Troubleshooting... Logger Pro Cannot Find Interface

When Logger Pro is launched, it looks for a connected device. Make certain that you have a device connected to a serial or USB port of your computer and that it has power. If it detects a device, an icon will appear in the left-hand side of the toolbar.

Examples

LabQuest or LabQuest Mini is connected to the computer. No sensor is connected to the interface.

LabPro is connected to the computer. No sensor is connected to LabPro.

Go! Link with a pH sensor is connected to the computer.

Go! Temp is connected to the computer.

Go! Motion is connected to the computer (with Live Readouts enabled).

A Wireless Dynamic Sensor System (WDSS) is connected to the computer.

An OHAUS balance is connected to the computer.

A Spectrometer is connected to the computer.

A GPS unit is connected to the computer.

No Interface Detected

If Logger Pro does not detect an interface, it will open in "manual entry mode" with a blank table including columns for "X" and "Y" and a graph of Y vs. X. You will not be able to collect data until Logger Pro detects a data-collection device. Below are troubleshooting tips to help Logger Pro communicate with your device.

• Double check all cable connections. Try disconnecting and reconnecting the cables.
• Is the interface turned turned on and supplied with AC power? For troubleshooting purposed do not rely on the batteries even if they are new. Check to ensure the AC power supply is firmly connected and that the batteries are working.
• USB drivers may not have been properly installed. If you are using an USB connection to connect the LabPro or LabQuest, make sure you followed the directions during the Logger Pro installation for installing USB drivers and rebooted your computer. A list of devices you can use with Logger Pro is available here.
• The interface could be frozen. Try power cycling the device by removing then restoring AC power. You should also try rebooting your computer.
• Make sure another program (or second copy of Logger Pro or Logger Lite) is not already communicating with the same device.
• If you have multiple computers and interfaces, and some of them are working and some are not, try methodically switching interfaces, cables, power supplies and computers to see if the problem is with a piece of the hardware. The best test to do is to take one of your completely working stations and try swapping in a different interface, then a new connector cable, then a new power supply, etc. If you can trace the problem to one piece of hardware, you may need to contact Vernier technical support to issue a repair.

Using Serial Cables and a Windows Computer

If you are connecting a device, such as a LabPro or OHAUS balance, to a Windows computer using a serial cable, you will need to choose Connect Interface from the Experiment menu. Choose the port to which the device is attached. Note: You can only use serial cables with Windows computers. The Macintosh version of Logger Pro does not support serial.

If Logger Pro does not detect the device, you will be issued a warning with troubleshooting suggestions. This process will continue until the program detects an interface or you decide to continue without the interface attached. Try the following if you are having problems:

• Confirm that the cable is properly attached to both the computer and the interface.
• The communications cable is not firmly attached or is attached to the wrong port. It is difficult to tell from the back of the computer which port is COM1, COM2, COM3 or COM4. Consult your owner's manual.
• The serial port may be in use by another program such as a fax, or dial-up networking program. Quit other programs that might use the serial port. Often an internal modem will disable one of the serial ports. Disable or remove the internal modem to remove the conflict.
• The cable could be bad. Try using a different cable.
• The serial port may not be operating properly. There may be a conflict with an internal modem or other device. Be sure all devices have unique IRQ addresses. Try the serial port with another serial device such as a modem or printer to confirm its operation.
• If you are using a serial mouse on your computer, shut your computer down, physically move the mouse connector from its current serial port connection to the one you are attempting to use, then restart your computer. If Windows finds the mouse, try the interface on the port the mouse was previously using. If Logger Pro continues to not see the interface, your interface or its cable is at fault. If the mouse does not work, you can be assured that the serial port is not functional.