Struggling with Dazzler setup

[Rufus Shippert]

Thanks to famousd, I feel like I've gotten pretty far, but I'm still missing something.

I've updated my firmware and it looks like I did it right.  Before, I didn't have the "Dazzler Kaleidoscope" option:

As per https://www.hackster.io/david-hansel/dazzler-display-for-altair-simulator-3febc6, I set the Dazzler option to "USB Native Port":

My understanding is that the native USB port is the port on the Arduino Due next to the programming port.  Is that right?

When I connect this port to my Windows system, I don't get another COM port, just an errored out "USB Composite Device".  Here's my Device Manager; COM3 is the programming port, the banged out USB Composite Device is from what I think is the native USB port:

When I run Dazzler.exe, I see COM3 but nothing else:

Any idea what I'm missing?  Do I need to do more configuration?

[da...@hansels.net]

Sounds to me like there is some issue with the Windows driver for the Arduino DUE native port.

I have two things to suggest:

1) Make sure the Windows driver for the native port is installed properly. Maybe un-install and re-install the driver?

2) un-comment the #define USE_NATIVE_USB_TX_OPTIMIZATION at the top of file host_due.cpp and the re-upload the AltairDuino firmware.

     I seem to remember some people having issues with this optimization but I don't remember the details.

David

[Rufus Shippert]

1.  Is there a procedure for reinstalling the driver?  

- Uninstalling the "USB Composite Device" in Device Manager and reconnecting the port just got me the same banged out device  

- Updating the driver in Device Manager didn't help;  I keep being told that the best driver is already installed.  I'm unsure about this because the instructions I'm finding say to point the  "drivers" folder in the Arduino IDE install folder, which I'm guessing is in C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Local\Arduino15\packages\arduino\hardware\avr\1.8.6\drivers

- I think you're on to something with the driver idea, since the native USB port isn't recognized, but I'm kinda stumped about how to fix it.  Maybe uninstall the Arduino IDE and reinstall it for all users?

2. My host_due.cpp file doesn't have #define USE_NATIVE_USB_TX_OPTIMIZATION commented out.  Is that normal?  Should I try commenting it out?

Is there any other information about my setup that would help troubleshoot this?

Many thanks!

[da...@hansels.net]

I don't really know of any procedure for re-installing the driver. You may have to (as you say) re-install the Arduino IDE.

Also I'm not sure whether that will help - It's just a guess. I haven't seen this issue before.

Regarding the USE_NATIVE_USB_TX_OPTIMIZATION - sorry that was my bad, I meant to say to comment that out,

not un-comment. I.e. try the software without the optimization.

[Chris Davis]

I have never used the Dazzler, but from what I understand about the Due, the Programming USB and the Native USB use different drivers.  The driver is supposed to automatically install by Windows, but we all know that doesn't always work.  I'd right-click that new "USB Composit Device" and select Update Driver.  Then browse for the driver.  If you have the Arduino IDE 1.X, browse to C:\Program Files (x86)\Arduino\drivers\.  If you have IDE 2.X, browse to C:\Users\<YourName>\AppData\Local\Programs\Arduino IDE\resources\app\node_modules\arduino-ide-extension\drivers\.  It will be called arduino.inf or arduino_due.inf.

[Walt Perko]

Hi, 

Why not build a DAZZLER terminal board and two joysticks?  https://github.com/dhansel/Dazzler  

Send me $15 PayPal and I'll mail you the three blank boards.  

Here are all the blank boards I have:  

     

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[Rufus Shippert]

I connected the Arduino Due to a different Windows system and got the same thing;  the programming port shows up as COM3, the native port is a banged out “USB Composite Device“.

So I go back to https://adwaterandstir.com/install/ and try “The Easy Way”.  Sure enough, once it’s done, programming port is COM3 and native port is COM4.  Hooray!

Of course, I no longer have the Dazzler options, but at least I can verify that neither the board or my systems are broken.  

