I will tell you what might be the problem but don't know how to fix it
other than the rules.d folder, (that I have problems defining rules in).

Try starting your applications as root from the terminal. I have an AVR
programmer that I can't get to talk to the USB ports any other way,
because it is not in a group that has permissions. Because I don't
understand how to set-up rules in the rules.d files I only use the
programmer as root started from the terminal.

If you can start your applications from the terminal as root, I bet Roy
can tell us how to establish rules and groups that will not be the
headaches that I got trying.