bad octopus 3000

[dive1]

My Octopus 3000 just crapped out...It came up as program lost. I contacted them and they said it needed their cable to load the program.. This is greed. My tank is out of control and they want me to send in the unit or buy a cable. With equiptment controling tanks with this much money in them there is not need to have to use a special cable. I am discusted with these people. The would not even give me a pin-out so I could make a cable and try and get it up. I suggest not buying one of these and will be looking into another manufacture. This is very poor and greedy service. The lady said this happens quite a bit durning power surges so I suspect I am not the first this has happened to.

 

[dive1]

I got my hands on the cable and wanted to post the pinout so If needed someone could make their own...
the part which connects to the computer is a standard 9 pin serial cable. with pin 2 being RXD (received Data), pin 3 is the TXD (transmitted Data), and pin 5 is ground. These are the only wires conected on this end. A cable can be bought from any computer store, ect. then cut off the other end. and use the wires to hook to either a plug which can be bought from Digi-Key for $1.22. It is in catalog #942, page 44, part # cp-2080-nd. It is hooked up on this end as follows. Pin 3 is the RXD. Pin 5 is the TXD, and Pins 1,4,7,8 are hooked to ground. If you are in a bind as I was the wires could just be pushed into the socket without the plug. So I could have been up in an hour or so had they co operated and helped the customer. The only tool needed is a sodering Iron and a meter to know which wires on the end cut off go to pin 2,3,5, on the serial connector and to either tin or soder the wires to the plug. I hope this pin out will help someone If they are ever cought in a bind and search this board for tech support.