PINNED - Info on PROGRAMMING PGDT and others

[woodygb]

The words inside the red box at the bottom of the pic say ... VIEWED FROM SOLDER SIDE OF PLUG

It appears that you have made a complete pigs ear of the wiring.

As far as I can tell you have the GND and TX WITH DIODE??? + RX interchanged.


AND... your not using the recommended lead .. ( I've tried FTDI leads without success ) so it may not work at all.

[woodygb]

BTW ... The six lights indicate that you have activated the inhibit via Grounding the XLR pin that should be the (TX & diode) + RX.

Leads that normally work are Radio programming leads. Beofeng , Kenwood etc

[JenR]

Oh, I didn't switch GND and TX+RX, I made a mistake making the picture. I'll remove it to avoid confusion.
The soldering appears to be correct, I just noticed the numbers on the inside of the plug and they are correct.

I don't have a diode, do I need one? I used the picture on the first page without diode. I thought the diode is only necessary if the TX pin also has the vcc? The ftdi friend has a seperate VCC and TX pin. I'm not using the VCC.

I am indeed not using the recommended lead, this is the one I had available, thought it would work. Guess not then?

[woodygb]

The first cable I knocked up using a specific Kenwood lead worked fine on the Pilot+ ...but was later found not to work on the rest of the P&G range.

Also to compound confusion the "same" Kenwood cable type ...but from a different supplier ... wouldn't work at all ..until the introduction of the diode.

Since then I have found that most makes models and types of Radio programming leads will work just fine with the simple addition of the diode.

A genuine FTDI lead doesn't ..and I have had 2 cheap Radio programming leads via Ebay that wouldn't work....

[woodygb]

I've had success with this BAOFENG lead + diode

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/USB-Programmi ... 43c4faa5e7

[JenR]

I'll see if I have a diode at work tomorrow and if not, I'll order the recommended cable.

[JenR]

Tried several things:
- added a led on the tx pin (don't have a diode, and a led is a actually a diode I guess), the inhibit error code was gone on my wheelchair, but still comms inactive
- used a different usb - ttl cable, but this one is not 5V but 3.3V, doesn't work obviously.

I just ordered the recommended kenwood cable, hopefully I'll have more luck with that one...

[woodygb]

If you get no joy I can supply one tested as working.

[JenR]

A colleague did have a diode, so I tested that with the 2 cables (3.3V and 5V), still doesn't work. Now I have really tested everything with the equipment I have.
Now wait for the kenwood cable.

[JenR]

So I received the recommended cable (http://www.radioarena.co.uk/index.php?_ ... ductId=628). When I stripped the cable, it had only 3 wires (black, red, white). I first tried without diode, didn't work. I have now added a diode (1n4007), still doesn't work

I installed the prolific drivers, I changed the COM port of the cable to COM8 and I changed the mobility pc programmer to COM8 as well. I plug in the cable in the chair, I turn my chair on and start the program. Keeps saying COMMS INACTIVE...

Any ideas? Could it be the diode type?

[LROBBINS]

Diode type? Unlikely. Diode backwards? I've been known to do that, and probably everyone who's ever done any electronics.
Ciao,
Lenny

[woodygb]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1N4001_and ... ies_diodes

http://www.abra-electronics.com/product ... -100V.html

1N4149-Diode-Small-Signal-Fast-Switching
It could well be the diode.
Edit:-
LENNY'S ELECTRONICS KNOWLEDGE IS MUCH BETTER THAN MINE.

[woodygb]

Diode should be placed between the WHITE lead and the XLR pin 3 with the unmarked end connected to the XLR Plug...and the Red wire must also connected to the same XLR pin 3.

[JenR]

I made an image with how my diode is positioned:

leftside is usb side, right side is XLR side.


GND (black) -> XLR pin 2
TX (white) (+diode) and RX (red) -> XLR pin 3

seems correct to me...

[Burgerman]

More likely to be a port/program port/driver version/usb problem.

On all my windows 32/64 machines you need the right driver, and windows keeps on putting in the newer unwanted ones, and you need to try different USB sockets. Only one set work on my PC and only one on my laptop.

And serial port numbers...
Again only 1 works and must be chosen in the program too. 8 in my case...

Every time you change anything reboot, restart software, reconnect cable, retry...

