Can the Flex 6400 Provide BCD Signals?

hochocke

I want to use BCD signals to drive a Unified Microsystems BCD-14 Automatic Band Decoder. Is there a way to obtain BCD signals from a Flex 6400? If so, how is it accomplished?

KD0RC

Yes, BCD is supported. Go to the Flex website under Support and select Documentation. There you will find the SmartSDR USB Cable Interface Guide. Everything you need is there. Don't hesitate to post back here if you have any problems with it.

Erika - KØDD

Just a little addition if you buy the necessary FTDI cable… You do not want a cat cable you want a BIT cable… Guys were having issues buying the wring cables… Thank goodness when I went to get my cable to drive my EA4TX remote box… I got the correct ones, I needed two.

Erika K0DD

hochocke

I read the Smart Cable USB Interface Guide. I need a BCD cable because I need BCD signals, not a BIT cable. Is this correct?

Howard N8HO

Erika - KØDD

I have a BCD device. A CAT cable sends serial cat codes a bit cable sends bits, that forms BCD like 1001 words. BCD is binary coded decimal. Let me get the exact cable number it came from Flex themselves as another gentleman bought the wrong cable. BRB the only ishy thing about these cables is they are .5 meters long. or basically 19" I ended up stacking my 6500's with the EA4TX bx on top of them. Where we can get cat serial cables in all sorts of lengths. It would be a custom manufacture with minimums etc and I am not wealthy enough for that cost. UNless the manufacturer says get a different cable the output of this one is in Binary words. works fab. you select when you have the correct cable installed whether you want the radio to talk in BIT or basically pin 1 high all others low, pin 2 high all others low or high it is selectible in the radio OR BCD WORDS… I've used cables in either mode.. DD

Erika - KØDD

This is what W5IO posted…

I wanted to document my recent experience trying to connect a Remote Antenna switching box to my Flex via a USB to Serial DB-9 connections. 
Though referred to and read the Flex document, USB-Cable-Interface-Guide.pdf (flexradio.com), it did not give an adequate explanation and I went down the USB rabbit hole of different cables. 
After speaking with Pablo, EA4TX via Email then putting in a ticket with Flex, Dave De **** called me, and he figured out that the 2 USB cables I had purchased so far were wrong. I needed a different FTDI chipped cable: "You want to use the FTDI BIT/BCD cable
The cable should be C232HM-EDHSL-0
CABLE USB HS I2C/JTAG 5V .5M"
He agreed the Flex document was a little transparent on which of the 2 cables it mentions actually go with which type of data/device. (Thus, this rambling to make things crystal clear. HiHi) 
Dave was also kind enough to send the wiring diagram since you have to connect your own DB-9 connector. EA4TX is wise enough to provide the connector with the Remote Box. See Below. 
Mouser and Digi Key stock it. Got the cable; wired the connector; set the Remote Box for Auto; set the Flex USB cable setting for the new cable to BCD and to follow "TX Slice". Voilà--it works.
Hope this helps any of you trying to connect a EA4TX box to your Flex.
73MauryW5IO

The cable has ten wires which are color coded. You will need a DB-9 connector to plug into the EA4TX Remote Antenna Box and then solder the five wires below to the DB-9. I've provided a wire to pin chart for you. Make sure to tape the remaining 5 wires so they don't short against anything.   Here is the pin to color wiring for use as HF BCD   EA4TX DB9 BCD Pin              Color           Signal 1                                            Black             Ground 2                                            Orange          BCD A 3                                            Yellow            BCD B 4                                            Green             BCD C 5                                            Brown            BCD D

David Decoons, wo2x

The bit cable does BCD also. The part number posted above is correct.

73

Dave wo2x

Presale Technical Support

hochocke

Thank you for the information! I should be all set once I receive the cable.

Howard N8HO

hochocke

I thought I had it working, but I was wrong. My problem is that several bands on the RatPak are chosen simultaneously depending on which band the 8600 switched to.

I tried to isolate the problem by testing each output pin of the BCD-14. When using only one jumper from the BCD-14 to the HSD-9, the board responds accurately on every band. As I add more jumpers for additional bands, two lights illuminate. When I have all the jumpers installed, there are times when three lights illuminate. The only band that I do not have a problem with is six meters.

I will appreciate any assistance.

Howard N8HO

David Decoons, wo2x

when you plug the cable in the radio, in SmartSDR go to Settings/USB cables. The cable name defaults to “New BIT Cable”. Double click to edit the cable. Change cable from BIT to BCD HF and set to track either Transmit Slice or Active Slice (depending on yours requirements). Set to active low which will ground the output pin when pin is active.

BCD will output a binary coded decimal pattern depending on band.

Band zero will have BCD 0, 1, 2, and 3 open (not grounded. (0000)

Band 1 will be 0001 (most significant bit to least significant bit)

Band 2 0010

Band 3 0011

Band 4 0100

And so forth.

if you want a separate pin to be active per band, then it needs to be set as a bit cable.

Check out the Flex USB cable guide

https://www.flexradio.com/documentation/usb-cable-interface-guide-pdf/?srsltid=AfmBOop-qd_ntOgO_pZtjV5a0SaeUQ6vQ1Dl2a4HAsyqqb5NjgtvWCQa

73 Dave wo2x