RRC Micro PC Client and ARCS II for TS-2000

[IZ4MJP]

Hello,
As we know, ARCP-2000 is not compatible with the RRC Micro PC Client due to some problem in the way it operate with RS-232.

As i'm not a fan of HRD, i've found on the Web another software that drives the TS-2000. ARCS II by WB5KIA

http://www.qsl.net/wb5kia/arcs/arcslite.htm

This software is quite similar to ARCP-2000 by Kenwood but is more complex to use (has more facilites than ARCP-2000).

So i've tried to use it with my PC Client and Sw Beta 1.22 and after finishing the set up, ARCS II worked perfectly (It switch On & Off the Rtx, use the internal memory and display their name, ecc).

The only drawback is the stability. I experienced some problem with the interface and i killed the app several time.

Maybe is a problem of my Eee PC with Atom Processor.

I'd like to shar with others my experience.

Vy 73

Franco, IZ4MJP - HB9EIH

[Jan (Microbit)]

Interesting! What "interface problems" did you experience?

[ON4AOI]

Franco,
is your RRC on the latest firmware?
it is probably not a problem of your eeepc
but the link between UDP serial and ARCS II software.

ARCP-480 or ARCP-2000 doesnt work with the PC Client
because it thinks/sences that the UDPSerial is in use by another problem
this is not true because it is a virtual port that is running in background
looks like WB5KIA his software ignores this and can run
but with problems like you have.

Guy ON4AOI

 
  

[Jan (Microbit)]

ARCP-480 or ARCP-2000 doesnt work with the PC Client
because it thinks/sences that the UDPSerial is in use by another problem
this is not true because it is a virtual port that is running in background
looks like WB5KIA his software ignores this and can run
but with problems like you have.

Guy ON4AOI

Would you like to explain this a bit? Why should any program think the com port is "in use" by something else just because it's a virtual com port? The way our virtual com port work is like any other com port, one program is allowed to open it at the same time.

[IZ4MJP]

Interesting! What "interface problems" did you experience?

Hello Jan.
I'm using the latest Fmw update 0.0.2.27 on the RRC Radio side and the lastest Micro PC Client software 1.0.22

ARCSII is very very slow. Sometimes it freeze when i try to Start or Stop the connection with the TS-2000. Some function are really slow (lwhen load the radio internal memory).
I think this is due to the very slow serial connection of the RRC + Micro PC Client (only 9.600 Baud).

I've tried to speed up the serial transfert using a 19.200 Baud link but ARCS II refuse to connect (HRD 5 also doesn't work).
This is the limit of the menù setup "4 - Kenwood, Yaesu, Alinco".

If i use ARCS II with a direct serial cable connection using 57.000 baud, the software operate correctly.
So i think is a really speed problem and not a "virtual port" problem as Guy said. IMHO.

Just a question for Jan:
Is there any way to "renumber" the Serial Port of the Micro PC Client?
In my EeePC the installer assign port 16 17 18. Too high for some software. I don't understand why the Micro PC installer use these "high" ports.
Is possibile to renumber the Serial ports on XP using a tool or a software?

I use XP Home Edition on the EeePC.

I continue to experiment.

Vy 73
Franco, IZ4MJP - HB9EIH

[ON4AOI]

Jan,
I can only speak for ARCP-480 but guess it is equal written for ARCP-2000
when we discussed off the forum I allready wrote you that when you try
to run ARCP-480 when the PC-CLIENT(F1.22)
on the attached screendump you can see the message from arcp-480
software after trying to connect (CONN) to virtual com5
under XP-settings you only can check the comportnumber and nothing else
like baudrate etc (I checked the registry if they were 9600-8-1-n and they are)
but for some users registry checking/editing could be dangerous.

