[Elecraft] KUSB for K3

[Leigh L Klotz, Jr.]

Interestingly, this this of problem is created for Windows.  There are a 
limited number of USB/RS232 converter chip types in the world, all 
supportable by a small number of drivers.  Each seller, though, gets to 
set an "id" in the chiop, which tells the OS what driver to load.  The 
RS232/serial bump-in-the-cord devices could all get by with the same 
driver for the same chip if this number weren't changed.

So, why does this number exist?  Partly yo allow manufacturers of 
hardware to make it look like there's something special about their 
devices by adding features in the driver, but mainly to accomodate 
automatic detection of devices that directly incorporate these chips and 
offer some other functionality (I.e. other than the generic 
converters).  Devices such as cameras generally have their own protocols 
and don't use the generic serial chips, but there are indeed some 
devices out there that use this ID to make a useful driver load.
The price we have to pay on Windows is getting a new driver for each 
one, and suffering from needlessly buggy copies of the code as Tom has 
reported.

If the K3 had its own internal chip with its own ID, there would be an 
opportunity to have Windows auto-launch an application (Ham Radio 
Deluxe? N1MM Logger?) whenever it detected the special K3 ID.  There 
isn't much advantage to this, and it would require, because of the way 
Windows works, a special driver.

On Linux, the RS232 coverter generic drivers work fine for the 
USB-Serial devices, but you don't get the automatic application launch 
that you can get with Windows, although it is possible to configure it 
for some the special devices.   The problems with them come mostly in 
the cases where they really are closer TTL instead of RS232 and the 
keying circuit depends on the negative swing, or the supply isn't stiff 
enough	to meet the signalling device needs (both problems on Windows as 
well).

Of course, Linux suffers as well from the need to have unique driver (or 
more likely application) support for devices that directly incorporate 
these chips and offer some functionality other than just serial 
conversion.

73,
Leigh/WA5ZNU
On Sun, 6 May 2007 8:51 am, Tom Hammond wrote:
> Don Wilhelm wrote, regarding USB to Serial  If it's left plugged in 
> when the PCs booted, the OS (WinXP Pro in my case) wants to re-install 
> the drivers EVERY TIME!