[WT-support] Win-Test vs. WinKeyer USB

[Peter Stuge]

Hi,

Rick Tavan N6XI wrote:
> I had some trouble with WinKeyer USB vs. Win-Test on a specific
> Win XP Pro computer. With computer-sent code only, the second and
> subsequent letters of a word have distorted dots. I think they're
> too fast or too short. It's only noticeable at 34 wpm and above.
> This problem does not occur on the same hardware configuration using
> WriteLog.

This seems like a problem caused by how Win-Test talks to the driver.
Without knowing more about the exact communication over USB it would
be hard to say what is wrong.

If all else fails you could use USB SnoopyPro to create log files of
the USB communication with WriteLog and with Win-Test respectively,
and compare them for significant differences. It would of course not
explain what part of the system is responsible for the problem, but
it would be a very good data point for further investigation.


> I have tried two V22 WinKeyer USB devices, two radios (K3s), two
> different USB ports and they all have the same problem.

Any problems with USB on one port will still be there on any other
port unless there's a power supply problem or similar. If a device
shows up when connected to both ports then which one used almost
never matters. (An exception is EHCI Debug Port communication, used
for debugging of firmware and operating system kernel.) Good thorough
testing by you!


> The same hardware driven by a different computer running Win 7
> works fine. The Win-Test setup parameters for WinKeyer are
> identical on both computers.

Same versions of Win-Test? How about 32-bit vs. 64?


> I replaced the FTDI driver on the problem computer with a new
> driver; no help.

Driver versions? Latest? 32 vs. 64?


I know USB fairly well and I'm really sad to see FTDI chips being
used so widely, especially in applications where other chips could
offer great benefits, admittedly also requiring more USB knowledge
and development, but it's very unfortunate that it's so rare to take
advantage of all USB has to offer.


> ASCII text seems to be getting from Win-Test to the WinKeyer USB
> device correctly - WinKeyer USB sends the correct text every time.
> Only the dots are distorted.

The FTDI chips have had clocking issues and sometimes even locked up,
but that's clearly not what is happening here.. Same hardware works
both with another PC and same PC but another application.


> The problem computer, FWIW, is a Lenovo T61p running XP Pro.
> The Win 7 machine was a different model Lenovo.
> The other, probably XP, machine was an HP laptop.

These are all typically Intel chipset machines with nothing
remarkable about them whatsoever.


> Any thoughts?

You could try to introduce a few different USB hubs between problem
T61p and WinKeyer USB. I very much doubt that it'll change things,
but it might be an easy test.


//Peter