[RTTY] SerialGear USB to Serial adapter?

[Robert Chudek - K0RC]

"...and I can not confirm that they will do 5 bit serial or even which chip set they use."



I wish this old 5-bit concept would die away! This WAS important in the days when DOS and early Windows software controlled the I/O ports directly. That's not the case with modern computer Operating Systems.

This hardware requirement (5-bit 45.45 baud) is eliminated when you use the EXTFSK driver. It moves the bit generation/timing from the hardware port [either serial or parallel] to the soundcard (multi-media timer). Just about any USB to Serial adapter will work properly on FSK when you apply the EXTFSK driver to MMTTY in your computer.

Don Hill, AA5AU has a write-up on his website http://www.aa5au.com/gettingstarted/rtty_start8.htm showing how EXTFSK is installed and works as an add-on to MMTTY. Start reading from the third sentence under "USB-to-Serial adapters".

Writelog makes this capability even more transparent by providing a "Software generated FSK" option in versions 10.58 and newer. Here's a link to Don's write-up about using USB adapters: http://www.rttycontesting.com/softfsk/software_generated_fsk.html

The only caveat with EXTFSK is the driver program requires exclusive control of the port you decide to use. For example, if you are using COM3 for FSK/PTT, another program (not even ham radio related - GPS for example) may look for an external device and scan all available ports. This 3rd party software might not "release" COM3 properly after its interrogation. The next time you launch MMTTY the EXTFSK driver will fail to acquire COM3. Of course the possibilities for COM port contention are endless, but in general a fresh reboot and immediate launch into MMTTY will circumvent this behavior.

See you in the contests... ryryryryryry...

73 de Bob - KØRC in MN

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