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Blown USB Sync Cradle


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Topic: Blown USB Sync Cradle

Keefer Lucas
Member

Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Atlantic Rim
Posts: 570

Here's the mystery.

The USB sync cradle of my Visor Delux was working fine using Windows ME. Then I installed an Intel Webcam (PC Camera Pro), and my computer ceased recognizing my Sync Cradle as anything other than an unknown device.

First, I uninstalled the camera program; no difference. Then I used the system restore feature of Windows ME to roll back the OS to the day before the camera install; still no good. Then I reformatted my entire operating system and went back to Windows 98SE. I reinstalled the Handspring software and not the camera software; still no good.

When I tried installing the sync cradle on a machine at work it would not recognize the sync cradle. The Handspring people sent me a new Sync cradle; it did not work. They are now sending me a new Visor Deluxe, which I doubt will work. FYI, I own a lowly serial port cradle which works fine on the system.

Could the installation of the camera forced some board level change to my USB hub controller; a change that would survive a reformatting of my hard disk? All my other USB equipment works fine.

Any experts out there in USB issues? The guys at Handspring are baffled, and I am tired of continually purging my USB entries with the registry editor (three calls to technical assitance and one call back, always with the same strategy...purging the registry).

02-08-2001 03:50 PM

SchedulingMaster
Member

Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Lincoln, Nebraska
Posts: 4

It sounds to me like your problem lies in your computer manufacturer and not your anything to do with Handspring or your cradle. Have you tried their customer service?

02-08-2001 07:44 PM

MPM
Member

Registered: Jun 2000
Location: Sunnyvale, CA
Posts: 216

quote:
Originally posted by Keefer Lucas
...When I tried installing the sync cradle on a machine at work it would not recognize the sync cradle. The Handspring people sent me a new Sync cradle; it did not work. They are now sending me a new Visor Deluxe, which I doubt will work...

You state that the computer could not "see" the USB Cradle. If you are stating that the computer could not see the USB Cradle when the Visor was NOT in the cradle AND turned on, then this is perfectly normal.

This is because the USB Cradle has absolutely NO circuitry inside it. It is just a cable, nothing more. All the USB circuitry is in the Visor itself. The only way the computer can "see" the cradle is if the Visor is in it, and turned on. But then the computer is "seeing" the Visor, not the cradle. The cradle is simply a USB cable with a switch.

The switch triggers the Visor to wake up and start a Hotsync. This then turns on the USB chip inside the Visor and the computer can now "see" the Visor through the USB cradle.

Sounds like your problem is not with the Visor. But it could be. Try soft resetting the Visor and then Hotsyncing. Soft resets seem to cure a lot of Hotsync problems.

02-08-2001 09:11 PM

Keefer Lucas
Member

Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Atlantic Rim
Posts: 570

Been there Done That

Thanks for the ideas. Unfortunately I am aware (largely) of what the Sync cradle is. I have tried placing the Visor in the cradle at the machine at work...it didn't work.

I have soft reset a few times, even endured a hard reset to no avail. Perhaps the replacement will work with the USB, though I can't fathom why the Serial Port connection would work and not the USB.

02-09-2001 12:48 AM

Keefer Lucas
Member

Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Atlantic Rim
Posts: 570

Make Mine a Glazed....

Okay, perhaps if I had first tried cleaning the generous coating of sugar glazing (seiously folks) off of the pickups of my Visor none of this would have happened.

02-10-2001 03:03 AM