I personally have tried about 5 different adapters. Even USB-RS232 adapters from with the same chip set different sources seem to function differently. It took 5 adapters before I found one that would work with my laptop. Personally, I think the issue is that different adaptors function differently on different computers as well. One that works on my HP server machine will blue screen my one laptop. I have tried these adapters on about 5 different computers and depending on the computer they might or might not work.
A good ethernet interface which communicates without using any rs-232 serial bus protocall internal would be best. The user could then simply plug the radio into the network, set a static IP address and port and connect to it using the PC and an existing network card. The only wire required would be a network cable. If you do not happen to have an extra network connection you would need a switch or router, but they are very very cheap. Until the software vendors get their software upgraded you could use one of the free programs that create a virtual serial port and forward the commands to an IP address. I suspect the software vendors would be very quick to make the change to connect directly via IP since it is essentially doing the same communications on a the ethernet interface. I have not added that to K-Keys yet, but I am now considering adding it.....just to make a point. An added benefit to an ethernet interface is it would eliminate the need for a program such as LP Bridge. With ethernet, the K3 would know who is connected to it because each connection would have its own port. That would allow the K3 to know who is requesting information, so it could respond to just that machine. It could also broadcast certain information to all connections (like the frequency) so that each software program would not have to constantly poll the K3. This would make the communication much more efficient. I don't mean to be putting down LP Bridge. It is a great program and works very well, but it exists because the only one software application can talk reliably to a serial port at one time. Ken KE3C On Mon, Mar 15, 2010 at 6:51 AM, Bob Naumann <[email protected]> wrote: > K6LE said: > > "I personally don't see the "angst"." > > I have to agree. > > Most of the angst seems to come from those who think that USB to Serial > adapters should be plug and play without doing any work. While such an idea > sounds like it makes sense, the reality is quite different. > > Getting these things to work is troublesome - sometimes. Sorry. > > All the repeated and incessant bleating here about it is just a waste of > bandwidth. > > 73, > > Bob W5OV > > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:[email protected] > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[email protected] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
