EBC-A20 com port issues

[legg]

Dusting off a never-used EBC-A20, V3.0.3, I find it will not identify itself to the PC software.

The serial usb adapter invokes a PL2303 driver for connection on com port 10 - which is
within the recommended port range, but differs from other website references to a
CH341 usb-serial driver.

Running a CH341 driver install makes no difference - Windows sees a PL2303 adapter.

No device recognized, com port search finds nothing, but the prolific driver is
producing com port 10 in the device manager correctly for cable insertions.

This is W7pro 64bit.

 

[legg]

I'm looking at posts which concentrate on possibly-defective serial-usb hardware:

Zketech EBC-A20 software frozen

Hello, I recently purchased the EBC-A20 to charge/discharge and capacity test some Lifepo4 batteries. As I've seen some video of it recommend by the Off-grid garage. I installed the software provided on the website and run the first cycle correctly: charge, discharge, and charge back up to 50%...

diysolarforum.com

The replacement option shows 4 wires on the serial (EBC-A20) end.
Serial com (RS-232, RS-422, RS485 etc) normally uses only 3 wires ( TX, RX and Gnd).

Why is a 5V line added?
The USB end can get power from the PC's normal 4-wire USB connection.

Are both ends of the EBC-A20 connector actually simple USB, as the mini-USB
socket on the EBC-A20 suggests? Mini-USB expects 5V on pin1 (of 5pins - one pin is blank)

If so, why the drivers and 'special' cable?

I have possible replacement serial to USB cables that are recognized as CH341 on Com port 4,
vs the supplied hardware that identifies as PL2303 on com port 10, (but is not seen by the
EB software).

Both 5V and ground lines read as through connections when the supplied cables
are tested. The two data lines don't. Only the ground connection feeds through
on the possible CH341 replacement.

. . . by the way how does + and - translate to TX and RX in this situation?

 

[legg]

Hardwiring the CH341 adapter into the EBC-A20 allowed the software to detect
a com port, but still no device is detected. tried swapping the com lines with
no difference - port detected but no device id'd.

 

[legg]

In another link:

a correspondent suggests that tx and rx are reversed in the ZKEtech-supplied (prolific)
harness. Opening the clam shell shows white/TX , green/RX.

Swapping these over made no difference here - ie green/TX, white/RX in the clamshell
still loads as com port 10, without this port being recognized by the EB software and
no device is id'd by the EB software.

The correspondent said it fixed his issues.

In the earlier reference:

Zketech EBC-A20 software frozen

Hello, I recently purchased the EBC-A20 to charge/discharge and capacity test some Lifepo4 batteries. As I've seen some video of it recommend by the Off-grid garage. I installed the software provided on the website and run the first cycle correctly: charge, discharge, and charge back up to 50%...

diysolarforum.com

The correspondent who hardwired a PL2303A harness into the circuitry treated
green as TX and white as RX in his successful attempt:

Red = +5v
Black = GND
White = RX on PL2303TA
Green = TX on PL2303TA
Pin header photo attached

 

[legg]

I should perhaps reiterate that earlier failures to connect made me uninstall/reinstall
the sw and drivers a number of times, with system reboot between driver changes.

I note that uninstall did not remove any non-default folders used. At present the
executable resides in C:\Program Files (X86)\ZKETECH\eb.exe dated 2021-08-01
v1.8.0.5

Each subsequent hardware iteration was tested after restarting the software.

It may be understandable that RX and TX connections may be confused if
regulation serial port hardware isn't employed - normal cables depend on
a Tx mating to Rx and vice-versa. This is why swapping these lines in an
unconventional hardware employment may be a necessary iteration.

I'm stumped.

RL