[time-nuts] Z38XX Pre-Modified for Z3811A and Z3812A

M. George m.matthew.george at gmail.com
Tue Jun 2 04:11:43 UTC 2015


I was playing around with my Lucent KS-24361 gadget boxes this evening and
after toying and fiddling around with the Z38XX software I thought I would
make the following available to other time-nuts:

>From the readme.txt file content I posted on the link below... where you
can download a version of Z38XX that has been pre-modified to work with
either the Z3811A or the Z3812A....  Keep reading if you want to try it /
download it.

Max NG7M

(my slopped together readme.txt file) This is a modified version of Z38XX
brought to you by the late Ulrich Bangert. (it's very clear that many
time-nuts hold Ulrich in high regard and I wanted to make sure and mention
his work here)  His website is no longer available so I thought I would
host the modified version on my web server:

http://www.nc7j.com/downloads/NG7M/Time-Nuts/Z38XX-Modified-for-Lucent-Z3811A-Z3812A/

The zip file in this directory contains simple mod to the original version
to allow it to talk to the Lucent KS-24361, HP/Symmetricom Z3809A, Z3810A,
Z3811A, Z3812A GPSDO. The original exe is also included in the zip file.

The mod is simple, via a hex editor (as reported by Götz Romahn) is to
change the strings used for comparison at start up when Z38XX asks for the
version. i.e. just modify the strings in the exe binary without disrupting
the string table space.

In a hex editor you search for Z3805 and replace it with Z3811 for the
RFTG-u REF 1 box.  Since I'm lazy and I really couldn't tell a difference
if you use the Z3805 or the Z3815 command set in Z38XX, I also did a search
and replace on Z3815 and changed it to Z3812.  This allows you to use the
same Z38XX version for either the Z3812A RFTG-u REF 0 box or the Z3811A
RFTG-u REF 1 box.  When connected to either J8-DIAGNOSTIC port.

On another note, I couldn't get a PCI-Express 4 port serial card to work
with the simple RS-422 to RS-232 cable hack.  However, I had success with a
good FTDI based USB serial adapter.  In this case, it's a real FTDI
chipset.  Your mileage may vary as I have seen others scratch their head
over problems getting the 422 / 232 cable hack to work.

Anyway, I hope someone can find the 'pre hacked' version of Z38XX useful.

Enjoy!

de Max NG7M

-- 
M. George



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