[Elecraft] K2 USB support with Timewave U232 ?

Sat May 5 13:11:05 EDT 2007

Here are the steps I took to get it working:

1) The board ties VCCIO to the 3.3v output on the chip. You’ll need to 
remove the solder bridge. Details on their web page for the part.
2) Connect VCC to VCCIO, this ties it to 5v, I just installed a jumper wire 
on the board between the two.
3) Three wires connect to the header on the K2 control board. Make sure you 
wire TX to RX and vice versa between the K2 and this board. I let the unused 
RS-232 lines float and didn't jumper rts/cts.
4) Download the driver from ftdichip.com. This is a virtual com driver, the 
USB port looks like a serial port.

The converter is bus powered from the computer.

I’ve been using it with Ham Radio Deluxe for a week and everything is 
working fine. There was some concern on the reflector over noise, but I 
haven’t found that to be a problem yet. There are bigger noise problems in 
the house.

This board only provides control of the radio via the serial port, I didn't 
bring all the signals from the control board to the back panel, so if you 
want to control a KAT-100, you'll still need the KIO2 or equivalent. I just 
liked the idea of going from TTL serial on the control board directly to 
USB, rather than TTL -> RS-232 -> USB.

There is an article in the latest QST which also discusses this chip.

Jim KA2RVO

>From: "John   [K7SVV]" <j.w.mcclain at gmail.com>
>To: "James austin" <jamesl70 at hotmail.com>
>CC: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
>Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K2 USB support with Timewave U232 ?
>Date: Fri, 4 May 2007 20:58:53 -0700
>
>Jim,
>     In today's mail I received a couple of the USB to Serial converters 
>you
>spoke of.  They look very interesting and I am anxious to get one of them
>fired up in my K2 but I have a couple of questions that you will probably 
>be
>able to help me with since you successfully got yours going.
>
>     What did you do with the unused RS-232 control lines?  The K2 only 
>uses
>RXD, TXD, and GND.  Did you jumper RTS to CTS as it is in the K2's serial
>interface cable and did you tie the rest of them up or down or did you let
>them float?
>
>    You mentioned that you connected your converter to the header on the
>front panel board.  Would you describe what line you connected there and 
>did
>you connect RXD and TXD to the real of the K2's DB9 connector?
>
>     Is your converter bus powered from the USB interface and was your 
>board
>already wired that way?
>
>     Thank you for your help. 73
>
>John   [K7SVV]
>
>
>
>
>On 4/28/07, James austin <jamesl70 at hotmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>
>>Here is a $15 part to add a USB port to the K2.
>>
>>http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=718
>>
>>I got one today and connected it to the header on the control board. Ham
>>Radio Deluxe identified the radio and is able to control it.
>>
>>If you don't have an internal battery installed, you can use that screw on
>>the top panel to mount this board and the USB port lines up with the empty
>>hole for the battery switch.
>>
>>Jim KA2RVO
>>K2 #5919
>>
>> >From: "Dan Barker" <dbarker at visioncomm.net>
>> >To: <elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
>> >Subject: RE: [Elecraft] K2 USB support with Timewave U232 ?
>> >Date: Wed, 25 Apr 2007 12:03:13 -0400
>> >
>> >Neat looking device, but you'd have to find a place to put it. They
>>depend
>> >on removing the DB-9 and using that space. You'd need to keep the DB-9
>>for
>> >it's AUX IO purposes. Might be simpler to use one of those $10 Serial to
>> >USB
>> >cables.
>> >
>> >At $80, it would sure hurt!
>> >
>> >Dan / WG4S / K2 #2456
>> >
>> >-----Original Message-----
>> >From: elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net
>> >[mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net]On Behalf Of James Apple
>> >Sent: Wednesday, April 25, 2007 11:28 AM
>> >To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
>> >Subject: [Elecraft] K2 USB support with Timewave U232 ?
>> >
>> >
>> >Has anyone tried adding USB support to the K2 with the new Timewave U232
>>?
>> >
>> >http://timewave.com/support/U-232/index.html
>> >
>> >Thanks
>> >
>> >- Jim
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>
>
>
>--
>John   [K7SVV]