[chirp_users] Icom IC-T90A: Rolling an OPC-478 cable with a CP-2102 USB board

[Jim Unroe]

On Fri, Nov 29, 2013 at 3:00 AM, Chris Suleske <suleske at gmail.com> wrote:

> I've successfully made cables for both a Baofeng UV-3R and UV-5R using a
> CP-2102 USB board.  Total cash outlay for each, about $3.
>
> Now I'm moving on to my real radio, an Icom IC-T90A.  I found the
> following info:
>
> http://highfields-arc.co.uk/constructors/other/opc478.htm#usb
>
> But it has not produced fruit with the Icom CS-T90A software.
>  Specifically, it errors "Cannot access COM port."  If I remove the cable /
> diode from the header and jump TX and RX pins together, the CS-T90A
> software responds differently, indicating "No answer from the transceiver."
>  So, I know the software and the CP-2102 are talking.  There's a note in
> the instructions above about connecting the CTS and RTS pins together...
> which I can't do on the 2102 board I have.  The pins are on the IC of
> course, but not connected to anything on the board.  The diode I used
> appears to be good and electrically, the cable seems sound.  Any ideas?
>
> BTW, I found a treasure trove of info on T90A programming, courtesy of
> Eric Behr at NIU.  I plan do dig into the following when I have a little
> more time:
>
> http://www.math.niu.edu/~behr/Ham/Files/ic90memory.pdf
>
> http://www.math.niu.edu/~behr/Ham/Files/Icom_T90A-Memory_Map.pdf
>
> I would love to be able to easily port all the frequencies between my rig
> and my sons' rigs.
>
> Chris, W1CAS
>

Chris,

What I found out by using CP-2102 modules to make programming cables for my
UV-5R (and other radios) is that the module ports are not consistently
labeled. Some labels indicate "what the port is, receiver or transmitter"
and other labels indicate "what the port connects to on the device".

This webpage shows modules with both types of labeling
http://www.miklor.com/COM/UV_Technical.html#progcable

If the TX means "I am the module's transmitter" and RX means "I am the
module's receiver", then they would connect this way

module | plug
TX - Cathode
RX - Anode - Sleeve

If the TX means "connect me to the device's transmitter" and RX means
"connect me to the devices's receiver", then they would connect this way

module | plug
RX - Cathode
TX - Anode - Sleeve

So if it doesn't work connected the first way, try connecting it the second
way.

Jim KC9HI
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