I used AFP extensively earlier this year and loved it. A few months have gone by since I last used it, and now it's telling me that it can't find the interface. I'm using windows XP, with the AFP interface cable (not the USB), and a Futaba 4 channel radio. I'd love to get back to using the software. Can anyone identify the problem?

Do you have the latest patch installed?

i have the afp1686.exe installed. I reinstalled the original software just now, then the afp1686 patch, but I still get the same problem. I went through the Windows game controller installation procedure as stated in the construction manual. Still doing nothing. I suspect this change came after I installed Windows Service Pack 2 not too long ago. I noticed in another post you said something about resetting the IRQ for the serial port and the game port. How does that work? And could the cable go bad? I don't have any teenagers using it.

Well since I've been selling AFP I can't recall more then 1 serial Interface being defective, they are pretty reliable.

It's 99% of the time a serial port issue. Go into your system manager and try to diagnose it.

Also what does it say on start up? Not able to recognize your serial cable? Or can you get into the options screen?

I fixed it! As you predicted it wasn't the interface cable. Nor was it Windows XP. Between the last time I used the AFP software and now, I installed the Microsoft Active Sync software for my wife's palmpilot. It connects through the USB port, but the default settings in that software occupy the serial port as well. When I disabled the COM port usage for the activesync software, AFP works fine again. I'm off to fly some. I hope you and others can use this info.