[RTTY] FLDigi vs MMTTY?

Joe Subich, W4TV lists at subich.com
Fri Jun 18 22:45:58 PDT 2010


 > Because fldigi succeeds in using µH Router for PTT in a microHAM
 > keyer, it should also be able to use FSK and CAT.

That's the point ... if the capability is already there to open
the PTT interface (PTT service) what's the difference in opening
the CAT interface (radio control service) as well?  The data between
the application and transceiver is the same whether the data channel
is HamLib (serial converter), RigCAT (serial converter) or uH Router
(microHAM device).

 > AppleScripting is *not* needed to use µH Router.  In addition to
 > AppleScript, µH Router also has UDP and Unix FIFO support to do the
 > same thing.

No, but Applescript would be needed to use MLDX for rig control,
logging and callbook (QRZ) look-up.  It is much cleaner for a
modem application to write logging records directly to the log
server (logbook application) than expect that server to poll the
client (modem application) for "new log data" or read a temporary
file regularly looking for new entries.

The same is true to an even greater degree when it comes to polling
the modem application for new radio control (frequency/mode/T-R
status) directives.  An event drive script interface is both more
responsive and cleaner than a reactive interface.  If the modem
application were to generate the outputs/commands as scripted
output they could be relatively easily converted into whatever
format was required by the host system - Applescript, named pipes,
UDP, DDE, etc. and do so without the overhead of multiple timed
polls which chew up system resources.

In short, a digital application should be configured as a client.
The logging and radio control applications should be servers and
not vice versa.  The transceiver (radio control application) in
particular can only be considered a server - it is never a user
of services (client) provided by a digital mode (modem) program.

73,

    ... Joe, W4TV

On 6/18/2010 11:38 PM, Kok Chen wrote:
>
> On Jun 18, 2010, at 6:30 PM, Joe Subich, W4TV wrote:
>
>> Unfortunately, the lack of a scriptable interface makes it
>> impossible (or unlikely) that any Mac programmer will interface
>> fldigi to Don's MacLogger DX or Chen's uH Router for rig control.
>
> AppleScripting is *not* needed to use µH Router.  In addition to
> AppleScript, µH Router also has UDP and Unix FIFO support to do the
> same thing.
>
> For what its worth, fldigi on Mac OS X *does* use µH Router to
> perform PTT on a microHAM keyer.  I suspect fldigi is using the Unix
> FIFO (also known in the Unix world as "named pipes") mechanism
> instead of AppleScript.
>
> Since µH Router does not run on Linux or Windows, I can see why it is
> not worth the effort to use µH Router to perform CAT.  After all, you
> can just buy a $15 USB Serial adapter to connect a Mac directly to
> the transceiver for rig control.
>
> Because fldigi succeeds in using µH Router for PTT in a microHAM
> keyer, it should also be able to use FSK and CAT.  So, I suspect that
> it could be a conscious decision (best use of developers' time, etc)
> to not provide support for microHAM keyer for those activities.  Just
> guessing.
>
> 73 Chen, W7AY
>
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