Hello Chrip-devel,

I've been recently emailing Dan Smith and he recommended to join this group about this:

I've heard that code is being developed for supporting the FT817 and FT857.  This is something I asked for some time ago and it seems like it's about to happen!
I'll be happy to do testing here.

Before I go there, I have a related question I need to get answers before I can do any testing.  Specifically, I have an RT Systems CT-62B cable here that came with their Windows software for a FT857 but Linux 2.6.32 doesn't recognize it:

usb 2-1.3: new full speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 12
usb 2-1.3: New USB device found, idVendor=2100, idProduct=9e56
usb 2-1.3: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3
usb 2-1.3: Product: CT-62B Radio Cable
usb 2-1.3: Manufacturer: RT Systems
usb 2-1.3: SerialNumber: RTTFPERY
usb 2-1.3: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice

Question #1 - Does anyone know if these RT System USB cables Prolific or FTDI based?

Question #2 - If FTDI based, it seems it's only a matter of getting it initially supported with a "/sbin/modprobe ftdi_sio vendor=0x2100 product=0x9e56".  If Prolifici based, the pl2303 module doesn't support this syntax.  Instead, the Prolific driver seems to want this at the higher level with "/sbin/modprobe usbserial vendor=0x2100 product=0x9e56".   What I don't understand is if the RT Systems cable is Prolific based, how will the USB system know to associate the device with the Prolific vs. FTDI driver?   Why?  Because I already have other FDTI and Prolific USB devices on the machine!

Statement  #1 - I've successfully submitted Linux kernel for the FTDI driver to support the US Interface Navigator USB IDs (think of it as a big brother to a Signalink device).  So, once I have this tested and working, I'll submit the patch to the kernel folk.  If other people have RT Systems device IDs (shown in "lsusb -v"), I'll add that into my patch.


Anyway... please let me know when the FT897 code is ready for testing and I'll give it a try!

--David
KI6ZHD


-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [Fwd: [chirp_users] New Daily Build]
Date: Wed, 18 Jan 2012 09:18:38 -0800
From: Dan Smith <dsmith@danplanet.com>
To: David A. Ranch
References: <4F159FBD.4000904@trinnet.net> <4F15A065.3070802@danplanet.com> <4F16FE33.7020604@trinnet.net>


> Ok.. I'll try to add myself to that list.

Marco says he does in fact have an 857, and that we should expect
support for it to show up soon. Being on the devel list would let you
help test that ahead of time, which would be good.

> Quick question.. I have an official RT-Systems USB cable for the
> FT857 but it's not recognized by the Linux 2.6.32 kernel. I want to
> say these are Prolific based devices but maybe they are FTDI? I
> already submitted kernel patches that were accepted to add US
> Interface Navigator support so maybe I can do the same for these
> serial devices.

Yeah, these devices are not setup to provide a VCP by default, and I
think they are in fact FTDI. I don't have any, so I haven't gone through
the process of trying to fix the vendor IDs, but Robert Terzi has. Ask
on the devel list and I think he can get you set right up.

-- 
Dan Smith
www.danplanet.com
KK7DS