[Elecraft] K2 firmware request (minor)
I know there's loads of room for more firmware mods... :-) Ok, so I've really heard the opposite is true, but for rig control software I notice a small shortcoming of the cmd set. The DS command is described in the KIO2 manual as a cmd that, Returns everything needed to reproduce the information shown on the K2 LCD. But this isn't quite true as far as I can tell. It doesn't return the state of the annunciators showing whether the variable or value is underlined during MENU or EDIT. Same for turning off the annunciators with the various non-frequency DISPLAY choices. That wouldn't be a problem but it seems there's no way to find out which mode the rig is in, regular, MENU, EDIT, DISPLAY, etc. Maybe the MD command could be extended by one byte so there'd be a few bits to indicate mode? (It just occurred to me that I haven't tried AI2 yet, so maybe it returns an SW05 or SW21...) Without the rig returning the info in some way, the software needs to maintain state. But it's easy for software to get out of sync with the rig if the op uses the software sometimes and rig buttons sometimes. Thanks, Mike ab3ap ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
[Elecraft] K2 Firmware request
I'm sure this has been asked before but I sure would like to have VFO-B have its own 'mode' register so I could store 28.025 as CW and 28.500 as USB. Is that possible or is there no room at the inn? Also, does the RS-232 command set allow querying which VFO is active? I use B for SSB during contests and A for CW. Tom K2TA ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] K2 Firmware request
I should have said ..so I could store 28.025 as CW on VFO-A and 28.500 as USB on VFO-B - Original Message - From: Tom Althoff [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Elecraft elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Saturday, December 09, 2006 7:37 AM Subject: [Elecraft] K2 Firmware request I'm sure this has been asked before but I sure would like to have VFO-B have its own 'mode' register so I could store 28.025 as CW and 28.500 as USB. Is that possible or is there no room at the inn? Also, does the RS-232 command set allow querying which VFO is active? I use B for SSB during contests and A for CW. Tom K2TA ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] K2 Firmware request
G'day, | I'm sure this has been asked before but I sure would like to have VFO-B have | its own 'mode' register so I could store 28.025 as CW and 28.500 as USB. | | Is that possible or is there no room at the inn? This has been asked for for years. Sadly it will fall on totally deaf ears at Elecraft. Not even a hint if it's possible or not. Regards, Mike VP8NO ps. US 10M contest stations blasting in at 9++ here. ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] K2 Firmware request
On Saturday 09 December 2006 09:55, Mike Harris wrote: This has been asked for for years. Sadly it will fall on totally deaf ears at Elecraft. Not even a hint if it's possible or not. This is the problem with proprietary firmware. Does Elecraft think that someone could make a rival product if the source code were released? Any determined capable person could write the firmware for the K2, or a rival product. The original Lego Mindstorms programmable brick was proprietary closed source firmware. At first, their lawyers descended on the hackers who were writing a more capable operating system for it with cease and desist orders. But Lego came to realise that they would sell more hardware if they encouraged independent development. Lego have firmly embraced this concept with the new Mindstorms brick (NXT) - they have released the firmware source code. According to their technical FAQ, hackers have already implemented Lua, Java and C for the NXT. I would like the tuning knob to behave like my IC-735, a variable rate depending on the knob rotation rate. I don't like the three tuning rates that require one or two button presses. So, how about it Elecraft? Release the source code - show us the complete design without the proprietary black box in the middle. You might increase your sales of the K2. Ian, G4ICV, AB2GR, K2 #4962 -- ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] K2 Firmware request
Ian Stirling wrote: This is the problem with proprietary firmware. Does Elecraft think that someone could make a rival product if the source code were released? Any determined capable person could write the firmware for the K2, or a rival product. You would have to be *very* determined and *very* capable. The firmware for the K2 is complicated, and lots of things are highly interdependent in any real-time application. No I haven't seen the source code, but I'm a programmer and do know what functions it performs. I think I can safely make the above statement. The main problem is this: How would Elecraft support the K2 if the firmware could be changed? Could anyone guarantee that his change to, for example, the frequency control, didn't impact the t/r switching? Note that slowing down the code in one place might make it impossible to perform another function in time. -- 73, Vic, K2VCO Fresno CA http://www.qsl.net/k2vco ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] K2 Firmware request
I keep trying to think of a reason I need to know the auxbus protocol but I haven't yet. Most of the things I would want would require K2 firmware changes as well, and I agree that is not going to happen. My closest call has been wanting to make the power knob work with a non-Elecraft external amplifier. But after discussions with a number of Elecrafters, I came to the conclusion that the KPA100 integration is greater than it appears, mostly because of the ALC loop and its apparent knowledge of the KPA100 gain and response characteristics. Leigh/WA5ZNU On Sat, 9 Dec 2006 10:59 am, Vic K2VCO wrote: Ian Stirling wrote: This is the problem with proprietary firmware. Does Elecraft think that someone could make a rival product if the source code were released? Any determined capable person could write the firmware for the K2, or a rival product. You would have to be *very* determined and *very* capable. The firmware for the K2 is complicated, and lots of things are highly interdependent in any real-time application. No I haven't seen the source code, but I'm a programmer and do know what functions it performs. I think I can safely make the above statement. The main problem is this: How would Elecraft support the K2 if the firmware could be changed? Could anyone guarantee that his change to, for example, the frequency control, didn't impact the t/r switching? Note that slowing down the code in one place might make it impossible to perform another function in time. -- 73, Vic, K2VCO Fresno CA http://www.qsl.net/k2vco ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraftHelp: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] K2 Firmware request
I can only agree 100% with Vic! As one who spent most of his professional career trying to force the most code into the least amount of memory and make every nano-second count (I became king of the self-modifying instruction) I can say without hesitation that you DO NOT want the source code. And, if God forbid you get it, and modify it, please don't release it to the world. Good grief, mutant K2s! 73, Doug W6JD -- Original message -- From: Vic K2VCO [EMAIL PROTECTED] Ian Stirling wrote: This is the problem with proprietary firmware. Does Elecraft think that someone could make a rival product if the source code were released? Any determined capable person could write the firmware for the K2, or a rival product. You would have to be *very* determined and *very* capable. The firmware for the K2 is complicated, and lots of things are highly interdependent in any real-time application. No I haven't seen the source code, but I'm a programmer and do know what functions it performs. I think I can safely make the above statement. The main problem is this: How would Elecraft support the K2 if the firmware could be changed? Could anyone guarantee that his change to, for example, the frequency control, didn't impact the t/r switching? Note that slowing down the code in one place might make it impossible to perform another function in time. -- 73, Vic, K2VCO Fresno CA http://www.qsl.net/k2vco ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] K2 Firmware request
On Saturday 09 December 2006 13:59, Vic wrote: The main problem is this: How would Elecraft support the K2 if the firmware could be changed? Could anyone guarantee that his change to, for example, the frequency control, didn't impact the t/r switching? Note that slowing down the code in one place might make it impossible to perform another function in time. It's not a problem. Elecraft could refuse to give support except for K2s with original firmware. Experimenting is a big part of Amateur Radio. I wouldn't be afraid to change the firmware and programme a new chip, keeping the original in case of problems. A condition of using the source could be that derivations, binary and source can't be published but may be submitted to Elecraft to see if they're worthy to be included in the next offical issue. Lots of people working on software can improve it beyond the ability of the original author, or any one of the contributors - Linus Torvalds keeps control over the gnu/linux kernel but he encourages others to contribute. Ian, G4ICV, AB2GR, K2 #4962 -- ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