ARCP-480 doesn't recognize the UDP-SERIAL PORT maybe because it doesnt see all
what it needs,
I tried with a moxa (Nport-5210) ip-serials and that works ok with ARCP-480

Guy ON4AOI

    



  

[ON4AOI]

Franco,
there is a way to clean up unused comports that have been installed but not in use anymore
In another tread in the form about the RRC-CLIENT there is a small program (from Jan)
where you can check what is in use
or you can also check your registry why they still are there and if not needed remove them
but be carefull and make a BU of your registry first.
With google you find a lot of info how to remove unused comports.

BTW you can speed up the comport to 38400 baud max when using HRD and PC-CLIENT

Guy ON4AOI

[Jan (Microbit)]

Just a question for Jan:
Is there any way to "renumber" the Serial Port of the Micro PC Client?
In my EeePC the installer assign port 16 17 18. Too high for some software. I don't understand why the Micro PC installer use these "high" ports.
Is possibile to renumber the Serial ports on XP using a tool or a software?

I use XP Home Edition on the EeePC.

I continue to experiment.

Vy 73
Franco, IZ4MJP - HB9EIH

See the attached image for what I see in Device Manager COM port properties. Looks like you should be able to renumber.

Like Guy says Windows seems to kind of loose track of which COM ports are free and not. It has a internal database of COM port numbers and their usage. That db gets out of sync it seems, both ways, ports free are not marked as free and vice versa.

[Jan (Microbit)]

Jan,
I can only speak for ARCP-480 but guess it is equal written for ARCP-2000
when we discussed off the forum I allready wrote you that when you try
to run ARCP-480 when the PC-CLIENT(F1.22)
on the attached screendump you can see the message from arcp-480
software after trying to connect (CONN) to virtual com5
under XP-settings you only can check the comportnumber and nothing else
like baudrate etc (I checked the registry if they were 9600-8-1-n and they are)
but for some users registry checking/editing could be dangerous.

ARCP-480 doesn't recognize the UDP-SERIAL PORT maybe because it doesnt see all
what it needs,
I tried with a moxa (Nport-5210) ip-serials and that works ok with ARCP-480

Guy ON4AOI

I have looked into this a bit. It's not a question of the com port not being recognized as such as it opens fine and starts communicate ok. After opening ARCP-480 requests a notification when data is available to read, which also is as expected. The com port then returns a notification when data is available, but ARCP-480 doesn't seem to care as it doesn't send a read request. Instead it sends a lot of port control commands and after a while  ARCP-480 seems to give up, giving the mentioned error message.

Next step will be to monitor how ARCP-480 handles a "normal" com port, in order to find out any difference causing this behaviour.

All in all - Windows and Serial port have always been a pain in the ...

[ON4AOI]

Like Guy says Windows seems to kind of loose track of which COM ports are free and not. It has a internal database of COM port numbers and their usage. That db gets out of sync it seems, both ways, ports free are not marked as free and vice versa.

Maybe the driver/installer is written to good.

Guy ON4AOI

[ON4AOI]

I have looked into this a bit. It's not a question of the com port not being recognized as such as it opens fine and starts communicate ok. After opening ARCP-480 requests a notification when data is available to read, which also is as expected. The com port then returns a notification when data is available, but ARCP-480 doesn't seem to care as it doesn't send a read request. Instead it sends a lot of port control commands and after a while  ARCP-480 seems to give up, giving the mentioned error message.

Next step will be to monitor how ARCP-480 handles a "normal" com port, in order to find out any difference causing this behaviour.

All in all - Windows and Serial port have always been a pain in the ...

What program are you using Jan, I tried with my old trusted Portmon
but it is given me no results because it also has problems with detecting UDP serials

[Jan (Microbit)]

Like Guy says Windows seems to kind of loose track of which COM ports are free and not. It has a internal database of COM port numbers and their usage. That db gets out of sync it seems, both ways, ports free are not marked as free and vice versa.

Maybe the driver/installer is written to good.

Guy ON4AOI

Too good?

[Jan (Microbit)]

What program are you using Jan, I tried with my old trusted Portmon
but it is given me no results because it also has problems with detecting UDP serials

Since I am one of the creators of the driver I am able to debug into it. Portmon and similiar don't like UMDF drivers.