A: Some unsigned driver installers trigger false positives. Verify the hash with the vendor’s official website. Silicon Labs drivers are safe.
The LD-C101 USB to CI-V driver is the invisible bridge between your computer and your Icom transceiver. While the hardware costs less than $20, without the correct driver, it is a useless piece of plastic and wire.
To summarize:
If you experience persistent issues, spend an extra $10 on a known-good CP2102-based LD-C101 from a reputable ham radio dealer. The time saved in driver debugging is worth the investment.
Now that you have mastered the driver, go ahead and enjoy seamless computer control of your station. Good luck and 73!
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Keywords: LD-C101 USB to CI-V driver, LD-C101 driver download, CP210x CI-V driver, Icom USB CAT driver, LD-C101 Windows 11, CI-V virtual COM port, amateur radio USB interface driver. Ld-c101 Usb To Ci-v Driver
This article was last updated in 2025 for compatibility with Windows 11 version 23H2 and modern Icom radios.
The LD-C101 USB to CI-V cable is a specialized interface designed to bridge Icom amateur radios with modern computers for CAT (Computer Aided Transceiver) control. While Icom's latest rigs often feature direct USB ports, the LD-C101 is an essential tool for older models, allowing you to manage frequency, mode, and memory settings through software like Ham Radio Deluxe or WSJT-X. Essential Features of the LD-C101
The LD-C101 functions as a digital bridge, converting your computer's USB signals into the CI-V (CIV) protocol used by Icom.
Plug-and-Play Design: Typically features a standard USB-A connector on one end and a 3.5mm mono jack for the radio's CI-V port.
Virtual COM Port (VCP): The cable uses an internal chipset—often from FTDI or Silicon Labs—to appear as a standard COM port on your PC.
CAT Control Support: Enables remote operation, frequency logging, and automated satellite tracking. Baud rate support: CI-V uses 4800 or 19200
Power Efficient: Powered directly via the USB bus, eliminating the need for external power supplies. Driver Installation Guide
To use the LD-C101, you must install the correct Virtual COM Port (VCP) driver before connecting the cable to your PC. Icom ic-718 setup with CI-V cable on Windows 7? - Facebook
is a USB-to-3.5mm CI-V control cable designed for computer control of ICOM radios. To function correctly, the cable requires specific Virtual COM Port (VCP)
drivers to translate the USB signal into a serial communication line that radio software can understand. Chelegance Driver Specifications & Requirements Most modern LD-C101 cables utilize the FTDI (Future Technology Devices International)
chipset, though some variants may use Silicon Labs (SiLabs) or Prolific chips. Chipset Identification
: When plugged into a Windows computer, the cable typically appears in Device Manager under "Ports (COM & LPT)" as a "USB Serial Port". Official FTDI Drivers A: Some unsigned driver installers trigger false positives
: Because it acts as a standard serial interface, the latest stable drivers are generally sourced from the FTDI Chip VCP Drivers page Compatibility : Supports Windows 7, 8, 10, and 11.
: Drivers are often built into the Linux kernel (version 2.4.20 or greater). : Requires FTDI VCP drivers for Mac. Chelegance Hardware & Technical Profile
The LD-C101 serves as a replacement for the Icom CT-17 level converter, providing a direct link between a PC's USB port and a radio's CI-V jack. Chelegance Specification USB-A to 3.5mm Mono Plug Cable Length 1.5 meters (approx. 5 feet) Icom CI-V (TTL Level Serial) Typically 9600 or 19200 (Software dependent) Compatible Software Ham Radio Deluxe, N1MM, Logger32, WSJT-X Installation and Setup
But here is where the piece deepens into tragedy: the LD-C101 has no identity of its own. It is a chameleon that has forgotten its face. It relies entirely on a driver to tell the operating system what it is. And the driver—that tiny piece of kernel-level software—becomes the abyss into which weekends disappear.
You install the driver. Windows recognizes “USB Serial Port (COM5).” You open your logging software, select COM5, set the baud rate to 19,200 (or 9,600, or 57,600 depending on the radio’s mood). You click “Test.” Silence. No frequency readout. No response. The red TX light on the LD-C101 flickers once in mockery, then goes dark.
The problem is never the hardware. The hardware is dumb and honest. The problem is the collision of expectations. The CI-V protocol demands a half-duplex bus. The USB driver expects full-duplex. The CI-V bus requires pull-up resistors. The FTDI chip wants to push. And deep in the registry of your machine, a ghost parameter from a driver installed three years ago for a different radio is still asserting control over COM5.
You begin to doubt. You check the cable. You check the solder joints on the LD-C101’s miniature PCB. You find a forum post from 2014 in Russian, Google-translated to cryptic poetry: “Set RTS high or low. No, other way. Ground pin 7. No, pin 5. Use 3.5mm plug, not 2.5mm. Pray to Kenwood.”