Uniden bcd396xt cable communication error

[firebell9137]

Hi i have a uniden bcd396xt scanner. I have the cable and software freescan that i am using but auto detect and downloading from scanner wont communicate with my scanner. All drivers and com ports are working correctly. Any ideas anyone?

 

[doctordialtone]

auto detect and downloading from scanner wont communicate with my scanner.

This happens from time to time.

You may be able to disable the port in Device Manager and rediscover the port.



I'd power everything off and start from scratch.

 

[firebell9137]

This happens from time to time.

You may be able to disable the port in Device Manager and rediscover the port.

View attachment 104608

I'd power everything off and start from scratch.

Mines an unbranded kind from ebay

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

All drivers and com ports are working correctly. Any ideas anyone?

You installed the USB-1 driver here?

 

[fxdscon]

Mines an unbranded kind from ebay

Has that cable worked previously and just stopped working.... or has it never worked?

 

[Ronaldski]

I think this might have been a microsoft update deal? Take a look at my reply and fix-

BCD325P2/BCD996P2: - BCD996P2 not connecting to computer.

I installed the virtual serial drivers on my Dell laptop using Dells driver support. I was then able to install firmware update :) I was also able to load the scanner frequencies that we added to the scanner manually with freescan as a test. I was even able to view the scanner gui on my...

forums.radioreference.com

 

[hiegtx]

Mines an unbranded kind from ebay

Has that cable ever worked? If it was working and recently quit, Ronaldski's 'windows update' comment may be the same issue.

If it has never worked, did you install the drivers for it?
Can you see where a Com port has been added via the Device Manager? Look at Doc's example in post number 2.

If Windows never created a Com port for the cable, and especially if Windows did not show installing any drivers, then the cable you have may not be correct. A correct cable, such as Uniden's USB-1 has circuitry in it to create a Com port when the cable is plugged into a USB port. The first time you plugged in the cable, Windows should have given you a message that it was 'setting up' your cable, and possibly asking you for the drivers. If none of that occurred, and you do not see a Com port in the Device Manager, then your cable may a counterfeit copy. Unfortunately, many of the cables listed on eBay, as well as Amazon & other sites, have fit that pattern.

 

[ofd8001]

Most of the cables I've seen had a "thing" in a housing which was the chipset. I do not see this and as such wonder if it is a true serial to usb compatible cable, particularly with the HXD chipset. (Which I suspect is why you are asking if it ever worked.)

 

[hiegtx]

Most of the cables I've seen had a "thing" in a housing which was the chipset. I do not see this and as such wonder if it is a true serial to usb compatible cable, particularly with the HXD chipset. (Which I suspect is why you are asking if it ever worked.)

Exactly correct.

While the "USB A" end, which connects to the PC is slightly larger, the cables that I've seen, that actually work, either have a significant housing inline, which contains the necessary chips, or else the USB A end is significantly larger than standard.

 

[tvengr]

Hi i have a uniden bcd396xt scanner. I have the cable and software freescan that i am using but auto detect and downloading from scanner wont communicate with my scanner. All drivers and com ports are working correctly. Any ideas anyone?

How old is your cable? This may have something to do with it.
Uniden USB-1 Cable
Important Windows 8 and 10 Information
The current Prolific Driver, as delivered through their web site and through Windows Update for Windows 8 and 10, will not work with older USB-1 cables that use the PL2303HXA chipset. To use these drivers you must have a current USB-1 cable that uses the PL2303HXD chipset. If your cable was bought before 2013 you need to buy a new cable.

 

[hiegtx]

How old is your cable? This may have something to do with it.
Uniden USB-1 Cable
Important Windows 8 and 10 Information
The current Prolific Driver, as delivered through their web site and through Windows Update for Windows 8 and 10, will not work with older USB-1 cables that use the PL2303HXA chipset. To use these drivers you must have a current USB-1 cable that uses the PL2303HXD chipset. If your cable was bought before 2013 you need to buy a new cable.

The OP does not have a 'genuine' USB-1 cable. It's a knockoff cable, purchased on eBay. But he has not answered my question as to whether the cable ever worked, and whether the correct driver was installed. There's been a number of cables sold on eBay, that are straight USB cables, without the embedded circuitry to function as a serial port. No idea whether that is the case with this one.

 

[lebrunmn]

How old is your cable? This may have something to do with it.
Uniden USB-1 Cable
Important Windows 8 and 10 Information
The current Prolific Driver, as delivered through their web site and through Windows Update for Windows 8 and 10, will not work with older USB-1 cables that use the PL2303HXA chipset. To use these drivers you must have a current USB-1 cable that uses the PL2303HXD chipset. If your cable was bought before 2013 you need to buy a new cable.

I recently had a similar issue with my XT cable... Windows 10 update has pushed a driver that rendered the older cable incompatible, and I got some strange message telling me the cable was no longer supported and to call my supplier--whoever that may be...

Was able to update / roll back PL2303HXD driver to a previous version: Prolific PL2303 driver v3.3.2.102 (2008-24-09) Win8_x64_x86. That fixed the issue.

 

[KQA726]

How about trying to use the original Uniden Serial cable, then use a Serial to USB adapter cable unit? Should work on Windows7.