At 02:43 PM 6/9/2003 -1000, you wrote:
>Hi,
>
>Well, the Telebyte Model 260 came today, and......
>I can't get the PC and the hp box communicating!
>
>So till no joy with the hp GPS box.
>
>Either my cables are incorrect, or I don't know how
>to set up the Com port to talk correctly to the hp unit.
>The hp manual specifies that the com port settings be:
>
>Pace: None
>Baud Rate: 19200
>Parity: Odd
>Data bits: 7/char
>Start Bit: 1
>Stop bit: 1
This part looks good.
>Now my PC is running Windows XP. There is no Pace
>parameter to set at the Com port "properties" window,
>nor is there a Start Bit choice. I have tried using 8 bit
>words, thinking maybe the start bit was added to the
>7 char. bits, but that does not work either.
>
>So I am a bit at a loss about what to do now.
>
>Oh, I am using a null modem cable between the
>PC and the RS232 end of the Telebyte Interface
>unit (their model 260) which takes it's power from
>the PC at the 232 end. Maybe that null cable is an error?
>The Telebyte Interface unit has a small slider switch
>at the RS232 end of the unit. You can select either
>DCE or DTE. As it is at the 232 end, I presumed it
>should be set to DCE for the PC to act as the rcvr...
>correct?
Nope. This is probably your problem. A null-modem cable
connects two DTEs together. So, you want the switch set to
DTE. Now on the Z3801A side, you still have to worry about
just passing the signal lines, of which I guess there are 4,
plus ground. Nothing else should go between your '422 converter
and that.
*If* you have a straight-through cable, I'd connect it from the
PC to the converter box, then use your special cable with the 5
wires to go to the Z3801A. Then, with the straight-through cable,
you can set the switch to DCE. And, as always, if one position
doesn't work, try the other.
If you don't have a straight-through, but just the null-modem cable,
you should still be able to get it to work -- I'm just concerned that
the null-modem cable may not supply any control signal voltages to
the converter -- remember, that converter runs by using the control
signals from the RS232 end to power its drivers, according to its online
manual.
>Either I don't understand what I am doing, or I should
>start all over. Maybe even bite the bullet and do the
>internal mod to the hp box per AD6A, but really
>don't want to have to do that.
Understand, but be patient. Remember your first on-air experiment?
Don't let the effort drive you to abandon the project!
>Any thoughts on how I should proceed to trouble shoot
>this situation. The hp box seems to go through its
>initial check-out ok, with only the power light remaining
>ON after a few seconds.
Should be okay at that point. Ignore the "active" light as its
software controlled. The GPS Lock light will go from yellow to
green if it obtains lock.
>Any of you who have gotten success with the hp unit have
>any thoughts?
Are you using the software from the floppy? I didn't have
luck with that -- I purchased the GPSCON software from K8CU.
You can get it for a reasonable price (yeah, I know, more
purchases!) for a download copy, and it is pretty easy to set
up.
I think the software on the floppy is meant for DOS machines and
runs poorly -- if at all -- under NT based platforms like WinNT,
Win2k and WinXP.
>73, Jim KH7M
Hang in there -- you're getting closer!
73,
Eric, KB0YDN
--
Eric F. Richards
efricha@dimensional.com
"The weird part is that I can feel productive even when I'm doomed."
- Dilbert
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