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I recently got the Rotel RTC 1066 pre amp and one of its features is that it has upgradeable firmware. You can request the latest firmware by emailing Rotel here or you can download the latest version (currently 1.45) from here The cable you need to update your firmware is available from Rotel and is supposed to cost $30 shipped but some have claimed they weren't charged. Anyway if you can't wait for the cable here's how I made my own.
First you will need an ethernet cable with RJ45 connectors of suffient lenght...longer is likely better then shorter. You can find these at any store that sells computers since its pretty much the standard network cable.
Next we need a DB9 connector (aka serial connector). There's a few different ways of doing this but what I did was went to radio shack and purchased a D-Sub Plug Connector (part # 276-1427A). Its a bare female DB9 that has some small pins that you can crimp onto the wires so there's no soldering involved. You will also require a gender changer since the PC will want a male DB9 connector. Again these are readily available at radio shack. Alternately I suppose you could purchase a regular serial cable and simply cut one end off and twist the approp. wires together.
Ok so you now have the ethernet cable and the DB9 connector now what? The first step will be to cut off one end of the ethernet cable close to one of the connectors. Once that's done simply cut off an inch or so of the outer plastic cover to reveal the small wires inside. Ok now here's where you need to pay attention to detail. We need to seperate the four wires we need and crimp on those small pins that came with the DB9 connector. The wires we need are #3, 4, 5 and 6. If you're like me and had no idea which wire was what number you'll find the diagram below helpful.
Now that we know what colour each pin is its fairly easy to crimp on the pins we need to the four wires. The diagram at the bottom of then PDF document from Rotel's web site (available here) is wrong. What you need to do is twist #4 and #6 together into one pin while #3 and #5 get their own pins. You should end up with three pins crimped onto four wires on the ethernet cable like this...
3 (TX, stripe green) RJ45 to 2 (RX) RS232
5 (RX, stripe blue) RJ45 to 3 (TX) RS232
4 and 6 (GND, solid blue and solid green) RJ45 twisted to 5 (GND) RS232
Now the DB9 connecoter we bought has the numbers stamped onto it so its simply a matter of pushing the pins through the black plastic holder into the right hole (as outlined in the above PDF diagram)
Once you have the pins in place you can follow the instructions as outlined in Rotel's Software Update PDF which is available here. Assuming everything goes well you'll now have the most current version of the firmware for under $15!
First you will need an ethernet cable with RJ45 connectors of suffient lenght...longer is likely better then shorter. You can find these at any store that sells computers since its pretty much the standard network cable.
Next we need a DB9 connector (aka serial connector). There's a few different ways of doing this but what I did was went to radio shack and purchased a D-Sub Plug Connector (part # 276-1427A). Its a bare female DB9 that has some small pins that you can crimp onto the wires so there's no soldering involved. You will also require a gender changer since the PC will want a male DB9 connector. Again these are readily available at radio shack. Alternately I suppose you could purchase a regular serial cable and simply cut one end off and twist the approp. wires together.
Ok so you now have the ethernet cable and the DB9 connector now what? The first step will be to cut off one end of the ethernet cable close to one of the connectors. Once that's done simply cut off an inch or so of the outer plastic cover to reveal the small wires inside. Ok now here's where you need to pay attention to detail. We need to seperate the four wires we need and crimp on those small pins that came with the DB9 connector. The wires we need are #3, 4, 5 and 6. If you're like me and had no idea which wire was what number you'll find the diagram below helpful.
Now that we know what colour each pin is its fairly easy to crimp on the pins we need to the four wires. The diagram at the bottom of then PDF document from Rotel's web site (available here) is wrong. What you need to do is twist #4 and #6 together into one pin while #3 and #5 get their own pins. You should end up with three pins crimped onto four wires on the ethernet cable like this...
3 (TX, stripe green) RJ45 to 2 (RX) RS232
5 (RX, stripe blue) RJ45 to 3 (TX) RS232
4 and 6 (GND, solid blue and solid green) RJ45 twisted to 5 (GND) RS232
Now the DB9 connecoter we bought has the numbers stamped onto it so its simply a matter of pushing the pins through the black plastic holder into the right hole (as outlined in the above PDF diagram)
Once you have the pins in place you can follow the instructions as outlined in Rotel's Software Update PDF which is available here. Assuming everything goes well you'll now have the most current version of the firmware for under $15!
(read: totally unrecoverable computer freak) 
Now, I feel confident enough to at least give it a try. 
hehe. 
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