This article is to help in trouble-shooting a 9pin Null Modem connection from the Computer to a SurvCE Data Collector.
Error = "Communications Failure"
This usually means they haven't Started SurvCE / File / Data Transfer / Carlson Transfer on COM1. Or it means all their
Settings could be correct - BUT they aren't using a Null Modem cable or Null Modem converter. NOTE: If they are just
using a Serial Cable from Radio Shack with a gender adapter it WILL NOT work with SurvCE and SurvCom = it will always
fail until they get a null modem in place.
***Communications Failure = if it is not a Com1 hard-wired port and its a USB converter cable or a PCI expansion card on
a Desktop requiring a Generic Driver to define it this can be a "Hardware Driver" failure caused by a bad Driver in
Device Manager
Error 3 = "Failed to open COM?? error code -3"
The port number you have selected in Options is in use by another Program like ActiveSync, HotSync or Blackberry
software. You should be able to disable any of these three by finding them in the System Tray / right-click them and
open the Connection Settings and Disable the Com Port / now Re-try the connection in SurvCom
Error 14 = "Failed to open Com?? error code -14"
this means the Com Port # that you have selected does not exist in Windows in the Device Manager under Ports Com & LPT.
You cannot use a Com Number that is not listed in the Device Manager. If you are using a USB to Serial converter then
you HAVE to install the software that came with it to establish a Com # in the list.
Error 605 = "Error 605 - User Typed Abort Key"
This usually means they are using a Carlson Explorer data collector and they have stored over 250 job files in the
\SystemCF\ folder. When this happens, it has the same effect as filling up your entire SystemCF hard drive since
Windows only allows 255 files in \SystemCF\. The fix is simple - we have to Open SurvCE / change to the Folder
"\SystemCF\Data" / type in a junk jobname like "new" / tap OK / exit SurvCE / now re-open SurvCE and run File / Data
Transfer and it will work. Now they need to backup all the jobs from the data collector to their Computer and AFTER
BACKING up the jobs they need to go into SurvCE / File / Delete = change to filetype CRD and delete at least 6 or 8 CRD
files and answer yes to delete all associated files. From this day on they MUST store all files in \SystemCF\Data\
somewhere. Its ok if they use "\SystemCF\Data\MyJobs\" as long as the first two folders are SystemCF\Data
***NOTE: You might see this error while transferring a LARGE file if it exceeds 3 to 5 mins since your data collector is
going into Standby. To prevent this you can plug your Data Collector into wall power during LARGE file transfers that
take longer than usual.
jg