Programming Pro-163 with a Serial Cable?

[fire42man]

So can I program a Pro-163 with a serial cable instead of the expensive USB cable at radio shack? I have a serial cable and regular audio cable that I can use to make a serial interface cable, if possible. If I can do it that way, how do I make the cable? Thanks.

 

[N1BHH]

Yes you can, just make sure the plug is a stereo plug. I use a Yaesu serial cable for my Pro-164 sometimes.

 

[fire42man]

Ok cool. Now I just need to know which wires form the serial cable to connect to the ones on the audio cable.

 

[n5ims]

Be aware that the required serial cable is more than just a cable with the correct connectors on each end. There are circuits necessary to do the proper level conversions, waveform shaping, and timing.

See this thread for some details (http://forums.radioreference.com/radio-shack-scanners/159719-programming-cable-pinout.html), but please note that the old mono audio version (combined the TX and RX signals on the same pin) worked with the very old scanners and most newer ones use the stereo audio plug and split the TX and RX signals. You can build you own, but it may not save you much.

 

[fire42man]

So where could I get a serial programming cable instead of making one?

 

[gmclam]

Making your own serial cable

So can I program a Pro-163 with a serial cable instead of the expensive USB cable at radio shack? I have a serial cable and regular audio cable that I can use to make a serial interface cable, if possible. If I can do it that way, how do I make the cable? Thanks.

The USB cable sold by Radio Shack, GRE and others implements an IC that emulates a COM port. So, you can use a "serial cable" connected to an older style COM port to program the '163 if the software you are using supports COM ports. (I use WIN97 and it does).

HOWEVER, the signals from a typical COM port are in the range of +/-5 to +/- 15 volts. The signal the scanner requires/provides is ~3.3 volts. You can not have a cable which merely connects the COM port signals to the scanner as you will in one case damage the scanner port and in another not receive data from the scanner. Voltage conversion circuitry is required.

I did make a cable of my own, even though I have the older COM style cables and the newer USB cables. I just wanted to see if I could. I also wanted my cable to work with all of the PRO-9x scanners (and newer models like PSR-400/PRO-163) which presented an additional challenge. In a nutshell; the "tip" connection is transmit FROM the scanner and the "ring" connection is the scanner's receive. Have fun.