Hi Dennis,

I upgraded to Windows 10 yesterday and Logic9 will not communicate with TRX manager. After doing the reinstallation of TRX manager that is required by the Win10 upgrade, TRX manager is fine and communicating with my ICOM 7700. However as Logic 9 loads I get the following message: "Cannot open TRX manager link FTMGR.CAT=0" Anyone have a cure for this if they have seen it?

Thanks, Ron W7GTF


8/25/2015

As I fired up Logic 9 and TRX manager today, they are working just fine and communicating just fine. Don't know what miracle happened but I'm happy.

73

This thread is a central repository for discussing problems and successes with Windows 10 and LOGic, and also other ham radio products and products in the shack.

As expected, the bulk of the calls and emails we have been receiving have been related to Windows driver issues, particularly virtual COM ports that no longer work. Here at WN4AZY, I have not upgraded my main machine to Win 10 because there are problems with the video drivers in my Pluggable-brand docking station when using USB 3. (http://www.amazon.com/Plugable-UD-3900-Universal-Docking-Ethernet/dp/B00ECDM78E). While Windows 10 itself has been largely trouble-free so far, please do some research and make sure that your devices and their drivers work on Windows 10.

I am happy to report that FTDI-based USB=>RS232 adapters have so far been trouble-free. FTDI released the drivers for Win 10 the day before Win 10 was released. The two-port model that we sell was totally plug-and-play http://www.hosenose.com/...d.aspx?primarycatid=91.

Unfortunately, we are unable to do anything to LOGic or TRX-Manager to fix Windows 10 driver issues. (Or fortunately? I'm glad I don't have to write separate code for every virtual com port out there). LOGic talks to Windows, and Windows talks to the virtual Com port (VCP) via the driver provided by the manufacturer of the VCP.

Go to the web site of the manufacturer of your VCP. In the case of rigs with a built-in USB CAT interfaces, go to the rig's support page. See if there is a new driver to install.

Try going to the Windows device manager and uninstalling your device. Unplug it and plug it back in. It MIGHT go install the new driver. Nothing to lose, right?

Unfortunately time constraints do not permit us to provide personal one-on-one assistance with driver issues (other than for items purchased from us). Anyone calling or emailing will be referred to this thread. However, feel free to post the particulars of your situation here, and PDA as well as our other contributors will do what we can. By handing driver support here, your questions will help others.

A long-term solution is to simply forget your current VCP hardware, and use FTDI units. FTDI seems to be the only manufacturers of USB=>RS232 adapters that are 100% compatible and support all of the features of the RS-232 standard. As far as I know, all rigs with built-in USB adapters also provide another, more conventional means of interfacing to them. Some have an actual RS-232 port, so all you need to buy is an FTDI USB=>RS232 adapter and a cable. Other rigs need a level converter. We have direct USB interfaces for most everything except Kenwood. With Kenwood, buy a level converter (if required by your model rig) and a USB=>RS232 adapter.

Also, do not forget about built-in RS-232 ports on your motherboard. If you are fortunate enough have one, by all means use it. It doesn't get any better or cheaper than that. Some motherboards have an onboard RS-232 port, but it was not extended to the back panel. Look in the devices section of your BIOS and see if there is a port that can be enabled. Look in the Windows device manager. If the BIOS and device manager say you have a RS-232 port, but there is no 9-pin connector on the back of your computer, you need to find a little cable. I haven't looked for one, but would try my local mom-and-pop computer shop, or eBay.

What is my impression of Windows 10? I haven't used it other than for testing. There is a little learning curve over Win 8.1 when dealing with the "Metro" screen and metro apps or whatever they are calling it now. There is a tablet mode you can turn on and off. In the Windows Desktop mode, you will feel right at home. The Start menu that was removed in Windows 8 (though typically replaced with a third-party addon) is back sort of. And it seems faster.

I will be upgrading my machine after they fix the video driver issues I mentioned earlier, and everything else in the office when I get a round tuit. Remember, you have only a year for your free upgrade from Win 7 or 8 (and Vista maybe?). I would definitely do this, not so much for the features but for continued support and updates. Featurewise, Win 7 is fine for a desktop or laptop without touchscreen or tablet mode. If you have a computer with tablet mode, you probably already have Win 8.1. Microsoft's plan is not releasing any major new versions of Windows. Just ongoing updates. Hopefully this will eliminate the need to redo all the drivers. Windows is or will be licensed for the life of the device it is installed on.

Let me know (here on the forum!) if I can be of help.

Tnx & 73,

Dennis WN4AZY

Dennis,

In Windows 10, since Internet Edge is now the preferred browser, Internet Explorer 11.0 now creates error messages on shut-down. Can you change Logic to work with the default browser we have chosen to use, like Firefox or Chrome, rather than IE 11? That save us from having to cancel the IE error messages each time we go to eQSL and LOTW.

73,
Ron
W5RAE

Hey Denis,

I only get the IE error messages when I close the download or upload eQSL and LOTW screens. Logic stays running fine and is unaffected so it is more of an annoyance than a system error. Just thought that since software with add-ins doesn't work with Edge any more and wants you to pick another default browser I thought maybe Logic could become browser independent and know which one it was suppose to talk to and how to do that. On the second link you sent, it says that Chrome is now the major browser, followed by IE and then Firefox. Just my thoughts.

73,
Ron
W5RAE

"Net Framework 2 Not Installed" error

We got one call about this.

The solution is to go to the Control Panel, Programs and Features, Turn Windows Features On and Off, and enable .Net Framework 3.5. (That is not a typo. .Net 3.5 is built on .Net 2.0, so 2.0 will be installed also.)

73,

WN4AZY

Hi Cliff:

Thanks for your note.

Errors in LOGic with Win 10 are almost always related to RS-232 serial port drivers that are not Windows 10 compatible. But if you got them from us, they are FTDI, and should be good. Check the device manager and see if the COM ports that LOGic is using indeed has FTDI drivers. We have had cases where customers had other devices around the shack that they ended up using by mistake.

Also try uninstalling the USB=>RS232 devices from the device manager, then unplug them and plug them in again so the drivers update.


I suspect this is a coincidence. LOGic doesn't know or care about FireFox.

You can probably get more info on the error by looking in the Event Viewer. Type EVENT VIEWER in the Cortana thingy, click on EVENT VIEWER. Click Windows Logs, then Application.

What sort of rig do you have? We have been wrestling with some low-level COM port issues that seem to occur only or at least more frequently with the Elecraft K3.

Tnx & 73,

Dennis WN4AZY

Cliff, a known problem is if you run reports with the spot log/telnet windows open. Causes this exact failure. No idea what if anything Dennis may be doing about it.