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Serial port selection list needs USB to Serial added

 

the setup for the rig has a puldown listing /Dev//tty items.??

USB to serial adapters are required when the computer only has USB and the rig only serial port.?? The adapter omes up on Linux Mint as /Dev/ttyUSB0 or ttyUSB1, and the list does not include it, nor does it allow typed in information.

Any other solution than software modification?
 

Hi...

You generally need to have the USB/Serial (or any other) device connected to the PC, and showing up in the OS as a valid device, BEFORE, starting any software that you want to use with it.

Is that the cause of your problem, you're starting the software, before connecting the needed adapters?

73.

Dave G0WBX.


--
Sent from a MicroSoft free zone:
 

Hello, Dave,

Thanks to David, for his reply this is what happened:

-------------

David

I had checked the list as you showed but my list remains the same with and without the adapter cable plugged in.? It is a QuinHeng 7523 CH340 Serial converter.?? A blue cable translucent plastic assembly. ? When it stayed unchanged I used DMESG command and found in the end of the listing that Mint had tried to enumerate it as? ttyUSB0/ and gave up disconnecting it. which is why the list was unchanged. Since the cable works well with the same computer when it is started as Windows 11, I had to guess that the problem is no Mint/Linux driver.

I had not tried another cable because it was "known good" ( but not known good on Linux)? I have a Prolific version of the same type of adapter cable by a different manufacturer, (
which was not "known good" and put it in place... It worked right away (but on mine it is on the TOP of the list and like yours, cannot be missed It is almost a whole sentence long....

So, let folks know that just because their cable works on W11 does not mean it will work under Linux.

Also let them know to try DMESG to find out if their device is working If it is not their list will stay the same with the cable in or out.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

On my system it made no difference if I had the rig on and wired to the computer, with the software installed and on the screen. As soon as I selected the right item in the list and hit "update" then hit "init", the screen showed my correct frequency and I could change the frequency using the software.

Thank you for the quick response.

Dave, do you know if the Microkeyer II by MicroHAM has drivers anywhere for Linux??? If not, does the WinKeyer by K1EL have drivers in Linux.?? I own an MK2 and can buy a used WK3 if necessary.? I like the MK2 because it has the AF interface devices built in.? IF both of these are no-go, where can I get the right CW/RTTY/SSB interface for Mint Linux?

If you need a QSO any time please let me know.? My station has only a vertical and wires for now, but next summer my old quad will be repaired and reinstalled again at about 70 ft.?? It will again be the antenna pictured on the QRZ page. ? When that is up I know we can work, but I can still work my G friends with the vertical and wires. ? you just need a very quiet room an an ear horn to assist the rigs AF out.

'later...

J. VY1JA
 

Yes indeed.

USB drivers are critical for Linux.

Renesas and FTDI are the cream of the crop as far as kernel drivers go for Linux. Prolific works but is at the bottom of the list. Many others won't work at all.

Prolific chipsets, and this is true of Windows or Linux, do not support the full set of baud rates. Renesas and FTDI do, plus the drivers on either OS are very good. Prolific drivers are not.

It's hard to know what you have for an internal USB chipset when buying adapter cables, but any good cable manufacturer will generally state that they are using a Renesas or FTDI chipset because they want to brag it up that you are not buying sub-standard or unusable hardware but getting the best chipset. If it does not say what chipset it is, walk away and do not buy it.

I went through this time and again before I retired on the corporate level and it was always a nightmare for the end user if they did not have a Renesas or FTDI chipset based USB to serial apter cable.

