XTS3000 tuner and USB-Serial problem, CPS is fine

[mike m]

I'm having a problem running astro XTS3000 radio tuner version R01.02.00 on an Xp machine with no serial ports.

I'm using a working USB to serial adapter to talk to my radios and other devices that used a serial port without any problems, it's only XTS3000 tuner that's giving me grief.

I know the USB to serial adapter works because ASTRO, XTS3000, CPS and ASTRO25 cps and ASTRO25 tuner all work fine with this adapter.

The problem is that only XTS3000 tuner has a problem and it cannot see the proper port for the USB to serial adapter.

The proper com port that is confirmed to work for this USB-serial adapter is COM4 in all of the other 3 astro/astro25 applications noted above.

Both of the ASTRO 25 apps, CPS and tuner, have a selection of COM 4 and USB and COM 4 is the only selection that works.

Astro 3000 CPS has the selection of only COM 3 and COM 4 and only COM 4 works which coincides with all other working applications.

The problem is that In astro XTS3000 tuner, the only selectable com ports are com 1 and com 2 which neither work, as I mentioned above com 4 works for all the other applications and all other programs that I use with this USB to SER adapter.

I tried re-installing astro XTS3000 tuner and tuner and CPS several times with no luck.

Anyone have any ideas ?


Mike

[escomm]

Pretty sure all the tuner will ever see is Com 1 or 2, so you need to change your USB adapter to that port or you will be up the creek without a paddle

[mike m]

Disregard,

I fixed it.

My pc was just acting stupid and after resetting it I was able to tell the USB to use com 1 and all is working now.

It was a dosbox application programming a GE MPD that had things locked up.

Prior to resetting the PC it kept popping up a message saying that com 1 was being used by another application.

[wavetar]

Yep, DOSBox somehow wrestles full hardware control away from Windows & is thus able to give it to the DOS programs being used, which is why most RSS likes it so much. You need to shut DOSBox down before using other Windows programs that try to use a serial port.

[mike m]

Yep,

I had to reboot to get control.

Now if only I could get my motorola RSS to run under dosbox.


I only have a USB to serial adapter and the RSS is still flakey at best.

Everything else, GE, Vertex and other non radio related dos programs work fine with the USB-serial adapter, only RSS is being a pita.


Mike

[Batwings21]

Now if only I could get my motorola RSS to run under dosbox.

Agreed, How bout one of you nice guys that's always telling how how cool dosbox is for rss post a zipfile somewhere with a working setup in it. I know the config file would have to be changed a little but I've tried several different version, including the ocbus mods and could never get it off the ground.

[wavetar]

Now if only I could get my motorola RSS to run under dosbox.

Agreed, How bout one of you nice guys that's always telling how how cool dosbox is for rss post a zipfile somewhere with a working setup in it. I know the config file would have to be changed a little but I've tried several different version, including the ocbus mods and could never get it off the ground.

Ok, here it is below. This one is the v0.65 'ocbus' modified version complete with the required DLL files & is configured to automatically mount & get you to a "C" prompt:

http://rapidshare.com/files/334293503/DOSBox-0.zip.html

It's a basic account, so it can only be downloaded 10 times...hurry & get yours!

NOTE 1 - Please be be aware that I've only gotten it to work with the 'simple' serial interface radios, such as Maxtrac/GM300/P110/GP300/350/GTX/LCS/LTS/SP50/120/SM50/120, etc. Also, real serial ports are preferred, although PCMCIA cards seem to be ok as well. You'll get the same 'maybe it will, maybe it won't' performance through USB as you would with CPS under Windows, so YMMV.

NOTE 2 - Because this isn't the full install, but rather the zipped folder, the RSS may initially complain that it doesn't recognize the keypress...no problem, just press any key 8-10 times and then it'll start recognizing it. You'll then be ok 'til the next time you run DOSbox. If it really bothers you, find a copy of the v0.65 installation program & perform a full install. Then, drop in my config file, the modified ocbus exe, and the DLL's & you should be good to go.

[Batwings21]

Thanks!!!

[mike m]

No luck with only a USB port and a known good working USB to serial adapter trying to read an MT1000, however; it does work for my GE mpa's, MPD's and Vertex FTL all running their old DOS software.

And just my luck that my PC doesn't have any spare PCMCIA COM ports.

It does have several 1394 ports but I'm not sure what they are used for, I'm an RF design engineer by trade and only use the PC's for design software and programming radios ?

Mike

[mike m]

Disregard

I figured it out, I can free up 2 PCI slots by removing an unused 1394 card and an unused modem, both which I can pull and put in real serial ports.

It'll make life and radio programming much easier.


Mike