The next step will be to comment out USE_NATIVE_USB_TX_OPTIMIZATION as suggested above and reload the Dazzler enabled firmware.

I definitely want to build the Dazzler board and joysticks, but I want to get it working with the Windows client first.

[Rufus Shippert]

Hmm… looks like my last message was deleted.  Maybe it was too long or I had too many screenshots?

Anyway, I got it to work.  I reinstalled the Arduino IDE with both programming and native ports connected, then reflashed the firmware with Dazzler enabled.  Now the Windows client sees the port and the kaleidoscope program looks pretty.  Hooray!

Many thanks to all!

On Thursday, August 14, 2025 at 6:15:33 AM UTC-7 John Galt wrote:

After you had enabled the dazzler in the firmware did you go into the configuration menu and set the dazzler to use either the programmer or native port it will show a new option when enabled in the configuration menu.

you can set the dazzler to either programmer or native port it does not matter.

[Rufus Shippert]

I got it to work!

I think what fixed it was:

1. Flashing the Due "The Easy Way" to get it back to some kind of default setting and to verify both programming and native ports show up in Device Manager

2. Uninstall and reinstall the Arduino IDE with both  programming and native ports connected, then verifying both ports still show up in Device Manager

3. Flash the Due "The More Difficult Way", but using the variable settings listed in The Easy Way and also setting #define USE_DAZZLER 1 in config.h

4. Setting configuration to enable Dazzler

5. Plug in a joystick before running the Windows client (Dazzler.exe) - this seems important because some programs just put garbage on the screen if a joystick is not installed

6. Loaded DISK10.DSK (remember, it's a hexdec number) and follow the program requirements on the Dazzler page  

Kinda wordy, but I can't argue with the results!  Hooray!  Now to build the interface hardware...

On Thursday, August 14, 2025 at 6:15:33 AM UTC-7 John Galt wrote:

After you had enabled the dazzler in the firmware did you go into the configuration menu and set the dazzler to use either the programmer or native port it will show a new option when enabled in the configuration menu.

you can set the dazzler to either programmer or native port it does not matter.

On Thursday, August 14, 2025 at 12:15:49 AM UTC-4 rufuss...@gmail.com wrote:

[Chris Davis]

>> Hmm… looks like my last message was deleted.  Maybe it was too long or I had too many screenshots?

Google Groups are weird when it thinks it has found spam.  It cannot be understood.

[Walt Perko]

Hi, 

Now you can load a DZMBASIC.DSK and start running some of the newer software ... 

http://www.brainless.org/Altair/Repository/DZMBASIC-DSK-Files.zip

http://www.brainless.org/Altair/Repository/WKP-DAZZLER-Collection.zip  

All very active ... many have nearly infinite runs to create nearly infinite different designs on screen ... a few are just games ... and more games are in development ... 

                              

and many more ... 

.

[Walt Perko]

Hi,  

Forgot to add this link where you can see many of the programs functioning:  http://www.brainless.org/Altair/DAZZLER/

.

[Walt Perko]

Hi, 

I thought I'd pass this on to the group ... I sent a DAZZLER board set to Canada ... mailing normally would be between $5 and $12 ... but to Canada they added another $15 tariff!  

.

[Walt Perko]

Hi, 

Okay, I do not have any more DAZZLER board sets ...  

.

[Patrick Schröter]

Can you send it me, too ? I would like to build a dazzler board and have noticed your message ! I would transfer it with normal bank acount ?

[Walt Perko]

Hi, 

I don't have anymore sets ... just one odd out JoyStick board $5 including USPS 1st class mail inside the USA.  I've had the extra boards for a few years now.  I originally got 5 sets about 2022 from JLCPCB ... Order Y57-3325032A  and  Y56-3325032A  

David Hansel posted the Gerber files online in his GitHub ... https://github.com/dhansel/Dazzler/tree/master  

https://github.com/dhansel/Dazzler/tree/master/PIC32/schematic  

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