RRC 1258 Support in English > Hardware, Cabling, Installations

WinTest/K3 Twins

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KU2C:

Thanks again Mitch // Pete

K5WA:
Mitch,

I'm using N1MM, K3 and K3/0 in about the same 1258 MKII application as the others here.  I read the manual to say that I can use the virtual ports and don't need to connect my CAT to CONTROL COM1 or any hardware port.  Am I misunderstanding the manual?  I have the rigs working perfectly and N1MM is using the CONTROL Winkey emulator (via virtual port) but I can't get the CAT line to communicate via virtual port.  I have not tried the hardware COM1 solution and hope I don't need to because I have other plans for COM1.

Thanks for any ideas as I get back into this remoting project I halted 3 years ago.  ;-)

Bob K5WA

dj0qn:
Hi Bob,

I am not sure if you understood the manual. You need to use COM1 for CAT, either using a "real" serial cable, or the built-in serial to USB converter. Since you already
use COMEXTRA for Winkeyer, all you would need to do is to use COM1 over USB for CAT in parallel after changing the settings for COM1 to mode-7 on both sides.

Here is my CAT checklist:


CAT Checklist for K3 Twin
----------------------------------
Note first that in a "Twin" configuration, COM2 is used to "tie" the two ends together and carries the CAT data. In order to access CAT, you need to get to COM2 without touching it. The easiest method is to duplicate COM2 over COM1 using a function in the RRC as follows:

- Change both RRC's COM1 to mode-7. Note that the baud rate does not have to be identical with COM2 to fit a lower bandwidth or software requirement.

- If using a "real" serial cable:
     - connect a straight through serial cable between the control RRC's COM1 and the PC. If using a USB to serial converter cable, make sure it is using an FTDI chipset.
     - note that if you also use the radio RRC's COM1, the pinout is not the standard straight-through serial port. Use the pinout description in the RemoteRig manual, or just try a null-modem cable which usually works (may need a gender changer).
     - the  serial setting for COM1 "Use USB Com Port as COM1" must be set to NO

- If using USB:
     - make sure that first Microbit Setup Manager is installed first on the control PC to get the drivers.
     - Then change the serial settings for COM1 to change "Use USB Com Port as COM1" to YES
     - connect the USB cable between the RRC and computer and wait for the drivers to finish installing
     - go to the Windows Device Manager and look at which virtual serial port was assigned to COM1 and use that for your software, taking the correct baud rate into account.

Note also that you can pull CAT data in parallel off of the radio RRC to use a PC on that end, or to sync with a remote device (amplifier, SteppIR, etc.)


I hope this helps.

73,
Mitch DJ0QN / K7DX

K5WA:
OK, thanks Mitch.  I'll try that today.

73,
Bob K5WA

K5WA:
Mitch,

Just tested it and it worked the first time!  I used the USB connection for COM1 and WinKeyer is on the virtual com port.  Now it is working with N1MM.

Vielen Dank!

Bob

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