[CQ-Contest] Radio appliances (long and OT)

[David Robbins K1TTT]

> 
> So my question still remains... if USB technology is 10 years old, why
> don't we find it implemented in our gear? Instead, we're kludging our USB
> only computers with protocol converters and Far East drivers to interface
> to our MODERN transceivers. It makes no sense!

USB is a newcomer, in most cases until recently can't be used by dos
programs, and requires drivers for the specific device.  USB by itself
doesn't talk to anything, it is a 'universal' bus that has no default
interface for user programs, so to interface to it the program has to use
the manufacturer supplied drivers.  Now if those drivers emulate a
'standard' rs-232 serial port that is fairly easy, thus you see most
programs can use usb to serial port adapters.  Not the best solution, but it
prevents each manufacturer from coming up with their own proprietary usb
driver interface and keeps their equipment compatible with older (remember
we are hams here) computers that have standard serial ports.

To be really useful in the future all rigs should have Ethernet and 802.11
interface options... no drivers needed, standard network interfaces possible
including internet access, and access could be from any operating system.
Include a built in web server and not even any user side software is needed.
Plus the same interface can be used for control and audio.


David Robbins K1TTT
e-mail: mailto:k1ttt at arrl.net
web: http://www.k1ttt.net
AR-Cluster node: 145.69MHz or telnet://dxc.k1ttt.net