Re: [Elecraft] K3S and RTTY Contesting with N1MM+/MMTTY

2016-02-07 Thread Al K0VM via Elecraft

Rich,
  Except for the specific references to K3, you answer should be framed 
( and filed ) for its completeness.


AL, K0VM

On 2/6/2016 4:59 PM, Richard Ferch wrote:
There is some confusion evident in your post on the roles of the 
connections between the radio and the computer.


There are three separate connections needed for operation in data 
modes (possibly four in FSK).


The first of these connections is for rig control from N1MM+. On a K3, 
this is the RS232 port. On a K3S, you can use the USB connection 
instead, provided the K3S's CONFIG:RS232 is set for USB. Either way, 
this represents one serial port in the software. N1MM+ must be 
configured to use this port for rig control, and this port cannot be 
used by MMTTY when it is run from within N1MM+. This last limitation 
(inability to share a serial port between the two programs) is why the 
configuration that you use in MMTTY stand-alone does not work when you 
run MMTTY from N1MM+.


The second connection is for audio to and from MMTTY. On a K3, there 
are actually two cables for audio, one in and one out, but on a K3S, 
these can be replaced by a single USB connection to the USB codec 
inside the radio. This happens to be shared with the same USB cable 
that conveys rig control, but there are two separate and independent 
devices as far as the software is concerned - one is a serial port, 
the other is a sound card, and there is no interaction between the two 
in the application software.


This audio connection is used for receive audio, and in AFSK, for 
transmit audio. MMTTY is configured to use the radio's USB codec as 
its sound card; N1MM+ does not need to use the sound card at all in 
data modes (SSB is another story, but I won't go into that here).


The third connection is for TX/RX control, or PTT. There are several 
ways of doing this on the K3/K3S, and it can be controlled either in 
the radio, or in N1MM+, or in MMTTY - pick one.


In AFSK (or in CW), the method internal to the radio is VOX. If you 
use VOX, you do not need to, and for the sake of avoiding confusion 
you should not, configure any other method of PTT either in N1MM+ or 
in MMTTY. However, VOX does not work in FSK D. If the radio is in FSK 
D, PTT must be controlled some other way (either via radio command or 
via a hardware PTT connection).


A second method is to use software radio commands from N1MM+ over the 
radio control line to control PTT. This method can be used by MMTTY 
when it is run stand-alone, but it is not available to MMTTY when it 
is run from within N1MM+ because of the inability to share the port. 
If you use this method, you do not need either a hardware connection 
or VOX.


A third method is to use serial port keying, by convention usually 
done on RTS, although it is possible to use DTR. In most radios, this 
has to be a separate port from the radio control port, and it has to 
be through a keying circuit. The K3 and K3S are exceptions - you can 
use RTS on the radio control port without any keying circuitry by 
setting CONFIG:PTT-KEY to RTS-OFF (or RTS-DTR to allow CW keying on 
DTR). This must be done from N1MM+, not from MMTTY, because the radio 
control port cannot be shared between the two programs.


You can also use a different serial port for PTT control, in which 
case it would be connected through a keying circuit to either the PTT 
IN jack or to the ACC connector on the K3/K3S. Since this is a 
different serial port from the radio control port, you can choose to 
use it either from N1MM+ or from MMTTY.


The fourth possible connection (which may be shared with the third PTT 
method) is for FSK keying from MMTTY, which is applied via the ACC 
connector. This can be done from a serial port through a keying 
circuit, but it must be a different serial port from the one used for 
rig control. This is a hardware limitation, not just software. The FSK 
serial port must be configured in MMTTY, and there is normally no need 
to mention it at all in N1MM+. MMTTY can also use this same port for 
PTT control, in which case you do not need to configure a PTT method 
in N1MM+.


It is possible to configure a serial port used by MMTTY in N1MM+ in 
such a way that N1MM+ only uses it in CW/SSB and hands it over to 
MMTTY in data modes, but this is only necessary if you need to 
time-share the FSK port with other uses in other modes, or if you want 
to use FSK with the built-in MMVARI engine in N1MM+.


There is another way to do FSK, and that is via radio control commands 
embedded in CAT1ASC macros in N1MM+, but this method is not supported 
by the N1MM+ programming team, i.e. you are on your own if you try it.


There is no TCP/IP connection to the radio. HRD may use TCP/IP for 
intercommunication between its software modules, but the K3 or K3S has 
no Ethernet connection and no way to use TCP/IP.


Bottom line: You may use VOX in AFSK if you choose to do so, but it is 
not necessary if you have correctly configured one of the other PTT 
con

Re: [Elecraft] K3S and RTTY Contesting with N1MM+/MMTTY

2016-02-07 Thread Andy McMullin
Excellent answer Richard. Thank you. 

Sometimes sitting on the side of a discussion you see a gem to store away for 
further reference. I found this was one. 

