[Elecraft] How 'bout a USB interface?

[George, W5YR]

I agree with placing the complexity and versatility in the computer/server,
but what about the requirements placed on the client/radio? A USB interface
there would require much more computing horsepower than the K2 has to
spare, I suspect.

If the data rate required does not justify changing from serial port
architectures, how do we justify the added cost and complexity of USB at
the client?

I am all for losing RS-232 but gotta be some good reasons for spending that
extra money.

73/72/oo, George W5YR - the Yellow Rose of Texas         
Fairview, TX 30 mi NE of Dallas in Collin county EM13qe   
Amateur Radio W5YR, in the 56th year and it just keeps getting better!
QRP-L 1373 NETXQRP 6 SOC 262 COG 8 FPQRP 404 TEN-X 11771 I-LINK 11735
Icom IC-756PRO #02121  Kachina 505 DSP  #91900556  Icom IC-765 #02437


Bill Coleman wrote:
> 
> On 7/12/02 7:23 PM, John Clifford at johnclif@ix.netcom.com wrote:
> 
> >USB seems like a much simpler, better, and less-hassle interface (from the
> >user's point of view).
> 
> A big AMEN to that.
> 
> A USB interface would require drivers on the host computer -- but it
> would result in a functional interface. One that applications could call
> and get results. Rather than having applications encode strings to a
> serial port, and try to decipher the strings the K2 sends back.
> 
> You could also do interesting things with USB -- like send the receive or
> transmit audio to the host computer. There's more than enough bandwidth
> for that.
> 
> USB is pretty ubiquitious today. Apple stopped shipping serial ports on
> their computers back in 1999. Many PC companies are following suit these
> days.