I have a rather old DigiRig Mobile v1.5 which I’d like to use with my Icom IC-7000 radio so I performed the CI-V mod as illustrated here: Understanding Rig Control Options – digirig however no application can communicate with the radio using digirig. The cable should be good, I ordered it from Digirig directly, the TRS end is plugged into the CI-V port on the rig, the TRRS is plugged into digirig.
Swapping out the digirig/cable for my RT Systems CI-V cable, I’m able to connect with all cat control applications as expected.
The diode is an ST4148 connected between TX and RX
tip and RT are bridged
ring and RX are bridged
There is no short between TX and RT on the tip
There is no short between RX and DT on the ring
Computer is a notebook running Ubuntu 24.04 and I’m attempting to use WSJT-X for software. Radio baud is 19200, 70h for address, CI-V transceive is set to off (I toggled it and saw no difference.) I briefly had a “senior moment” and mistakenly plugged the CI-V “serial” cable into the speaker output before realizing that was the incorrect port, however the volume was at minimum setting so hopefully that didn’t damage anything with the digirig?
Both devices for sound and the UART bridge are detected in Ubuntu. I’m able to use the soundcard and have confirmed both the input and output are working:
Bus 001 Device 025: ID 0d8c:013c C-Media Electronics, Inc. CM108 Audio Controller
Bus 001 Device 026: ID 10c4:ea60 Silicon Labs CP210x UART Bridge
Loopback test did not work with the CI-V mod. Removed the diode and cleaned up all the solder, bridged TXD and RXD, get loopback. Installed a 1N4148 diode, bridged tip to RTS, ring to RXD and tested for loopback again. No joy. Still no loopback, still no comms with radio.
Check that diode rings up as a diode using tester.
Polarity of the diode looks good as far as I can tell.
Note that CI-V signal is on the ring of the Digirig’s connector. You’ll need to map that to the tip on the radio’s side of the cable.
the conversion published by @K0TX is the way to go but;
i have had nothing but success simply using a stereo to mono adapter on my logic level digirigs (v1.9)
i use them on my xiegu radios but have no issues popping on the mono adapter and using the unmodified digirig on my icoms (ic-736,821h,7200 current. 706/7000 series past)
(the mono adapter plugs into the radio, then the digirig cable into the adapter)
my history of the adapter started with an Icom serial cable for programming the IC-T8a and wanting to use it on the IC-736
sorry i couldn’t be of help on the actual modification
kb0wlf
Well I’m definitely glad this thing is unusable junk and a waste of $50. Took the same diode right off the digirig and put it on an FTDI breakout board in the exact same configuration, stripe to TXD and the other end to RXD and what do ya know, loopback works perfectly fine.
