TROUBLESHOOTING SOLUTIONS: PIANO APPLICATION PC

PROBLEMS COVERED IN THIS SECTION
• security warning on download
• security warning on open
• piano not attached
• Arduino Serial Monitor open
• piano program problem

 

SECURITY WARNING ON DOWNLOAD

symptoms

When you attempt to download the Piano Application from the Sew Electric website, you may get a security warning like the one below.

DownloadWarning

solution

Click on the downward pointing arrow on the right of the warning message and select “Keep”.

DownloadWarningMenu

 

SECURITY WARNING ON OPEN

symptoms

When you attempt to open the Piano Application, by double clicking on the SewElectricPianoApp.exe file, you may get a security warning like one of the ones below. Warnings will be different for different operating systems.

Windows 7
warningWindows7-1

Windows 8
warningWindows8-1

solution

Windows 7

    Click on “Run” in the popup window that appears.
    INSERT IMAGE WITH THE “Run” BUTTON POINTED OUT

Windows 8

    Click on the “More info” link.
    warningWindows8-1
    REPLACE W/ IMAGE WITH THE “More info” TEXT POINTED OUT

    Click on the “Run anyway” button.
    warningWindows8-2
    REPLACE W/ IMAGE WITH THE “Run anyway” BUTTON POINTED OUT

PIANO NOT ATTACHED

symptoms

If your piano is not attached to your computer (or if it is attached improperly), you will not see a serial port entry for your piano in the list that pops up in the first Piano Application window. You may get an error message like this:

noSerialPort

Alternatively, you may see a list of serial ports like the following:

SerialPort3

But, when you click on any of them, you get an error message like this:

NoCommunication

solution

The correct port entry will be the same serial port you selected when you set up the Arduino software. It is usually, but not always, the highest numbered “COM” port. You can find your serial port the following way: Quit the Piano Application. Attach your piano to your computer and make sure that your FTDI board is properly attached to your LilyPad. Restart the Piano Application. You should now see a window with a valid serial port entry.

SerialPort4

 

ARDUINO SERIAL MONITOR OPEN

symptoms

If the Serial Monitor in the Arduino software is open when you run the Piano Application, the application will not be able to communicate with your piano. This is because your piano is already communicating with the Arduino software and it can only communicate with one application at a time.

If you have left the Arduino Serial Monitor open, the Piano Application will open and run, but when you attempt to connect to your piano, by clicking on the correct serial port entry in the first screen, you will get this error message:

NoCommunication

solution

Quit the Piano Application. Close the Serial Monitor in the Arduino software. Restart the Piano Application. You should now be able to connect to your piano. When you click on the correct serial port entry in the first screen, you should see a window like the one below appear.

FlatLine_PC
 

PIANO PROGRAM PROBLEM

symptoms

If the program you uploaded to your piano is not sending properly formatted data to the Piano Application, the application will not be able to communicate with your piano.

If your piano does not have the correct program, the Piano Application will open and run, but when you attempt to connect to your piano, by clicking on the correct serial port entry in the first screen, you will get this error message:

NoCommunication

solution

Quit the Piano Application. Open the Arduino software and make sure your piano has the right program. Your piano should be programmed with a program like the one at the bottom of this page.

Make sure that your piano has the right program by opening the Serial Monitor in the Arduino software. Your Serial Monitor window should look something like the image below. Note: Your numbers may be different, but their formatting should be similar.

YourSerialPort

Close the Arduino Serial Monitor. Reopen the Piano Application. You should now be able to connect to your piano. When you click on the correct serial port entry in the first screen, you should see a window like the one below appear.

FlatLine_PC