Hi.

In Windows, after connecting the cable (no radio needed on the other end, nor Chirp running.)

Go into the Device Manager, and look for the COM/Serial port device lists.

If there are no Yellow Triangle signs, and you only see one COM port, that is the one you tell Chirp about.

If you see more than one, with that display on screen, unplug the cable, wait, and re-plug it, and you'll see the list update so you can identify which COM port to use.

If however, the one for your cable has a Yellow triangle, with a  !  in the middle, then Windows as no driver for it, because it's recognised as either a counterfeit USB/Serial chip, or it's an old version of a Genuine chip (not uncommon sadly with Prolific chipsets) or a chipset that Windows does not know about (SiLab's and others typically, if so go to their website and pull the driver you need, for your version of Windows, and install it.)

You can either rollback the driver, and install an earlier one.  Under Win7 as you no longer receive updates, that should stick, but in effect your are then part of the problem stealing someone else's intellectual property by proxy. (Prolific's design and firmware.)

On Win10, you will probably have to block updates else it will update to the current version that will again reject old/counterfeit devices, but in these troubled times, it is not a good idea to skip security updates.

Just get a genuine FTDI or whoever's chipset based cable.  OK, it costs more, but you don't need to block security updates and compromise your PC to keep using it.


In Linux, the Kernel has all the drivers built in, and (usually, but for how long no one seems to say) they still work with the fake and old version chips too.  (And very well too, it has to be said.)

But...  Your username must (On Debian based systems such as Ubuntu, Mint, Raspian and so on) be a member of the "dialout" group, or you will never get to use it.  (Fedora bases systems I think have a similar requirement, but I don't know the incantation for them.)

Open a command line window (Ctrl + Alt + T) and enter this:-

    sudo aduser $USER dialout

You will be asked for your password (the same one you logged in with.  '$USER' is a system variable containing your present login name.)

After that you *MUST* Logout, and Log back In again (or reboot, if that is easier) for the change to take effect.

Then you can use serial I/O devices.

To find out what /dev/ttyUSB* number it has been assigned.  Immediately after connecting the cable (again, no radio needed) in a command line window, use the command

    ls /dev/ttyUSB*

That will show you all the USB/Serial devices it knows are connected.  If you have several, compare the list without the programming cable, and with it connected, so you can identify which device name you tell Chirp to use.

Note!  In the presence of multiple USB/Serial devices, it is common for them to be "enumerated" (discovered) in a different order* when the machine is next restarted, so it is usually best to confirm what you have before starting the software!

(* There are ways to make things consistent and stable, but that is beyond the scope of this email for now.  If you are curious, look up  'udev rules'  )

You may be able to "test" the cable, by connecting the apropriate pins of the radio end of the cable together, forming a serial loop-back, then you can use a terminal program (CuteCom for example, will need to install that if not already present) to type to yourself.   See your radio's manual to identify which pins or terminals of the cable end to link..

Hope the above is not too much to digest.

73

Dave G8KBV



On 06/01/2021 20:00, chirp_users-request@intrepid.danplanet.com wrote:
Hi Billy

I find that I can only get Chirp to work with my BaoFeng UV-5REs when I
do it with Linux. I get the same as you when I use Windows. It might be
the cable (I use the one I got when I bought the UV5REs), or it might be
the software, but if you can get access to a Linux you should be okay
even with a basic after-market cable.

Kind regards, Mark Dixon, VK6EZ.

On 6/01/2021 2:06 am, Billy Joe Higginbotham Jr via chirp_users wrote:

I can?t get my radio to link with my computer. I have the uv-5r and run Windows 7 on my computer. I keep get the message (An error has occurred could not open port [Error 2] The system cannot find the file specified.) It like the Chirp can?t see my radio. 

Sent from Billy?s IPhone 

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