(the following information is also in the AIM4170 manual)

The program has been tested with Windows 95, 98, 2000, ME, XP and Vista. It does not require an installation procedure. It will run directly from a CD, a flash drive, or even a floppy disk. If the program is launched directly from the CD, there will be some warning messages that some files are read-only and they cannot be updated. This is ok for a quick functional test on another computer.

Because some newer computers don't have RS232 ports, it may be necessary to use an RS232 to USB adapter with the AIM4170. The AIM's RS232 port uses only three wires. Pin 2 is the data from the AIM to the computer, pin 3 is the data from the computer to the AIM and pin 5 is ground. Hardware handshaking (flow control) is not used. The signal amplitude on the I/O lines (pins 2 and 3) is approximately +/-5V.

A USB driver is on the CD that comes with the AIM program and it's also on a small CD included in the package with the USB adapter. It can also be downloaded here.

The program defaults to comm port 1. If this is not the correct port, the program enters the Demo Mode. The Demo Mode can be used to view scan files that have been saved, so it is sometimes handy for off-line data analysis when the AIM hardware is not connected.

If the comm port assigned to the USB adapter is not known, try using the "Find Comm Port" command under the "Setup" menu. This will scan from comm 1 to comm 32 to find which port is working. The comm port assigned to the USB adapter can also be found using the Windows Device Manager: Click Start => Settings => Control panel => System => Hardware => Device Manager.

If there seems to be a problem with the USB adapter, here are some tips for checking it. First, make sure another accessory in the computer or another program is not tying up the comm port. For example, if the AIM program is started two times without closing it the first time, the second copy cannot use the comm port. This can happen when the first AIM window gets hidden behind another window so it's not obvious that it is still active. Also, check the icons at the bottom of the screen to see if another copy of the AIM program may have been minimized.

When the AIM first powers up, it sends out a character string that can be received by any terminal emulation program, such as HyperTerminal. To use HyperTerminal, which is a standard accessory in Windows, click on the Start button in the lower left corner of the Windows desktop. Then, click "Programs" -> "Accessories" -> "Communications" -> "HyperTerminal". Set HyperTerminal for the following parameters:

Baud rate=57600; 8 data bits; 1 stop bit; no parity; echo typed characters locally.

When HyperTerminal is ready, turn on the AIM4170 power. The green LED on the AIM front panel will turn on and the text displayed on the computer terminal is the following (or similar):

Antenna Analyzer AIM4170
by W5BIG
from Array Solutions

If this is displayed, it means the data from the AIM to the computer is okay. If the text is not displayed, a scope or logic probe can be used to check for pulse activity on pin 2 of the RS232 connector with the PC cable disconnected. Pin 5 of this connector is the Ground pin. The normal voltage at pin 2 is about -5V and it pulses to about +5V several times during a 1 second interval while the text string is output right after the power is turned on. The PC doesn't have to be present at all, so this output test is completely independent of the PC or the operating system.

To check data from the computer to the AIM, type K1 (K and a one). Note the K is upper case. The command K1 will cause the AIM to turn on its Red LED. There is no character space between the K followed by a 1, but the time interval between typing the K and the 1 is not critical. Then, type K0 (K followed by a zero). The Red LED should go off. This indicates the AIM is able to receive commands from the computer; therefore, the I/O data link is working properly.

Recently a problem has been found where Windows does not properly keep track of which comm port is in use. Some problems with the comm port can be solved by removing the port numbers that have been assigned in the past but which are no longer in use. This link has information for cleaning up the port assignments.

The Byterunner adapter works with many computers. However, one AIM4170 user has found that it didn't work with his computer but this one does: HVWTech

Adapters using the FTDI chip for their controller seem to be the most reliable. These adapters are usually more expensive but they can save a lot of time during setup. If your computer is connected to the internet, it may be able to find the appropriate driver automatically when you install a new device.

Installation Guides for FTDI drivers

Some USB adapters use the Prolific chip. The latest drivers have been found to work with XP and Vista.

USB cables up to three feet long are dependable. Lengths up to six feet work well and their extra utility is worth the slight risk, compared to a three foot cable. If you have trouble with a six foot cable, try going back to three feet. Cables longer than ten feet are not recommended. The quality of the cable is a factor too.

Using the Device Manager to optimize the USB adapter

If all else fails, pull the plug out of the wall! This old trick sometimes works, even in the twenty-first century. (I've seen a couple of HP laptops where I actually had to remove the battery to reset some conditions.) Here's an article related to the USB ports in particular: "USB device not recognized"

Several people have found it necessary to set a parameter in the config file to fix the baud rate at 57.6K when using Bluetooth. A short section of a typical config file is shown below with the parameter highlighted:

1 Do not clear each screen during recycle mode ( 1= do clear )
300 Delay in milliseconds while recycling. Several seconds may be useful in some cases.

//**** versions 621 and higher:

change the following parameter from "1" to "0" for Bluetooth, if necessary:
0 parameter_1 future expansion ( recommended for Bluetooth)

0 issue cal warning if long stub is attached while calibrating

1. Gridconnect.com - works fine in one reported case.
2. Ezurio BiSM II Bluetooth - works fine in one reported case.
3. KCWirefree Bluetooth - did not work in one case.

PROBLEM: BLUETOOTH may send an extraneous string when it initiallizes, as discovered by one AIM user:

Quote: I made an adapter to monitor the stuff that the 4170 receives. When the Bluetooth connects, the receiver was sending a connect string for some reason. Here is what the 4170 was seeing. Perhaps some of this made the 4170 go to high speed mode.

CONNECT '0009-DD-506F50'
VJD0JK0J
DISCONNECT '0009-DD-506F50'

I found a way to disable it, and now it seems to be working at 57600.

Bob's comment -- The extra character "C" looks like a command to the AIM and it shifts to 115K baud. After that, it won't communicate with the PC because the PC expects it to be running at 57.6K. Make sure the Bluetooth hardware does not output any extraneous characters.