Elecraft

No Communication with USB Port on KPA-1500

Classic

List

Threaded

3 messages Options

charles-2

No Communication with USB Port on KPA-1500

Must have had a power surge because I can no longer communicate with my
KPA-1500 on the same virtual com port like I did for about 6 weeks.
Tried a new USB cable, but that did not work either. Does connecting
the KPA-1500 to the computer via a USB cable make a COM port of it's
own, or must we use a virtual COM port? If I remember correctly, I
think I use a Flex Virtual COM port before the power surge? Or did the
power surge zap the USB port on the KPA-1500? Any help appreciated.

Charles K5UA
______________________________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:[hidden email]

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Message delivered to [hidden email]

Nr4c

Re: No Communication with USB Port on KPA-1500

Try [hidden email] or a simple phone call.

Sent from my iPhone
...nr4c. bill

> On Oct 1, 2018, at 9:51 PM, [hidden email] wrote:
>
> Must have had a power surge because I can no longer communicate with my KPA-1500 on the same virtual com port like I did for about 6 weeks. Tried a new USB cable, but that did not work either. Does connecting the KPA-1500 to the computer via a USB cable make a COM port of it's own, or must we use a virtual COM port? If I remember correctly, I think I use a Flex Virtual COM port before the power surge? Or did the power surge zap the USB port on the KPA-1500? Any help appreciated.
>
> Charles K5UA
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
> Message delivered to [hidden email]

______________________________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:[hidden email]

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Message delivered to [hidden email]

Bob Wilson, N6TV

Re: No Communication with USB Port on KPA-1500

In reply to this post by charles-2

Connecting the USB cable to the KPA1500 creates its own FTDI virtual COM
port.

Did you look in the Windows Device Manager to see if the virtual COM port
number changed? When you disconnect and reconnect the USB cable from the
amplifier, you should see the amp's COM port disappear and reappear in the
Device Manager, under "Ports."

Of course make sure you are connecting the cable to the square USB-B
connector at the top of the KPA1500, not the Ethernet port right below it,
which is easy to do by mistake if you can't see the back of the amplifier.

If no serial port appears, it's possible the amplifier's USB port has been
damaged, perhaps by a nearby lightning strike. It's also possible that a
Prolific device driver is present and interfering with the proper operation
of the FTDI driver, in which case the Prolific driver should be uninstalled.

You may still be able to communicate with your KPA1500 by using the
amplifier's hardware serial port. Assuming you have firmware 1.64 or
later, in the KPA1500 menu.

1. TECH MODE -> ENABLE
2. XCVR SERIAL HOST -> ENABLE
3. XCVR SERIAL SPEED 38400
4. Connect KX3SER, KXUSB or S-BOX <https://bit.ly/S-BOX> between a PC
serial port or USB connector and the XCVR SERIAL port (3.5mm TRS) on the
KPA1500. This is the connector right underneath the Ethernet connector.
5. Using a terminal Program like PuTTY, configure a SERIAL connection at
38400,N,8,1, Local Echo ON
-or-
Try connecting the K3 Utility to the new serial port
6. Enter a command like ^CC; to see if the amplifier responds with the
current date and time.

However, you won't be able to upload new firmware this way, or power up the
amp. with the Utility. Be sure to set XCVR SERIAL HOST back to DISABLE
when you are finished with the test.

73,
Bob, N6TV

On Mon, Oct 1, 2018 at 6:52 PM <[hidden email]> wrote:

> Must have had a power surge because I can no longer communicate with my
> KPA-1500 on the same virtual com port like I did for about 6 weeks.
> Tried a new USB cable, but that did not work either. Does connecting
> the KPA-1500 to the computer via a USB cable make a COM port of it's
> own, or must we use a virtual COM port? If I remember correctly, I
> think I use a Flex Virtual COM port before the power surge? Or did the
> power surge zap the USB port on the KPA-1500? Any help appreciated.
>
> Charles K5UA
>