I use putty. It has a serial mode that works as a terminal. It's
also free.
Dave WN5V
-----Original Message-----
From: TenTec [mailto:tentec-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of Gary
J FollettDukes HiFi
Sent: Sunday, July 31, 2016 1:05 PM
To: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Orion logic issue
Since windows 7 no longer includes Hyperterm, do you have a suggestion
for a good, safe terminal program?
Gary
On Jul 31, 2016, at 11:52 AM, David W LeJeune, Sr<
lejeuned@centurytel.net> wrote:
If you have terminal software available, start it up, set it to
57600
baud, no parity, one stopbit and RTS/CTS flow control on whatever
serial port you have connected to the ORION. Then send it this command:
XX<cr> (<cr> is the enter button on the keyboard). This is the
restart
command. It should respond with the following:
" ORION STARTED" (without the ")
If this awakens the radio, then you have a firmware problem -
probably a
bad eprom where the firmware is stored.
I suspect XX<cr> is the first thing the N4PY software does.
Dave WN5V
-----Original Message-----
From: TenTec [mailto:tentec-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of
Gary J FollettDukes HiFi
Sent: Sunday, July 31, 2016 11:17 AM
To: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Orion logic issue
I appreciate your remark regarding “waking up”. I only used that
phrase
to describe what APPEARS to be taking place.
The thing that is confusing is that, once the N4PY software is
operated
once, just to connect and interact with the radio, the radio works
fine even after I disconnect the N4PY software.
All of the buttons work, the encoders work, even if I disconnect the
PC
from the radio.
It’s kind of like spraying ether down the throat of a carburetor to
get
an old motor to start. Once started, gasoline sustains its operation
just fine.
The only thing that causes the failure to reappear is turning the
radio
off, then back on.
That is what I meant by “waking” the radio CPU-to-encoder/button
communications via the N4PY software.
Ten Tec has already had their hand at this radio. I do not know how
extensively they looked at it for its previous owner, but they said it
needed a $600 board, which they no longer had available. They were not
specific about which board, but I suspect it was the CPU board.
I believe the CPU chip itself is good as it functions to make the
radio
operational once the N4PY software has somehow triggered it. Since I
have a spare CPU board with a bad CPU, I have SOME hope of locating a
bad part aside from the CPU on the board with the “good” CPU that I
could exchange from the known bad board if I could determine the path
for this data. That is to say, f I could determine what path is being
formed by the N4PY software to enable button/encoder operation.
I have at my disposal several SMD technicians who are fully capable
of
swapping even the big SMD’s without damage.
I am fairly adept at troubleshooting these things when I can get an
idea
of what the designer had in mind when he or she designed hardware and
wrote software.
Since I don’t have to pay myself $145/hour to work on this, and
since I
learn something new every time I am successful in fixing something, I
look upon this effort as a more of a learning experience rather than a
profit making venture.
Thus, I am more willing spend the time to find the root cause than,
say,
a tech at Ten Tec, who knows full well that the time to find the root
cause would exceed the dollar value of the radio fairly quickly at $145/hour.
Regards,
Gary
W0DVN
PS: This one is far too nice to end up as a parts mule…
On Jul 31, 2016, at 10:14 AM, Wes Attaway (N5WA)<
wesattaway@bellsouth.net> wrote:
I don't think the N4PY software is "waking up" anything. What it
is doing is bypassing a lot of the functions supplied by the manual
encoder and button functions.
You have some kind of problem with signals going through the
encoders and buttons that appear to not be working.
Unless someone can come up with something that you can T-shoot then
it may be simpler to send the radio in for repairs.
-------------------
Wes Attaway (N5WA)
(318) 393-3289 - Shreveport, LA
Computer/Cellphone Forensics
AttawayForensics.com
-------------------
-----Original Message-----
From: TenTec [mailto:tentec-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of
Gary J FollettDukes HiFi
Sent: Sunday, July 31, 2016 10:10 AM
To: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Orion logic issue
I did reinstall the firmware. I even backloaded to an older version
of the firmware, just to determine if this made a difference.
No joy.
It amazes me just how repeatable the failure is, especially the
part about the lack of encoder function that is immediately
restored when I operate the radio for just a few actions using N4PY
software. I think all I need to do is connect, because that action
causes the Orion to go to the frequency stored on the C screen.
From that point
on, everything works.
It's like the N4PY "wakes up" the CPU so it can respond to the
encoders and pushbuttons.
The schematic is not terribly helpful in revealing how the
keystroke and encoder signals get into the CPU, nor is it clear how
the serial data from the PC gets there either.
Just conjecture at this point, but it seems like some sort of
startup timer is missing its position in the roll call during the
boot sequence and the serial data from the PC substitutes for that
by
setting some flag.
It would be sort of like my having incorrectly entered bootstrap
loader startup information in my old Heath H8 computer, data that
tells the 8080 chip that a keyboard was connected.
Of course, the H8 had no error trapping and would have just crashed
whereas this more sophisticated CPU seems to be able to go on
functioning with some startup data missing.
Has anyone made a printed listing of the startup sequence of the
Orion? Is there any "open source" listing of the operating firmware?
Gary
W0DVN
On Jul 31, 2016, at 6:50 AM, Jeff<w4dd09@gmail.com> wrote:
Always start by reburning the firmware. I have solved some
really odd issues by doing this.
Jeff, W4DD
On Jul 31, 2016 7:20 AM, "D. Byron Allen"<n4axdxer@gmail.com> wrote:
It does boot up the latest software version, my problem started
with out
if
band receive on 40 meters only when I powered the rig up in 40
meters , no other band was this problem seen , i used the rig
everyday , then didnt use the rig for a week , and then this last
symptoms of no operation on
any
band.
Byron / N4AX
Sent from my iPhone
On Jul 30, 2016, at 10:36 PM, Gary J FollettDukes HiFi<
dukeshifi@comcast.net> wrote:
Sounds like yours is failing to boot up altogether. That's
probably the
CPU.
Mine does not up and does receiver, I get S meter light and can
even hear
signals. I just can't adjust volume or operate any encoders or
buttons except the VFO'.
Gary
On Jul 30, 2016, at 10:20 PM, D. Byron Allen
<n4axdxer@gmail.com>
wrote:
My Orion I just started this last week , no receive on any band
, no
pushbutton control , cant change bands , no s meter signal or s
meter lights.will not key or transmit. Sent to Ten Tec Friday ,
see what they tell me next week!
Byron / N4AX
Sent from my iPhone
On Jul 30, 2016, at 9:29 PM, Gary J FollettDukes HiFi<
dukeshifi@comcast.net> wrote:
I have an Orion 1 with an odd problem. I thought I'd ask if
anyone had
seen it before prior to an in-depth investigation.
The radio powers up OK, boots up as it should, sometimes it
will even
receive. The tuning encoders work fine at this point regardless.
However, none of the small encoders or pushbuttons work.
However, if I connect the radio to the computer, start N4PY
software,
the radio connects and I can generally make all functions work on
the
Orion.
From that point on, all buttons and encoders work fine until I
turn the
radio off. I replaced the battery so that's not an issue.
Anyone seen this before?
Gary
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