[chirp_users] Programming Cable Guide

[Robert Terzi]

Regarding RT Systems's cables.  I got one when I first got my VX-8DR.
They were really the only source at the time for the connector.

RT Systems are using the FTDI chip but have assigned a custom USB Vendor ID
and Product ID to it.  Under Linux you can use this cable (and I do
use it with Chirp) by telling the ftdi_sio driver the additional
VID/PID to look for.  I have a UDEV rule that I believe handles
this.

Edit /etc/udev/rules.d/99-custom.rules contains customer udev rules
# RT Systems cable for Yaesu VX-8DR
SYSFS{idVendor}=="2100", SYSFS{idProduct}=="9e50", RUN+="/sbin/modprobe -q ftdi_sio vendor=0x2100 product=0x9e50"


This can also be done manual, by unloading (rmmod) the ftdi_sio
driver are reloading it with the addition IDs as an argument.

rmmod ftdi_sio
modprobe ftdi_sio vendor=0x2100 product=0x9e50

In the CHIRP repository there is something similar for an ICOM
usb connection in the tools directory, see icomsio.sh.

There is a way to do this on windows with .INF files but I've
never gone there and I'm afraid experimenting might be more trouble
than it's worth for me.

An alternative that I've never tried but have seen described for
other stuff that uses FTDI chips is there is a utility that can
be used to change the VID/PID along with some other parameters.
So if you've wound up with an RT system's cable but don't want to
use their software you could always set the VID/PID

Note: I used to think RT System's going the proprietary route was
for lock-in purposes.  After reading one of the Wouxun yahoo groups
for a while, it seems like 50% of the messages are related to
problems with serial programming.   By using the FTDI chip
and a custom VID/PID RY Systems has probably eliminated 90% of
the support calls they would get, so I don't really think of it
as intentionally handicapping any more.  There is no ambiguity about
which COM port the radio is on.

Sorry for the stream of consciousness, maybe this will help someone.

--Rob