USB programming cables

[webmedics]

Is there such a thing?

After quite a frustrating experience this week, I'm determined to find a Ribless, USB powere, programming cable or convince someone on this board to engineer these and make a fortune. All I ask is that I receive one for my XTS3000 in exchange for this incedible idea.

I had to Email files back and forth, download to a computer that didn't have a floppy, to burn it to a CD, then over to a laptop that didn't have a CD writable drive, but did have a floppy, and from there to the laptop with the 9 pin serial port. Did I mention having to reverse that process half a dozen times?

So... who's going to be the first to make one?

[kcbooboo]

It's cheaper, and there's no engineering costs involved, to just obtain an older laptop computer that has a serial port and a floppy on it. Then load some of DOS 6.22 and make this your programming computer. It will work just fine as long as you keep it for that purpose only.

If you get one with a CD-ROM drive, you could make it a dual-boot system with some version of Windows on it as well. But you shouldn't need to burn CDs on it.

Just my opinions and suggestions, of course.

Bob M.

[wavetar]

Is there such a thing?

Well, yes...the XTS2500/5000 have a USB cable available from Motorola, as well the design has been emulated & has shown up both here & on ebay. So far as I know, nobody's made one to work for any other model of radio. I think the XTL5000 has a USB cable too, but am unsure of that.

The 'big boys' like Belkin can't even make a USB-to-serial adaptor that works reliably for CPS programs...your mileage varies greatly...never mind DOS stuff. They seem to work ok for devices which already talk in RS232 language, but adding a RIB in-between (or it's mini 'ribless' equivalent circuit) adds another layer of complexity. I think the ticket might be to build a direct TTL-to-USB converter, eliminating the RIB (and the first step TTL-to-serial conversion) entirely. Can such a thing be done? Probably. Maybe someone can find the time for it.

Todd

[kc7gr]

You can also get hold of PCMCIA/CARDBUS cards that create a true serial port on your flaptop. They can often be had from Greed-bay, used computer stores, or even (on occasion) from ham radio swap meets.

Happy hunting.