[WriteLog] MMTTY/2Tone (now Hardware generated FSKwithmicroKEYER)
Gary AL9A
al9a at mtaonline.net
Mon Apr 1 20:05:51 EDT 2013
Further developments...
I have set the new ini file command NumClonesAtStartup=2 to give me the main
RttyRite window configured to run MMTTY and a clone for MMTTY and a clone
for 2Tone. So far so good. After setting up the TNCs in each of the clone
windows I found that I could send from the main RttyRite window and the text
being transmitted would display in the two clone windows character by
character as it would do under the MMTTY plug in. The main RttyRite window
still shows the entire macro string of text dumped immediately after hitting
the F key.
Due to screen space limits on my laptop computer I cannot fit the 2Tone
clone window on the main monitor and must move it over to the extended
desktop. As noted previously, left clicking on a call in the 2Tone window
will not populate the Entry window because it is on the extended monitor.
However, I have discovered that right clicking a call on the 2Tone window
will put it into the stack! I have the [ key setup with a keyboard shortcut
to pop the next call from the stack to the Call field, so if I see 2Tone
decode a call that the two MMTTY windows miss I can right click it to the
stack and then hit [ to pop it into the Entry window. That's pretty cool.
Now my problem. I shut down WL and then restarted it to check the number of
clones at startup function. It works as advertised and placed the clones
where they were - almost. The two MMTTY control screens did not come back
side by side as when they were closed, but one on top of the other. Not a
big deal, but the main problem is now when I try to transmit a macro I only
get a solid tone, no diddles. After a bit of checking it appears that after
the main RttyRite window loads the Port in MMTTY gets switched to None by
the loading of the MMTTY settings clone window . When I switch it back to
Com 8 it works as before.
In the instructions in the WL release it seems to say that you should have
multiple folders each containing the MMTTY.exe file and setup a path in each
clone window to a different folder. I have two instances of MMTTY in
different folders, but when I do that the first MMTTY clone doesn't receive
at all. I think I would need to identify a second FSK port in router for it
to work, but then I'm wondering how do you get many clones going if they all
require their own port? Doesn't that add a lot of load to the system? Any
ideas?
73,
Gary AL9A
----- Original Message -----
From: "Gary AL9A" <al9a at mtaonline.net>
To: <writelog at contesting.com>
Sent: April 01, 2013 12:36 PM
Subject: Re: [WriteLog] MMTTY/2Tone (now Hardware generated
FSKwithmicroKEYER)
> Ok, just had a few minutes to play with the RttyRite/MMTTY/microHAM router
> settings and have found the following...
>
> 1. When using the original MMTTY plug-in and COM port RttyRite keys
> normally and the transmit speed is normal as well.
>
> 2. Checking the Strict BPS setting in router and using the TU type of
> XMMT.ocx with MMTTY and my normal COM PORT under Port solves the buffer
> timing problem, but the transmit speed is significantly slower due to the
> Strict BPS setting.
>
> 3. Unchecked the Strict BPS setting in router and still using the TU type
> of XMMT.ocx with MMTTY and the Port set to None in RttyRite and the COM
> port set in MMTTY results in good RTTY transmission at what sounds like
> the normal speed I am used to.
>
> The only real difference I can see in using the XMMT.ocx choice variations
> in RttyRite is the full string of macro text populates the RttyRite screen
> when you press any F key and when the TX starts sending you cannot
> determine which character in the string is being sent. Under the MMTTY
> plug in the text being sent prints on the screen one character at a time.
> Because the MK II has a scrolling display window I can see the characters
> being sent in that window, but not in the RttyRite window.
>
> At the moment I intend to stick with choice #3 from above just to see how
> it works under contest conditions. Now to tackle the clone windows issue.
> I want to setup two clones, one for MMTTY with a different profile
> setting, the other for 2Tone receive only. Also want to try the new ini
> command to restore the clone windows.
>
> 73,
> Gary AL9A
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Joe Subich, W4TV" <lists at subich.com>
> To: <writelog at contesting.com>
> Sent: April 01, 2013 5:04 AM
> Subject: Re: [WriteLog] MMTTY/2Tone (now Hardware generated FSK
> withmicroKEYER)
>
>
>>
>>> The short answer is that you must go into the microHAM Router and
>>> check "Strict BPS" when you use Rttyrite's Hardware generated FSK.
>>> This may slow the data rate a bit, though Joe mentioned it was not
>>> as bad as he previously thought.
>>
>> Ed is correct ...
>>
>> When "C: Limiting Speed" is selected in MMTTY's "USB Port" dialog, MMTTY
>> paces its FSK output - that is it sends one character to the
>> serial port every 165 ms. This allows MMTTY to know what has been
>> sent (more importantly if there is still data to be sent) so it knows
>> when to drop PTT. This is necessary because the system level drivers
>> for USB hardware have very large buffers that can not be disabled.
