[CQ-Contest] Mode 516 Suggestions

[Joe Pontek]

I whole heartly disagree. The port on the radio should remain RS-232.
A computer is not the only hook up to a radio. If you remote control
a radio with a modem, it will use an RS-232, not a USB.

Best regards de K8Joe"Palooka" & Beverly
Joe & Bev Pontek, Sr.
26441 Devaney Road
Arcadia, IN 46030-9532
USA
317-984-7388
FOC 1743  FISTS 7625
K8JP V31JP VP5/K8JP VP5JP K8JP/VA2 ex-K8HKM
Read the "Contest Traveler" in The National Contest Journal
http://sites.netscape.net/v31jp/homepage
also: k8jp at arrl.net & v31jp at contesting.com

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-cq-contest at contesting.com
> [mailto:owner-cq-contest at contesting.com]On Behalf Of Bill Coleman
> Sent: Friday, 06 July, 2001 13:13
> To: QRP; cq-contest at contesting.com
> Subject: [CQ-Contest] Mode 516 Suggestions
>
>
>
>
> I sent the following message to Ten-Tec in reply to their call for
> suggestions on the new Model 516:
>
>
> One thing I believe you ought to consider is eliminating the DB-9 RS-232
> interface in favor of a USB interface. There are several good reasons for
> this:
>
> * In 1998, Apple introduced the iMac. One of the features of this machine
> was a complete abandonment of all legacy I/O channels. Instead, Apple
> stressed the use of USB, and later FireWire. While you might argue that
> no hams use Apple computers (and that would be incorrect - I use them),
> other Intel-based computer manufacturers have followed suit. Indeed,
> Compaq and a number of other manufacturers have introduced "legacy-free"
> PCs. Thus, it is pretty clear that in the future, serial ports may no
> longer be standard equipment on PCs. (Apple hasn't shipped a computer
> with a standard serial port since 1999) Granted, one can get adapters to
> add serial ports, but such interfaces may not be mainstream in the future.
>
> * The RS-232 interface is an asynchronous, character oriented interface.
> There is no error-checking on characters sent or received. Because of
> this, it is certainly possible that the radio may fail to function
> because of mis-interpretation of a garbled command. Hand-in-hand with
> this is the fact that the protocol to speak to the radio isn't terribly
> well-defined -- each software vendor has to implement his own version of
> the protocol and some will be better than others.
>
> In contrast, USB offers an error-corrected interface that operates in a
> functional manner. A driver library on the host computer would have
> direct calls from software applications. It would then encode the proper
> commands to the USB device, and interpret the responses. There's no need
> for vendors to try to implement the protocol. (Unless they were trying to
> write USB drivers for other operating systems)
>
> * The RS-232 interface is very slow. Typical rates of 4800 or 9600 bps
> are used. USB is fast, offering speeds of 1.5 to 12 Mbps. At these data
> rates, it is possible to send the radio AUDIO as well as the control data
> across the interface. This opens up a whole new category of computer
> control applications.
>
> * USB has become ubiquitious. Chip sets to support USB ought to be cheap,
> perhaps cheaper than chip sets to support RS-232. At least USB has no odd
> power requirements, such as the differential voltages required for RS-232.
>
> Even if you do not see fit to support USB in the Model 516, I suggest you
> hold it in consideration for future Transceivers. Serial is on it's way
> out. USB appears to be here for the long haul.
>
> Thank you for the consideration.
>
>
>
> Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASEL        Mail: aa4lr at arrl.net
> Quote: "Not within a thousand years will man ever fly!"
>             -- Wilbur Wright, 1901
>
>
> --
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>


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