Problem programming XTL2500 via USB

[TheAnka]

I am getting an open radio failed error trying to read the XTL2500 with CPS 14 and a brand new Motorola OEM ribless USB to radio control head mic connector cable. The cable I'm trying to use is the HKN6184A, and the radio is an M21KSM9PW1AN. I am selecting USB in the CPS, and the radio is detected as a modem and installed when it is powered on. I have tried it with a different laptop with another OS.

I've seen other posts that the USB cable will not work on the medium power (or low power) version of this radio, but the MOL part identifier person told me that cable I ordered was among the list of what would program the radio. (he referenced 6183A, 6184A, and 6163B)

I'm all confused, but I have an opportunity to return the USB 6184A and get another--if I can decide what to order. Can anyone confirm if I should drop back to the serial to round mic connector for the model xtl2500 I am working with?

[akardam]

The round/mic connector you're referring to is known as a GCAI port. You cannot use the USB version of this to talk to the TIB (front Tranceiver Interface Board) GCAI port on a remote mount radio, but in either dash or remote mount it should be able to talk to the control head.

Now... having said that, my experience to date with the XTL2500 has been that USB to the GCAI connector is notoriously unreliable. If you're planning on doing a lot of programming that way, I'd stick with a serial GCAI cable. Interestingly enough, I've not had the same problem on the XTL5000. Difference in control head firmware I suppose.

[MSS-Dave]

Hmmmmm...

I've not had the problem with the 6184 cable on my dash mount / mid power M21URM9PW1AN radios.....yet. Matter of fact, when the programmers were doing codeplugs here on site last year, they were having intermittant failures with the serial GCAI cables. This was on CPS 12 with host/DSP 12.xx or so.

Any chance you have old host/DSP in the radios? Maybe a goofy problem with CPS 14 to older FW in the radios....

Dave

[TheAnka]

The radios are brand new, months old. The cable and CPS is brand new, less than a week. The cable appears to be in good shape and didn't arrive damaged, and sending a query to the "modem" via device manager returns responces so I'm pretty sure the cable is ok.

I got it to read one time today, but just once, on the XP laptop. After saving the data and retrying to make sure I'd "solved" the problem I found that I could not read any longer.

I spent about an hour on the phone with Motorola Tech support and we got no where but tried a lot, and rebooted even more. The two guys I had an the phone were both fairly high level sounding, but I had already done everythign they suggested. (we did it all again, and in most cases we did it all a few times)

I'm kind of at a loss, other than trying yet another laptop. I have a standard serial type cable ordered for the portable series XTS2500, so when it comes in I will see how that works out. If it works flawlessly I will go ahead and exchange this USB type for the serial to use with the mobile XTL2500.

[Jim202]

The radios are brand new, months old. The cable and CPS is brand new, less than a week. The cable appears to be in good shape and didn't arrive damaged, and sending a query to the "modem" via device manager returns responces so I'm pretty sure the cable is ok.

I got it to read one time today, but just once, on the XP laptop. After saving the data and retrying to make sure I'd "solved" the problem I found that I could not read any longer.

I spent about an hour on the phone with Motorola Tech support and we got no where but tried a lot, and rebooted even more. The two guys I had an the phone were both fairly high level sounding, but I had already done everythign they suggested. (we did it all again, and in most cases we did it all a few times)

I'm kind of at a loss, other than trying yet another laptop. I have a standard serial type cable ordered for the portable series XTS2500, so when it comes in I will see how that works out. If it works flawlessly I will go ahead and exchange this USB type for the serial to use with the mobile XTL2500.

Let me ask you a simple question, in all your trials and head bashing, were you using the same USB port? I have run
into a number of computers that not all the USB ports acted the same. Try a different port. Also, when you plug
the cable into the control head, do you hear the computer respond with the Windows beeps or "DONGS" as some
people call it?

You will need a clean boot for the CPS to respond correctly. Sometimes you will have to power the radio down and
back on with the program cable connected to the computer and the Motorola software up and running. Do not
connect to the radio until the software has finished starting up.

By the way, if the radios are almost new, they probably have version 14 software installed. Make sure that is the
version your using.

Jim

[TheAnka]

Tried it with a third laptop, worked perfectly. The first two were both HPs (different models though, but close) and that was apparently the issue, for whatever reason. They both had different versions of Windows, and one was a clean format of Win.

I did try different USB ports on the first two laptops, and they did make the connection sound. (and install driver as neeeded)

Anyway, problem solved.. Maybe it was something specific to the USB controller on those particular HP laptops.