[Elecraft] Serial Cable routing

[Jim Brown]

On 12/30/2013 8:43 PM, Fred Jensen wrote:
> Okay, sort of slow here but I'm remembering now that the serial is 
> computer-->P3-->K3.  The 15-wire Elecraft network is 
> K3-->KAT500-->KPA500.  Got the flashlight out, looked behind the rig, 
> and that's how it seems to be.  I've got this different USB thingy by 
> the laptop that I now know goes to the KAT500 for FW updates. 

Exactly.  The ACTIVE use of the serial connection is between P3 and K3 
so that the P3 knows frequency, and between the K3 and the computer for 
logging and control.  That's the only connection that most of us leave 
in place.

The only need for serial to the KAT500 and KPA500 are for occasional 
firmware updates, which, as has been noted, don't come very often. So 
every 6-9 months I fire up the K3, P3, KPA, and KAT utilities, check for 
firmware, load them into K3 and P3 with the routine serial connection, 
and then use another serial cable to to update KAT and/or KPA when needed.

73, Jim K9YC