[WT-support] Microkeyer II DVK with WT not working

[Bob Wilson, N6TV]

On Wed, Oct 19, 2011 at 6:15 PM, Peter Stuge <peter at stuge.se> wrote:

> Can you provide some details about the device and the protocol? From
> cursory surfing on http://www.microham.com/index1.html it seems that
> the device falls into the trap of COM port emulation over USB,
> instead of using a more efficient, tailor made, protocol.
>

But please, if some details are known about the protocol failues with
> this device, I would be happy to help come up with a solution.
>

The problems are related to Winkey PTT acknowledgment when using a microHAM
device, so there is yet another software layer involved.

See

http://lists.f5mzn.org/pipermail/support/2011-August/081447.html

and the reply below (forwarded, because it does not appear in Win-Test
Archives for some reason), and the follow-up

http://lists.f5mzn.org/pipermail/support/2011-August/081448.html

and subsequent posts to that long thread.

Other programs like N1MM Software do not write to the Winkey one character
at a time like Win-Test, so the problem doesn't happen with those, as far as
I understand.  This convinces the microHAM folks that it is strictly a
Win-Test bug.  I don't agree.

It's been easier to work around the problem by *not* using a Winkey with
Win-Test than to try to get all the developers (F5MZN, F6FVY, K1EL, and
OM7ZZ) to work out the proper fix.

73,
Bob, N6TV

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: microHAM America - W4TV <support at microham.com>
Date: Mon, Aug 8, 2011 at 12:57 PM
Subject: Re: microHAM u2R (micro2R) CW delays and headphone switching
problems with Win-Test
To: "Bob Wilson, N6TV" <n6tv at arrl.net>
Cc: Win-Test Reflector <support at win-test.com>



Bob,

Please direct e-mail related to microHAM products to the microHAM
support e-mail and not my personal mailbox.

> As reported here --- and here and by many others, unacceptable delay

> problems are immediately noticed when trying to send CW messages via
> the built-in WinKey.

Looking at the control log segments provided, the delay is strictly
within Win-Test (Win-Test delays the FR command and the start of the
message).


This was once explained in this reflector as a failure of the
> microHAM box or WinKey to properly echo back a "PTT event" to the
> program
>

Waiting on PTT events before switching receive focus is not wise or
appropriate.


I understand from K5RC that Writelog has a similar CW delay issue
> when using the u2R. The 1 or 2 second delays are apparently caused by
> a "wait state" timeout in the contest software.
>

If WriteLog has a wait state, that should be reported to the developer
and eliminated.


> I was using:
>
>     WT 4.7 (nothing in the 4.8 Release notes related to microHAM)
>     Router 7.7.1 (attempting to Update Router via the menu reported
>     "You are already using the latest available")

Correct, Router 7.7.1 is the latest released version.


The only way I could make CW message timing work acceptably with the
> u2R was to bypass the WinKey completely, except for hand keying, and
> select COM port CW keying only, with Classic Auto Control on the SO2R
> tab.
>

Win-Test *must* eliminate the unnecessary wait states in switching.

The other major problem I had, unique to the u2R, was that it
> /insisted/ on controlling all the headphone switching for me, based
>
> on the status of the radio, rather than letting the contest software
> be in control of the headphones.
>

micro2R does not *insist* on controlling the headphone switching, it
does not provide the same level of *macro based* control as MK2R+.

micro2R only provides control of RX Focus and Stereo (Receive on R1, Receive
on R2 and Stereo).  This results in six possible states:
RX on 1, RX on 2, TX from computer (CW/DVK) on R1, TX from computer
(CW/DVK) on R2, Manual TX (PTT/Paddles) on R1, and Manual TX
(PTT/Paddles) on R2, with stereo override.  A future version of Router
will permit independent selection of the transmit audio states with
Stereo On/Stereo Off (e.g. stereo can be retained in transmit or
not) but that is a Router configuration, and not controllable in the
microHAM Control Protocol.


In sum, multiple changes to Win-Test, microHAM Router, and perhaps
> the WinKey may be required before you can use the WinKey in the u2R
> with Win-Test using a "normal" configuration.
>

The only change needed is to remove the gratuitous wait states in
the logging software.  Advanced audio switching is only available
in MK2R and MK2R+ ... micro2R is designed as a basic SO2R controller
and does not contain a protocol driven N x N audio crosspoint switch.


73,

 ... Joe Subich, W4TV
     microHAM America
     http://www.microHAM-USA.com <http://www.microham-usa.com/>
     http://groups.yahoo.com/group/**microHAM<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/microHAM>

     support e-mail: support at microham.com
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.f5mzn.org/pipermail/support/attachments/20111019/fb68ae5c/attachment.html>