Prolific PL2303 Issue with Ubuntu 12.10

[KB2HSH]

I have a rescued HP 6715b that was returned to service rather creatively after being ABUSED and damaged pretty severely by a former employee of my company.  Without a HDD, I was able to install Ubuntu 12.10 to an SD card, boot to it, and I have been using it.  With the amount of RAM that this corporate grade machine has, the "non-fact" that the OS resides upon a SD is irrelevant.  (And please, don't bore me with the "you'll wear out that SD pretty quickly"...because I have Voice Mail systems that run on them and do so for YEARS AND YEARS without any issues)

Fldigi works great with 12.10, and the HP's built-in mic has been doing a nice job of RX while I've been sorting this issue out.  Basically, I installed a PL2302 USB-to-serial cable onto the laptop.  I can "see" it via terminal when I enter lsusb and dmesg.  I KNOW it's there.  Fldigi sees /ttyUSB0 in the PTT list.  However, it doesn't key the rig.

Help???

[W9GB]

The HEART of a USB Bridge chip (your USB-to-to-Serial cable) is the Virtual Serial Port (VSP) DRIVER for you specific operating system.
That driver provides the interface for your OS to look at the USB device as a serial port (COMx).

The TRICKY PART is that a majority of amateur radio programs utilize the EIA-232/RS-232 control lines (RTS, DTR) for Push-To-Talk operation.  The USB standard has NO hardware equivalent to those EIA-232 control lines.
---SO, that functionality is totally based on software, specifically the driver! ---

PROLIFIC, based in Taiwan, is the OEM mfg. of the PL2303 USB Bridge IC.
http://www.prolific.com.tw/US/index.aspx

NEW Prolific Support webpage.
Enter "guest" for both account and password to log-in.
http://www.prolific.com.tw/US/CustomerLogin.aspx
==
Chinese counterfeiting of Prolific PL2303 USB chips has been widely reported.
You can read Prolific's official statements on their PL2303 Product and Driver Page.
--
Prolific now has a USA web site, and has introduced new USB chips and EOL for earlier counterfeited product lines.
http://prolificusa.com/

PL-2303 Linux Driver for RedHat 7.3/8.0/9.0 Only

NOTE: No need to install drivers for following:
Linux Kernel 2.4.31 and above already includes built-in drivers for PL-2303 (VID_067B&PID_2303).
NOTE: Google Android OS is also based on Linux kernel so it also includes PL2303 drivers.

[WB0FDJ]

FWIW: if fldigi "sees" the appropriate USB port, then I would guess that your drivers are in place. Thats one thing I like about fldigi, if I check the available input and it finds the one I need, that part is taken care of.

However fldigi offers several ways of controlling the rig. I ran a linux box here in the shack for the past several years and, as W9GB noted, the drivers were already part of the newer kernel so it wasn't an issue. But I always have to fiddle a bit with the rig control settings to get them to work. When running linux I use the Hamlib option, making sure I indeed have it already installed.

So my question would be, what rig control option are you using? I think thats were the hang up might be, i.e. getting the proper settings...

73 de WB0FDJ

[KB2HSH]

FWIW: if fldigi "sees" the appropriate USB port, then I would guess that your drivers are in place. Thats one thing I like about fldigi, if I check the available input and it finds the one I need, that part is taken care of.

However fldigi offers several ways of controlling the rig. I ran a linux box here in the shack for the past several years and, as W9GB noted, the drivers were already part of the newer kernel so it wasn't an issue. But I always have to fiddle a bit with the rig control settings to get them to work. When running linux I use the Hamlib option, making sure I indeed have it already installed.

So my question would be, what rig control option are you using? I think thats were the hang up might be, i.e. getting the proper settings...

73 de WB0FDJ

I'm merely using the PTT option.  I didn't even attempt Hamlib, since I'm not using full rig control.  This is for an HTX-100...an oldie but goodie.

[W9GB]

I'm merely using the PTT option.

OK.

Get your Logic Analyzer or DVM on the workbench.
MEASURE (look at) the state change (toggle) of the EIA-232 (DE-9) control pin that is being used for your PTT operation.

IF that is functional, then you move to hardware issues to your HTX-100.
IF that is NOT functional, then you have software. / driver / application issues to sort out.

[W3NR]

From a terminal::

sudo adduser (yourusername) dialout

Ed W3NR