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PINNED - Info on PROGRAMMING PGDT and others

PostPosted: 29 May 2012, 11:36
by Burgerman
Thanks for the update.

Any good links to buy this cable? I will make a couple up.

Already have some 3 pin charge XLR/Neutrik plugs in the draw.

ADDED
I changed over to using an FTDI cable TTL-232R-3V3-WE as the basis for ALL my programming leads

@ B.M. ....You might consider altering the start of the pinned thread and removing any references to the Prolific / KPG cables and their variants....replacing any references and pics with the current FTDI Lead.

Re: PGDT interface update

PostPosted: 29 May 2012, 14:05
by Burgerman
And they do paypal! So its easy... Ordered. Thanks.

Re: PGDT interface update

PostPosted: 29 May 2012, 14:39
by woodygb
They normally arrive next day / signed for.

Re: PGDT interface update

PostPosted: 30 May 2012, 11:20
by Burgerman
It did. Will make a lead up soon, post a really simple how to page, mention your name, and then its easy for all. Unless you want to keep making these for others? In which case I will link to this thread.

Once people see that its just 2 wires, and easy to get lead / connector then they will make it themselves I expect. Will work for everything P and G inc VSI, Pilot Plus, VR2, and some scooter controllers. It will not do R-net.

Re: PGDT interface update

PostPosted: 30 May 2012, 12:44
by woodygb
Thanks for asking.

I'm not in this to make MONEY .... I am a non-loss rather than a "non profit" person. :)

Feel free to post any info on your main site ...

I've presently got 2 leads ordered by forum members.. and will if asked continue to assemble them.

EDIT:- I did get a price for 100 off ...assembled with compatible plug ... of under $10 U.S.

Re: PGDT interface update

PostPosted: 30 May 2012, 12:50
by woodygb
It will not do R-net
Seems a more difficult nut to crack ... I would need the pgdt lead/dongle and a controller to get a starting point.

Re: PGDT interface update

PostPosted: 16 Jun 2012, 16:11
by Burgerman
ADDED
I changed over to using an FTDI cable TTL-232R-3V3-WE as the basis for ALL my programming leads

@ B.M. ....You might consider altering the start of the pinned thread and removing any references to the Prolific / KPG cables and their variants....replacing any references and pics with the current FTDI Lead.




CONFIRMED GOOD:

1. COMPATIBILITY MODE for XP SP3. (been using it since the start - not sure if its needed)

2. THIS cable: http://www.radioarena.co.uk/index.php?_ ... ductId=628 Connect as per woodies picture. Image


3. The driver on the disk it comes with... Which has a bunch of drivers on it. Just run the disk. It installs 3.2.0.0 driver. Changed this to COM 8 as the others do not work on 2 PCs...

4. Choose com 8 in the PG Drives program. woohoo...

Not sure how much of this was my bad connecting Neutrik plug. They are sh*t...

But the above works flawlessely.

Re: PGDT interface update

PostPosted: 16 Jun 2012, 17:24
by woodygb
2. THIS cable: http://www.radioarena.co.uk/index.php?_ ... ductId=628

ADDED
I changed over to using an FTDI cable TTL-232R-3V3-WE as the basis for ALL my programming leads

@ B.M. ....You might consider altering the start of the pinned thread and removing any references to the Prolific / KPG cables and their variants....replacing any references and pics with the current FTDI Lead.

Re: PGDT interface update

PostPosted: 16 Jun 2012, 21:23
by woodygb
Prolific PL2303 ver 3.2.0.0 driver zip

http://sdrv.ms/LcQ1B7

ADDED
I changed over to using an FTDI cable TTL-232R-3V3-WE as the basis for ALL my programming leads

@ B.M. ....You might consider altering the start of the pinned thread and removing any references to the Prolific / KPG cables and their variants....replacing any references and pics with the current FTDI Lead.

Re: PGDT interface update

PostPosted: 16 Jun 2012, 21:24
by Burgerman
Comes with disk.

Re: PGDT interface update

PostPosted: 16 Jun 2012, 21:30
by woodygb
Indeed ..but some people MAY have made a lead and that zipped driver could possibly help.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TG-UV2/message/895

Re: PGDT interface update

PostPosted: 18 Jun 2012, 20:56
by vr2hacker
Just new to this topic... has anyone tried the FTDI USB cables? They work on Windows, Linux and Mac OS.
The advantage to them is that the drivers work perfectly on many platforms.

Install FTDI driver, plug in cable. About $20.

Cable (very widely available from other sellers, search for " FTDI TTL-232R-5V")
http://www.digikey.ca/product-detail/en ... ND/2003493

Drivers
http://www.ftdichip.com/FTDrivers.htm

They sell the chips, which means many people have made adapter boards for USB-TTL levels, such as this one:
http://shop.moderndevice.com/products/usb-bub

Millions of these are in service, notable in the Arduino robotics/hobbyist electronics platform.

D

Re: PGDT interface update

PostPosted: 18 Jun 2012, 21:08
by woodygb
The problem is in finding a lead that communicates with the PGDT controller and will thus allow programming of it.

