-
To anyone looking to acquire commercial radio programming software:
Please do not make requests for copies of radio programming software which is sold (or was sold) by the manufacturer for any monetary value. All requests will be deleted and a forum infraction issued. Making a request such as this is attempting to engage in software piracy and this forum cannot be involved or associated with this activity. The same goes for any private transaction via Private Message. Even if you attempt to engage in this activity in PM's we will still enforce the forum rules. Your PM's are not private and the administration has the right to read them if there's a hint to criminal activity.
If you are having trouble legally obtaining software please state so. We do not want any hurt feelings when your vague post is mistaken for a free request. It is YOUR responsibility to properly word your request.
To obtain Motorola software see the Sticky in the Motorola forum.
The various other vendors often permit their dealers to sell the software online (i.e., Kenwood). Please use Google or some other search engine to find a dealer that sells the software. Typically each series or individual radio requires its own software package. Often the Kenwood software is less than $100 so don't be a cheapskate; just purchase it.
For M/A Com/Harris/GE, etc: there are two software packages that program all current and past radios. One package is for conventional programming and the other for trunked programming. The trunked package is in upwards of $2,500. The conventional package is more reasonable though is still several hundred dollars. The benefit is you do not need multiple versions for each radio (unlike Motorola).
This is a large and very visible forum. We cannot jeopardize the ability to provide the RadioReference services by allowing this activity to occur. Please respect this.
ISO: Schematic for RKN4105A USB XTS cable.
- Thread starter N4JDA
- Start date
Sorry, you are correct that I should have been more specific. The cable is for the XTS 2500 & 5000 series.
Having said that, according to Motorola, it does exist. It is not a "converter-cable". It is specifically required for doing auto test and align with the 3920, 8800SX, and CX300 monitors.
John
Having said that, according to Motorola, it does exist. It is not a "converter-cable". It is specifically required for doing auto test and align with the 3920, 8800SX, and CX300 monitors.
John
Quick update on this... After quite a bit of digging I did finally find a schematic for the RKN4105 series cable. Unfortunately, by the time I found it I had pretty much given up and ordered a factory cable which will be here in a couple days. The schematic is on the old BatBoard and for those interested, the USB pinout can be found in the detailed service manuals for both the XTS 1500 / 2500 series and 5000 series radios.
Meanwhile, on a whim, I tried one of our existing XTS programming cables which uses the FTDI chip and much too my surprise, our IFR 8800SX recognized the cable and ran the full auto test & align program on several radios without so much as a hiccup, so I guess we don't actually need the RKN4105 cable after all (there's no need for the RLN4460 test box with the 8800SX).
I can't verify that the 3920B will work with the FTDI cables, but the 8800SX works fine, so I'm reasonably confident the CX300 will as well.
John IV
Meanwhile, on a whim, I tried one of our existing XTS programming cables which uses the FTDI chip and much too my surprise, our IFR 8800SX recognized the cable and ran the full auto test & align program on several radios without so much as a hiccup, so I guess we don't actually need the RKN4105 cable after all (there's no need for the RLN4460 test box with the 8800SX).
I can't verify that the 3920B will work with the FTDI cables, but the 8800SX works fine, so I'm reasonably confident the CX300 will as well.
John IV
wgbecks
Active Member
John,
The RKN4105A truly is a USB programming and test cable and is not an RS-232 cable with a USB converter. The XTS1500/2500/5000
radios are in fact capable of interfacing with RS-232 and USB signals that happen to share the same signal leads on the side connector
of the radio with the aid of an internal switching array whereby RS-232 is the default mode requiring external level conversion.
For USB operation, the application of +5 VDC from the PC causes a transistor to pull CTS low that instructs the radio to read the data from
a built-in 1-Wire EEPROM contained within the RKN4105A. The data contained in this EEPROM instructs the radio that a USB device is attached
and configures the internal switching array to support USB communications.
One would need to replicate this functionality to fabricate your own USB programming cable.
The RKN4105A truly is a USB programming and test cable and is not an RS-232 cable with a USB converter. The XTS1500/2500/5000
radios are in fact capable of interfacing with RS-232 and USB signals that happen to share the same signal leads on the side connector
of the radio with the aid of an internal switching array whereby RS-232 is the default mode requiring external level conversion.
For USB operation, the application of +5 VDC from the PC causes a transistor to pull CTS low that instructs the radio to read the data from
a built-in 1-Wire EEPROM contained within the RKN4105A. The data contained in this EEPROM instructs the radio that a USB device is attached
and configures the internal switching array to support USB communications.
One would need to replicate this functionality to fabricate your own USB programming cable.
Good Afternoon wgbecks,
You're 100% correct. The schematic I located came with instructions for "tricking" the radio into switching into USB mode, which was really more work than I wanted to take on (after all, the whole goal was to get the radios AUTOaligned, so extra work was what I was trying to avoid, ha ha).
By the time I found the schematic last night I had already ordered a factory RKN4105A cable as that is specifically called out in the instructions for XTS auto test & align in the Viavi / Aeroflex manual. By chance, I went ahead and tried running the program with a standard programming cable (converter cable) and to my surprise the 8800SX recognized the cable and ran the full test scenario without a hiccup!
Viavi's documentation on the XTS/XTL series autotest is VERY lacking for the 8800SX as it also lists the RLN4460 test box as part of the required equipment, but after visiting with their tech support, that isn't required, or even supported with these radios.
At the end of the day, we're up and running with the Astro25 series on the 8800SX so we're happy!
John IV
You're 100% correct. The schematic I located came with instructions for "tricking" the radio into switching into USB mode, which was really more work than I wanted to take on (after all, the whole goal was to get the radios AUTOaligned, so extra work was what I was trying to avoid, ha ha).
By the time I found the schematic last night I had already ordered a factory RKN4105A cable as that is specifically called out in the instructions for XTS auto test & align in the Viavi / Aeroflex manual. By chance, I went ahead and tried running the program with a standard programming cable (converter cable) and to my surprise the 8800SX recognized the cable and ran the full test scenario without a hiccup!
Viavi's documentation on the XTS/XTL series autotest is VERY lacking for the 8800SX as it also lists the RLN4460 test box as part of the required equipment, but after visiting with their tech support, that isn't required, or even supported with these radios.
At the end of the day, we're up and running with the Astro25 series on the 8800SX so we're happy!
John IV
wgbecks
Active Member
John,
I had the opposite experience with the Auto Test software that ran on my trusty old General Dynamics R2670 that insisted on using
the serial RS-232 communications and test cable with the Astro25 portables.
Bill
I had the opposite experience with the Auto Test software that ran on my trusty old General Dynamics R2670 that insisted on using
the serial RS-232 communications and test cable with the Astro25 portables.
Bill
It would be just dandy if you could scan and share that schematic....
Actually, I've had several occasions where the auto tune on my 8800SX just couldn't get it right on an XTS5000, so I had to break out the RLN4460 and do it manually. Once I got the radio in the ballpark, auto tune on the 8800SX got all happy and tweaked the radios right on the dot.
Got a link to the diagram?
So do I, which is why I want to see a complete schematic, so I can make sure.
wgbecks
Active Member
It does contain a 1-Wire EEPROM as discussed in Post #5.
So it does, guess I missed that. Dopey me.
There's a ton of them on ebay, both genuine and Chinese made clones. Just in case anybody else is looking for one.
