[RTTY] RE: USB/serial ports

[Doug Faunt N6TQS +1-510-655-8604]

   From: "Don Hill AA5AU" <aa5au at bellsouth.net>
   Date: Sun, 7 Dec 2003 09:07:53 -0600

   I wrote Byterunner technical support some time ago asking if their
   USB-to-Serial
   adapters would run 5-bit code.  They said they did not know.  I found
   out that they use the FT8U232AM UART chip.  Looking at the data sheet for
   the
   FT8U232AM chip, nowhere does it mention 5-bit.  It mentions only 7 and 8-bit
   conversion.  I'm guessing the Byterunner USB-to-Serial adapter will not work
   for 5-bit Baudot FSK transmission.  See
   http://www.ftdichip.com/Documents/ft232r08.pdf
   for more information on the FT8U232AM chip.

   With MMTTY, you can now generate FSK from a parallel port, but I've not
   tried it.
   However, you cannot use a parallel port to generate FSK when using the MMTTY
   engine
   with WriteLog and the WriteLog MMTTY plug-in because the port selection is
   done
   in the Rttyrite window and not the MMTTY setup window and there is no
   parallel
   port selection in the Rttyrite Port menu.  I've asked that this be added in
   the
   future but I don't know if it will happen.

If you look at http://www.mixw.net/RigExpert, you'll see a USB device
designed for the digtal modes, with a "sound card"; PTT, FSK and CW
keying outputs; and a rig control I/F, all in one small box.
If this can be made to work with MMTTY and Writelog, it would simplify
life a lot.

I've got one on order, and will certainly use it with MixW for casual
band scanning.  

73, doug