USB CP2101 USB to UART Device not available - Fusion 4.1 & Win XP Pro SP 2

[blueboxthief]

Hi there,

First post..first real serious problem.

I have used VMWare for work in other areas and I need to use it for another job.

I am using a MacBook2,1/Intel Core 2 Duo/2.16 GHz/1 GB/1 CPU/Mac OS X 10.4.10 (8R2218) model, with VMWare Fusion Version 1.0b4 (49528), with Windows XP Pro SP2 installed as a guest machine (2GB HDD).

I am trying to control an Icom IC-PCR1500 communications receiver (for those interested: http://www.icomamerica.com/products/receivers/pcr1500/) from the Windows XP guest.

I follow the instructions to install the communications receiver driver and software as the documentation states, and it \*looks* like the devices are found under Windows.

Under Mac OS X, they are found as:

USB BUS Hub:

USB Audio CODEC:

Version: 1.00

Bus Power (mA): 100

Speed: Up to 12 Mb/sec

Manufacturer: Burr-Brown from TI

Product ID: 0x2901

Vendor ID: 0x08bb

CP2101 USB to UART Bridge Controller:

Version: 1.00

Bus Power (mA): 100

Speed: Up to 12 Mb/sec

Manufacturer: Silicon Labs

Product ID: 0xea60

Serial Number: IC-R1500 0501114

Vendor ID: 0x10c4

Full details of system profiler are here:

http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/8084/systemprofilerusbmf0.png

From reading the forums for the past few days, I understand that, if the devices are found under the host OS, they should be able to work under the guest OS. I am hopeful.

However, when I try to start the control software I am not presented with the required COM/USB port information in the Port status window (see image link following):

http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/9725/vmwaresoftwarenoportfk9.png

Under the Windows guest OS, the devices are found and installed correctly (see image link):

http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/3914/vmwaredevicesmanagerhp3.png

Under the VMWare device manager they are also seen (see image link):

http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/1104/vmwareusbdevicesud9.png

and are selected automatically.

I am not sure if these devices are HID devices..another problem I have is after seeing this thread suggesting adding usb.generic.allowHID = TRUE, I am not sure where in the vmx file I should add this.

My vmx file is situated:

/Library/Application Support/VMware Fusion/vmware-vmx/

I have tried to edit it with BBEdit and it seems to have corrupted it.

Apologies I dont have too much experience with VMs on Mac. If its of help, I can post an excerpt of the vmware-vmfusion logs.

Any help appreciated.

thanks

bernard

[admin]

I am not sure where in the vmx file I should add this.

The vmx file is a unordered flat text list, the order is not important as long as you don't break up any lines.

My vmx file is situated:

/Library/Application Support/VMware

Fusion/vmware-vmx/

This is not your vmx file, it's just confusingly named. When people talk about vmx files, they mean the ones that live in the vmwarevm bundle. vmwarevm bundles are (by default) located in "_{/Documents/Virtual Machines", so one named VPN might be at "}/Documents/Virtual Machines/VPN.vmwarevm/VPN.vmx"

To see inside the bundle (normally the contents are hidden), you can ctrl-click it and select "Show Package Contents"

I have tried to edit it with BBEdit and it seems to

have corrupted it.

See above.

Apologies I dont have too much experience with VMs on

Mac. If its of help, I can post an excerpt of the

vmware-vmfusion logs.

That may be useful, as well as vmware.log (also located in the vmwarevm bundle).

[blueboxthief]

Hi etung,

Thanks for the response.

This is not your vmx file, it's just confusingly

named. When people talk about vmx files, they mean

the ones that live in the vmwarevm bundle. vmwarevm

bundles are (by default) located in

"~/Documents/Virtual Machines", so one named VPN

might be at "~/Documents/Virtual

Machines/VPN.vmwarevm/VPN.vmx"

To see inside the bundle (normally the contents are

hidden), you can ctrl-click it and select "Show

Package Contents"

Bingo, got it the file.

Ok, so I tried adding the line "usb.generic.allowHID = "TRUE"" to the vmx file (incidently called "Windows XP Professional.vmx") and rebooted..no good.

I then tried ehci.present = "FALSE" and rebooted...no good.

I then removed the "usb.generic.allowHID = "TRUE"" line and set back the "ehci.present = "TRUE""...no good.

That may be useful, as well as vmware.log (also

located in the vmwarevm bundle).

I have uploaded the .log files here:

http://www.runningwithbulls.com/ei8fdb/logs/vmware.log

http://www.runningwithbulls.com/ei8fdb/logs/vmware-0.log

http://www.runningwithbulls.com/ei8fdb/logs/vmware-1.log

http://www.runningwithbulls.com/ei8fdb/logs/vmware-2.log

http://www.runningwithbulls.com/ei8fdb/logs/vmware-vmfusion.log

http://www.runningwithbulls.com/ei8fdb/logs/vmware-vmfusion-0.log

http://www.runningwithbulls.com/ei8fdb/logs/vmware-vmfusion-1.log

http://www.runningwithbulls.com/ei8fdb/logs/vmware-vmfusion-2.log

I have been running the VM in debug mode, apologies if it gives superfluous information. If you need any other logs, please let me know.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I suggested moving this project to Mac and now I might have egg on my face!

Other than this, I have to say thanks for a great product.

thanks

bernard

[DannyD]

.

[Perfessor]

I don't know if this thread is active or monitored but I have the same problem connecting the ICOM IC-PCR1500 receiver to my Mac. Please advise if a solution has been found.

Mac Pro 2.8 ghz 4 core, 4 gig RAM Fusion 1.1.1 OS 10.5.1

[ichavis]

Seems like its our lucky day, I found this fix on the Yahoo Groups PCR2500 group

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PCR2500/message/636

We owe the man a beer. I just got my PCR1500 and thought getting it going with VMware Fusion and Vista would be easier but it never found the radio as you experienced. I found

this fix and backed up my old DLL and used the replacement DLL and set the comm port and boom it worked the first time. Not to blame any of the hypervisor vendors but

the same problem exists in Parallel so it all points to the driver but who cares now it works.

good luck. Ira

[lenrev]

I am by no means knowledgable about how Fusion works, or is supposed to work, so please excuse me if the following is way off base.

I purchased Fusion specifically to do something similar to the original poster. I use ham radio equipment, all of which use serial ports for control by computer. Since I own many Windows apps that use these ports I was led to believe Fusion would allow me to do so. The simple fact is that Fusion will not and I have resorted to using Remote Desktop with my PC.

That said, since VMWare, by most reports, is turning a deaf ear to this omission is it possible that someone more able than I could produce an application similar to that used with the Icom radios for generic serial port use with Fusion / XP?

[Perfessor]

It appears that we have a fix for the Icom/Fusion issue. I finally managed to get the ICOM program working today using the PcrSch.dll file. I have also had considerable luck with PCRPro and TrunkPCR. Both allow access to the PCR 1500. No I need to spend more time getting things tweaked the way I like it.

[ichavis]

If you read my reply, the USB to UART didnt work on parallels either so i wouldnt bame fusion, again, we should be happy there was someone who took time to fix the problem. good luck.

[blueboxthief]

Hi there Ira,

I have just looked at the PCR 1500 Yahoo Group and found that message, but the website that hosts the file r00t.cz is not responding, and so I cannot download the patched file.

If you have if still, can you e-mail it to ei8fdb AT ei8fdb DOT org, replace to the words with the correct symbols.

thanks & 73s,