# JMRI, QSI and a Mac



## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

I've been trying for some time now to get the QSI programmer to work under Apple system 10.6, with no luck. I typically have to reboot the computer and boot up under windows to use the programmer. The JMRI website clams you can use the programmer under Mac OS 10.6. I've followed all the directions, downloaded all the required software and drivers, but no sale--DecoderPro won't recognize the quantum programmer as a port. 

Has anyone been able to get this to work? 


MacBook pro system 10.6
JMRI vers. 2.8


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## Tom Bray (Jan 20, 2009)

I went over to the QSI website and looked at their FAQs on the programmer. They mention that it's USB interface is compatible with the PC but make no mention of the Mac. Somehow you need to get the driver to work first. JMRI can't fix that problem for you. 

I just got a SPROG II programmer that claims to be compatible with everything ... it is using an FTDI USB serial chip which has driver support of Windows, OS10, and Linux which pretty much takes care of that issue. 

If you can figure out who made the USB to serial controller embedded in the programmer you may be able to find the appropriate driver for it, assuming that QSI used the part in a more or less standard way, otherwise you are out of luck. 

Tom


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

Thank you Tom. The JMRI Website does list a driver for QSI's programmer: http://jmri.sourceforge.net/help/en/html/hardware/qsi/index.shtml 

But I can't get that driver to work. I'm sure that's where the trouble lies, but there's no point of contact for whoever wrote the driver. I'll try again on the JMRI user's group


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## LogSkidder01 (Jul 30, 2009)

I could not get my QSI Programmer to run on delivery and spent several days thinking it was the driver. I tried the Programmer on a Linux system where I had run Programmers successfully, and it was dead. Sorry to say this to a Mac man, but try it on another operating system. 

Note: We determined that a bad power supply had killed the programmer. Those little brick power supplies seem so innocuous. 

Ken


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

The programmer works just fine under windows. I can boot up my mac under windows, and it works just fine. It's just a bit of a pain, and also the windows boot partition takes 15 gigs of hard drive space, which is getting scarce.

JMRI claims to be able to run the QSI programmer under MacOS. I can get JMRI to run on the mac, no problem, but I can't get it to recognize the programmer, even though I've installed the required drivers.

I'm thinking the thing to do would be to just look on Craigslist for a used netbook. and just use that under windows


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

There was an article/post by some guy who said you could change the (this is windows) driver so that both jmri and the qsi software would work. 

I was unsuccessful in my first try of about an hour.... 

Where is the site that talks about the driver for the mac? 

Regards, Greg


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

Greg, it's here:

http://jmri.sourceforge.net/help/en...ndex.shtml


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

That link failed for me but I recovered it 

(quote your post, then switch to html source, then copy the link)... 

That's the page I was at to get the instructions on how to load the windows driver that will work with jmri and the qsi software. That procedure did not work either. 

There's obviously some tweaks or differences between systems that is not accounted for in these instructions. 

Regards, Greg


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