Trouble in using DBSBIOS boards over RS485 and IRQ serial

[Jocman]

Hi all.

Back to my cockpit (once again after months of inactivities)

I'm checking if everything is working, as the last time (I think it was april maybe...) everything was fine.

Resume of my setup:

- nr. 1 Mega as DCSBIOS master over RS485

- nr. 2 Megas and about 30 (maybe more....) Nanos, spread over 6 separate consolles.

- SOCAT to run the RS485 Master

- DCSBIOS bridge to run a couple of nanos over USB (see the problem down here)

Problem: the nanos driving displays (7 segments) don't work properly over RS485, expecially with chained MAX chips: it seems that only the first MAX in the chain is managed, the others don't. The solution was to use these nanos only to drive displays (so no other switches etc) directly via IRQ Serial (that's why DCSBIOS Bridge). The displays now are showed correctly.

All the single consolles, connected to RS485 network, work fine (note: I tested the consolles one-by-one, not all together)

This was on april, as said before.

in these days I took some holydays to complete (hopefully) my cockpit and have it full working.

My plans is to start by testing once again alle the consolles one-by-one (like the last time) then connect all the consolles to the system and try it.

And here I've the first problem (when last time I didn't).

I first checked one of the displays card (a nano via IRQ Serial) via DCSBIOS Bridge. When connected to USB, the nano starts correctly (I've a display check routine on startup), and in DBSBIOS Bridge I can see the USB (USB Serial CH340) detected. But if I start the connection, I get immediately an error message (see image).

I don't understand why, as nothing is changed since april (except for windows / DCS update).

I tried by uninstalling an installing CH340 drivers (last version - 341 - as the old version now keeps giving me install errors). But nothing change.

More, now even the arduino ide gives me error if a try to upload a sketch in a new nano (com error, as it can't manage the board).

I tried with a second nano driving other displays: the startup check works fine, but in DCSBIOS Bridge I got the same problem.

I didn't test the RS485 network by now, but connecting the RS485 master to DCSBRIDGE (instead of socat) it sees it and start the connection with no errors.

I checked for a new version of DCSBIOS Bridge (maybe...) but no new version available.

Any suggestion, as I don't know what else to do?

And, is it out there some sotware similar to DCSBIOS Bridge?

Thanks for your support.

 

Edited Monday at 12:15 PM by Jocman

[No1sonuk]

There are problems with the DCSBIOSbridge.
There are no new versions because the developer left the project a while ago.

You'll need to use socat for the time being.