XTL/XTS5000 Com Port programming cables

[LowderK]

OK I have a couple of XTL5000 radios all with W7 heads all dash mount VHF I have Both factory programming cables the one that uses the rear connector and the one that plugs into the Mic port of the W series head both cables are COM port not the USB... here are my issues been changing programming for years no issues today tried and nothing would not talk to the radio tried the other cable no go... this is on a Panasonic CH-19 with windows 7 Pro.... so I dug out my older Dell that also has a com port that has never had issues and no go on that also and its running XP.... well then I thought maybe on a freak deal both cables had developed issues... moved back to the Panasonic and tried my USB to com converter had to go into Astro 25 and change to com 8 and the damn thing worked... both cables worked great... just to make sure I didn't miss something I again tried the com port on the computer and nothing and yes I did change back to COM 1 the only other option.......has anyone else had this issue..? if so any help would be great..... again I know not really a Motorola question but these computers are only used for radio programming

 

[Tech21]

Ellipsis are not periods.

Did you check device manager to see what port your computer actually assigned to the device?

 

[LowderK]

yes and it doesn’t show any also on the motorola software i only have USB or COM1 options nothing else…. i’m at a lose on what to do lol

 

[a417]

nice thing about a physical COM port is that, in times of duress, you can use a paperclip/tiny alligator clip to create a ghetto loopback device and physically verify that it's working, when coupled with something like hyperterm or puTTY. What goes out on pin 3, comes back on pin 2. A couple of keypresses in hyperterm and you can see that your OS actually has it working correctly. Beyond that, you can verify the software is not configured, or there's a hardware issue after the port (like a cabling or radio fault)

based on the limited information provided, it sounds like you don't have your COM port appropriately configured at the OS level. What does the device manager show for it?

 

[LowderK]

this is what it said

 

[wgbecks]

If everything works using your RS-232 to USB adapter, then this confirms the radio, and radio programming cable(s) are working fine.

As it's been suggested, go into the Device Manager and verify the Physical RS-232 Communications Port. Now, armed with that information,
go back into Astro 25 Mobile CPS, click on File, then on Read Device, now select the Communications Port or device number that coincides with the physical port as verified in the Device Manager.

Remember that when switching communications ports, USB or RS-232, that you must first go back and set the port device or number
per the above reference under File in CPS.

 

[LowderK]

i’ve done every bit of all that and still no go….. i’m so lost and it happened at same time on both computers….. lol

 

[wgbecks]

@a417 suggested that you perform a loopback test of the RS-232 communications port. Did you do that test on either of your computers?

 

[a417]

Linky, linky

 

[jim202]

Have you tried to connect the cable to the computer first and with the radio turned on, Then plug the programming cable to the control head. You should hear some sort of tone come from the computer. If not, you have the wrong port selected on the computer.

AS far as I know, the round mic connector programming cable is normally set up for a USB connection. There could be a serial port cable, but not the one I use.

To my understanding, in order to use the com port connection on the computer, you need to use the rear connector on the radio.

I am sure someone will correct me if I am wrong.

Hopefully you have not damaged the mic input USB circuictry if your wrong in how your connecting it.

Jim

 

[LowderK]

ok my XTL radios have W series heads and that computer to radio head is a serial and goes into the spectra mic cable

 

[LowderK]

i will try a loop test and see what happens

 

[jim202]

Sorry, I was talking about the O series control heads that use the round mic connector on the XTL series radios.

 

[LowderK]

also note tho i have the rear com port cable also a factory one and still nothing ….. i can use my rib box with that com port as i did tonight and it worked great programming a MCS2000…… so again i may try and reinstall the astro 25 software and see if that fixes the issue

 

[LowderK]

i have that O series cable also but your 100% correct it’s USB….. i would upgrade to the O series head but i need upgraded control head files to dump into the radio to get by the “maintenance mode “ issue

 

[jim202]

UHF OR VHF

 

[LowderK]

do the control head files matter on band? but all three radios are VHF

 

[LowderK]

one radio is a factory xtl 5000 W7 dash the other 2 were XTL1500 that I changed to 5000 radios all have firmware 14 something but control head files are not new enough for “O” series head…. all work flawlessly but the newer head would be nice on a few….

 

[dfb8085]

I don't want to hijack this thread. it seems like a lot knowledge being tossed about in here. I have a XTL1500 900Mhz that was working fine no issues. I sit down one day to try and upgrade it to the latest firmware. Somewhere along the way I assume something happened. I got that error FL-09 and went in to maint mode and crashed and burned. The display will not even come on. the radio just beeps about every 10 seconds and its not up long enough to give a port number in device manager I have used in the past the same cable that goes in the mic cable on my xpr radio and it has programmed nobody. All this started becaus I had to have the latest firmware. I rigged me up a home made USB to serial using a USB TTL logic board. My wiring connections were black to pin 1(GND) on back of radio, White ( USB-)pin 6, Green ( USB+) pin 12, RED( PWR) . As far as the other end i put the corresponding colors on the vcc,gnd, cts,rts. Anyway i got com 5 too show in device manager. set everything to that and it was a no go with either cable. Bottom line I need radio reflashed or something to get past this brick. Any help with advice and necessary files is greatly appreciated.

 

[a417]

I don't want to hijack this thread. it seems like a lot knowledge being tossed about in here. I have a XTL1500 900Mhz that was working fine no issues. I sit down one day to try and upgrade it to the latest firmware. Somewhere along the way I assume something happened. I got that error FL-09 and went in to maint mode and crashed and burned. The display will not even come on. the radio just beeps about every 10 seconds and its not up long enough to give a port number in device manager I have used in the past the same cable that goes in the mic cable on my xpr radio and it has programmed nobody. All this started becaus I had to have the latest firmware. I rigged me up a home made USB to serial using a USB TTL logic board. My wiring connections were black to pin 1(GND) on back of radio, White ( USB-)pin 6, Green ( USB+) pin 12, RED( PWR) . As far as the other end i put the corresponding colors on the vcc,gnd, cts,rts. Anyway i got com 5 too show in device manager. set everything to that and it was a no go with either cable. Bottom line I need radio reflashed or something to get past this brick. Any help with advice and necessary files is greatly appreciated.

Verify that your com port works, lets start there.