Blog by Suresh Mali

Access to COM port denied. Unable to flash Marlin to MKS base 1.4

2017-12-06T02:59:00.000+05:30

I was running stock firmware on my Tevo Tarantula. It performed well, but was limited in terms of features. So after reading through a lot of user feedback from Facebook Tevo Tarantula Owners group, I decided to flash Marlin.

Since I had Arduino IDE already installed, I downloaded the Marlin source files which Jim Brown has optimized specifically for Tevo Tarantula.

Follow the link and download: https://github.com/JimBrown/MarlinTarantula

Select EasyConfig-1.1.X from Branch drop down and download. Once downloaded open marlin.ino in Arduino IDE.

Edit the config.h file as required and upload. Now the process so far is straight forward and it should work. However this where all the issue began. "Access to COM port denied."

To being with fixing this issue, I thought some application must be using the COM port. So i closed all applications but nothing fixed it. Then since some applications run in bakground, I rebooted the system thus killing any application accessing COM port. After a reboot nothing worked.

By this time I was frustrated, and something clicked. I remembered installing Repetier-Server when I installed Repetier-Host. So stopped Repetier server and BINGO, it worked. So I uninstalled Repetier server and I was able to upload the firmware to my MKS base 1.4 board. Rebooted and everything works fine. I have to fine tune the options to get perfect print. More on the development in my next post.

P.S. Anybody facing issues connecting to printed using Repetier-Host or uploading firmware using Arduino IDE, check if you have Repetier-Server installed and uninstall it.

Thanks for reading.

Sample filaments

2017-11-25T04:37:00.000+05:30

I was looking around on the internet for prices on different types of filaments and manufacturers.
Came across Solid Space. They have a link on their website where you can order some samples before you buy in large quantity. So placed request for ABS and PLA filament. They were courteous enough to send me the samples nicely labelled with the print parameters.

If you wish to buy they do sell directly and on Amazon as well.

PLA Filament

PLA:
Extruder Temperature: 190C - 210C
Bed Temperature: 50C - 60C

ABS:
Extruder Temperature: 225C - 255C
Bed Temperature: 110C - 120C

Will let you know the results in my next post.

Beginning of 3D printing.

2017-11-21T22:42:00.002+05:30

3D printing is the new trend and have been around for more than a couple of years. So after considering the cost involved and a lot of research, I concluded that it would be fun to learn something new.

Purchase
Finally that I have decided to get into it, I started researching on the options available based on ease of customization and cost. Being an electronics hobbyist, whats better than being able to tinker around with the circuits and be able to modify as per my requirements. Also being on a very constrained budget, instead of getting a ready to print printer I opted for a DIY kit.

I went through a lot of reviews, feedback and assembly videos for different printers like Anet A8, Anet A6, CR-10, Tevo Tarantula, Tornado, Black Widow. In India the price of a 3D printer kit begins from 20K INR. And finding a reliable seller was a pain. Some who are reliable were selling of a very high cost. So I directed my self towards Chinese manufacturers.

The Hunt for a printer
I browsed through a lot of products on Aliexpress.

Given the price and popularity I settled for Tevo Tarantula. Placed order during a sale and ended up paying $200 (13K INR) and free shipping.

Tevo took 10 days to ship the product. Today as I write the product has been shipped using DHL. Might take another 10 days before it shows up. Now will have to wait and see what custom duty is charged.

more updates once I receive the printer.

Reasons not to buy from Paytm

2015-06-22T05:23:00.000+05:30

Dear Readers,

This post is specifically meant for Indian Consumers who shop Online. I am sharing a recent incident and my takeaway from the incident. I shop online on various sites, but am afraid to try any new website. Some of the sites on trusted list are Amazon.in, Flipkart.com, ebay.in, Myntra.com(which is now app only). When It comes to snapdeal I am a bit nervous.

I used Paytm to recharge and pay bills. Never had a problem with recharge. But paying electricity bill did not go through. One fine day I thought why not try their market to place to buy something. The discounts did catch my attention and they were very lucrative. So finally I placed an order and ended up in a mess. My reasons not buy are:

https://paytm.com/

No Paytm Customer Service over telephone. Only Email, Twitter, Facebook.

