager).

Hope I am not confusing things and this helps.

Regards,

Craig

Just to clarify my situation:  I don't care whether or not the logger sample program is loaded on the card -- I don't want or need the logger code for my project.  But it appears that you have designed the system such that an install cannot be performed unless the logger software is present on the board; the logger software must exist on the card in order for the Windows driver installation to proceed, as the installation sequence referenced in the ReadmeFirst document requires the user to execute code within your standard logger program in order to complete driver installation. 

Once the user programs the board to perform any other task, that interactive logger/install software is not available on the card to facilitate a driver installation.  The result is that: A) the board appears to be absolutely dependent upon the existence of the logger code to execute a driver install; B) the installation of any other code removes the logger/installer code from the card; C) without the logger/installer code on the board, the board cannot assist in driver installation onto a new bare-metal system. 

The result appears to be that your drivers can be installed once and only once, as the driver/install code are destructively overwritten in the process of using the board for any subsequent purpose following the first install.  This means that although you can install the board once, it ca never be installed a second time (such as after a Windows reinstall) because the logger/installer program is not on the card.   This means that an install can be performed only once, and that the install will always  fail on every subsequent attempt because the installer relies on code which is no longer on the card. Every subsequent install will fail.

It appears that I need to return the card to it's native "as shipped" state, with the logger/installer app on the board, or an installation cannot be performed.  Is there a way around this problem, or is your installation paradigm a one-time-only event, such that the board is rendered uninstallable as soon as you reflash it with another program.  Is my board worthless now?

Thanks.

Jim

Hello Jim,

Let's go back to basics.  I may have been misunderstanding what you were trying to do. 

The logger program is simply an example application that can be loaded onto the board, just like the bare metal code you would write.  The Windows driver that is installed as part of the logger running is called as part of the USB enumeration process.  The logger application uses the USB OTG port on the side of the board.  The power jumper should be set to OTG to use this USB connector for device power.  The driver that gets loaded as part of enumeration is strictly for use with the logger application.   After the first time the Found New Hardware Wizard should come up and you point Windows to the correct drivers.  Each time after that Windows knows where the drivers are and loads them automatically without prompting the user.

Now, if you want to load your own code you have to move to the other USB connector at the end of the board.  This USB interface uses the ICDI drivers which provides the capability to load new firmware and debug the code.  It also provides a virtual comm port.  If this is the only USB connection then the power jumper needs to be moved to ICDI instead of OTG.  This is the port you would use for your code development and the logger application can be overwritten and not affect anything.  You can debug and run your code all you want from this USB connector.  If this is a USB application you would have two USB cables connected (the second is to the OTG port).  The OTG port is the port that your application would be using to communicate with the host.

Am I still missing what you are trying to do?

Regards,

Craig