HI


I have tried to use CAT commands, using a commercially built USB to TTL converter, marked FTDI TTL-232R-3V3-AJ. The connector tip is TX and the ring has RX. Software used was HamRadioDeluxe, N1MM and JTDX.

Nothing works. Have I got the wrong end of the stick, or should I assume that the converter is faulty?


73 d e SM6MOJ

What radio?

73, Willie N1JBJ

Hello Andrew

I had the same problem using the same as you a 3v3 interface, I had to get aTTLl-232R-5v 5v interface for it to work.

73

Ian G4GIR

If you are trying to control a QDX then you do not need any converter. Just a USB printer cable. Nothing special. 

And if the sw doesn't define QDX, use Kenwood TS-440 or TS-480 for CAT

Back in a previous lifetime when Windows 7 had just been invented and
I worked in a Windows hardware shop, we had a proprietary HP utility
that somehow made it onto somebody's key drive .... it read the ACTUAL
chip IDs on USB hosts, clients, and cables.

Does anybody know whether anything like that exists now, whether on
Mac, *nix, Windows, or DOS? I know enough about USB and my
programming abilities that I won't even think about trying to write
something. And right now our only way to test is to buy the cable or
peripheral and hope it works.

Something like this could potentially help identify fake FTDI chips,
which appear to have resurfaced. It also could be used to identify
chip incompatibilities -- we found early on that we had to test darn
near every USB device we could get our hands on. While we used a
joint Intel - Microsoft reference design for our hardware, our USB
host required a little bit of tweaking as part of our "secret sauce"
to add the product differentiation that allowed us to add our cool
features. And so instead of buying 10,000 peripherals, we'd get ONE
and test it before we contracted for 10,000. We'd also test popular
USB stuff like Logitech, because we had some ex-Dell tech support
folks who knew that people have their favorite mice (the mouse ball
story IS true, incidentally). Like -- I have an old Kensingfon mouse
that didn't work on one of my favorite systems, or on a work system, I
forget which. I put a red-orange Dymo LetraTag sticker on it that
said "DEAD?" on it ... like nearly a decade ago, and I'm still using
it.

So sometimes USB stuff just doesn't work on everything. Since most of
us are budget-constrained, we want to buy stuff just once, and use it
until the paint wears off or it dies of old age. My mouse is getting
there on both respects.

I'm probably going to ask this question on some other groups.

73
Jim N6OTQ

On Linux lsusb will get you this info.
On Windows, there is this
https://www.shellhacks.com/windows-lsusb-equivalent-powershell/#:~:text=Although%20there%20is%20no%20direct,display%20the%20information%20about%20them.

If you’re on Linux, the most common issue with FTDI cables is that your username needs to be part of the “dialout” group to use it with any software. 

In Debian it’s simple: sudo adduser USERNAME dialout

On 11/29/22 18:19, Matt KC3CRU via groups.io wrote:

If you’re on Linux, the most common issue with FTDI cables is that your username needs to be part of the “dialout” group to use it with any software.
In Debian it’s simple: sudo adduser USERNAME dialout

One other gentleman (Glenn) is also having issues with the CAT control and as far as I can
tell everything is correct (perms, group, config, etc.). I need to build my QDX enough so I
can plug it in and see if I get the same results. If I do I can then try to run strace and
figure out what the software is doing.

Unfortunately life has conspired to keep me a busy at the moment. Hopefully I'll get more
build time tonight.

--
Linux Home Automation Neil Cherry kd2zrq@...
http://www.linuxha.com/ Main site
http://linuxha.blogspot.com/ My HA Blog
Author of: Linux Smart Homes For Dummies KD2ZRQ

I have a QCX for 20m

Jim N6OTQ,
A small utility program runs under Windows (you don't need to install it, you just unzip it and run it) which shows all the devices connected to the USB port.
Since the installation of the operating system, it has installed drivers that were related to the machine. USBDeview v3.06 is the latest version.
I don't know if that's what you meant?
--
Gyula HA3HZ

Gyula,

It's not knowing which devices are attached to the USB port(s). I can
enumerate devices by counting the cables on my fingers.

It's a matter of knowing which chips or chipsets are used by the
attached devices. This makes a huge difference when chasing down bugs
or security issues.

This is a lot like the difference between "it runs on Windows" and
"WHICH version of Windows, and which build does it run on?" If you've
ever had Microsoft obsolete one of your software products, or worse,
program in a Sev 1 bug, you'd understand.

To put this into perspective, one of my ongoing tasks was to review
all of Microsoft's security patches as to how they impacted our
customized version of Windows Embedded, and evaluate the severity of
the bug and the importance to our customers of applying the patch.

73
Jim N6OTQ