VE2DX

CT-17B-6BT BlueTooth ICOM CI-V HUB.

July 20th 2020

Version 1.1.0

Author: Richard G. Desaulniers Sr. VE2DX

VE2DX CT17B User manual Version 1.1.0

Date Name Comments Revision
20 July 2020 VE2DX Release first version 1.1.0

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 Introduction:

Hello and congratulation on your purchase of the VE2DX ICOM CT-17B-6BT Bluetooth CI-V HUB. The CT-
17B-6BT is basically an ICOM protocol (Called CI-V) distribution unit that lets you link together multiple ICOM
and non ICOM Radios and/or devices supporting the ICOM CI-V protocol via Bluetooth.

Technical information:

The CI-V protocol is a very simple ASCII protocol that can run at different speeds, obviously all devices being
used together MUST run at the same speed, the speed on your computer can vary as ou wish to make your
application react faster, but the CI-V bus and the ICOM or Non-ICOM device must always be set to 9600 bauds
the speed translation and buffering is handled by the CT-17B-6BT
On the Hardware side the CI-V is based on a very simple TTL (0 - +5VDC) hardware. It is a duplex hardware
protocol, meaning that the RX and TX are merged together on the same communication line.
The ICOM CT-17 was the original ICOM manufactured unit in the 80s. It was made with 4 CI-V ports and a
DB25 interface for the computer, it also needed an external 12VDC power source. It made for major evolutions
with PCs of Ham Radio station automations.

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 Description:
The CT-17B series is an evolution of the original ICOM CT-17, it comes in multiple variations with 5, 6, 10,
11 and 12 ports. There are two major variants;

• CT17B Five ports family

The 5 ports units made up of the CT-17B-5, is a 5 port CI-V unit, CT-17B-6USB a 5 CI-V ports CI-V and 1 port
USB, and the CT-17B-6BT which is basically the same except it communicates via Bluetooth.

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 • CT17B Ten ports family
The 10 ports based CT-17B family made up of the CT-17B-10 a 10 ports CI-V only hub, the CT-17B-11USB
made of the 10 ports CI-V hub with an added USB port and finally the CT-17B-12DualUSB a CT-17B-10 with
two USB ports.

Interesting fact about all the 10 CI-V port units (CT-17B-10, CT-17B-11USB, CT-17B-12DualUSB) they have a
Jumper under the unit (JP1). This JP1 Jumper is used to split (if the user wants to!) the unit into two separate –
5 units.

Thus, if JP1 is IN on a CT-17B-11USB it as ALL 11 ports talking to each other. With JP1 OUT then the unit is
turned into a CT-17B-5 and a CT-17B-6USB into a single case and all CI-V communications made on one side
of the CT-17B are distinct from the other.

This new feature makes the CT-17B even more flexible.

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 • CT17B RFI protection
One very important factor with our design was RFI, Ham radio stations have to deal with RFI often, and we
wanted to help with our design, to do so we isolated every port with proper RFI filtering. This will NOT block
EVRYTHING, but it should prevent most common issues

• CT17B 3D SLA Printed enclosures

One of the nice thing about our design is the 3D SLA printe enclosures, this helped us turn around on the fly
adjust our design like the added JP1 on the 10 ports units. another change we made last minute was adding
magnets to the back of the enclosure that will help the end user with the flexibility of attaching the CT-17B on
the radio itself.

• CT17B FTDI USB Ports

Finally, and this is one our most important feature! The USB ports chip set used in the CT-17B family of
products are based of FTDI chip sets which are well known as the best types of interfacing, Another option
would have been Prolific based chip sets. But they have been widely counterfeit and are well known to cause
installation issues.

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• CT-17B Interconnection diagram

• ICOMs CT-17 Interconnection diagram

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 Setting up the CT17B
• CT-17B CI-V Port

❗ Warning❗
Before plugin in ANY devices CI-V or USB port, you MUST make certain that all equipment
and power sources are turn OFF.
(Radios, Power supplies, accessories, PC, etc...)

1- Turn off all your ICOM radios, non-ICOM CI-V compatible devices and Power supply's.
2- Plug a mono 1/8 audio cable from the ICOM REMOTE connector on the back of the radio to the CT-17B Hub.
3- Making certain all devices and radios are turned off, do the same from the back of all your devices to the CT-
17B.
4A- For CT-17B USB devices ; Proceed to STEP 5 Below.
4b- For CT-17B-5 or –10 ; Power ON your radios and equipment and configure as per manufacturer
recommendation, YOU ARE DONE!
4C- For CT-17B-6BT Bluetooth devices proceed to STEP 9.

Note: Some devices like the WX0B Band master or the Steppir SDA-100 use special DB-9 to 1/8
audio cables and may require special cabling and/or option cards in the unit. See your manufacturer
manual and/or web site.