This a huge problem. Paytm does not respond to emails. You tweet and they realize they have to respond. Most of the time it takes 24Hrs or more for a response.

Customer Service Executives are just insane

The executives here do not read emails and respond. Maybe they don't understand English. They ask you for product pictures in case you receive damaged or incorrect product. Once you send it to them they reply asking the same question over again.

Turn Around Time is way too high

Now unless you have all the time in the world and ready to let go off your money, this is not the place to buy. Let me share my incident.

Day1: Ordered a product (shipping/delivery: 4-6days.) Was happy that will get a cash back of Rs.300 on a purchase of Rs.900

Day2: Seller has not yet shipped the item.

Day3: Sellers ships the item.

Day4: Item arrives at my doorstep(wow that was quick)

I open the parcel in front of the delivery guy, just to ensure the product is in there. Here comes the surprise... its not what I ordered. I ask the delivery guy to take the parcel back. He denies and says...Sir agar aapko return karna hai to request dal do koi aur aakar el jayega(Translation: Sir, in case you want to return the product raise a request and somebody else will collect it.)

Now I was mad and furious. I emailed Paytm care... on their website they quote a turn around time of 4Hrs. but no response. I tweet and wait... no response.

Day5: I tweet and got a reply stating we have replied on your email. I check my email and they ask for a proof. They want me to send the images of the invoice, the picture of actual product and reason how is it different. No issues. I click some pictures and emailed.

Day6: No response. I tweet and another email drops in. Again they want me to send the proof. I suggest that I have already sent. Assuming some idiot might have deleted it, I send pictures again.

Day7: No response. I post on their Facebook account. Now they want me to fill another form on their FB page. So I tweet, same email and again asking for proof. (Now its driving me nuts), later got an email that a return request has been place. Product would be picked up in next 5-7days. Wonderful, now I have to wait for another 5 days. The experience does not end here..I am still awaiting for the product to be picked. Will update once somebody picks up the product.

Thanks for reading, please share you views and share this post as much as possible to help others from such agony.

Assign Quick Clip(Notebook) Key to use as Camera for LG Optimus Vu P895

2013-06-19T08:23:00.000+05:30

Hi,

After searching a lot and going through several post found a way to Root my LG Optimus Vu P895.
If you would like to Root, you can follow the post on XDA-Developer here. The motochopper worked with my P895.

Now coming to the key assignment on your phone follow the below mentioned steps. [Root Required]
(P.S. Please perform the steps below at your own risk. I'll not be responsible for any damage caused.)

Install a file manager which allows you to access the root file. I used SManager.
Open SManager and browse to the following path "/system/usr/keylayout"
You would find the file named "osp-input.kl" (Please create a backup copy of the file before editing the original)
Open this file in Text Editor with -rw- (read/write) permission.
Locate line "key 212 Quickclip" and change it to "key 212 CAMERA"
Save the file and write the changes to system.
Reboot your phone and it should work now.

If the file is not available , it might be due to different regions. Let me know your progress, in case you have any problems or have difficulty following the post, let me know and will try to help.

Happy Hacking !!!

How to enable Virtual CD-ROM in Data Card

2012-02-29T14:12:00.001+05:30

One of the reader of my blog asked me question which made me think. The questions was How to enable Virtual CD-ROM in Data Card?

Virtual CD-ROM in Computer

After some research I came up with an answer. So thought posting it so that everybody can benefit out of it.
Let me guide you step by step on How to enable Virtual CD-ROM on data card.

We will need a software called MDMA which is free to download and can be downloaded from here: http://www.nerve.org.za/mdma/
After downloading extract the file MDMA.exe to D: drive.
Once you have installed the Drivers for your data card, open command prompt.
On command prompt type "D:\mdma.exe u2diag:1" without quotes and hit enter.
MDMA application should come up. The Data card will be ejected and replugged. The drivers will be reinstalled and now you should have your Virtual CD-ROM.
You can also disable it using the command "D:\mdma.exe u2diag:0"

There are a lot more commands that can be used, and can be seen using command "D:\mdma.exe /?"

I hope this helps. If you like this post, then please show your support by clicking on the "Like" button. This will encourage me to write more.
Thanks!!!