I expect someone will write in and tell us they did not have any trouble, well, that I am happy for. But it is not the norm on these sub-standard USB adapter cables. This is a case where you get the best one and be done with it and they just work, or you cheap off and they don't or don't work right, or the drivers keep breaking. Prolific chipsets actually did have decent (acceptable) drivers back in the Windows 7 days, but not since then and never really for Linux. Some of these adapter chipsets do not even deliver the RS-232 standard voltages of +12 and - 12 volts, but rather supply +5 and 0 volts. Not all devices (many in fact) will operate with this deficiency. The idea is that the positive to negative swing in voltage that the RS-232 standard defines allows for a great deal of noise immunity, and many USB transceivers will ignore the (supposed to be a dead) band around zero volts as they should and up to at least a few volts for a logic high (there is also hysteresis so that noise will not false the data and this needs correct voltages to operate correctly).

Some applications are pretty forgiving of a poor USB to serial adapter chipset but not radio and timing related things like we are doing.

Rick Kunath, K9AO
 

¿ªÔÆÌåÓý

Re:-
So, let folks know that just because their cable works on W11 does not mean it will work under Linux.


Interesting, it's usually the other way around.? Just about everything works under Linux, but a lot need proprietary drivers for Windows!??? (There is always "the exception that proves the rule though"...)


I don't have a copy of your original message, but what distribution and version of Linux were you trying to use?


In any case...? This page seems it might have the solution....



(Scroll down to "Other Linux Distributions" and follow instructions.)


Or, (and very much easier...)? Get an adapter with a more mainstream chipset, FTDI is the gold standard, as each chip has a unique serial number, so you can then use Linux's "UDEV Rules" facility, to reliably create a named instance per device.

MUCH easier to manage then.? And no faffing around with kernel drivers from an unverified source.


73.

Dave G0WBX.


-- 
Sent from a MicroSoft free zone:
 

This is the second time I have been bitten by this problem. K1EL WinKeyer has been switched from FTDI to CH340.?? That CH340 does not work well with other USB adapters.? Now I am looking for an older used Winkey 3 to replace the new one which is giving my remote station users trouble, and have been in contact with Carl, N4PY who has also said good words about FTDI.? I just bought two more cables which sellers SAID they had FTDI chips but Linux reports them as CH340. and refuses to accept them at all.? They are what this is all about!

One thing I can do now, is take a laptop with me with Linux on it, plug it in and see what chip it has, but I live in the middle of nowhere.? I have to drive 1200 miles to get to civilization.? I love living in the Yukon and wont change that for anything, but often have to find ways around the distance issues.? If you see or hear of anyone who is selling his keyer with a pre-340 chip k1EL chip or keyer please let me know, and also I need to come up with a good pair of
USB-232cables or adapters for my Omni-VII's here.

On 23/11/25 23:03, k9ao via groups.io wrote:
Yes indeed.

USB drivers are critical for Linux.

Renesas and FTDI are the cream of the crop as far as kernel drivers go for Linux. Prolific works but is at the bottom of the list. Many others won't work at all.

Prolific chipsets, and this is true of Windows or Linux, do not support the full set of baud rates. Renesas and FTDI do, plus the drivers on either OS are very good. Prolific drivers are not.

It's hard to know what you have for an internal USB chipset when buying adapter cables, but any good cable manufacturer will generally state that they are using a Renesas or FTDI chipset because they want to brag it up that you are not buying sub-standard or unusable hardware but getting the best chipset. If it does not say what chipset it is, walk away and do not buy it.

I went through this time and again before I retired on the corporate level and it was always a nightmare for the end user if they did not have a Renesas or FTDI chipset based USB to serial apter cable.

I expect someone will write in and tell us they did not have any trouble, well, that I am happy for. But it is not the norm on these sub-standard USB adapter cables. This is a case where you get the best one and be done with it and they just work, or you cheap off and they don't or don't work right, or the drivers keep breaking. Prolific chipsets actually did have decent (acceptable) drivers back in the Windows 7 days, but not since then and never really for Linux. Some of these adapter chipsets do not even deliver the RS-232 standard voltages of +12 and - 12 volts, but rather supply +5 and 0 volts. Not all devices (many in fact) will operate with this deficiency. The idea is that the positive to negative swing in voltage that the RS-232 standard defines allows for a great deal of noise immunity, and many USB transceivers will ignore the (supposed to be a dead) band around zero volts as they should and up to at least a few volts for a logic high (there is also hysteresis so that noise will not false the data and this needs correct voltages to operate correctly).

