FlexVSP not loading

lyndy brannen

Flex 6300  Desktop Windows 8 Laptop Windows 7.
FlexVSP not present.  I have been having problems with dax on a desktop computer while DAX works fine on my laptop. I have discovered FlexVSP is not present on the desktop.  I installed 1.3.8 last night. I had not looked for FlexVSP before, but I believe it was not  present. How can I restore FlexVsp to my computer. Uninstalling everything and reinstalling 1.3.8 had no effect.

DrTeeth

What are you looking for and where? FlexVSP does not appear on the desktop, never seen it there. The drivers are not called 'FlexVSP' but 'FabulaTech Virtual Serial Port Bus'. Below is a screen shot from on of my Device Manager screens. There is a FlexVSP installer file in the SSDR folder structure (the only file on my systems with 'flexvsp' in the name). DAX working well on laptop and desktop.

Good luck.

lyndy brannen

Thank you.
I  do see the ports under Device Manager. 
On the laptop there is a program called FlexVSP in the list of programs that can be uninstalled. there is no such program in the list on the desktop machine.

DrTeeth

In device manager, do you have a process running called 'ftvspksvr.exe' running? If you are running 64 bit windows, you will see *32 appended.

Tim - W4TME

I have changed this post to a problem topic and converted this topic to a support HelpDesk ticket (http://helpdesk.flexradio.com) for expedited issue resolution.  If anyone else is experiencing an issue similar to this one, please submit a HelpDesk support ticket for issue resolution.

N7BCP

I had the same issue going from 1.3.8 to 1.4.3.  I found the winsows service named "Virtual Serial Port Kit service" and found that it was stopped.  I started it and the problem was solved although I had to do some searching for the answer.  I did find this in the event log a few times.

The Virtual Serial Port Kit service service failed to start due to the following error: The service did not respond to the start or control request in a timely fashion.  A timeout was reached (30000 milliseconds) while waiting for the Virtual Serial Port Kit service service to connect.

It seems that on reboot the service does not start and times out but is able to be started manually well after a laptop reboot.  I'm running a MacBook pro 2010 with 8gb ram and an i7 dual core/hyper threading CPU.

DrTeeth

Try setting it to 'Automatic (Delayed start)' and see if that helps.

Rick Hadley - W0FG

I ran into a similar problem trying to update my remote laptop to 1.4.3.  I tried repeatedly to install it, but to no avail.  Then, in trying to solve another problem with the laptop I stumbled across something; I ended a couple of processes that were running (using Task Manager) on the laptop and the result was a complete lockup (similar to what I've experienced before, seemingly at random) on the main desktop PC.  Suddenly a light gleamed...  I shut down the main PC and low and behold, SmartSDR installed on the laptop, along with FlexVSP without any difficulty.  Apparently there is some interaction that takes place between the two computers on the network that I don't fully understand, but I offer this tale for the benefit of those who might be experiencing a similar problem.  Tim...if you read this, you can close my Help Desk ticket.

N7BCP

Thanks for the suggestion, I did and that solved the service start up - it no longer times out.   When I log on, CAT is set to automatically start and if I boot and then immediately log on I find that SSDR CAT is not able to find the FlexVSP service because of the delayed start so SSDR CAT fails.  If I restart cat after the FlexVSP service starts then all is well.  I've disabled the auto start of SSDR CAT and I just wait until the FlexVSP shows running before I start it.

Tim - W4TME

Does your PC has a solid state hard drive in it?

Tim - W4TME

We have been alerted to this issue and has a defect logged to look into it.

N7BCP

It does, a Samsung 850 EVO as the OS drive.

Tim - W4TME

Larry - here is your issue.  The PC is no longer disk bound when it boots because the SSHD is so fast, meaning that Windows is booting faster than the automatic start services can completely start.  Because SmartSDR CAT is in the Startup folder, Windows is getting to that part of the boot process before the FlexVSP service is fully started and this is why you get the error on boot up.  There is a simple workaround - move the SmartSDR CAT shortcut from the Startup folder and place it on your desktop.  Then manually start SmartSDR CAT when you start SmartSDR and all should load without error.

David Decoons, wo2x

Hi Tim

I was helping K3PD remotely today and his Virtual Serial Port Kit service wasn't installed. Running SmartSDR 1.4.3 installer would not install VSP. We needed to browse to c:Program FilesFlex Radio SystemsSmartSDR v1.4.364 bit driversVSP and manually install it. Once we did that everything started to work again.

Worth noting - His radio "bricked" on upgrade to 1.4.3 (radio direct connect to PC, got assigned the 172.30.1.1 IP). We got that fixed by connecting to the router, downgrading, then upgrading. He also had a lot of phantom com ports which we deleted first, then rebooted before trying to reinstall 1.4.3.

I'll ask PD to open a help desk ticket if you like, but he is fully up and running again now.

73 Dave wo2x