Dear OM,
     Your web pages have been useful to me so I am responding to your query about USB and sound card modes and laptops.
     USB is a bus which can control multiple items and is therefore not suitable for rig control without substantial additional hardware and development. The only practical approach is to use USB-serial converters.
     I am running MixW on a Compaq laptop.
     Here is the data I have gathered:
  •  The best way to go is to use USB-serial (RS-232) converters.
  • Not all USB-serial converters work well.
  • Some, with bad drivers, only recognize one additional USB-serial converter.
  • Converters from www.pfranc.com work great - I have 4 of them hooked to my laptop (Note: they also have useful radio to gps cables ets.
  • When using the on board sound card for sound card modes, you either have to turn off Windows sounds or add an additional sound card.
  • I added a Sound blaster Extigy external USB sound card for the Windows sounds etc.
My setup:
  • Compaq1600 laptop with an external 7 port USB hub connected to the USB port on the computer.
  • The built in sound card is used for sound card modes with MixW.
  • The built in serial port is connected to my TS-2000X.
  • Connected to the USB hub are:
    1. Sound Blaster Extigy for Windows sounds etc.  I also have the output from my TM-D700 going to the line in of the Extigy.
    2. pfranc USB-serial converter to cable for compter connection to TM-7D.
    3.  
    4. pfranc USB-serial converter to cable will a null modem and Palm connector for a Palm PDA for program loading for maps etc for PocketAPRS.
    5. pfranc USB-serial converter to cable for the TM-D700.
    6. pfranc USB-serial converter to cable for a Rigblaster.
Software:
       The Kenwood TS-2000 control program works fine with  a pfranc usb to serial connector as does Link700 (3rd party memory control/settings program) and the Palm synchronization (program loading software). The Kenwood free "Memory control programs" do not work with the usb to serial converters  (I've tried 3 different ones).  Because Link700 works for the TM-D7 and the TM-D700 for settings and uploading/downloading memories, I do not use the Kenwood programs for them.  Therefore I use the "real serial port" with the TS-2000X so I can use the Kenwood "Memory Control Program" with it to upload/download memory contents. QuickMix from http://www.msaxon.com/quickmix/  is an extremely handy utility for saving soundcard settings and it will work with multiple soundcards. I use it with desk shortcuts for setting up the Extigy for the sound from the TM-D700 or audio from the TS-2000 and I use it in the MixW startup to set the stored levels on the on board sound card for the sound card modes. I hope this provides you with some useful information for your web page. Jack K8PET