Bob, even without a computer connected the beast should do SOMETHING. In conjunction with a pc and a running communication it is easier to judge WHAT it currently does.
To establish communication first find out what pinning the RS232 connector has: with the negative cable (black) of a voltmeter connected to Pin 7 of the RS232 connector check pins 2 & 3 with the positive cable (red) for the presence of a NEGATIVE voltage of a few Volts. If you can measure a negative voltage on one of the pins, you have successfully identified the Z3805's TRANSMIT pin. The other pin of 2/3 is the receive pin. Then solder a cable in this way Z3805 Transmit pin -> Pin 2 of pc RS232 port (9 pole D-Sub assumed) Z3805 Receive pin -> Pin 3 of pc RS232 port (9 pole D-Sub assumed) Z3805 Ground (7) -> Pin 5 of pc RS232 port (9 pole D-Sub assumed) Should you have a 25 pin connector for RS232 at your pc then the cable is Z3805 Transmit pin -> Pin 3 of pc RS232 port Z3805 Receive pin -> Pin 2 of pc RS232 port Z3805 Ground (7) -> Pin 7 of pc RS232 port No other connection is needed. With a cable like this start Z38XX and check that you that you choose the correct Com-Port for communication in the Parameters window. And yes, I know, being an owner of a Z3805 I should know exactly but I don't remember the day that I made the cable and I currently cannot access the back of my Z3805. Best regards Ulrich Bangert > -----Ursprungliche Nachricht----- > Von: time-nuts-boun...@febo.com > [mailto:time-nuts-boun...@febo.com] Im Auftrag von Robert Benward > Gesendet: Sonntag, 23. Mai 2010 05:31 > An: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement > Betreff: Re: [time-nuts] Z3805 utility, Was: AW: (no subject) > > > Thank you all for these inputs! > > Most importantly, the big question is: Regardless of RS-232 > or 422, will the unit do ANYTHING without communications? > Do I need a computer to get anything beyond the "power" led? > > I bought this at the Dayton convention ham flea market, and > the guy told me it was already modified for RS-232. The > board inside says RS-422 near the connector. Without the > other LEDs blinking, I'm worried I bought a dead unit. I had > a GPS antenna on it, but it never locked on. Do I need a > computer to enable this thing? > > Thanks, > Bob > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Bob Camp" <li...@rtty.us> > To: "Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement" > <time-nuts@febo.com> > Sent: Saturday, May 22, 2010 10:54 PM > Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Z3805 utility, Was: AW: (no subject) > > > > Hi > > > > In this case the RS relates to Radio Shack ...... > > > > Not a lot of standardization in the RS-232 world. Take a > look at the > > slew rate limiting requirements in the original > > document ... > > > > Bob > > > > On May 22, 2010, at 9:47 PM, Robert Darlington wrote: > > > >> Was there ever a standard? I always thought the "RS" stood for > >> Recommended Standard, as in "you *should* do the following" as > >> compared to "you shall do the following" I've seen > inverted TTL talk > >> to the RS232 port on laptops and I even sometimes use the max233's > >> (+/- 10 volts instead of 12), but always use the full max232 with > >> external charge pumps when it's a gadget that needs to > work everytime > >> with systems from multiple countries. > >> > >> -Bob > >> > >> On Sat, May 22, 2010 at 7:21 PM, Didier Juges > <did...@cox.net> wrote: > >>> Bruce, > >>> > >>> Thanks for the additional information. > >>> > >>> +/- 14V is quite unusually low in my experience. I typically use > >>> +Maxim parts such as the MAX220 series, which is > >>> specified at +/-25V for no damage on the inputs (some > parts in that > >>> series go to +/-30V). > >>> > >>> The bottom line is that as I pointed out earlier, there > is no such > >>> thing as an RS-232 standard any more. > >>> > >>> Didier > >>> > >>> ------------------------ Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless thingy > >>> while I do other things... > >>> > >>> -----Original Message----- > >>> From: Bruce Griffiths <bruce.griffi...@xtra.co.nz> > >>> Date: Sun, 23 May 2010 10:39:21 > >>> To: Discussion of precise time and frequency > >>> measurement<time-nuts@febo.com> > >>> Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Z3805 utility, Was: AW: (no subject) > >>> > >>> Didier Juges wrote: > >>>> Bill, I think you got it backwards. +/- 12V is typical > for RS-232, > >>>> 0/+5V is for RS-422 and RS-485. > >>>> > >>>> No RS-232 receiver should be damaged with +/- 12V or > even +/- 15V > >>>> because that is their normal operating voltage. > >>>> > >>>> Also, RS-422 and RS-485 have something like 25V common mode > >>>> tolerance (not sure what the actual spec is there,) so that the > >>>> RS-422 and RS-485 receivers should not be damaged by 15V either. > >>>> The RS-422 drivers are pretty low impedance, while the RS-232 > >>>> drivers are current limited, so I don't think that connecting an > >>>> RS-232 driver into an RS-422 driver will damage either. > >>>> > >>> Picking one RS485 