The journey of Asus RT-N13U router...continues

2012-02-08T19:14:00.000+05:30

Continuing from my last post The journey of Asus RT-N13U router [User review]

dd-wrt on Asus RT-N13U B1

After regular follow up with the Asus Customer Care, I finally got my Router replaced after 10 days. With a fear in my mind that I don't want to lose my router again, I began using it with the stock firmware and Asus Utility. The internet had no problem at all, but the Download Manager is Crap. I tried hard to make the most of Download Manager but I frequently kept loosing the downloads that had been partially completed. One fine day, I could not resist my self with trying the dd-wrt firmware.

So I went through a couple of tutorials, reviews to find the most stable firmware and some experience from past. I flashed my router again. And guess what this time I succeed. I have my Router running on dd-wrt, Also have Web Server, FTP server, Samba, and Transmission installed on a 2 GB pen drive. I have the Transmission client on my Android, thus I am not depended on my computer to start a torrent download.

So far so good....the router is truly amazing.

The journey of Asus RT-N13U router [User review]

2011-12-25T04:34:00.001+05:30

I wanted to get a router for new Tikona Broadband Connection. So after a lot of research I settled for Asus RT-N13U. Later found it had an upgraded version, that was the B1 version. So settled with this. Searched eBay, and after some search I found a star seller, offering for a price of 2998 INR including shipping.
I ordered the product, and withing 4 days it was delivered.

I was so excited about this router, why shouldn't I be. There were a lot of amazing features bundled. I will comeback with the features later in this post. So I quickly unpacked the box. It was wrapped in a plastic wrap. I pulled the router out and looked for the accessories included. The box contained:

Router RT-N13U B1
LAN Cable
AC Adapter
A quick guide
A warranty card.
A CD with Asus Utilities

Once unpacked the router, I plugged in the AC Adapter, and the LAN Cable, connected it to my Netbook.
Powered on the unit and it got connected. I poped in the CD and, came up a Setup Wizard. I installed the Asus Utilities. Ran the Asus WPS wizard. Connected the LAN cable from my Broadband into the WAN port. Within minutes the setup was complete and the Router after a reboot was ready to go. So easy.

Why did I choose RT-N13U B1 Router.

I am a download freak and have an unlimited internet connection. I wanted to have a download rig which consumed minimal power and could run for days. The cost to build such a rig was around 4-5K. When browsing the internet I came across this router which had a USB port. I was wondering what the USB port was for? When I went through the features, yes this is what I was looking for.

The USB port had some good use.

Plug in a MFD(Multi-Functional Device), a printer/scanner and the router could act as a print server. Enabling everyone on the network to share the printer and scanner.
Plug in a 3G USB stick/dongle and convert your router into 3G router.
Plug in a USB storage device and use it as a NAS(Network Attached Storage), use download manager and queue your download into the router for download and you can shut down your system and let the router do the downloading. Also enable DDNS and access your files from anywhere on the internet.

Amazing features aren't they.

Now I had this router for a week and all of a sudden it stopped acquiring IP from my ISP. Did a complete reset, but it did not work. So thought it was an issue with the firmware. So flashed the firmware downloaded from Asus site. That too did not seem to work.

I downloaded the firmware from dd-wrt. Spent hours to read the documentation. Finally time had come. Flashed the router with dd-wrt firmware. My fingers crossed hoping not to brick my router. Did a restart and to my joy, it was done. There came up the dd-wrt login page. Changed the settings, configured the router, and a restart. After a reboot I checked the WAN IP and to my horror this did not seem to work.
So thought it my a manufacturing defect and I need to revert the firmware. But now the router refused to connect. Spent 4 days searching various blogs, asking people in different forums. But nothing seems to work out. Finally I called Asus Support center and a lady after some initial diagnosis said that I'll have to visit the Support center.

Next day picked up my router, and reached the Asus support center. explained the hole scenario. The engineer there check the router and declared it dead. It was like the router went into COMA. The light were on, but no communication. So he finally agreed that it is a manufacturing deffect and will have it replaced. Since they did not have this model in stock, he ordered a replacement. The router comes with a standard 3years warranty but did not survive even for 13 days. Now I am waiting for the replacement router to arrive.

