SynScan App and Windows 11

[PeterC65]

I have the SynScan App working with Windows 10 on my old laptop. It uses the Prolific PL-2303GL USB to Serial COM Port Driver and that needs me to scan for hardware changes each time I set up the USB connection (via Computer Management / Device Manager / Ports), but once that's done it all works fine.

I've just got a new laptop with Windows 11 and repeated the same installation and setup process that I did with the old laptop and Windows 10, but when I ask the SynScan App to connect it now fails.

Has anyone had any luck using the SynScan App with Windows 11? Are there any special things that are needed that I haven't mentioned above?

[StevieDvd]

Used the Sysnscan app on Windows 11 many times. The usb/serial lead is what uses either a Prolific or FTDI syncan can use either.

If you have an older lead you may need to load the later Prolific driver or if the lead does not support that a new lead might be required.

You can check what com port it is trying to set in device manager and whether there is a driver issue too.

HTH

Steve

[PeterC65]

Thanks @StevieDvd. My mount is the SW SynScan AZ GOTO, with a handset that has a USB port. So I just use a plain old USB cable to connect the SynScan handset directly to the laptop, with no USB chips in the cable. This worked fine with the old laptop with the Prolific driver installed, but it no longer works with Windows 11.

 

[StevieDvd]

Ahhh I see I do the same connected my StaradventurerGTi using the USB port & standard A-B cable.  I downloaded the latest PL driver from here it's marked as v1100  though I also managed to use an old eqmod cable as well using an older version so I don't think there's a Win 11 issue.

If you right-click on the start button and run Device Manager you can expand the com port section. Then in the view menu, select the 'Show hidden devices' to see the com port it set last time. If you then reconnect and it selects another com port that might be confusing the Syncan auto scan. Try using the com port number that gets activated instead of lettig it auto detect.

 

 

[PeterC65]

Device Manager is telling me that the PL driver is working and I am able to control the mount with the ASCOM driver which also use it. I think the Prolific chip is in the handset and that is why I only need a standard USB connection but the PL driver installed.

The SynScan App is set to use  COM3 which is where the PL driver is sitting. The ASCOM driver is also using COM3.

Since the ASCOM driver works and the SynScan App doesn't this looks like an issue with the App on Windows 11.

The ASCOM driver needs the handset to be left in standby whereas the SynScan App needs it to be in PC Direct Mode.

For now I'm just using the ASCOM driver.

 

[StevieDvd]

That's a little better then. The mounts with USB ports have the serial chip in the mount, as do handsets with usb ports.  I've not heard of there being a difference between the ascom and synscan settings on a handset before, it was normally setting the handset into a mode that would allow a computer to connect via a com port (PC Direct as I recall).

Does Synscan work OK when the handset is in PC Direct mode? If it can see the com port the baud rate might need to be set at 115200 (as it's a using a more modern internal serial chip) but otherwise keep as 9600.

Perhaps it's the eqmod/ascom mode needing standby which needs to be looked at - if you were to use an eqdir cable connected to the handset port I would expect both ascom & synscan to work.

Steve

[PeterC65]

The SynScan App has always needed the handset to be in PC Direct Mode, even with the old laptop and Windows 10.

The ASCOM driver, and Stellarium direct, need the handset to be in standby. If it is in PC Direct Mode then they cannot see any COM ports.

This always seemed odd to me as I would expect any connection to a laptop to need the handset to be in PC Direct Mode.

My current plan is to try the ASCOM driver setup when I next get a clear night and hope that everything works well enough for me to abandon the SynScan App.