Sent from my iPhone

> On 6 Feb 2016, at 22:59, Richard Ferch  wrote:
> 
> There is some confusion evident in your post on the roles of the connections 
> between the radio and the computer.
> 
> There are three separate connections needed for operation in data modes 
> (possibly four in FSK).
> 
> The first of these connections is for rig control from N1MM+. On a K3, this 
> is the RS232 port. On a K3S, you can use the USB connection instead, provided 
> the K3S's CONFIG:RS232 is set for USB. Either way, this represents one serial 
> port in the software. N1MM+ must be configured to use this port for rig 
> control, and this port cannot be used by MMTTY when it is run from within 
> N1MM+. This last limitation (inability to share a serial port between the two 
> programs) is why the configuration that you use in MMTTY stand-alone does not 
> work when you run MMTTY from N1MM+.
> 
> The second connection is for audio to and from MMTTY. On a K3, there are 
> actually two cables for audio, one in and one out, but on a K3S, these can be 
> replaced by a single USB connection to the USB codec inside the radio. This 
> happens to be shared with the same USB cable that conveys rig control, but 
> there are two separate and independent devices as far as the software is 
> concerned - one is a serial port, the other is a sound card, and there is no 
> interaction between the two in the application software.
> 
> This audio connection is used for receive audio, and in AFSK, for transmit 
> audio. MMTTY is configured to use the radio's USB codec as its sound card; 
> N1MM+ does not need to use the sound card at all in data modes (SSB is 
> another story, but I won't go into that here).
> 
> The third connection is for TX/RX control, or PTT. There are several ways of 
> doing this on the K3/K3S, and it can be controlled either in the radio, or in 
> N1MM+, or in MMTTY - pick one.
> 
> In AFSK (or in CW), the method internal to the radio is VOX. If you use VOX, 
> you do not need to, and for the sake of avoiding confusion you should not, 
> configure any other method of PTT either in N1MM+ or in MMTTY. However, VOX 
> does not work in FSK D. If the radio is in FSK D, PTT must be controlled some 
> other way (either via radio command or via a hardware PTT connection).
> 
> A second method is to use software radio commands from N1MM+ over the radio 
> control line to control PTT. This method can be used by MMTTY when it is run 
> stand-alone, but it is not available to MMTTY when it is run from within 
> N1MM+ because of the inability to share the port. If you use this method, you 
> do not need either a hardware connection or VOX.
> 
> A third method is to use serial port keying, by convention usually done on 
> RTS, although it is possible to use DTR. In most radios, this has to be a 
> separate port from the radio control port, and it has to be through a keying 
> circuit. The K3 and K3S are exceptions - you can use RTS on the radio control 
> port without any keying circuitry by setting CONFIG:PTT-KEY to RTS-OFF (or 
> RTS-DTR to allow CW keying on DTR). This must be done from N1MM+, not from 
> MMTTY, because the radio control port cannot be shared between the two 
> programs.
> 
> You can also use a different serial port for PTT control, in which case it 
> would be connected through a keying circuit to either the PTT IN jack or to 
> the ACC connector on the K3/K3S. Since this is a different serial port from 
> the radio control port, you can choose to use it either from N1MM+ or from 
> MMTTY.
> 
> The fourth possible connection (which may be shared with the third PTT 
> method) is for FSK keying from MMTTY, which is applied via the ACC connector. 
> This can be done from a serial port through a keying circuit, but it must be 
> a different serial port from the one used for rig control. This is a hardware 
> limitation, not just software. The FSK serial port must be configured in 
> MMTTY, and there is normally no need to mention it at all in N1MM+. MMTTY can 
> also use this same port for PTT control, in which case you do not need to 
> configure a PTT method in N1MM+.
> 
> It is possible to configure a serial port used by MMTTY in N1MM+ in such a 
> way that N1MM+ only uses it in CW/SSB and hands it over to MMTTY in data 
> modes, but this is only necessary if you need to time-share the FSK port with 
> other uses in other modes, or if you want to use FSK with the built-in MMVARI 
> engine in N1MM+.
> 
> There is another way to do FSK, and that is via radio control commands 
> embedded in CAT1ASC macros in N1MM+, but this method is not supported by the 
> N1MM+ programming team, i.e. you are on your own if you try it.
> 
> There is no TCP/IP connection to the radio. HRD may use TCP/IP for 
> intercommunication between its software modules, but the K3 o

Re: [Elecraft] K3S and RTTY Contesting with N1MM+/MMTTY

2016-02-06 Thread Richard Ferch
There is some confusion evident in your post on the roles of the 
connections between the radio and the computer.


There are three separate connections needed for operation in data modes 
(possibly four in FSK).


The first of these connections is for rig control from N1MM+. On a K3, 
this is the RS232 port. On a K3S, you can use the USB connection 
instead, provided the K3S's CONFIG:RS232 is set for USB. Either way, 
this represents one serial port in the software. N1MM+ must be 
configured to use this port for rig control, and this port cannot be 
used by MMTTY when it is run from within N1MM+. This last limitation 
(inability to share a serial port between the two programs) is why the 
configuration that you use in MMTTY stand-alone does not work when you 
run MMTTY from N1MM+.


