K2 and USB to Serial for Radio Control

[Joe Vrabel]

Hello:

I've done some research on this reflector but I'm still a bit confused.  I'm planning on purchasing a Laptop and I'm a bit concerned about being able to interface the computer with no serial port with my K2.  I am presently running HRD which works well with my shack computer with a serial port.  Are there any plug and play adapters for this which are safe??  I do not want to fry anything in a perfectly working K2. Thanks to all for any help. 73 Joe

[Cookie]

I never heard of anyone frying any hardware with a USB adapter Joe.  If you are connecting to Vista or Win 7 computers, you may have trouble accessing all the features, but I don't think you will fry anything.  If you are buying an adapter try to get one that uses the FTDI chip set rather than the Prolific chip set.  It is difficult to find out which chip set is used, but some of the on line vendors will tell you if they are using FTDI.  The ones using Prolific will try to hide it.
 Willis 'Cookie' Cooke
K5EWJ




________________________________
From: Joe Vrabel <[hidden email]>
To: [hidden email]
Sent: Mon, June 28, 2010 2:00:39 PM
Subject: [Elecraft] K2 and USB to Serial for Radio Control


Hello:

I've done some research on this reflector but I'm still a bit confused.  I'm
planning on purchasing a Laptop and I'm a bit concerned about being able to
interface the computer with no serial port with my K2.  I am presently
running HRD which works well with my shack computer with a serial port.  Are
there any plug and play adapters for this which are safe??  I do not want to
fry anything in a perfectly working K2. Thanks to all for any help. 73 Joe
--
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[Jim Wiley-2]

Joe -


All else being equal, and I am sure that is not true <grin>, the main
thing to remember is to be sure and NOT use a standard serial cable with
the K2.  The K2's serial adapter does NOT use standard wiring!  You will
need to build up a cable that is  wired for the task.   The instructions
for the KIO2 interface board explain this is great detail.


You can probably use an off-the-shelf  USB to serial converter to handle
the data stream going each way, but you will still need to make a
special cable to interconnect the converter and the K2.   DO NOT plug
the USB to Serial adapter into the K2's I/O port directly!


- Jim, KL7CC
K2 - 3995


Joe Vrabel wrote:
> Hello:
>
> I've done some research on this reflector but I'm still a bit confused.  I'm
> planning on purchasing a Laptop and I'm a bit concerned about being able to
> interface the computer with no serial port with my K2.  I am presently
> running HRD which works well with my shack computer with a serial port.  Are
> there any plug and play adapters for this which are safe??  I do not want to
> fry anything in a perfectly working K2. Thanks to all for any help. 73 Joe
>  
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[Mike Harris]

Hi Joe,

There are some options.  A vanilla USB > RS232 adapter but as
already mentioned don't connect it directly to the K2 AUX I/O or
damage can result to the K2.  A short interface cable between the
adapter and the K2 is required.

I have used my microHAM CW Keyer with CAT cable to do the PC keying
and CAT control.  Indeed, microHAM do a USB interface with
appropriate cable which though it costs more than a regular PC USB
to RS232 adapter was built for the job.

Regards,

Mike VP8NO

----- Original Message -----
From: "Joe Vrabel" <[hidden email]>
To: <[hidden email]>
Sent: Monday, June 28, 2010 3:00 PM
Subject: [Elecraft] K2 and USB to Serial for Radio Control

>
> Hello:
>
> I've done some research on this reflector but I'm still a bit
> confused.  I'm
> planning on purchasing a Laptop and I'm a bit concerned about
> being able to
> interface the computer with no serial port with my K2.  I am
> presently
> running HRD which works well with my shack computer with a serial
> port.  Are
> there any plug and play adapters for this which are safe??  I do
> not want to
> fry anything in a perfectly working K2. Thanks to all for any
> help. 73 Joe

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[Don Wilhelm-4]

Joe,

!!!DO NOT PLUG ANY USB ADAPTER DIRECTLY INTO THE K2 AUX I/O!!!
Plug the USB adapter into the cable that you are currently using - that
is safe.

