09-18-2014, 02:58 AM
Do you mean in the Arduino IDE, when you start uploading the sketch it loses the device/COM port, or do you mean after you've flashed it successfully and you start in FTNoIR it suddenly loses the device/COM port?
I've experienced the former, even with my Pro Micro/GY-85 and it is annoying. I think what happens is that the device ID changes sometimes when it's flashed, so then Windows decides it needs a different driver and is on a different COM port. Sometimes I've had to force it into bootloader mode by shorting GND and RST (timing is quite critical, as it needs to be in bootloader mode when it's trying to upload, so try shorting them as soon as it says Uploading) after that happens to be able to reflash it and get it working again.
Most of the time that doesn't happen when I'm flashing though. If it's just flipping between two different IDs, then having installed drivers for both at some point might enable Windows to automatically activate the right one depending on the current ID but running Win8.1 as I am, I found one of the drivers isn't signed for it so I couldn't use that one and at one point had to boot back to Win7 to fix it.
I've not had it lose the COM port after I've got it running in FTNoIR. It does have a habit of using a different COM port when plugging the USB cable in, even to the same USB port, not always but quite often, maybe after a reboot, so that I have to switch to the new COM port in FTNoIR after launching it, which is one of the reasons why I wanted to try running it via Bluetooth, as then the BT USB adapter will be left plugged in and the COM port won't change.
I haven't used my Pro Micro/MPU board for a while though, so I'll try connecting that up sometime and flashing the EDtracker firmware to it and check if I have any problems with it.
I don't know if it matters but I'm using a USB2 port on my monitor, so that's basically a powered hub, or when flashing I tend to use a USB3 port (with an extension cable, so nothing else on that port), which might work better than a USB2 port perhaps.
I've experienced the former, even with my Pro Micro/GY-85 and it is annoying. I think what happens is that the device ID changes sometimes when it's flashed, so then Windows decides it needs a different driver and is on a different COM port. Sometimes I've had to force it into bootloader mode by shorting GND and RST (timing is quite critical, as it needs to be in bootloader mode when it's trying to upload, so try shorting them as soon as it says Uploading) after that happens to be able to reflash it and get it working again.
Most of the time that doesn't happen when I'm flashing though. If it's just flipping between two different IDs, then having installed drivers for both at some point might enable Windows to automatically activate the right one depending on the current ID but running Win8.1 as I am, I found one of the drivers isn't signed for it so I couldn't use that one and at one point had to boot back to Win7 to fix it.
I've not had it lose the COM port after I've got it running in FTNoIR. It does have a habit of using a different COM port when plugging the USB cable in, even to the same USB port, not always but quite often, maybe after a reboot, so that I have to switch to the new COM port in FTNoIR after launching it, which is one of the reasons why I wanted to try running it via Bluetooth, as then the BT USB adapter will be left plugged in and the COM port won't change.
I haven't used my Pro Micro/MPU board for a while though, so I'll try connecting that up sometime and flashing the EDtracker firmware to it and check if I have any problems with it.
I don't know if it matters but I'm using a USB2 port on my monitor, so that's basically a powered hub, or when flashing I tend to use a USB3 port (with an extension cable, so nothing else on that port), which might work better than a USB2 port perhaps.