Xpr6500 programming cable

[Kd8lzl]

Hello, I have a xpr6500 I picked up at Dayton hamvention last year and just getting around to getting it programed. I have cps16 and bought a cable from blue max. Never had a problem with blue max with Other Motorola projects. The cable part number is PMKN4012B. I searched some threads around here and read I need a PMK****A cable, what is the difference between the A cable and the B cable? If it can simply be modified to a A cable please send me a schematic or something that could help me out.
The reason I'm at this point is cps is telling me I have the wrong cable, and windows doesn't like it either. Windows recognized the device correctly, but it says there's some reason it won't communicate with the Motorola drivers. Thanks for your time. Have a good day.

 

[MTS2000des]

What firmware version does your 6500 have?

 

[Kd8lzl]

I don't recall the number at the moment. I'll get it for you when off work in the morning.

 

[MTS2000des]

I think you're dealing with a firmware version issue, IIRC really old crusty firmware needs to be read/written with older CPS, then in increments one can bring it up to a version where CPS16 can work with it. The A/B issue was specific to gen 2 (7550) not your radio.

 

[Kd8lzl]

That could very well be. I'll look at the firmware this morning. Maybe we'll figure out where to start

 

[Kd8lzl]

The firmware version is R01.07.02 cp version is 08.00.05.

 

[MTS2000des]

That should work to get to 1.12.17 (the last known version) so that rules that out.

 

[Uplink]

I managed a fleet of XPR6550's at my company. There were huge issues with USB comms, and the original programming cable. Trust me, I had many wasted hours pulling hair out cursing that radio, and all it's issues. This was Moto's first attempt at DMR, and using USB, coming out of the old serial/RIB box days. It wasn't until they came out with the "B" model cable, with the thrumb screw, and later firmware that USB comms got better. Lot of chicken and egg scenerios, eg. can't update firmware, if you can't talk to it. I can't speak for the aftermarket cables, we never used them. Best of luck, eeshh, that radio..

 

[Kd8lzl]

I managed a fleet of XPR6550's at my company. There were huge issues with USB comms, and the original programming cable. Trust me, I had many wasted hours pulling hair out cursing that radio, and all it's issues. This was Moto's first attempt at DMR, and using USB, coming out of the old serial/RIB box days. It wasn't until they came out with the "B" model cable, with the thrumb screw, and later firmware that USB comms got better. Lot of chicken and egg scenerios, eg. can't update firmware, if you can't talk to it. I can't speak for the aftermarket cables, we never used them. Best of luck, eeshh, that radio..

I'm figuring out why I got a good deal on it! I have since tried to Uninstall and reinstall the software and drivers. Same problem. I guess I'll just try to recover some money on it and get a newer model. All I want to achieve here is a better dmr radio for amateur use than my alinco radio.

 

[N4KVE]

I used the A cable for years with my 6550, 7550, & APX radios. It wasn’t until I went to the 7550e that the cable wouldn’t work. Even at that, a simple mod in the connector turned it into a B cable, & it now works on everything.

 

[scorch05]

Make sure all the contacts on the radio are clean where the pins mate. I rehabbed some 6550s from eBay that kept giving me a read error when trying to download the code plug. Once I cleaned the contacts and picked all the dirt out I didn’t have anymore read/write issues.