[Elecraft] No Communication with USB Port on KPA-1500

[Bob Wilson, N6TV]

Connecting the USB cable to the KPA1500 creates its own FTDI virtual COM
port.

Did you look in the Windows Device Manager to see if the virtual COM port
number changed?  When you disconnect and reconnect the USB cable from the
amplifier, you should see the amp's COM port disappear and reappear in the
Device Manager, under "Ports."

Of course make sure you are connecting the cable to the square USB-B
connector at the top of the KPA1500, not the Ethernet port right below it,
which is easy to do by mistake if you can't see the back of the amplifier.

If no serial port appears, it's possible the amplifier's USB port has been
damaged, perhaps by a nearby lightning strike.  It's also possible that a
Prolific device driver is present and interfering with the proper operation
of the FTDI driver, in which case the Prolific driver should be uninstalled.

You may still be able to communicate with your KPA1500 by using the
amplifier's hardware serial port.  Assuming you have firmware 1.64 or
later, in the KPA1500 menu.

   1. TECH MODE -> ENABLE
   2. XCVR SERIAL HOST -> ENABLE
   3. XCVR SERIAL SPEED 38400
   4. Connect KX3SER, KXUSB or S-BOX <https://bit.ly/S-BOX> between a PC
   serial port or USB connector and the XCVR SERIAL port (3.5mm TRS) on the
   KPA1500.  This is the connector right underneath the Ethernet connector.
   5. Using a terminal Program like PuTTY, configure a SERIAL connection at
   38400,N,8,1, Local Echo ON
   -or-
   Try connecting the K3 Utility to the new serial port
   6. Enter a command like ^CC; to see if the amplifier responds with the
   current date and time.

However, you won't be able to upload new firmware this way, or power up the
amp. with the Utility.  Be sure to set XCVR SERIAL HOST back to DISABLE
when you are finished with the test.

73,
Bob, N6TV

On Mon, Oct 1, 2018 at 6:52 PM <charles at k5ua.com> wrote:

> Must have had a power surge because I can no longer communicate with my
> KPA-1500 on the same virtual com port like I did for about 6 weeks.
> Tried a new USB cable, but that did not work either.  Does connecting
> the KPA-1500 to the computer via a USB cable make a COM port of it's
> own, or must we use a virtual COM port?  If I remember correctly, I
> think I use a Flex Virtual COM port before the power surge?  Or did the
> power surge zap the USB port on the KPA-1500?  Any help appreciated.
>
> Charles  K5UA
>