EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
I'm too lazy to wire up a foot switch input, so I'm hoping to convince
Tree to provide the capability of using one of the paddle input pins for
this purpose. Yes, I'm aware of the FOOTSWITCHDEBUG command line option,
but it doesn't quite do the trick.
BACKGROUND:
I've never used the foot switch features of TR Log, but the time has
come. I'm gonna have a guest op here for SS SSB, and I reckon I finally
ought to get the stn working in two-radio mode for phone. Besides, there
is a particular FOOT SWITCH MODE that I really want to employ for CW
contests, starting with WW CW.
Since my parallel port interfaces are already very "busy" with CW output,
PTT output and paddle input, I really dread the thought of wiring up a
separate foot switch input. Call me lazy.
So, rather than doing the hardware work myself, I was hoping to convince
Tree that a SOFTWARE solution would be more elegant. I first thought I'd
be really sneaky and accomplish this with the FOOTSWITCHDEBUG command line
option (see, I really HAVE read the manual!). This does cause the paddle
to perform the functions of the foot switch, but unfortunately, it also
still acts like a paddle (i.e., it still causes CW to be sent). This is
probably acceptable for a phone contest. But I really want to have my
cake and eat it too by using a paddle input function on one parallel port,
and a footswitch function on another.
PROPOSED APPROACHES:
I'm hoping one of the following four proposed approaches might be easy to
implement, or might cause Tree or someone else to come up with a better
approach.
1) Add some new values to the existing FOOT SWITCH PORT command. In
addition to the current values of 1, 2 or 3 (which would continue to work
as they currently do), add some possible new values like this:
FOOT SWITCH PORT = 1 DIT (to use the "dit" input, pin 12, on LPT1)
FOOT SWITCH PORT = 2 DAH (to use the "dah" input, pin 13, on LPT2)
2) Keep the FOOT SWITCH PORT command as is, but add a separate FOOT SWITCH
PORT CONFIG command:
FOOT SWITCH PORT CONFIG = NORMAL (the default, uses pin 15)
FOOT SWITCH PORT CONFIG = DIT (uses pin 12)
FOOT SWITCH PORT CONFIG = DAH (uses pin 13)
3) Allow any pin on the parallel ports to be configured for any purpose.
I would envision LOGCFG.DAT commands like this:
PARALLEL PORT 1 PIN 1 = STROBE
PARALLEL PORT 2 PIN 7 = CW OUTPUT
PARALLEL PORT 1 PIN 12 = DIT
PARALLEL PORT 3 PIN 14 = PULLUP
Of course, all the defaults would be as printed in Table 26 in the manual.
Obviously, this would allow one to assign something like PARALLEL PORT 2
PIN 12 = FOOTSWITCH to use what is normally the "dit" input for the
footswitch.
4) Change the FOOTSWITCHDEBUG option such that the paddles only send CW
when connected to the port defined by PADDLE PORT, and no CW is sent from
the port used by the FOOT SWITCH PORT command. Somehow, this seems less
elegant to me, however. There's just something strange about running a
real contest in a "debug" mode.
For those of you who've followed me this far, here's my REALLY crazy
idea--add a second foot switch! There are so many cool things that can be
done with the FOOT SWITCH MODE command, it's a shame to only be able to do
ONE of them in any particular contest. What else am I going to do with my
left foot in a contest anyway?!
73,
Tim Totten, n4gn@n4gn.com
http://www.n4gn.com
--
FAQ on WWW: http://www.contesting.com/FAQ/trlog
Submissions: trlog@contesting.com
Administrative requests: trlog-REQUEST@contesting.com
Problems: owner-trlog@contesting.com
Feature Wishlist: http://web.jzap.com/n6tr/trwish.html
|