The second connection is for audio to and from MMTTY. On a K3, there are 
actually two cables for audio, one in and one out, but on a K3S, these 
can be replaced by a single USB connection to the USB codec inside the 
radio. This happens to be shared with the same USB cable that conveys 
rig control, but there are two separate and independent devices as far 
as the software is concerned - one is a serial port, the other is a 
sound card, and there is no interaction between the two in the 
application software.


This audio connection is used for receive audio, and in AFSK, for 
transmit audio. MMTTY is configured to use the radio's USB codec as its 
sound card; N1MM+ does not need to use the sound card at all in data 
modes (SSB is another story, but I won't go into that here).


The third connection is for TX/RX control, or PTT. There are several 
ways of doing this on the K3/K3S, and it can be controlled either in the 
radio, or in N1MM+, or in MMTTY - pick one.


In AFSK (or in CW), the method internal to the radio is VOX. If you use 
VOX, you do not need to, and for the sake of avoiding confusion you 
should not, configure any other method of PTT either in N1MM+ or in 
MMTTY. However, VOX does not work in FSK D. If the radio is in FSK D, 
PTT must be controlled some other way (either via radio command or via a 
hardware PTT connection).


A second method is to use software radio commands from N1MM+ over the 
radio control line to control PTT. This method can be used by MMTTY when 
it is run stand-alone, but it is not available to MMTTY when it is run 
from within N1MM+ because of the inability to share the port. If you use 
this method, you do not need either a hardware connection or VOX.


A third method is to use serial port keying, by convention usually done 
on RTS, although it is possible to use DTR. In most radios, this has to 
be a separate port from the radio control port, and it has to be through 
a keying circuit. The K3 and K3S are exceptions - you can use RTS on the 
radio control port without any keying circuitry by setting 
CONFIG:PTT-KEY to RTS-OFF (or RTS-DTR to allow CW keying on DTR). This 
must be done from N1MM+, not from MMTTY, because the radio control port 
cannot be shared between the two programs.


You can also use a different serial port for PTT control, in which case 
it would be connected through a keying circuit to either the PTT IN jack 
or to the ACC connector on the K3/K3S. Since this is a different serial 
port from the radio control port, you can choose to use it either from 
N1MM+ or from MMTTY.


The fourth possible connection (which may be shared with the third PTT 
method) is for FSK keying from MMTTY, which is applied via the ACC 
connector. This can be done from a serial port through a keying circuit, 
but it must be a different serial port from the one used for rig 
control. This is a hardware limitation, not just software. The FSK 
serial port must be configured in MMTTY, and there is normally no need 
to mention it at all in N1MM+. MMTTY can also use this same port for PTT 
control, in which case you do not need to configure a PTT method in N1MM+.


It is possible to configure a serial port used by MMTTY in N1MM+ in such 
a way that N1MM+ only uses it in CW/SSB and hands it over to MMTTY in 
data modes, but this is only necessary if you need to time-share the FSK 
port with other uses in other modes, or if you want to use FSK with the 
built-in MMVARI engine in N1MM+.


There is another way to do FSK, and that is via radio control commands 
embedded in CAT1ASC macros in N1MM+, but this method is not supported by 
the N1MM+ programming team, i.e. you are on your own if you try it.


There is no TCP/IP connection to the radio. HRD may use TCP/IP for 
intercommunication between its software modules, but the K3 or K3S has 
no Ethernet connection and no way to use TCP/IP.


Bottom line: You may use VOX in AFSK if you choose to do so, but it is 
not necessary if you have correctly configured one of the other PTT 
control methods.


73,
Rich VE3KI


KD3TB wrote:


I have a new K3S radio that uses the new  USB for Sound and Radio Control.
For RTTY contesting I use N1MM+ with the MMTTY in

[Elecraft] K3S and RTTY Contesting with N1MM+/MMTTY

2016-02-06 Thread KD3TB
I am just posting to see what is the experience with others.

 

I have a new K3S radio that uses the new  USB for Sound and Radio Control.
For RTTY contesting I use N1MM+ with the MMTTY interface.  Since the USB
Codec control appears to act differently than a standard serial port, I need
to put the Radio in VOX to key RTTY in N1MM+.  In the past with my older K3
which used a standard Serial port connection, I did not have to do this.  My
K3 Settings are: Tx Data Mode (AFSK A), with PTT-KEY in rts-dtr . No
difference in Safe versus unsafe modes. It also requires the VOX on in FSK
mode too. When I use must MMTTY by itself, I can key with the correct Com
port.  I am sure this has something to do with how N1MM+ interfaces with the
new K3S USB Codec . I have not tried this with other RTTY programs such as
FLdigi, etc.  Everything works fine in CW, DVR Memory keying with the
correct codes, etc. 

 

With Ham Radio Deluxe, since it uses a TC/IP connection between the software
and radio, I do not need to have TX Data in VOX on mode. 

 

I am not sure to eliminate the requirement for VOX on, if it requires an
update in either K3S firmware or how N1MM+ interfaces with the K3S USB Codec
commands. -  Or we just stay with VOX on when contesting.

 

Food for thought and what are others experience with the K3S and N1MM+/MMTTY
in RTTY contesting?

 

Thanks, Irwin - KD3TB

 

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