[chirp_devel] DTR/RTS control

[The Silver Fox]

I got a usb programming cable for my BAOFENG UV5R.  I have the prolific
3.2.0.0 driver on Windows 7 Home Premium.  It reads and writes the radio
with the VIP software albeit unreliably but it will not do either with
CHIRP.  It reads and writes without error if I use the serial programming
cable.
73,
Alan - W6ARH


-----Original Message-----
From: chirp_devel-bounces at intrepid.danplanet.com
[mailto:chirp_devel-bounces at intrepid.danplanet.com] On Behalf Of Dan Smith
Sent: Wednesday, April 10, 2013 5:44 PM
To: chirp_devel at intrepid.danplanet.com
Subject: Re: [chirp_devel] DTR/RTS control

> However, as I said, I have the RT Systems CT-29A, which was also *very 
> widely* sold for a number of both Icom and Yaesu radios, before people 
> started using USB.  I bought it years ago to work with the IC-7000. the
> With some serial ports, it works fine with both DTR and RTS high. 
> However, on the Digi serial port box I'm using (another widely sold 
> product), the CT-29A requires RTS *high* and DTR *low*, probably due 
> to serial port loading (why is why some cables work on some computers 
> and not others).

A lot of laptop computers and many USB-to-serial adapters actually just
swing +5V and 0V for the two states. It's a real problem for gear that is
strict about the standard, and may be why you have problems powering that
device there. Maybe the Digi box will swing to -5V for low, and that gives
you 10V to power it? I've not seen any adapters that are only doing 5V that
actually go to -5V on the low side, so this may mean that box wouldn't work
there anyway.

> If you don't want to do it, that's fine.  I use RumTrol for saving 
> memories on the IC-7000, so I don't need Chirp to do it;  the only 
> radio I use Chirp with, is the Yaesu FT-897D.  However, this isn't a 
> pipe dream of mine;  both RumTrol and Ham Radio Deluxe have seen the 
> need for quite some time, and it certainly wasn't me who prodded them;  
> my first exposure to both programs came with the feature already 
> there, so there must have been some demand other than my crazy idea.  
> Further, the feature is not hidden;  it's there with the serial port 
> selection.

I know that it's exposed widely in those apps, but it's far more relevant to
them, IMHO.
 
> You already have a menu list with "Enable Developer Functions";  you 
> could always enable it there.  Or, you could create an additional item 
> in that menu list titled "Advanced RS-232 Options".

Yeah, certainly could do that.

What do other people think? I see the options as:

1. Expose it on the clone dialog unconditionally 2. Expose it on the clone
dialog if the radio selected is one of a
   set likely to need this (i.e. HF rigs) 3. Expose it either if developer
options is enabled or if an additional
   toggle is set (i.e. Advanced stuff)
4. Allow for it to be set in the config file only and document it on
   the wiki
5. Do nothing

I don't think I want to do either #1 or #2, but I'm open to the others.
Thoughts? Marco, you do a lot with the Yaesu HF rigs -- any comments on
this?

--
Dan Smith
www.danplanet.com
KK7DS