The LD-C101 USB to CI-V driver is a software component that enables communication between a computer and certain devices, such as amateur radio transceivers, that use the CI-V (Controller Interface V) protocol. This protocol is commonly used in amateur radio equipment to allow for remote control and data transfer.
The LD-C101 is a specific USB interface cable designed for this purpose, and its driver software allows the computer to recognize and interact with the device.
Here are some key points about the LD-C101 USB to CI-V driver:
If you're looking for more information or need to download the driver, I recommend checking the manufacturer's website or searching for the specific driver version compatible with your operating system.
is a USB-to-CI-V CAT (Computer Aided Transceiver) interface cable primarily used for controlling Icom amateur radios through a PC. Based on user technical reports, the cable typically uses the CH340 chipset Ld-c101 Usb To Ci-v Driver
, which requires specific serial-to-USB drivers for Windows systems to recognize it as a Virtual COM Port (VCP). Technical Summary Primary Function
: Provides a communication bridge between a computer's USB port and the CI-V (Computer Interface 5) remote jack on Icom transceivers like the IC-706, IC-718, and IC-756. : Identified as the serial-to-USB bridge. Hardware ID
: Typically appears in Windows Device Manager as "USB-SERIAL CH340" under Ports (COM & LPT) once the driver is installed. Driver & Compatibility
While Icom provides official drivers for their own built-in USB interfaces (often based on Silicon Labs chipsets), third-party cables like the LD-C101 usually rely on generic chipset drivers. The LD-C101 USB to CI-V driver is a
Icom’s CI-V (Communication Interface V) system is a masterpiece of minimalist design. Born in an era of RS-232C and monochrome displays, it is a protocol that expects patience. It sends commands as raw bytes, a quiet murmur of hexadecimal data along a two-wire bus. A command as simple as “change frequency to 14.195 MHz” is a tiny packet: a controller address, a transceiver address, a command code, and a checksum—a small, self-contained haiku of control.
But the modern computer does not speak this language. The modern computer speaks USB, with its layers of endpoints, descriptors, and polling intervals. It is a loud, fast, impatient tongue. To connect these two worlds, you need a translator who is willing to work for almost nothing. You need the LD-C101.
At its core, the LD-C101 is a sacrifice. It is a FTDI (or often, a cheaper, cloned) serial bridge chip, soldered to a level shifter that drops the computer’s clean 5V or 3.3V logic down to the CI-V bus’s simple open-collector standard. It is a device designed to be ignored. When it works, the radio and the computer achieve a perfect, silent symbiosis. The waterfall scrolls. The frequency readout on the PC screen matches the VFO exactly. A ghost seems to turn the dial.
Assume you have a CP2102-based LD-C101. Here is the definitive process: Compatibility : The driver is typically compatible with
C:\Drivers\CP210x).CP210xVCPInstaller_x64.exe (for 64-bit Windows) as Administrator.For macOS users: The driver is often built-in (Apple provides a generic CDC driver). If not, install "SiLabsUSBDriverDisk.dmg" from Silicon Labs.
For Linux users: The CP210x driver is native in the kernel. Run dmesg | grep cp210x to confirm.
A: Yes, if the cable uses the same bridge chip. Many generic "USB to CI-V for Icom" cables use CP2102.