We provide different Windows drivers with the MCS6(A) / MPA4(T). A 32 bit driver for Windows XP, 32 bit and 64 bit drivers for Vista and Windows 7/8. The drivers are in the WDMDRIV directory of the CD or the downloaded software in respective subfolders winxp, vista, win7. 

Before operating a MCS6, please start the device manager, this can be done for example by right-clicking the "My Computer" symbol on the deskop, then selecting "Manage" from the drop-down menu and then selecting the device manager. Connect then the MCS6 to the USB1 port if not already done and switch on the MCS6 power. If the driver is installed, you should now see in the device list a category "FAST ComTec USB Device" with a "FAST ComTec MCS6 USB Driver". If the driver is not yet installed you will be prompted to install a driver; insert then the CD and specify the directory corresponding to your Windows version.

It is not necessary to connect both USB ports. The USB1 port must be connected. The USB2 port may be connected to improve the maximum data throughput from about 30 MB/s to 35 MB/s. You should then see the driver twice in the device list. Sometimes the driver will not be immediately successfully found and initialized when connecting or switching the power on, as the processes for recognizing and initializing are a bit critical in timing. In this case you will not see the MCS6 driver in the device manager. Please disconnect then the power of the MCS6, wait half a minute, and connect it again. Usually you should then see the driver in the device manager, please start then the software. If the software can successfully communicate with the MCS6, you will see 5 lines at the bottom of the status windows at the left side of the MPANT program showing the temperatures of board and FPGA, a "Data Lost" indicator, the number of USB ports used and the Data length.

If the software cannot communicate, you will get a message "MCS6 A not found or device driver not installed" and a single text line "DEMO" instead of the 5 lines in the status window.

A true USB 2.0 port is required for the MCS6. A USB 3.0 port or old USB 1.x ports will not work. You need good USB cables, please use the cables supplied with the device.

How to verify whether the USB port is 2.0, 3.0, or 1.0?

The USB 3.0 port has 9 pin connectors, USB 2.0 only 4. Since USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports may coexist on the same machine and look similar, the USB 3.0 connector is blue in colour. Please avoid such blue connectors, there are always also white USB ports that are true USB 2.0 ports.

USB 1.x connectors are the same as USB 2.0, USB 2.0 includes USB 1.x. You can see in the device manager if USB 2.0 is included in the PC USB chipset. In the device category "Universal Serial Bus controllers" you will find for USB 1.x  drivers like

"Intel(R) 82801GB USB Universal Host Controller - 27C8"
and, if USB 2.0 is supported, a driver like
"Intel(R) 82801GB USB2 Enhanced Host Controller - 27CC". 

Only rather old PC's do not support USB 2.0, USB 2.0 was released in 2000.

Meanwhile we have a new firmware for the MCS6A and MPA4(T) that fixes the problems with USB 3.0 compatibility and recognizing the device. The firmware can be downloaded from the support page and programmed in the software Settings..Test, Inspect..Update Firmware..

For operating the MCS6A / MPA4(T) with the new firmware please download and install also the latest software. The old software must be uninstalled before installing the new version.