IO26 problem

[EmDeeArr]

First off I'm running Windows XP SP3. Let me know if you need more specs to be of some help to me!

I just picked up an io26 to replace my presonus firebox so that I could record my kit. I've got everything set up and ready to be plugged into the unit once I have it installed and working properly. I installed the drivers first and then plugged the unit in via firewire. Waited for the unit to power but the firewire (yellow?) light never turned on. My computer still recognized it as an alesis firewire device and ran the installer, so after waiting a couple minutes with no lights coming on, I just went ahead with the installation.

It went through 4 installations (as it said it would in the pdf file) and still no light. It's recognized under my deice manager and I've selected it as windows default sound driver, but I can't play any music through it. It's recognized as a sound driver in Cubase but I get an error code 2, could not switch to device or some such...

Would the computer recognize the unit even if it was not being powered? If you plugged it into a 4-pin firewire port without plugging the AC adapter would the computer still recognize it and run the installer?

I was powering my PreSonus FireBox through my 6-pin firewire port on the same PC (no AC Adapter), so I assume it should also be able to power the io26? My unit didn't come with an AC adapter. I've tried a few generic 12V adapters with no result. Do I need a 15V adapter? Do I need the proper AC adapter from Alesis? I've been messing with this thing for 2 days, I;ve gone through the driver installation at least 10 times on 3 different PCs running SP3 and I don't know what else to do. Please help me!

[dementedchord]

Originally Posted by EmDeeArr

Would the computer recognize the unit even if it was not being powered? If you plugged it into a 4-pin firewire port without plugging the AC adapter would the computer still recognize it and run the installer?!

no it would not recognize the unit if it's unpowered... i dont know that unit so i cant sat what it's power requirements are but a universal adapter of the right polarity and voltage with a current rateing equal or above the factory recommended unit should work fine...

[doulos24]

a universal adapter of the right polarity and voltage with a current rateing equal or above the factory recommended unit should work fine...

if it's regulated

[doulos24]

the back it shows 9-30 vdc and 15 watts max positive tip adapter I'd try 12 volts regulated at 1 amp or 1000ma supply

[TelePaul]

Disable on-board audio in the BIOS.

[dementedchord]

"you must spred some rep before negging doulus24 again"

[dementedchord]

Originally Posted by doulos24

the back it shows 9-30 vdc and 15 watts max positive tip adapter I'd try 12 volts regulated at 1 amp or 1000ma supply

for your sake i hope the internal regulation is'nt 9V... cause pushing regulated 12V at say double the current required could seriously fuk up his unit.... are you sure you feel comfortable with that??? idiot...

[EmDeeArr]

Originally Posted by dementedchord

for your sake i hope the internal regulation is'nt 9V... cause pushing regulated 12V at say double the current required could seriously fuk up his unit.... are you sure you feel comfortable with that??? idiot...

Is there no way to find out how much power is actually required? Why would it give me this range... Anybody with an io26 have the numbers off of the power supply?

And why would it not be powering through my firewire? Why doesn't Alesis menion any of this shit in the manual..?

[doulos24]

for your sake I hope the internal regulation is'nt 9V... cause pushing regulated 12V at say double the current required could seriously fuk up his unit.... are you sure you feel comfortable with that??? idiot...

yes considering I know what I'm talking about I do feel comfertable saying that. It can handle 9 to 30 volts 12 at 1 amp will not hurt the unit regulated

[doulos24]

time to take your dumb ass to school again get out your paper and pencil old man time to learn about ohms law

I have 3 9v batteries wired up in series so the output is 27v and x amps (500maH?) I want to remove the batteries in place of a regulated 24v 500mA dc power supply. Now this would seem to output alot more current then the batteries. Would I need to put a resistor at the beginning of the cicuit or does a circuit only take the current it needs and nothing more, so it would always take the right amount, even if the adapter was 10A?

I don't want to overload the circuit and it seems that resistors do more to the voltage and not the current, but isn't one affected by the other?

a circuit only take the current it needs and nothing more


if i want to connect my cricket to a "9v" wall wart(the thing actually puts 13.7 volts out) could i add a zener 9.1v in paralel to the power line to get the tension down?
I would leave it at ~14...or use a 7809 regulator, which might also reduce PS ripple, each zener in series drops the voltage by 1 diode drop.
* even if i do this and i take the voltage down to 9.1volts could the circuit burn from too much current? or does it only drain what it needs from the wall wart?
Circuits draw the power the need. Supplies supply power. Make sure your supply is rated for current above what the circuit will draw.

thats actully how you measure current draw from a circuit you dont know!


[B]...that's why it's referred to as "how much current a circuit will draw". Current is there for the taking, it's not "injected" anywhere. If there isn't enough "current surplus" available (ampacity), the voltage will begin to sag. I=V/R and E=I*R, Ohm's Law. Really important!

here is how you measure the current draw but I doubt you will go through this trouble you have to make a plug and a dc jack and feed it about an amp of current then read what its taking from the multi meter

[dementedchord]

Originally Posted by EmDeeArr

Is there no way to find out how much power is actually required? Why would it give me this range... Anybody with an io26 have the numbers off of the power supply?

And why would it not be powering through my firewire? Why doesn't Alesis menion any of this shit in the manual..?

the fact that they specify a range of voltages is indicative of the recommended power supply is not regulated and regulation is done internaly... as to why it wont power from the fw port... it may be able to if used in a 6 pin configuration... the extra 2 pins are how the voltage gets there...

[doulos24]

or the diffrences of running the firewire off a laptop battery vs the ac power cord that could also be why it has such a range in supply voltage. at any rate there has to be some kind of chip regulation going on cause just for the 48 volt phantom power alone there has to be a charge pump circuit. Taking 12 volts and multiplying it to 48 is a 4x multiplyer but at 9 volts its 5.33 so there has to be some kind of maxx chip family charge pump seeing the voltage and multiplying it acordingly to provide phantom power

a 4 pin firewire has no power on it. 6 pins do, but some computer busses cant provide enough power to run the device thats why they include an ac adapter as well

some computer busses cant provide enough power to run the device thats why they include an ac adapter as well

before someone argues that not mentioning any names or anything I got it from the alesis 26 i/o manual