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
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>> TenTec mailing list
>>>>>> TenTec@contesting.com
>>>>>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> TenTec mailing list
>>>>> TenTec@contesting.com
>>>>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec
>>>>
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