EVX-5400 Not Communicating With Laptop

[innokuous1]

I'm trying to program an EVX-5400 UHF-d band radio and it won't communicate with my laptop(s).

I'm using CE-142 Version 1.21 downloaded from Motorola.
The cables are aftermarket bought from reputable USA dealers.

Laptop running Windows XP using serial port;
When using the traditional 9 pin serial cable on COM 1, I get a "Port Open Error"
when I try to connect.

Laptop running Windows XP using USB port;
When using the USB cable connected to the laptop and set to COM 1, the radio
starts beeping and the backlight flashes and this is before I open the software.
Same thing with the software open and trying to connect.

Laptop running Windows 8.1;
No serial port on this laptop so I used a USB serial adapter set to COM 1. When I
connected the traditional 9 pin serial cable to the adapter and laptop the radio
starts beeping and the backlight flashes and this is before I open the software.
Same thing with the software open and trying to connect.

Laptop running Windows 8.1;
When using the USB cable connected to the laptop and set to COM 1, the radio
starts beeping and the backlight flashes and this is before I open the software.
Same thing with the software open and trying to connect.

To sum it up, when the USB cables connect to the radio (with or without software
running) the radio will beep/flash and not connect.

With the 9 pin serial cable I get the "Port Open Error."

Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.

 

[Ant9270]

Did you check if you have the correct com port assigned under configuration in the CPS? Also, did you check under Device Manager if your OS is properly recognizing the driver/software?

 

[innokuous1]

I did check the COM port in the software. When you're looking at the screen it shows COM 1/460800 bps in the lower right hand corner. It doesn't look like there is a way to change the COM port or baud rate from that setting, and in all cases Device Manager says the device is working properly.

 

[gman1971]

Hey, I just registered after seeing this. I ran into this issue with my first EVX-5400 radio... Non genuine Vertex "programming" cables are useless. They get you b/c its 1/3 of the price... and I've tried two different cables from two different vendors, and none worked. I returned them all. In the end I had to fork the cash and buy the real FIF-12 cable... Since then I've programmed several EVX-5300 and EVX-5400 and never had a problem with the genuine cable. Probably not the answer you wanted to hear, but those were my findings.

Cheers.

 

[innokuous1]

Bingo!

Thanks for the advice. FIF-12 and genuine cable bought from Motorola worked fine right out of the box.