Specifications

required with some serial servers).
Step 5 : check your com ports
Choosing an USB/RS232 Interface
The RS232/USB Converters built with FTDI chips are the more reliable and are strongly
recommended! A multi-ports PCI card (internal to the computer) is a very good solution which
minimizes RFI and a cheaper alternative to 4 separate USB/Interface Cable.
See how to select your converter: http://www.usb-serial-adapter.org/
TRX-Manager can NOT communicate through a serial port that is already opened from an
other application or an other module of TRX-Manager.
From the Windows device manager, please check there is no conflict between com ports or
USB adapters. A conflict with IRQ5 (usually used by the sound card) is not detected by
Windows! If you use an ISA PC board, check the DIP switch related to addresses and IRQ are
correctly configured.
Serial to USB converters
USB to Serial converters built with FTDI chips are strongly recommended ; they are very
reliable and provide very fast communications. The cheap converters built with PROLIFIC and
all Clones chips are prone to malfunctions and slow communications with TRX-Manager.
Serial port on mother board
You may check that the BIOS Setup program of your PC reflects the correct parameters for
the serial ports (the same ones as those displayed by Windows in the device manager). Note
that in some cases, when something wrong happens at a com port (shortcut, defective cable
or interface...), your Bios disabled this com port without warning.
In practice the following parameters are most common for COM 1 and COM 2 (port on mother
board) :
COM 1 IRQ 4 address 03F8-03FF
COM 2 IRQ 3 address 02F8-02FF
Particular case : Windows ME
The software functions properly under Windows ME. However, this operating system leaves
the DTR and RTS lines of the com ports in a high state at each startup. This is important to
know for it can cause an unpleasant effect on the CW and PTT lines at the startup of the PC!
Running TRX-Manager and opening the concerned modules will set the DTR and RTS lines to
the state required by TRX. In certain cases this problem could lock up the RS-232 interface(s)
when starting your PC. A little program (ComFix.exe) available on the support page allows
you to set Windows ME to counter this defect.
TRX-Manager suddenly stops communicating
If a communication error happens, it may be enough to clik the updatebutton of the
Monitoring to resume the communications.
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