[TowerTalk] Serial port for Station control?

[Roger (K8RI)]

I noted one of my new mother boards has an internal serial port and I 
happen to have a couple of serial connectors that mount on the back 
plane.  Unfortunately they don't say if it's RS232 compliant.  They do 
give some specs. 

I've seen a number of USB to serial converters, but after using one and 
wiping out my whole internal USB buss I've decided to give those a bit 
of caution.

What I'd really like to do is set up the system to allow me to select 
the desired antenna via keyboard using BCD output.  4 lines for 10 or 
full binary for 15. OTOH  BCD converters are cheap, and plentiful.  A 
converter, opto isolators and you are in business...and I'd not need 
extra control heads for the remote antenna switches. In addition I could 
program the control for the 6-back to know if any lines that would show 
"in use", are really being used hence when at either location I'd not 
have to be concerned if the one of the other antennas  displayed it was 
being used by the other station if it wasn't actively being used.  IOW 
if the other radio is powered down, either computer could make use of 
the full system... 6-pack and two RCS-8 remote switches and one 
rotator.  Unfortunately I only have one amp that can be remote operated 
and no auto tuners.  I'd like to find some circuits and programs for those.


73

Roger (K8RI)