Share Internet with Adndroid Phone without a Router

2011-09-06T04:33:00.000+05:30

Do you want to share internet with your Android Device, but don't own a Router? No worries. Here's the solution.
To accomplish this we would require a software called Maryfi. Its a free software and can be downloaded here. Once you have Maryfi downloaded, download the WiFi Virtual Adapter from Microsoft.

Now we have Maryfi and WiFi Virtual Adapter, let see the setup process.

Install WiFi Virtual Adapter
Install Maryfi
Once done open Network Sharing Center from Control Panel. From the right pane open Change Adapter Settings.
Select the adapter that has internet connection. In my case I use USB Data Card.
Right Click on the adapter and select properties. Open the Sharing Tab

Adapter Properties

6. Check the Allow Other network users to connect.

7. Next select the Virtual WiFi Adapter from the drop down list. You can determine the Virtual Adapter from the above picture. In this case it would be "Wireless Network Connection 2".

8. Now once the above procedure is done. Run Maryfi.
9. Give a name to your Wireless Hotspot. Setup a Password.

Once done, click on Start Hotspot button. and you should be able to see the Hotspot on other devices.

I am able to connect to the internet on my Galaxy551. It supports Android 2.2

Hope this tutorial help. Please share your views. Happy surfing.

Did you know? You can download Facebook Account for backup.

2011-07-05T10:44:00.000+05:30

Today I was buzzing around Facebook, and I found a pretty cool feature... Download your Information.

Let me take you through the steps on how to download your account.

Log-In into your Facebook account.
Go to Account >> Account Settings

Under My Account>> Settings, scroll down to section "Dowwnload Your Information"

Now you'll be presented with a Verify Password Screen, enter your password and continue.

Once you are authenticated you'll be taken to the page as below. Hit the download button and you'll get a message that your information is being collected and will send an email once the download is ready.

What next?You will receive an email with the download link, just click on the link and download your account in a zip file. Isn't it cool. Have a look at some of the pages from the downloaded info.

Facebook Profile Page-Local Copy

Facebook Wall Post-Local Copy.

3G Data Card to Wifi - 3G Router

2011-06-01T07:18:00.000+05:30

Hi Friends,

Lately I have been seeing questions from users regarding sharing internet using a 3G Data Card to connect multiple devices. So I thought let me give a heads up to the users looking for a solution.

In today's market there are lots of different solutions available. Lets look at them one by one.

1. 3G Routers from service providers like Tata.

It has some features like
TATA Photon Wi-Fi can support sharing internet with up to 5 users/devices simultaneously on the go
The Router has a slim and compact design unlike many other bulky Wi-Fi devices that are currently available in the market. This makes it extremely convenient to carry in a pocket!
You can create a portable hotspot anytime, anywhere
Comes with a portable and rechargeable Li-ion Battery.
For more details visit http://www.tataphoton.com/tata-photon-wi-fi.aspx

2. Custom 3G Routers without modem available in stores and online

The application of such routers will be as below.

Some Features

Built-in rechargeable Li-ion battery
Shares 3G connection or xDSL/Cable connection with network users
Supports xDSL or cable broadband backup when 3G is not available
Provides USB 2.0 Port for 3G/3.5G modem
and many more.

3. Custom 3G Routers with modem available in stores and online

The application of such routers will be as below.

Features of NetComm MyZone Router

Credit card sized and stylish, weighing only 77g
With built-in 3G modem, WiFi access point, router functions and rechargeable battery
Insert a 3G mobile broadband SIM1 card to create a personal WiFi Internet zone
Wireless IEEE 802.11b/g for Wireless LAN speeds up to 54Mbps
Advanced network security with built-in firewall and WPA/WPA2 wireless encryption
4-6 hours of battery power in operation
USB-operated if no power point is available - operates while battery is being charged
Works with Windows 7/Vista/XP, Mac OS X, iOS, Linux and Android
Peak data speed: downlink 7.2 Mbps (HSDPA) / uplink 5.76 Mbps (HSUPA)
UMTS/ HSDPA/HSUPA bands: 850/ 1900/ 2100 MHz
GSM/GPRS/EDGE bands: 850/ 900/ 1900 /2100.