73,
Don W3FPR

Joe Vrabel wrote:
> Hello:
>
> I've done some research on this reflector but I'm still a bit confused.  I'm
> planning on purchasing a Laptop and I'm a bit concerned about being able to
> interface the computer with no serial port with my K2.  I am presently
> running HRD which works well with my shack computer with a serial port.  Are
> there any plug and play adapters for this which are safe??  I do not want to
> fry anything in a perfectly working K2. Thanks to all for any help. 73 Joe
>  
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[Don Wilhelm-4]

Jim Wiley wrote:

> Joe -
>
>
> All else being equal, and I am sure that is not true <grin>, the main
> thing to remember is to be sure and NOT use a standard serial cable with
> the K2.  The K2's serial adapter does NOT use standard wiring!  You will
> need to build up a cable that is  wired for the task.   The instructions
> for the KIO2 interface board explain this is great detail.
>  
>

The best way I know of to keep from getting confused is to stop thinking
of (and referring to) the K2 AUX I/O connector as a "serial port" or
anything else "serial" related.  Think of it as a K2 connector that just
happens to have two signal lines which work as RS-232 signals - the rest
of the pins on the connector are used for controlling external Elecraft
gear, such as the KRC2, the KAT100 and/or the XV series of transverters.
If you begin thinking (and saying) this over and over again, you are
unlikely to make a mistake and fry the K2.

73,
Don W3FPR
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[Julian, G4ILO]

WILLIS COOKE-2 wrote

I never heard of anyone frying any hardware with a USB adapter Joe.  If you are connecting to Vista or Win 7 computers, you may have trouble accessing all the features, but I don't think you will fry anything.  If you are buying an adapter try to get one that uses the FTDI chip set rather than the Prolific chip set.  It is difficult to find out which chip set is used, but some of the on line vendors will tell you if they are using FTDI.  The ones using Prolific will try to hide it.

I would go further and say it is essential to use an adapter with an FTDI chip set with the K2. The KIO2 works at a fixed baud rate of 4800bps and some of the adapters that work OK at higher speeds will garble the data at that speed.

I would also emphasize the advice that you *must* use a properly wired (as per the KIO2 manual) cable between the loose end of the adapter and the K2.

[K5JAZ]

Joe:

I use the Tripplite USB-Serial converter at http://www.tripplite.com/en/products/model.cfm?txtModelID=3914 .  This converter works seemlessly with HRD, TRX-Manager, and Logic8 in my shack. As the others have said, do not use a standard serial cable to your K2!

[John Ragle]

On 6/30/2010 4:54 PM, K5JAZ wrote:
> Joe:
>
> I use the Tripplite USB-Serial converter at
> http://www.tripplite.com/en/products/model.cfm?txtModelID=3914 .  This
> converter works seemlessly with HRD, TRX-Manager, and Logic8 in my shack. As
> the others have said, do not use a standard serial cable to your K2!
>    
=====

This little converter looks like an excellent version -- BUT note that
it is only certified to work with Windows up through VISTA. The whole
driver scene is somewhat different for WIN 7 (even though WIN 7 is often
called a cleaned-up version of VISTA).

This is a point that should be investigated before investing $50...

John Ragle -- W1ZI
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[K5JAZ]

Please see http://www.tripplite.com/en/support/downloads/ for their Microsoft Certified driver for this device.
I use this converter daily on my Windows 7 Professional OS with no problems.

[Bill K9YEQ]

I believe Tripplite bought out Keyspan.

Bill
K9YEQ

-----Original Message-----
From: [hidden email]
[mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of K5JAZ
Sent: Wednesday, June 30, 2010 5:27 PM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K2 and USB to Serial for Radio Control


Please see http://www.tripplite.com/en/support/downloads/ for their
Microsoft Certified driver for this device.
I use this converter daily on my Windows 7 Professional OS with no problems.
--
View this message in context:
http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/K2-and-USB-to-Serial-for-Radio-Control-
tp5232156p5241171.html
Sent from the [K2] mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
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[Bill Coleman-2]

On Jun 30, 2010, at 8:44 PM, Bill K9YEQ wrote:

> I believe Tripplite bought out Keyspan.

Yes. Unfortunately.

Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASEL        Mail: [hidden email]
Web: http://boringhamradiopart.blogspot.com
Quote: "Not within a thousand years will man ever fly!"
            -- Wilbur Wright, 1901

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