Problems getting started

Let me begin with what works (because nothing else does): DCUTerm

But in of the PDF's it says "To open one of these boot menus, the following characters must be entered while booting
the PicoCOM: ...." - but entered from where? From my PC keyboard? Because if I do, I only get loads of 'SSSS' on the DCUTerm window and I always get the same boot menu anyway, with DE, DU, MF, MR and the rest. So could someone please explain what that means.

Next question: do I have to download a WindowsCE kernel image to get started or is one already present in the PicoCom? I get nothing on the display so I assume that is because Windows is missing - is that correct?

I have tried to download a kernel image but with no luck

USB: the drivers do not install (Windows Vista) so I never get a green light in the NetDCU USB loader
Ethernet: DE gives me this

HW-Watchdog: OFF
Ne2kDbg:: MAC set to : FF:FF:FF:FF:FF:FF
ETH - HWSetMCRegs: Set all to 0x00
INFO: *** Device Name 'PicoCOM365535' ***
INFO: *** Device Name 'PicoCOM365535' ***
InitDHCP():: Calling ProcessDHCP()
ProcessDHCP()::DHCP_INIT
DHCP server is not responding !!! Aborting.
ERROR: OEMPreDownload: Failed to initialize Ethernet connection.
ERROR: OEMPreDownload: Failed to initialize Ethernet connection.
Disable AUTO BOOT
Press >S< to step into monitor...
HW-Watchdog: OFF

with quite a long wait between ProcessDHCP() and the abort. So that doesn't work either.

There is a DHCP server in my system, my telephone connects without a problem.
Can I enter a static IP address instead, for now? 'N' allows me to set Ethernet protocol but start by asking for MAC address, which I haven't got..

So, all in all, very little progress. I really hope you can help me sort this out ...

Hello,

After much rebooting I managed to get the USB drivers installed and to download the kernel. All was well, except the display didn't work. I could even access the file system through an entry PicoCom3 in the Explorer, showing 3 entries. However, this morning these 3 were gone and after rebooting the PicoCom, the PicoCom entry was gone as well.

The PicoCom does work however because the web server is active on the IP address (which is 192.168.0.56). Here is the end of the boot sequence

UART: Version 1.3, Key = Drivers\Active\33
DEBUG: UART0 SYSINTR : 28
BCS: Version 1.1, ActiveKey = Drivers\Active\34
DIO: Version 2.1, ActiveKey = Drivers\Active\35
NI2C: Version 3.0, ActiveKey = Drivers\Active\36
LCD: Version 1.4, ActiveKey = Drivers\Display\LCD
LCD: Read registry settings from Drivers\Display\LCD
LCD: Display-Mode 100, Name EDT ET070080
Width: 800 Height: 480 Bpp: 16
TCHPDD: Version 1.6, Key = HARDWARE\DEVICEMAP\TOUCH
TCHKEY: Version 1.0, Key = HARDWARE\DEVICEMAP\TOUCH\VirtualKeys
NDCUCFG V: 044 started. Platform: PicoCOM3
NDCUCFG Open COM1: at 38400 Baud
CreateFile() failed -> ERROR COM1:
CheckAutoStart: Version 1.5, LaunchNum = 100
+OEMSetAlarmTime(3/12/2006 2:0:0.000)

Looks OK to me. And here is the output from the boot loader I command:

PicoCOM3 boot options valid : YES
Start Download after reboot : no
Download kernel to : FLASH
Kernel load/store compression : OFF
Size of area for OS image : 24 MB
Size of FFSDISK : 40 MB
Format of FFSDISK : FAT
F3S serial number :
Launch image after reboot : yes
Output debug messages at serial port : yes
Bootloader Network setting valid : YES
-MAC Address : FF:FF:FF:FF:FF:FF
-Use DHCP to get IP address: YES
WindowsCE MAC address valid : yes
-WindowsCE MAC Address : 0:5:51:5:38:5B

So, I have three questions

1) Why can't I see the PicoCom3 in the Explorer anymore? There are no disabled/unknown devices in Device Manager
Is the Windows Mobile stuff used for this? Because RapiMgr and WcesComm are having problems on my PC, all of a sudden. Please tell me I don't need this to work with the PicoCom because of all the bad stuff Microsoft has produced over the years, that may well be the worst.

2) Why doesn't the display work? It is and EDT ET070080 and as you can see above, I have created a mode 100 according to your documentation although it seems to be necessary since the default mode is also ET070080.
I'm pretty sure I've got the connections right, please see pictures at <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.penguinprograms.nl/picocom/">http://www.penguinprograms.nl/picocom/</a><!-- m -->

3) How can I download files to the PicoCom?

Any help much appreciated.

I thought I had read somewhere that FSDeviceSpy didn't work with the PicoCom3. I have tried it a couple of times but always get an empty list and nothing else. Should it work and, if so, what should I see?

Do I need ActiveSync working to be able to work effectively from VS2008?

When using VS2008 Prof, do I still need to install the SDK?

Curious to see what your hardware has to say about the display problem ...

Regards,
Dag Hovden

Thank you, the screen now works.
But your documentation is, I have to say, not very good. In the referenced document it says:

"If JP8 is set, the power supply of LED backlight is via VCFL input (3.3V) at the SKIT ! "

This mentions only the backlight, not the entire screen. And OK, SKIT is Starter Kit, I could figure that one out but why not write 'Starter kit' or just 'PicoCom board'. There is so much to read, digest and understand when setting up a system like this that the documentation needs to be as clear and obvious as possible. And yours isn't ...

ActiveSync: is really shaky, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Of course, that thas always been the case with ActiveSync.

Regards,
DH

About the 3.3V: in the docs it says "JP10: VCC for LED via VLCD (intern power supply, 3.3V)"
Why can't we use JP10 for the ET070080 to get the 3.3V, like the ET050080 does?

Rgeards,
DH