Some applications are pretty forgiving of a poor USB to serial adapter chipset but not radio and timing related things like we are doing.

Rick Kunath, K9AO
 

¿ªÔÆÌåÓý

Available from Amazon

Has excellent reviews, including Linux users.

For CW/FSK interface, flrig and/or fldigi can directly interface to this device without needing a WinKeyer.




CW Keyer

Open the keyer dialog

with the main dialog menu item "Keyer/CW keyer"

  • WPM slider selects the keyer speed
  • Clear - clears the text in the transmit buffer
  • transmit text will marquee to the left as each character is transmitted
  • Send/Pause button toggles sending text.
  • macro buttons / function keys load transmit buffer with canned message
    • left click to load macro contents into transmit buffer
    • control left click to open macro editor dialog
  • the transmit text buffer must have keyboard focus for character entry. left click on the entry area to gain keyboard focus.

Tip for the function / macro buttons:

Control-left-click opens:

A CQ macro with start/stop (ptt enable/disable): 

[CQ CQ DE W1HKJ K]

Prosign characters can be configured by the user. The macros and prosign assignments are save in the transceiver prefs file.

Config opens:

The DTR/RTS port can be either

  • shared with the CAT port
  • shared with the SEP port
  • shared with the AUX port
  • a unique serial port configured on this dialog

Select either DTR or RTS for the keyline as required by h/w.

Calibrate button sends standard "PARIS " word, WPM times. Program measures actual time to transmit and sets compensation value. WPM Comp msec can be adjusted by user.

Xcvr comp msec is used to increase or decrease each key down interval by the specified time interval.

7300 CW DTR/RTS keying @ 24 WPM

The effect of a -2 msec Xcvr comp adjustment is clearly seen and easily heard.
It is especially important to correct weight errors introduced by the transceiver keying circuits when operating QRQ (high speed CW). At 80 wpm 2 msec is a significant part of the target dit interval of 15 msec.

PTT delay is in milliseconds. Enter a non-zero value to enable a delay between the PTT-on and the first CW keyline closure. The same delay will be applied to the last CW keyline closure and PTT-off.

The CW keyer is specifically designed to work with a DTR/RTS keyline to emulate the closure of a CW key. Several transceivers have this capability built in to the hardware. Some expose a separate keying port (FT-991A) and some share the CAT serial port (IC-7300). A simple DTR/RTS keying circuit can also provide the h/w interface. This one provides galvanic isolation:

Inexpensive USB serial-to-CW-keyline devices are available from internet vendors. (see above)


David

On 11/28/23 04:44, "J", VY1JA wrote:

This is the second time I have been bitten by this problem. K1EL WinKeyer has been switched from FTDI to CH340.?? That CH340 does not work well with other USB adapters.? Now I am looking for an older used Winkey 3 to replace the new one which is giving my remote station users trouble, and have been in contact with Carl, N4PY who has also said good words about FTDI.? I just bought two more cables which sellers SAID they had FTDI chips but Linux reports them as CH340. and refuses to accept them at all.? They are what this is all about!

One thing I can do now, is take a laptop with me with Linux on it, plug it in and see what chip it has, but I live in the middle of nowhere.? I have to drive 1200 miles to get to civilization.? I love living in the Yukon and wont change that for anything, but often have to find ways around the distance issues.? If you see or hear of anyone who is selling his keyer with a pre-340 chip k1EL chip or keyer please let me know, and also I need to come up with a good pair of
USB-232cables or adapters for my Omni-VII's here.
 

Dave,

Thank you.? long ago,? I bought two cable-less devices earlier but they were not compatible with Windows 11, so this has been an ongoing game.. Ordered cables, to arrive "before Christmas"

J., VY1JA

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