receiver (ADM1485) at random the > receiver absolute > >>> maximum (no damage) input range is -14V to +14V. The > RS485 receiver > >>> operating common mode range is -7V to +12V. RS422 > receivers have an > >>> input operating range of -7V to +7V. The no damage RS422 receiver > >>> input ratings may be higher. > >>>> However, most recent (<10 years?) RS-232 receivers will > work with a > >>>> 0/+3V or 0/+5V input, conveniently having a threshold a > few 10's or > >>>> 100's of mV above ground, even though the original RS-232 spec > >>>> required receivers that work with as low as +/- 3V, and drivers > >>>> that deliver +/- 9V minimum. Many commercial systems use +/- 5V > >>>> drivers for RS-232 (B&B Electronics sells a lot of > converters with > >>>> these voltages). This is a deliciously sloppy spec that > nobody has > >>>> met in the last 25 years probably, yet works most of the time. > >>>> > >>>> The one thing to avoid is to short an RS-422 (or RS-485) > driver to > >>>> ground, as that can actually cause damage, maybe not every time, > >>>> but definitely not recommended. These have relatively > high current > >>>> output capability to drive long lines. > >>>> > >>>> Didier KO4BB > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>> Bruce > >>>> -----Original Message----- > >>>> From: time-nuts-boun...@febo.com > >>>> [mailto:time-nuts-boun...@febo.com] On Behalf Of Bill Hawkins > >>>> Sent: Saturday, May 22, 2010 3:09 PM > >>>> To: 'Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement' > >>>> Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Z3805 utility, Was: AW: (no subject) > >>>> > >>>> When all else fails, get out the voltmeter. > >>>> > >>>> Do you have power to the antenna? Is it the right > voltage? All the > >>>> way to the antenna? > >>>> > >>>> What volts are on pins 2 or 3 relative to pin 7 in the comm > >>>> connector? > >>>> > >>>> If you see 12 volts, that's RS-422. You may have burned out your > >>>> computer's serial port. > >>>> > >>>> If you see less than 5 volts, that's RS-232 and all > should be well, > >>>> unless you see zero volts. > >>>> > >>>> I may have the RS-xxx volts somewhat off because my memory isn't > >>>> what it used to be. > >>>> > >>>> The guy you bought it from should be able to help with > comm basics. > >>>> > >>>> Bill Hawkins > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> -----Original Message----- > >>>> From: time-nuts-boun...@febo.com > >>>> [mailto:time-nuts-boun...@febo.com] On Behalf Of Robert Benward > >>>> Sent: Saturday, May 22, 2010 2:08 PM > >>>> To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement > >>>> Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Z3805 utility, Was: AW: (no subject) > >>>> > >>>> Hi All, > >>>> I hooked everything up and I still get nothing. I can't seem to > >>>> establish communications with the Z3805. I tried a > null modem as > >>>> well, in case the cable (supplied) was wired with the wrong > >>>> connector gender. I see a green blinking light inside, > it he left > >>>> rear corner of the box. Everything is warm, but nothing > else. Any > >>>> ideas? > >>>> > >>>> Bob > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> _______________________________________________ > >>>> time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com > >>>> To unsubscribe, go to > >>>> https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts > >>>> and follow the instructions there. > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> _______________________________________________ > >>>> time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com > >>>> To unsubscribe, go to > >>>> https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts > >>>> and follow the instructions there. > >>>> > >>>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> _______________________________________________ > >>> time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com > >>> To unsubscribe, go to > >>> https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts > >>> and follow the instructions there. > >>> _______________________________________________ > >>> time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com > >>> To unsubscribe, go to > https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts > >>> and follow the instructions there. > >>> > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com > >> To unsubscribe, go to > >> https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts > >> and follow the instructions there. > >> > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com > > To unsubscribe, go to > > https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts > > and follow the instructions there. > > > > > _______________________________________________ > time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com > To unsubscribe, go to > https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts > and follow the instructions there. _______________________________________________ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there.