Installing the QSI programmer and driver

Overview:

The programmer has a USB interface, and here are some tricks to installing the driver. This is because certain versions of the USB driver are not "signed" and Windows won't normally allow this.

In addition, there are some cases that certain versions of the user software (the program to load sound files, and the JMRI-like configuration program) need DIFFERENT versions of driver and this also interacts with the Windows operating system version. Fun huh?

Installing on XP

Installing on Windows 7

Installing on Windows 8/8.1

Installing on Windows 10

Installing on Windows 11

Installing the hardware driver on Windows 8 / 8.1 / 10 / 11

This can be a real pain in the ass. The driver needed seems to vary also with the version of the CV Manager software

Do not plug in the dongle! You need to install the software first!

The driver will not install on windows 8 or 10 with the normal install. Part of this is because it is unsigned, and Windows 8 and 10 won't allow this by default. The other part of the difficulty is that it needs to be installed in a troubleshooting / compatibility mode for windows 8/8,1

First, have the silabs driver already downloaded and in it's own subdirectory (unzip the file). The file I use is from the QSISolutions site named: qprog_usbdriver_winxp_3_2.zip

Now, you need to put your computer into a special mode to accept unsigned drivers. This mode is called "allow unsigned drivers" You will set this up, the computer will reboot, and after installing the driver, this special mode will go away after the next reboot. Note well: if you don't get the driver installed and you reboot, you need to start the procedure over.

Please note: some newer versions of the programs may need a different driver, I found this on the newer CVManager. Since I use the Titan ET features, I use the older driver.

Driver versions vs o/s and CVManager versions

On windows 11, and latest QSI programs, Silabs CP210x USB to UART Bridge, version 10.1.10.103, dates 1/8/21

Put computer in the mode to allow unsigned drivers (windows 10):

One way is to do this is:

Open the action center (you should know what this is otherwise google it)
go to all settings
then update & security
then recovery
then advanced startup.

Your computer will reboot, and then after some time you will be prompted with a menu with following options.

Continue
Troubleshoot
Turn off

Choose Troubleshoot

Then the following menu appears:

Refresh your PC
Reset your PC
Advanced Options

Choose Advanced Options

Then the following menu appears

System Restore
System Image Recovery
Automatic Repair
Command Prompt
Windows Startup settings

Choose Windows Startup Settings, then Click Restart.

Now the computer will restart and the boot menu appears.

Choose: “Disable Driver signature Enforcement” from the menu. Now windows will start and you can do the installation of the driver that is not signed.

Windows 8 procedure:

Here is a link to the procedure for Windows 8 with pictures: http://www.craftedge.com/tutorials/driver_install_windows8/driver_install_win8.html

(why in the heck are you still running windows 8?)

Earlier windows:

You can install the driver on XP, Vista and Windows 7. Nothing special, except there is/was a different driver for Vista 64 bit.

Now to install the driver (windows 10):

Sometimes you need to log in as the actual local administrator user. By default, this user is often disabled. Google "enable administrator user windows 10"

I still do the troubleshooting way, but some people can directly install from here.

Clearly, navigate to the folder where you unzipped the driver.

Then right click on the installer executable: QP_USBXp_Installer.exe and select "troubleshoot compatibility"

I pick the "troubleshoot program", then tick the boxes for "earlier versions of windows" and "requires additional permissions"

On the operating system selection, I pick Windows 7

This is pretty much the most bulletproof method. Sometimes you don't need all of this, sometimes you do.

Once the software installs, THEN plug in the programmer

If you get stopped from running the program, you can change the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System\EnableLUA to 0 in regedit. you will probably have to reboot.

For using the 3.0.0.18 CV Manager, the usb driver I have installed is a USB device, called "Quantum Programmer", version 3.2.0.0, with a date of 2009_11_1

Using/debugging programmer after driver installation: Firmware version/upgrading

You need to install the software driver first, which makes the programmer available via a "COM" port. The following sections address the selection and installation of the driver. DO THAT NEXT, and then come back here.

After installation, you should check for upgrade of the firmware in the programming "dongle" at least when you get one. It's in a really weird place in the programming software.

right click on the upper left of the title bar of the Quantum Upgrade window, right on the words "Q2Upgrade"
Yes, there is nothing up there, but when you do it, you get a menu you cannot get any other way.

Capture2

Now click on "Quantum Programmer...", click that, and then you get another menu.

Capture3

Click "retrieve firmware version".. you will then see the version in your dongle. If you get nothing back, then you are NOT communicating with the dongle, or it is dead.
Also check "get error status"
If your firmware version is not 2.0.5, then you should be able to upgrade the firmware. This is the latest firmware as of 2021

Now if everything is good so far, we can check the "final stage" of the programmer, the connection to the decoder.

Click on the "Diagnostics..." menu
now you get the menu below:

Capture4

Click the "Measure Baseline Current" button.
You should see something between 2 (decoder only) to about 15 (maybe some lights)
ZERO means that there is no connection detected, either you are not connected to the decoder, or the output of the programmer is bad (broken)
very high, like over 100 means you have a dead short (either short circuit across the output, or the programmer is bad or the decoder is bad.