DICE unrecognized. Driver issue?

casbah99 · Post by **casbah99** » 14 Feb 2015, 19:24

Hi, I cannot get VIDA 2013A (or any other version I've tried) to recognize DICE. I did get them working together once a few months ago on another virtual computer, but now
VIDA and the virtual computer itself aren't recognizing the DICE unit, nor does the DICE diagnostic window recognize that I have the DICE plugged into the computer.

I have the all-blue-LED DICE, which I see from reading other posts on here is the cheaper version. (Had I known that, and all of the trouble it's caused, I wouldn't have ordered it under any circumstance.)

When I open up the device manager of the virtual computer the DICE unit is listed under the ports section as "Silicon Labs CP210x USB to UART Bridge (COM3)."

I have a 12V adapter plugged into the DICE.

I have .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 installed on the virtual computer.

I have tried plugging the DICE into every USB port.

Before the one time I had DICE and VIDA working together I had a lot of problems installing VIDA. Now I can install VIDA without any problems, but DICE is dead.

When VIDA wasn't working, DICE was. The VIDA installation would stop and begin installing DICE separately, leaving DICE shortcuts on the desktop. Now that I have VIDA working, it never offers to install DICE separately and never creates DICE desktop shortcuts.

I've uninstalled the DICE drivers and reinstalled them via the customized VIDA installation.

Does anyone have any idea where my problem might be? Is it a driver problem?

I included a couple of screenshots showing how both programs are acting as if nothing is plugged in.

Post by **precopster** » 14 Feb 2015, 19:33

Is the Dice unit being powered by the OBDII port? Dices need 12V from the vehicle to work. So far you haven't mentioned if it's plugged into the vehicle at the time.

If so has the vehicle successfully communicated with any other OBDII devices such as ELM327 or other scanner?

casbah99 · Post by **casbah99** » 14 Feb 2015, 19:52

No, it's not plugged into a car. I have it plugged into a 12V adapter.

Post by **precopster** » 14 Feb 2015, 20:04

Some of the units have no connection from the 12V adapter to the circuit board. Try a car for power from the OBDII connector and be sure ignition is switched to POSII.

casbah99 · Post by **casbah99** » 14 Feb 2015, 20:45

I plugged it into my car with the ignition in POSII. No DICE. It was worth a shot. I appreciate the suggestion. Thanks.

Post by **kranz** » 15 Feb 2015, 10:31

I have a "Blue Light Special" DiCE box and discovered quite by accident that for the purposes of just getting it to be recognized by VIDA or to run the DiCE diagnostic, it does NOT need to be connected to a 12v power source at all. Just plug it into a USB port. The blue lights flash briefly and then two of them remain on.

: DiCEdiagnostic2015Feb11.JPG (67.81 KiB) Viewed 7408 times

daverdfw · Post by **daverdfw** » 15 Feb 2015, 11:38

kranz wrote:I have a "Blue Light Special" DiCE box and discovered quite by accident that for the purposes of just getting it to be recognized by VIDA or to run the DiCE diagnostic, it does NOT need to be connected to a 12v power source at all. Just plug it into a USB port. The blue lights flash briefly and then two of them remain on.

Hardware version is 2.2.3 Firmware version 2.7.1

do you still have the driver CD for this? I desperately need this for my blue light special.. I just need the driver install. not the entire CD

casbah99 · Post by **casbah99** » 16 Feb 2015, 08:26

To recap -- plugging my blue-light DICE into the USB with no 12V adapter will light it up. The virtual computer (and my normal computer) recognizes it as "Silicon Labs CP210x USB to UART Bridge (COM3)." However, VIDA and the DICE diagnostic programs act as if I have nothing plugged in.

I'm starting to think that after getting it to work during one period a few months ago I now have a bulky bundle of junk.

Post by **precopster** » 16 Feb 2015, 13:13

kranz wrote:I have a "Blue Light Special" DiCE box and discovered quite by accident that for the purposes of just getting it to be recognized by VIDA or to run the DiCE diagnostic, it does NOT need to be connected to a 12v power source at all. Just plug it into a USB port. The blue lights flash briefly and then two of them remain on.

DiCEdiagnostic2015Feb11.JPG

This is very misleading because USB ports DO NOT supply 12V. They can only supply 5V. The screen capture shows 12.95 V at the diagnostic connector which can only be from a car battery or a separate power source plugged into the power inlet.

Post by **kranz** » 16 Feb 2015, 14:49

precopster wrote: This is very misleading because USB ports DO NOT supply 12V. They can only supply 5V. The screen capture shows 12.95 V at the diagnostic connector which can only be from a car battery or a separate power source plugged into the power inlet.

Yes. I found it hard to believe myself, but it is quite repeatable.