1-wire communication ....

Re: PGDT interface update

PostPosted: 18 Jun 2012, 22:27
by vr2hacker
the FTDI cables should work the same, since they provide the same signals as the PL2303: RX and TX at 5V TTL levels.
The Kenwood isn't really one-wire, since the technique is to tie together the RX and TX lines, but I know what you mean.

I'm hacking a VR2 for a robot controller and trying to figure out what they did in hardware to complicate things!

D

Re: PGDT interface update

PostPosted: 18 Jun 2012, 22:50
by woodygb
Bypass the VR2 control interface and hack in at the h bridge.

http://hh.diva-portal.org/smash/get/div ... FULLTEXT01 page 33 ish

What type of robot?

Re: PGDT interface update

PostPosted: 19 Jun 2012, 04:45
by vr2hacker
thanks for the tip! It's not the same motor drive though, but I see what you mean about bypassing the PG proprietary protocols and going straight to the heart.
I just spent about four hours hacking the VR2 and it works when you send analog PWM voltages from an Arduino to the joystick connector, but it really has an unreliable feeling to it.
Have decided to go with a Roboteq controller instead! it will work and is much more reliable, and you can get replacements and information without having to screw around with PG's supply chain.

D

Re: PGDT interface update

PostPosted: 19 Jun 2012, 08:00
by ex-Gooserider
vr2hacker wrote:Just new to this topic... has anyone tried the FTDI USB cables? They work on Windows, Linux and Mac OS.
The advantage to them is that the drivers work perfectly on many platforms.


I don't know about doing the straight from USB - controller setup, but the FTDI USB -Serial adapter, and the standard P&G serial cable has been reported by others to work on at least some Microsoft platforms, and I just got it working under VMware on a Mac... So I wouldn't be terribly surprised if that was a workable approach.

I don't know how it would like having it's TX & RX pins tied together though, I could see how that might confuse it. There might be a need to have some kind of protection on them. However the technical reference info is probably going to be easy to find, so that should be an easily answered question...

ex-Gooserider

Re: PGDT interface update

PostPosted: 19 Jun 2012, 09:32
by Burgerman
but it really has an unreliable feeling to it.


Thats why we have to reprogram every powerchair to get rid of this crap... So it steers correctly.

Re: PGDT interface update

PostPosted: 19 Jun 2012, 10:40
by woodygb
I don't know how it would like having it's TX & RX pins tied together though, I could see how that might confuse it. There might be a need to have some kind of protection on them

You do need a few extra components to divert the signals ... the Kenwood cable appears to have a version of the middle schematic tacked onto it's RX /TX .
3 onewire.GIF
3 onewire.GIF (34.54 KiB) Viewed 75096 times

Re: PGDT interface update

PostPosted: 21 Jun 2012, 19:03
by malamar
Pardon...? :? :mrgreen:

Re: PGDT interface update

PostPosted: 21 Jun 2012, 22:41
by Burgerman
You dont need to understand that!

Re: PGDT interface update

PostPosted: 22 Jun 2012, 12:23
by malamar
A true relief! :?

Re: PGDT interface update

PostPosted: 26 Jun 2012, 09:29
by butchec
Hi,
I am new to the forum and wanted to check which cable was best.

From reading this list the Kenwood KPG-4 seems to be the best and most reliable. But reading some other lists a Icom OPC-592 cable was mentioned.

Has anyone tested the Icom cable? If so which offers the most reliable connection.

Thanks. Chris

Re: PGDT interface update

PostPosted: 26 Jun 2012, 13:07
by woodygb
The KPG 4 is recommended for ALL Windows O.S.

BUT so far ONLY that specific type as supplied by RadioArena.

Re: PGDT interface update

PostPosted: 26 Jun 2012, 14:31
by woodygb
The ICOM works for ME on XP .... I'll happily send you the ICOM to try.

Re: PGDT interface update

PostPosted: 26 Jun 2012, 17:45
by Burgerman
It doesent work in Win 7 though.

Re: PGDT interface update

PostPosted: 26 Jun 2012, 18:01
by Ashley G
Burgerman wrote:It doesent work in Win 7 though.


I'm just wondering .... in Win 7, we can set programmes individually to run in XP SP2 compatibility mode (for example), but how would you tell a driver what mode to run in ?

I'm assuming that it's the driver which is causing you guys all the headaches. I confess to getting a but muddled now and then ....

Regards

Ashley


Re: PGDT interface update

PostPosted: 26 Jun 2012, 19:48
by Burgerman
No, that makes no difference. I tested all of woodies leads, and the only one that seems to work is the 4 wire one. And it connects easily, and solidly. It may be a driver issue, but I tried that same driver (included with the lead) on all of them. Still only the 4 wire lead worked.

Re: PGDT interface update

PostPosted: 26 Jun 2012, 21:25
by butchec
Hi,

Thanks for the advise on the cables. Since I am running win7 on all computers I am going to order the KPG4 cable.

Cheers. Chris

Re: PGDT interface update

PostPosted: 30 Jun 2012, 13:06
by butchec
Cable just arrived...

Let the testing begin