If you some more information regarding such products, please do let us all know here.

BSNL 3G - Error 619 while trying to connect to internet

2011-05-31T13:06:00.001+05:30

Hi Friends,

I have been receiving queries about Error 619 (The connection to the remote server could not be established) on BSNL SIM while trying to connect to internet. Today I too received this error. My findings say that this error has nothing to do with your card. You get this error when the validity of your internet has expired. and there is a 0 balance on your SIM.

Error 619 in Mobile Partner

To overcome this error, simply refill/recharge your account. Apart from this I tried several ways to recreate this error but this seems to be the only reason. In case you have any experience dealing this error do share here.

Thanks for reading and will be back some more interesting stuff. Till then happy surfing.

Review on Huawei UMG 181 with BSNL 2G/ BSNL 3G/ Vodafone 2G

2011-05-27T07:16:00.003+05:30

Hi Friends,

Today I received my Huawei Data that I had ordered from eBay last week.

It came in a small box not packed too nicely but that's fine. I eagerly opened up and thought of putting it to test.

Once I plugged it into my PC it was detected without any problem, Then it installed the drivers and showed up as Removable Media and CD ROM.

Once installation was complete, I used the setup from the CD-ROM to install the Mobile Partner that came with it. It was also installed successfully.

I removed the back cover and poped in my BSNL 2G SIM and plugged in the Data Card.Used Mobile Partner and changed the preference for Network Type to WCDMA preferred. The Data Card was able to register itself on BSNL's HSDPA network. Since there were profiles already setup, I did not have to fiddle with the setup of APN and Dial Up number.

Clicked on Connect and bingo it was connected in a single go.

Huawei UMG 181 Data Card:

Retractable USB Port
Slot for SIM and Micro SD Card
Slot for External Antenna
Indicators: Green(Blink) - 2G Network Available, Blue(Blink) - 3G Network Available, Green(Cont.)-Connected to 2G Network, Blue(Cont.) - Connected to 3G Network.
Firmware Ver. : 11.100.11.00.420

Mobile Partner (Shipped Along) :

Software Version :16.001.06.01.500 FaKiro
Voice Call - Enabled
Video Call - Enabled
GPS - Supported
Option to Control Bandwidth Usage by setting up limit.

Speed Test's

BSNL 2G

BSNL 2G

Vodafone EDGE


Vodafone EDGE

EDIT: As requested by an online friend to upload Mobile Partner shipped with this data card, I have made it available and you can download it here

Mobile Partner ver.16.001.06.01.500 FaKiro

Will post more speed results later. If you want to know anything specific to Huawei UMG 181, you can go ahead and shoot your questions, and I'll try to answer as much as possible.

Huawei UMG 181 Specifications

2011-05-18T03:27:00.002+05:30

Hi All,

Today I ordered a data card from ebay, Huawei UMG 181. I'll be using this device with BSNL 3G.
Below are the specifications for this product.

Huawei UMG 181

SPECIFICATIONS

Technology: GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA
Frequency: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz (GSM/GPRS/EDGE); 900/2100 MHz (UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA)
HSDPA data transfer speed up to 7.2Mbps
HSUPA date transfer speed up to 2Mbps. (Can be upgraded to 5.7Mbps after firmware upgrade as per some blogs)
Operation System: Microsoft® Windows Vista®, XP, 2000 (Plug-and-play); Apple® Mac® OS X version 10.4 or later
Antenna: Internal Antenna /Slot for External Antenna
USB 2.0 connectivity
Dimensions: 2.6 x 1.0 x 0.5 inches
Integrated microSD card slot
Multicolor LED status indicator
Price Rs.2499.00

I am expecting this device by Monday. Will post reviews once I recieve this device.

Please post your comments if you have had a chance to use this device.

DIY- Signal Booster/Antenna for 3G Data Cards

2011-04-24T23:29:00.000+05:30

Hello Dear Readers,

Today I have come up with a simple way to create an Antenna/Signal Booster for your 3G Data cards. After implementing this project I found a gain of almost 10-15db.

The signal strength before implementation was -87db....

Signal Strength before implementation

now after implementation the signal strength is -69db, since the number is negative the smaller the number the better signal.

