Ports/Serial communications

BitPim needs to speak to your phone using the correct serial port. Your phone needs to respond on that port. Some phones have different modes that switch between talking as USB versus serial.

Unfortunately every machine is different in what port names are used, especially if you have a USB to serial cable or adapter. There can also be many reasons why things don't work. It is almost impossible for the BitPim code to work out what the problem is, since it is getting no response at all. It is not possible to tell the difference between the device not being connected at all, versus it being connected and not wanting to talk.

Also be aware that Windows, Linux and Mac name and number their ports differently. They also have differing permissions defaults.

Follow these steps to try and diagnose your issue:
 

• If you are using a USB to serial cable, then you MUST use device drivers. BitPim does not speak the USB to serial protocols. This applies to ALL platforms. The drivers are specific to your operating system, the USB to serial chip and product/vendor id used by the chip.
• If your phone uses the USB modem protocol which is normal for most phones (eg all Audiovox and Sanyo) then you MUST use device drivers on Windows. On Linux the acm kernel module should auto-bind to the phone. The Mac also uses a builtin default USB modem driver.
• Read the section about your phone cables and drivers for any specific information. If you have a cable not listed in the phone specific section then contact whoever sold you the cable for support. Just because your cable looks like one of them, does not mean it is one. This is especially true for the "boxes" in the middle of cables. Other manufacturers may or may not have them for both straight USB or USB to serial connections.
   
• You should verify from the comm port settings dialog that the relevant port is available and the correct drivers are in use. If the port you want to use is listed, but is not in the available section then BitPim cannot use it. Here are some of the usual causes:
   
  • Windows: The usual cause is some other program has grabbed the port such as Palm HotSync or Microsoft ActiveSync. You will need to disable or reconfigure that software.
     
  • All operating systems: Check permissions on the device. Note that the device may be restricted to the administrator, or it may be owned by the person logged in at the time it was connected.
     
  • Windows XP: Windows XP will occasionally refuse to open a device claiming it doesn't exist even though the Device Manager and BitPim show that it does. This can sometimes be cured by choosing Advanced in the Port Settings for the device in Device Manager and setting it to use a different COM port.
     
• The dialog lists all known and configured ports. The ones marked with an asterisk (*) are the ones that BitPim uses when you select autodetection. Only ports in the available section are marked since they are the only ones that can be used. If you select a port that is not marked, it is extremely unlikely that port is your phone. (The only exception is if you are using a real serial cable to connect to the phone, not a USB to serial cable).
   
• If the port is not listed at all, then the diagnosis is as follows:
   
  • Linux: On Linux you need to ensure that permissions on the device files are set so that your user can read and write to them, and that there a device driver bound. Just because the device node exists does not mean there is a device driver attached. There is some Linux information if you are using a USB cable.
     
  • Windows: (Note exception above) BitPim should be showing the same ports as device manager. Try unplugging all USB hubs and cables, wait till the sound effects stop, and then plug it all back in. This is often needed if you have hibernated your machine. Note that Windows is also sensitive to which ports devices are plugged into. For example if you plug a cable into one port, it may be assigned the name "COM3". If you then plug it into a different port, it becomes "COM5". Windows does this because you could have two cables at the same time, and they would need to be distinguished. Try and always use the same port.
     

    If you are using a hub, try to avoid changing what port it is plugged into.
     

  • Mac: Feel free to contribute some text!
     
• Once you are using the correct port, you should check that the phone is responding. If you look in the log view you will see what errors are happening. The protocol log view gives even more details.
   
• If your phone is not sending back any data at all you may need to configure something on the phone. BitPim will indicate if it is getting any data back in the protocol log. Read the section about your phone cables for any specific information.
   
• If you are still reading, you are likely to be very frustrated. As stated at the top, each machine is different and the names and numbers assigned depend on how you have used the machine in the past, the drivers installed etc. It is extremely difficult for anyone to diagnose the cause on your exact setup.
   
• At this point, you are out of luck. You will receive no support from the BitPim groups. Read more.

BitPim Online Help             built 27 December 2006