Which computer cable for Anthem AVM 20 upgrades? (1 Viewer)

[JimmyK]

I am expecting my Anthem AVM20 v2.09 to arrive this week and am getting together things I need for installation.

I read in the owners manual that to upgrade the software, you need to use a serial cable DB9 (male plug on one end and female plug on the other) straight wired. In my situation, I would need a 40ft. cable.

Now, I'm not much of a computer person, so when I did a search for such a cable, I wasn't exactly sure for what I was looking.

I did find a cable on this site:

http://www.techdepot.com/product.asp...info=Tech#tabs

It's described as a "50ft. Serial Extension" with a DB9 male plug on one end and a DB9 female plug on the other end.

Is this the cable I need? Does it matter that it doesn't say "Straight Wired"?

If this is the correct cable, is the site mentioned above a reliable internet company? Any other place you recommend I look? Should I be able to find such a cable and length locally?

Thanks for any help/suggestions you can provide on this subject!

JimmyK

 

[Mifr44]

Jimmy,

A serial "extension" cable is the same thing as a serial "straight wired" cable. The cable on the site you linked to is the correct cable for this application.

I know nothing about the company you have linked to. I was not able to find a 50' serial cable locally, only 25' serial cables (and I live in the heart of Silicon Valley, CA!).

I decided I wanted to use a single 50' serial cable rather than connect two 25' serial cables together, so I found one on eBay.

Michael

 

[JimmyK]

Thanks Michael!

I found the same 50ft cable listed in the link I provided at buy.com so I ordered it from them.

It was frustrating finding this cable. Trying to search for "serial cable" netted no real results. However, when I did a search for 50ft extension cable or Cables To Go, I found it at amazon.com and buy.com. Sometimes I wonder about the effectiveness of some search engines!

Thanks again!
JimmyK

 

[Mike Koch]

Beware of long cables. I know the book says you can use up to a 100' cable but the 50' cable that I purchased kept causing the upgrade program to lock up and/or stall. I bought a 6' cable and brought the Anthem to the computer and the upgrade when smooth with no problem. I tossed my 50'cable in the trash. Unless I can find a quality 50' cable, I'm just going to bring the Anthem to the computer or borrow a laptop.

 

[Mifr44]

Mike,

It's unfortunate you can't find a decent 50' serial cable. I think it is a pain to have to disconnect all of the cables just to perform a software upgrade in your own home. Well, at least you don't have to send your AVM-20 in to a dealer to have someone else do it or to swap out EEPROMs.

The 50' serial cable I found was purchased on an auction on eBay. I am not saying to do that, but you should be able to find a decent one. Maybe you could try to find a long cable from someone who has a money-back guarantee.

Michael

 

[JimmyK]

Beware of long cables. I know the book says you can use up to a 100' cable but the 50' cable that I purchased kept causing the upgrade program to lock up and/or stall. I bought a 6' cable and brought the Anthem to the computer and the upgrade when smooth with no problem. I tossed my 50'cable in the trash. Unless I can find a quality 50' cable, I'm just going to bring the Anthem to the computer or borrow a laptop.

Yikes! I've already bought the 50ft cable. It's made by "Cables To Go" I believe. I hope I just didn't throw $17 down the drain.

Anyone else have trouble with longer cables?

I would really hate to have to disconnect everything to take the AVM20 to the computer.

I guess I'll have to wait for the next software update before I know if my cable will work (my AVM20 just shipped Wednesday 12th, so it will already have v2.09 on it).

JimmyK

 

[Mifr44]

Jimmy,

Don't panic just yet! The cable should work for you. If it doesn't right away, don't assume the cable has a problem. It might be the configuration of your PC that is the problem (with something running in the background, like a screen saver or power saver software). Also, there are baud settings for both the PC and the AVM-20. These can be tweaked to possibly help.

Michael

 

[JimmyK]

Thanks!

I guess when the next update comes I'll give it a try. If it doesn't work, then you will certainly see a post here asking for help!

JimmyK

 

[Charles Gurganus]

Laptops work best when upgrading preamps. At least thats what I always used for the TA-E9000es. Just borrow one if you don't have one or use one from work (if possible). One of the more common problems in doing this is to make sure the serial connection on the computer has the modem function disabled.

 

[Wayne_T]

Just a word of caution to anyone buying these cables, have a look at your computer before you buy the cable... your computer might need a male connector or a female connector.

 

[Charles Gurganus]

But if you have the wrong one, gender changers are pretty cheap and effective. Using a laptop means 2 meter cables max.