[amsat-bb] LVB Tracker USB link failure resolution

[Bill Bordy, NJ1H]

I had intermittent terminations of the USB link of LVB Tracker using the 
internal LVB Tracker USB to serial port adapter header with SATPC32 . I 
tried many different configurations to resolve and it pretty much failed 
during every satellite pass at least once when I tried to use it.

I would have to close SATPC32 and close ServerSDX manually , turn off 
the El-AZ controller power and then back on to reset the USB link, 
restart SATPC32  and then it would work again till the next USB link 
failure. It occurred randomly, but often enough to be a problem.

This occurred with three different computers running Win-XP, Vista and 
Windows 7.

As others have suggested, I replaced the USB adapter header assembly 
with a MAX-232 and now use an external ATEN USB to serial adapter.

I have had no problems with LVB Tracker since doing this.

73,
Bill
NJ1H


On 4/3/2013 7:03 PM, Dave WØDHB wrote:
> John
>
> I agree with Mark, that' what I did with my LVBTracker FWIW.
>
> Mouser has the MAX232's for a couple of $$
>
> Dave
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: amsat-bb-bounces at amsat.org [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces at amsat.org] On
> Behalf Of Mark L. Hammond
> Sent: Wednesday, April 03, 2013 11:45 AM
> To: George and Cheryl Abbott
> Cc: amsat-bb at amsat.org; Alan Biddle
> Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: Windows 8
>
> John,
>
> Another thought/recommendation--remove the USB interface board from the LVB
> Tracker and install a MAX232 chip so you can use the "real" serial port in
> the tracker box.  Then, use a USB to serial adapter on your Win8
> machine--one that supports Win8 of course.  You can then have serial
> control, and not worry about the USB drivers in the trackbox.
>
> You will never regret going from USB to Serial port on the Trackbox...that's
> my experience, anyhow.
>
> 73,
>
> Mark N8MH
>
>
>
> On Wed, Apr 3, 2013 at 1:23 PM, George and Cheryl Abbott
> <ka1ajf at cox.net>wrote:
>
>> Thanks for sharing this information with me.
>>
>> -----Original Message----- From: Alan
>> Sent: Wednesday, April 03, 2013 8:28 AM
>>
>> To: 'John Price'
>> Cc: 'amsat-bb at amsat.org'
>> Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: Windows 8
>>
>> John,
>>
>> I have, lightly, tested SATPC32 on my Surface Pro with WIN8 64 bit.
>> It installs and runs without difficulty.  I have a different rotator
>> controller, so can't comment directly.  I tried a variety of
>> USB-Serial dongles, and all the ones which use the FTDI chip loaded a
>> new driver and worked perfectly.
>>
>> As you may know, the Prolific chipset is the choice of pirates, and
>> many knockoffs have counterfeit chips.  The latest Prolific drivers
>> detect these, and refuse to run.  At least that is the explanation I
>> have seen.  I have a USB GPS like that, but was able to find an older
>> Vista/WIN7 driver which runs perfectly on WIN8 64 bit.
>>
>> 73s,
>>
>> Alan
>> WA4SCA
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Tue, Apr 2, 2013 at 4:28 PM, John Price <n4qwf1 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>   I am about to attempt to migrate my satellite station to Windows 8
>>> operating system on my new HP Pavilion. Has anyone experience with this.
>>> Will Satpc32 run under windows 8 64 bit? How about the USB driver for
>>> the LVB tracker? I doubt the old one I used for XP will work. Nothing
>>> else I used that required a driver worked even with the Windows 7
>>> drivers I used on the laptop. Any help or suggestions would be greatly
> appreciated.
>>> --
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>
> --
> Mark L. Hammond [N8MH]
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