Debugging Tips for Parallel Cable III and IV

1. Ensure that the cable driver is installed:

a. Open Xinfo system checker and verify that the Parallel Cable drivers are installed via "install.log".

b. Check the Windows "system32/drivers" directory for the "windrvr.sys" and "xpc4drvr.sys" files.

c. Was the installation performed by someone with administrative privileges to the machine?

2. Is the cable powered?

a. Parallel Cable III draws power externally. Make sure the cable is properly powered.

b. The Parallel Cable IV draws power from the mouse port or from an independent power supply. A green/orange LED on the PC4 indicates that the cable is powered.

c. Problems can occur when using the PS\2 port as a power supply. For example, the green light might be on, but during cable detection the power to the cable might have dropped. Using an external power supply solves this problem.

3. The Parallel Cable IV is designed to utilize ECP mode connections. Communication problems are typically due to the PC's parallel port hardware. Try the following to resolve this problem:

a. Ensure that the BIOS setting for the parallel port is set to ECP. If the BIOS setting is set to anything else, iMPACT cannot detect the cable in PC4 mode to run at full speed.

b. If PC3 configuration speed is required, set the BIOS parallel port to bi-directional or use the C/Port-II Port replicator work-around.

c. Do not use the Parallel Cable with a dongle.

d. The 5.2i iMPACT software allows you to modify the default Parallel Cable IV communication speed using the Edit -> Preferences pull-down menu or batch mode command "setCableSpeed -speed xxx", where xxx can be set to 200000 (=200 KHz), 2500000 (=2.5 MHz), or 5000000 (=5 MHz). Selecting a slower speed can minimize problems.

e. For 4.1i/5.1i iMPACT, use the XIL_IMPACT_ENV_LPT_SETCLOCK_VALUE environment variable to modify the cable speed:

1 : 5.0 MHz TCK/CCLK (default)

2 : 2.5 MHz TCK/CCLK

3 : 1.25 MHz TCK/CCLK

4 : 0.625 MHz TCK/CCLK

For Example:

set XIL_IMPACT_ENV_LPT_SETCLOCK_VALUE=2

4. Try to manually detect the cable. From iMPACT, select Output -> Cable Setup.

5. For 4.1i/4.2i/5.1i iMPACT, some newer desktops/laptops might not respond to the base address query through the driver. To work around this, force the base address in iMPACT, rather than allowing the software to query the BIOS. To force the base address, set the following environment variable:

set XIL_IMPACT_ENV_LPT_BASE_ADDRESS=xxx

Typically, "xxx" is "378," since that is the standard base address for the parallel port (LPT1) on Windows PCs. Use the Windows Device Manager to confirm the base address assigned to LPT1. For information on accessing and using the Device Manager, see the Windows Help menu on your PC.

6. If you are using a laptop, is the Parallel Cable connected to the laptop through a C/Port-II Advanced Port Replicator? To work around this issue, do either of the following:

- Undock the laptop.

or

- Set the following environment variable to completely disable the ECP mode communications:

XIL_IMPACT_ENV_LPT_COMPATIBILITY_MODE=true

Setting this environment variable might also help resolve the issue when the cable is initially found but is immediately disconnected afterwards.

7. Is another version of iMPACT present on the same machine? The driver files required for correct cable communications include the "windrvr.sys" file and the "xpc4drvr.sys" file. The "xpc4xdrvr.sys" driver (version 1.0.0.0 or greater) installed with 5.1i iMPACT or later is not backward-compatible with the "xpc4xdrvr.sys" driver used by 4.2i iMPACT. This incompatibility causes communications to fail for the 4.2i iMPACT software after the 5.1i or later software version is installed on the same machine.

The simplest solution is to use the 5.1i iMPACT software for programming. The programming software accepts files generated in previous software versions. However, if you are using 4.2i iMPACT, you can work around this issue as follows:

a. Copy the "xpc4drvr.sys" file (54.8 KB) from the "<ISE4.2_install_directory>/Bin/NT" into the "WINNT/System32/Drivers" directory.

b. To ensure that the driver is properly stopped and restarted, perform the following:

- From the DOS command line, enter the following to stop the currently loaded driver (possibly the 5.1i SP3 driver):

net stop XilinxPC4Driver

- Enter the following to restart the 4.2i driver (you might need to reboot):

net start XilinxPC4Driver

8. Does other software use the "windrvr.sys" file? Is there another application using the Jungo driver so iMPACT cannot find its own driver? To work around this, identify and stop the driver. In one case, the application was created by Macraigor (www.macraigor.com). The driver is named macraigor_pci.

9. When iMPACT 6.1i/6.2i first establishes a connection to the PCIV programming cable on some Windows XP or Windows 2000 machines, the software immediately fails to establish the cable connection, or the connection intermittently fails during attempted operations.

An updated version of the PCIV parallel port driver (xpc4drvr.sys version 1.0.3.1) is being tested and includes modified communication sequencing which might improve communications on these problematic machines. Contact Xilinx support for the cable driver and installation instructions at:

http://www.xilinx.com/support/services/contact_info.htm

10. Windows XP only:

a. 4.2i iMPACT does not support Windows XP. Install 5.2i iMPACT or later from the WebPACK download area for a Windows XP programming tool ("lab") install.

b. The connection failure might be caused by a parallel port printer polling operation performed by some Windows XP PCs. This operation interrupts iMPACT's parallel cable communications and is fixed in 5.2i Service Pack 3. For software prior to 5.2i Service Pack 3, please open a WebCase at:

http://support.xilinx.com/support/clearexpress/websupport.htm
http://support.xilinx.com/support/services/contact_info.htm

11. Is Jungo WinDriver enabled in device manager? If not, it needs to be enabled.