Teensy 3.6 COM Port Conflicts with Other Device

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randomvibe

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For some reason, my Teensy 3.6 COM Port (COM6) on Windows 10 conflicts with a 3D printer that uses the same Port ID. The printer was installed when the Teensy was not connected. As a consequence, programs will not upload to the Teensy. Is there a way to change the Teensy Port ID or serial number? Any other workarounds?
 
Never had this happen here - if system not rebooted then do that. Not sure why such a conflict would develop? Even each Teensy represents uniquely - assuming the 3D printer is not even Teensy related/powered?

Would use TyCommander myself and see what it shows - after rebooting.
 
disconnect all devices
open device manager
activate show hidden devices
uninstall COM6
connect 3D printer
connect Teensy
 
As a consequence, programs will not upload to the Teensy.

Teensy always uses HID protocol for uploading. Serial is never used for uploading. But if Teensy is running code implementing serial (a COM port to Windows), Arduino does send a special baud rate change message to Teensy to ask it to automatically go into programming (HID) mode.

So when you say "programs will not upload" because COM ports are messed up, I'm wondering what you really mean? Maybe you *can* still upload programs if you press the button? (suggesting HID is working but Serial is not) Or maybe no uploading is working at all? (meaning both HID and Serial do not work - likely a sign of deeper trouble like a bad USB cable or a damaged/destroyed Teensy)


Any other workarounds?

The very first thing to check is whether Teensy Loader (which only uses HID, never serial) can still see your Teensy when you press the pushbutton. In Teensy Loader's toolbar, turn off the "Auto" button, so it won't immediately reprogram your Teensy. Normally that's what you want, but for troubleshooting you want it to just stay in programming mode so you can see whether the hardware is still working.

With the Teensy Loader window visible and Auto mode disabled, press the button on your Teensy. Does the Teensy Loader window respond? If you unplug the cable, that window should go back to it's default "Press Button on Teensy to manually enter Program Mode".
 
OMG! The Mac... Being "difficult"?

Up until about 10 years ago (or so) I was an INSANE MAC BIGOT! :) Back "in the day" one of the Mac calling cards was the ease of installation of software. And then there was the legendary "not hackable" period... I started with a Win XP machine to play vid games... and then when I saw Win7 I began to "relax" a bit. Slowly I began to prefer the "Dark Side" :) and when Apple committed the heresy of going to an (UGH!) Intel processor - I sold the last Mac and went full Windows.

It has been a pretty good transition - and now I find the Mac interface to be a bit of a PITA. My, my how the world can change! :D
 
With the Teensy Loader window visible and Auto mode disabled, press the button on your Teensy. Does the Teensy Loader window respond? If you unplug the cable, that window should go back to it's default "Press Button on Teensy to manually enter Program Mode".

Not sure what is different since the original post, but I am able to upload programs. However, I have to press the Teensy button every time I attempt to upload a program. To back up a bit, I first opened the Win10 Device Manager. When I connected the T3.6, I saw "USB Serial Device (COM6)" appear under "Ports (COM & LPT)". COM6 conflicts with a 3D printer listing "RAMBo (COM6)". See photo #1.

I brought up the Blink example program, then compiled & uploaded. See photo #2. I made simple changes and cycled the upload several times, and for each instance, I had to press the upload program.

Then I started a separate Linux computer (the Jetson Nano), which has the Arduino IDE installed. I opened it, brought up the Blink program, and was able to upload several times without having to press the Teensy button. I was never prompted to do so. It just worked every time.

Back to Windows 10. I then connected a brand NEW T3.6. Never connected before, until just now. The COM6 listing disappeared. A new port did appear in the Arduino IDE, under tools, under Port - the new listing was "hid#vid_16c0&pid_0486&m... (Teensy 3.6) RawHID". See photo #3. With the Blink program up, I hit the upload button and it successfully loaded the program WITHOUT having to press the button. I was not prompted to do so. I cycled this several times, and never had to press the button. After the first upload, a new port did appear in the Win10 Device Manager called "USB Serial Device (COM5)". See photo #4.

Bottom line, this upload issue is only happening on my one Teensy that happens to connect as "COM6", which conflicts with my 3D printer. Not sure how it happened. All my other Teensy devices on Windows 10 work fine (T3.2, T3.5, T3.5s). For now, I'll reserve that COM6 T3.6 for Linux - no issue there.
 

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If you don't actually need it to be a COM port, for use by non-Arduino software that depends on accessing something as a COM port, you could also try setting Tools > USB Type to one of the non-Serial options like MIDI or RawHID. In those modes, HID protocol is used to emulate serial, so you can still use Serial.print() to the Arduino Serial Monitor. The 2 downsides are HID has less bandwidth (but still plenty for most uses) and other software that only knows how to use COM ports won't see it.
 
As @WMXZ mentioned - When I have run into issues like this in the past, I would go into the DeviceManager and turn on the option View->Show Hidden Devices

It used to be you had to set something elsewhere to enable this, but I think you might not have to do this anymore.

I then go through and delete most if not all of them. I do this from time to time as I play with lots of different devices , so I do this to get things back under control.

Alternatively what I will do, is to assign one of these devices to a different COM port number.

That is, plug in your Teensy. It should show up in your Device manager under ports. Double click to open up it's properties.
Click on the Port Settings tab.
Click on the Advanced button Tab.

Near the bottom of the Advanced page is a COM Port Number: with a drop down list, which in your case will have COM6 in it. Choose a different number. Preferably one that does not say that it is in use... And Ok the way out of the dialog. Typically the only time I go this route, is there are or at lest used to be some software that only worked if your com port was < 10... So sometimes I had to go muck with them in this fashion. But most of the time I will just delete the offending ones and many of the others...
 
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