Its a pain but once all is correct it works every time.

[Burgerman]

Be better if we could use wireless...

[woodygb]

It does appear correct.

So ... unless the USB wire colours are connected differently then expected in the USB case ...it could/should work ...I've always used my specified diode so can't confirm or deny that the one you are using will or will not work.

I assume that the leads driver has installed correctly under Windows?

[JenR]

I tried 2 different drivers, the 3.2.0.0 prolific driver and the driver that is listed on the radioshack website. The device correctly installs and gets a COM port.

I'll now try the 8 different com ports and different usb ports.

Is it normal, that when I don't have a driver installed, that the 6 battery lights are blinking on my wheelchair? The moment the driver is installed, the lights behave normal (no error).

[Burgerman]

Normal?

Depends... But not usually.

But it will work only with that 3.2.00 driver (CHECK in device manager) as long as it agrees with your USB ports (all are NOT equal), and with the correct port number. ONLY 8 works on my desktop, only 3 works on my laptop.

And only with one specific USB port set. The USB3 ones, and some others with a different chipset don't work. And "hub" ones as built into my monitor don't seem to work.

[JenR]

Tried multiple combinations. Does not work.
I'll pickup a 1n4148 diode after work. Hopefully that is the problem...

[Burgerman]

I don't have a diode...

I tested a few and also got a few other peoples working. Trust me it does work, but you have to go through a big fight initially.

What version of windows, and what version of driver does it say in DEVICE MANAGER?

And which port?

[woodygb]

To save me ploughing back thru the posts ... what model of Penny Giles Controller do you have?

[JenR]

model: pilot+
I tried windows 7 64bit, windows 7 32bit (vmware), windows 8 64 bit.
driver versions tested: 3.2.0.0 (W7 32bit and w8 64bit), 3.3.2.102 (W8 64bit), 3.3.2.105 (W8 64bit), 3.4.62.293 (W8 64bit)

I now have a correct diode (1n4148) but this doesn't change anything.

segreen has the exact same cable that I have, but he didn't use a diode and it worked for him. Could it be that it would work without diode, and wouldn't work with diode?

[Burgerman]

3.2.0.0 works on 64bit win7. Nothing else does.

But you have not done what I asked. Go to device manager. Read driver version. Windows ignores you and uses the newest one even if you tell it not to do so.

Tell me what it says...

I don't have a diode and my lead works fine on pilot plus.

If you really have the correct version on win7 64, then you need to try all ports, and all serial numbers and all USB combinations and restart pc each time. Because I have yet to fail to make it work. Others have.

[woodygb]

If all else fails I'm happy to test the cable ( FREE ..you pay postage ) and if needed supply a working USB attached to your XLR .. at minimal cost.

[JenR]

the driver versions I said were from device manager, device properties, I know how to change the driver. Just installing a new one doesn't help.

I just tested windows xp, with the xp drivers that were on the cd that came with the cable. comms inactive...

thx for the offer woody, but as I live in belgium, postage will take quite some time

I will now remove the diode, as burgerman and segreen seem to have it working without diode...

[Burgerman]

Next, if CORRECT driver, in W7 64, test each USB individually, and with ports 1 to 8 and change in program to match. Then reboot at every change. Reconnect cable, turn on controller and test...

It will take time...

It WILL work.

Its not the cable but the damned serial/usb/driver thing...

I changed gear once in Belgium.

[rustyjames]

This discussion is interesting to me since I'm going to try and build a cable too. Here's the cable I bought (which also has 3 wires):

http://www.ebay.com/itm/181306465504?ss ... 1439.l2649

I also have a Pilot+ controller. I have Windows 7 Home Premium (at home) and XP at my shop, and I'd like to be able to use the cable at both locations. Should I install the diode or leave it out?

[woodygb]

I now use a diode in ALL the cables that I make and supply.

I also prefer to pop the case ..thus I can check what colours go where ( the solder pads are marked GND , TX and RX ) ... as the Chinese / Korean suppliers seem to change them around Willy Nilly...
I solder the diode IN the case and do away with the spare wire.

[JenR]

I guess the blue wire was your TX wire, you don't need it at all using this method?

(I removed the diode, didn't make any difference, I'll now do what burgerman suggests, do all the possible combinations...)