iButton Drivers

iButton Driver Help

When connected to an iButton Reader, the inspector iButton can serve as a software licence to run the WavePro or WaveProQSR software in full mode without needing an instrument attached.

In order for the reader and iButton to be recognized, the correct software drivers must be installed on the computer. This page describes the steps to troubleshoot any iButton connection issues.

iButton

Basic Driver Installation Steps

Before installing the software drivers, you should make sure that no iButton reader is currently connected to the computer.

You will need to ensure that you have Administrator rights on the computer onto which the drivers are being installed. If you do not know what this is, then it is recommeded that you ask your IT department for installation assistance.

The WavePro installation/upgrade routine will try to call the iButton driver installation routine as part of the installation process. Installing WavePro normally installs the iButton drivers without any issue.

However, if that installation does not work, a separate iButton driver installer can be downloaded and then run from:

The manufactor’s website. Most users will need the ‘Windows 10′, ’64 bit 1-wire drivers’ selection.
A copy of the installer on this webpage.
A copy of the installer(OneWireDrivers_x64.msi) that is installed with WavePro/WaveProQSR in the c:\WaveMkr\WavePro1\iButton64 sub-directory.

Checking Driver Installation

Once the drivers have been installed, you can plug the iButton Reader into an available USB port and it should be found. The first time that a reader is connected, Windows may prompt you to allow for the installation, please allow the driver installation from the reader provider: Maxim-IC (which is now owned by Analog Devices).

Running Windows Device Manager allows you to confirm that the device was correctly recognized. In the list of devices, the iButton Reader should appear as ‘1-Wire’ (as shown on the device manager image). There should not be any indication that it has an error; it should be listed under ‘1-wire’, not unknown devices. If it is not showing, try

Unplugging the reader and plugging into a different USB port, or
Reinstalling the iButton drivers.

1-Wire in Device Manager

Open WavePro in Reader Mode

Using to Run WavePro/QSR

When you run WavePro (or WavePro QSR) with a valid, unexpired, iButton attached via an iButton Reader, it should automatically open in full analysis mode (even if no instrument is attached).

If the iButton cannot be found, you may get the ‘Open in Reader Mode’ message (as shown in the nearby image). If you get this message, try reconnecting our iButton and iButton reader and then pressing ‘Search for Instrument’ (that will also search for an iButton).

If it is still not found, then

Open in Reader Mode
Select the Menu item ‘Actions: Reread Inspector iButton‘
Interpret any messages that are given. For example, it will indicate if the reader was found (but no iButtons), if the expiry date on the iButton has been exceeded, or some other common issues.

An alternative way of determining the information stored on an iButton is to present it to the reader on a Wavemaker or QSR instrument; the Inspector screen on the instrument will show the information that can be validated from the iButton.