Signal Strength after implementation

So lets begin and build a signal booster antenna.

Material Required:

An empty plastic bottle, You can use an empty bottle from Pepsi, Coke, or any drink of your choice.
A scissor
Some Aluminum foil.(You can find some in your kitchen)
A Cello Tape
An USB Male-Female extension cable (as long as you wish).

Data Card, Male Female USB Extension cable

Lets begin constructing out antenna.

Cut the plastic bottle in a shape as shown below.

Bottle With the Cut and Aluminum Foil Attached.

Now you can either paste or staple the Aluminum Foil inside the bottle as shown above.
Once done insert the the data card inside the bottle, and use the extension cable to connect your data card to your system.
The end result would be as shown below.

Antenna/Signal Booster

Once done connect the data card to your PC and check for signal strength. Move the the antenna as required to get a maximum gain.
It might not look so cool, but the results are cool. You can put in your creativity and make it look cool as well.

I hope you enjoy building one of your own and find it helpful.

Please do share your experience and any ideas you might have to improve this project, and I'll happy to consider some great ideas.

Thank You !

Unlock and use BSNL Teracom Data Card with other service providers

2011-03-29T07:04:00.004+05:30

Dear Friends,

Due to security reasons, I had to remove this post.

Sorry for the inconvenience caused.

How to create Profile in Mobile Partner Dashboard.

2011-02-08T09:34:00.003+05:30

Hello,

I recently received a question from an internet friend on creating a Profile in Mobile Partner Dashboard used by Huawei Data Cards. So thought why not let everybody know.

You can also download Mobile Partner from here

Now assuming you have Mobile Partner open, goto Tools>>Option

Then follow the steps below.

click on the Profile Management in the left pane.
Click New to create a new blank Profile.
Give a profile name(Anything you like).
In APN group select static and the text box below becomes active. Type in the APN
In the Authenticaton key in the Access Number, usually *99*1#, sometimes this number tends not to work so you can also try using *99***1#.
Click on save.
Click on default to set this as your default profile.

Thats all and you are ready to rock.

Sollution to slow browsing/surfing speed problem:

If you are facing slow browsing speed problem, you can solve this by changing DNS server. I have a blogged about a tool used to change DNS here. Alternative to this you can setup DNS server in Mobile Partner itself.

In profile Management once you create the profile, click on Edit >> Advance>> DNS Settings. Choose static and key in the following DNS server.

8.8.8.8
8.8.8.4

These are google public DNS and they will help increase your browsing speed by reducing ping time.

Below are the list of some APN's I know. You can also help me update APN please post you comment and I'll have them updated.

APN

BSNL - bsnlnet
Idea - imis/internet
Airtel - airtelgprs.com
Tata Docomo - ??
Aircell - ??

I hope this post helps, if you have any questions please feel free to ask.

Thanks, and have a good time!

Increase browsing speed on BSNL 3G by changing DNS

2011-02-05T10:16:00.003+05:30

Hi Friends,

Since I got my BSNL 3G connection, I have been getting sufficient download speed however when I try to browse something, It takes years to load a page. So thought why not seek help from my friend Google. The reason I found for slow speed was ping time, when I check through speedtest.net it come's to 400ms. and some even worse. After a lot of googling I found a solution that If I change my DNS server to Google DSN or any DNS that is faster, it would help. So I changed and was amazed to see a huge difference.

I thought why not share it with the rest of the world. Here let me show you how I did that and what tools were used.

I found a free tool while searching named DNS Jumper. You can also download it from here.

Once you download all you have to do is,

Select you 3G connection.
Select a free DSN service from the drop down.
and Click Aply DNS to change.

Thats All!

I personally love this tool it changes DNS in a snap. Now you might be thinking why I use this tool why not manually change it. Yes, I did that too but once you reboot your machine the DNS goes back to Auto selection.
Using this tool saves me the hassle to manually going and changing it.

This tool also has a feature that I love, It pings all the DNS and selects the shortest time for you. Isn't it great.

Ok, seems its getting boring, so download the tool follow the instructions on their website and start browsing.

Hope you'll enjoy this. Please leave me a comment if you have any questions and I'll be glad to help.