Upgrading Firmware Synscan 3.06 serial cable

[Sunfish (Ray)]

After enjoying a secondhand HEQ5 with synscan 3.06 controller , I decided I would like to try using Ascom with this mount. To use the Ascom driver I would need to upgrade the firmware to the later version.3.39. Ha.

I did not have a cable. Out of stock on Ebay. Not listed at SW Aus or Bintel.

Rather than wait and spend $30, yes $30 for a telephone cable, I thought I could make one with a spare DB9 RJ11 / RS232 connector.( which by the way cost $15 from Wildcard) It has six pins at the cable end. How hard can it be with three wires? Well it turns out it is physically quite simple, but getting those three out of six wires in the right configuration looking in the mirror took half a day.

My advice? ignore the colours and stick to the multimeter. Stick to default 9600 on your old pc serial port 1. Only takes 30 min to flash. I can check the Keyspan USB later and see if that works also.

Turns out there is lot of disagreement about how best to do this and the correct pins , because it depends of course , which end of the swap over cable you look at ( the SW one like guide port and EQ is straight through) here is the diagrams that worked for me. DB connector for the INSIDE.

Finally got it right and flashed the Synscan hand control. Here are some pictures showing the pins I pulled out of the Db connector with gentle persuasion pushing with a small storx in the front of the DB9 and pulling with tiny pliers. Must have taken the crimped end out and put them back 20 times before I got the multimeter to read bingo in mirror image with the other end, and then to check the control was linking but they still work. I am not recommending this unless you have an afternoon spare and cant wait for stock.

[Ukastronomer (Jeremy)]

My comment is for the sake of $15 I would rather have the proper thing, it isn't as if it is a lot, more hassle and if wrong can cost you a lot more

[Sunfish (Ray)]

Plus minimum postage. So maybe $40 for three wires.

The handset enquire button in the uploader lets you know if you have it right. Does not explode. If the power goes out halfway in any case I think it’s a reset.

The Keyspan USB serial does not work with this. Maybe another model.

[Merlin66 (Ken)]

Ray,
That's strange.
I've been using the KeySpan USB>serial adaptor for the Synscan upgrades, and many other applications for the past 10 years or so.
Never let me down. No Issues no drama.

I'd be interested to hear some detail of your experience.

[Sunfish (Ray)]

Thanks Ken. I will try again with different settings. I did read somewhere there was trouble with keyspan in particular and it must be their defaults or win7 or vendor smoke. Works with the Argo no problem. Can you tell me what setting you have in the Keyspan Serial assistant?

[Merlin66 (Ken)]

I've used the Keyspan on all my PC's over the years, XP, Win7, Win10 etc.

Just checked for you:
Keyspan USA 19HP
9600
8
none (parity)
1 (stop bits)
none (flow control)

Driver V3.7.05
Comm 3

Hope that helps.

[Sunfish (Ray)]

Thanks Again Ken,
After your experience I tried again on the old Win.7 desktop HP and it worked at 9600 although mine is the Keyspan model 19HPs.
So I upgraded the win7 HP laptop to the latest drivers and... it works.
Even works at the higher SW default 115kbps. So that would be much quicker.

Thanks for that. I suppose one imagines if it works in one program that is enough. I am going to check some those other serial to USB things that conflict and see if they can do with some of the latest updates.
Cheers
Ray

Originally Posted by Merlin66

I've used the Keyspan on all my PC's over the years, XP, Win7, Win10 etc.

Just checked for you:
Keyspan USA 19HP
9600
8
none (parity)
1 (stop bits)
none (flow control)

Driver V3.7.05
Comm 3

Hope that helps.