• CT-17B CI-V Port

🔺IMPORTANT🔺
If your CT-17B has the USB feature continue past this point.
Note: You MUST be an ADMINISTRATOR user to do proceed further!

Note: This procedure is based on Windows 10

Note: The Windows 10 installation is plug and play, simply proceed as follows;

5- Before plugging in your CT-17B USB port in the PC;

5a- Open “Control Panel” and select “device manager”
5b- In “Device Manager” expand the “Ports (Com & LPT)” section

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5c- Note all the existing Com ports and their “COM” names.
6- Turn Off your PC.
7- Plug the CT-17B USB cable in the PC.
8- Power up the PC and sign in as an Administrator.
8a- Open “Control Panel” and select “Device Manager”
8b- In “Device Manager” expand the “Ports (Com & LPT)” section
8c- Note all the existing Com ports and their “COM” names.
8d- There will be a new COM port take note of the COM id this is you CT-17B USB port.

Note: More advance users can use the advance port configuration to change the COM port ID, but
you MUST make certain the selected port is not already in use.

❗Warning❗
Virtual ports used with SDR or other applications like Com0Com can cause
port conflict and confusion.

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9- Before plugging in your CT-17B-6BT Bluetooth, you need to understand that for COMPLETE radio
isolation you should NOT be using your PC USB ports to power the CT-17B-6BT Bluetooth. Instead you
should be using a 12VDC to 5VDC low noise converter and use the station 12VDC power source or use
a simple AC to USB transformer, do not that these can be RF Noisy!
9b- Power on your CT-17B-6BT.
9c- look on the CI-V port side of the CT17B-6BT you will see a flashing red LED. If Not check your power
source.
10- On your Windows10 command line type “BLUETOOTH”, windows 10 should offer you the Bluetooth section
of the Parameters panel.

10A- Make certain the the Bluetooth is ACTIVATED.

10B- Click on the + sign next to “Add Bluetooth or Other Devices”
10c- on the next Black screen click on “Bleutooth”.
10d- This step can take a few minutes, you will see an unknow device come up and after a while this device will
change3 name to “CT17B6BT”, select this device and PAIR with it, Windows10 will then ask for a password it is
“1234”
11a- Open “Control Panel” and select “device manager”
11b- In “Device Manager” expand the”Bluetooth” section. Confirm that you see the CT17B6BT. If not go back
to Section 10.
12a- Open “Control Panel” and select “device manager”
12b- In “Device Manager” expand “Ports (Com & LPT)” section

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12c- Note all the existing Com ports and their “COM” names. you will see TWO new com ports
12d- They are identified as “Standard Serial over Bluetooth link”

❗Warning❗
WIERD Windows10 VERY CONFUSING info follows!
FOR SOME BIZARRE REASON, Windows ten when pairing with a Bluetooth
serial port will create TWO SERIAL PORTS! An INCOMING serial port (normaly
the first one!) and an OUTGOING serial port (Normaly the second one!)

!!!You can only use the OUTGOING serial port!!!

Note: More advance users can use the advance port configuration to change the COM port ID, but
you MUST make certain the selected port is not already in use.

❗Warning❗
Virtual ports used with SDR or other applications like Com0Com can cause port
conflict and confusion.

That’s it! You're now ready to play, using your radio control or logging
application you can now control your equipment.

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 • Tips
1- Newer radios like the 7300, 7610 and 9700 have already a USB port that is used for both audio codec and
CI-V communication, but they STILL have the REMOTE CI-V port on the back of the radio, properly configure
these radios can echo their commands from their USB port back out the REMOTE port to other radios and/or
non-ICOM CI-V devices. In this situation you CT-17B does not really need the USB option.
2- In an advance SDR setup using HRD and SDRUno for example, a major limitation of SDRUno is that it is
design to use the link to the logging software (like HRD) as a Kenwood radio limiting in a major way the functions
between HRD and the radio. if you have a CT-17B WITH USB option you can configure a SECOND radio as
the NATIVE ICOM config via the USB port thus getting more advance functions to the radio and run at the same
time the Kenwood config in HRD for the SDRUno interfacing, WORKS REAL NICE! 😛
3- Multiple ICOM radios can run on the same CI-V Hub and be linked together using the CI-V Transceive option,
if CI-V transceive is enabled then all compatible radios (example HF) will be linked and change frequencies
together.
4- The CI-V Transceive option is often needed to be enable on the radio for non-ICOM devices to be able to be
link to the radio.
5- Some devices like the WX0B bandmaster first generation need to have the CI-V address configure to match
the radio being tracked.

🔺IMPORTANT🔺
6- Audio cables being used to link the CT-17B hub to Radios or Non-ICOM devices MUST be mono cable and
not stereo. In most installations this does not make any differences, but we did encounter some problems
caused by stereo cables were the TTL lines were grounded. The CT-17B is designed to prevent this but not
all ICOM and/or NON-ICOM radio or devices are.

73 De Richard VE2DX 😋

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