>> Software that does not use some form of pacing gets confused and either
>> sends too many diddles or drop PTT early (or both).
>>
>> The equivalent to "limiting speed" in the Eltima VSPAX used in microHAM
>> Router is "strict BPS" which only sends a single character at a time to
>> Router. Unfortunately, because the VSPAX is dealing with 8 bit data
>> instead of 5 bit (7.5 bit with start/stop bits) data, it calculates the
>> character rate at 176 (22 x 8) ms instead of 165 msec which results in
>> a slightly "slow" data (equivalent to 5N2 instead of 5N1.5).
>>
>> When using "Hardware generated FSK" in WriteLog one must use "strict
>> BPS" in Router. With MMTTY the alternative is to set no FSK port in
>> RTTYrite and configure MMTTY to generate the FSK.
>>
>> Now that I have returned from my trip to Ohio for my mother's 90th
>> birthday, I will update the WriteLog examples for all of the microHAM
>> "Keyer" interfaces to document the new MMTTY interface and the option
>> of "Hardware generated FSK" with "Strict BPS" or MMTTY with "C:
>> Limiting Speed". I had not expected a release while I was gone!
>>
>> 73,
>>
>> ... Joe, W4TV
>>
>>
>> On 4/1/2013 7:03 AM, Ed Muns wrote:
>>> This is similar to Jim N7US's experience he posted yesterday and its
>>> taken
>>> me this long to register what the issue might be. I saw the same
>>> symptoms
>>> on a friend's system that used the original microKEYER, but the problem
>>> may
>>> be the same.
>>>
>>> The short answer is that you must go into the microHAM Router and check
>>> "Strict BPS" when you use Rttyrite's Hardware generated FSK. This may
>>> slow
>>> the data rate a bit, though Joe mentioned it was not as bad as he
>>> previously
>>> thought.
>>>
>>> The long answer ...
>>>
>>> I forget why this isn't a problem with the MMTTY Plug-in. Perhaps the
>>> Plug-in gets the COM port number from Rttyrite's Port menu but still
>>> uses
>>> MMTTY's FSK facility. But, then I can't explain why this avoids the USB
>>> buffering problem in the Router that Strict BPS gets around. Perhaps
>>> some
>>> detail that differs between Rttyrite's hardware FSK and MMTTY's. Joe
>>> will
>>> know.
>>>
>>> An alternative, if you use MMTTY as your main decoder/encoder, is to
>>> select
>>> "None" in the Rttyrite Port menu and use the MMTTY FSK feature, setting
>>> the
>>> COM port number on the TX tab of the MMTTY Options window.
>>>
>>> If using 2Tone for the main decoder, you must use Rttyrite's FSK
>>> facility
>>> since there is not true FSK capability. If you use Hardware generated
>>> FSK,
>>> set "Strict BPS" in the Router. If you use Software generated FSK, it
>>> only
>>> works with 45.45 Baud (60 wpm) RTTY.
>>>
>>> And, finally, there is the option of using 2Tone's "Pseudo FSK" mode but
>>> this requires a special hardware interface. It is described in the
>>> 2Tone
>>> PDF:
>>>
>>> "TX FSK: The Pseudo FSK setting outputs a 5KHz tone on both left and
>>> right
>>> channels of the selected
>>> sound card. Tone is on for space and off for mark. A suitable detector
>>> circuit can be found at
>>> http://www.w1hkj.com/FldigiHelp-3.20/PseudoFSK.html but use 0.1uF in
>>> place
>>> of 0.5uF. The output
>>> connects to the FSK input of the rig. Search & Pounce: as the transmit
>>> frequency does not change
>>> with AFC, tune the rig so the small vertical AFC lines are co-incident
>>> with
>>> or very close to the long
>>> vertical lines. Not doing this will result in off frequency
>>> transmission."
>>>
>>> When Joe resurfaces, he may have further comment. Let me know if this
>>> helps.
>>>
>>> Ed W0YK
>>>
>>> Gary AL9A wrote:
>>>> I seem to have hit a bit of a stumbling block...
>>>>
>>>> Downloaded WL V11.10G and installed the new update. I
>>>> already had XMMT.ocx registered on my Vista machine because
>>>> of an earlier install of N1MM a couple of years ago. Cleared
>>>> out my RttyRite section in the ini file and then followed
>>>> Don's directions on his web page. I can get both MMTTY and
>>>> 2Tone to run using the ocx option on the TU Type menu, but
>>>> there is something not right in both instances. When sending
>>>> a macro the text appears to jump instantly onto the RttyRite
>>>> screen, but the transmission is a problem. Either the TX
>>>> drops out right away after just a few characters are sent or
>>>> it sends a part of the string then hangs up for a couple of
>>>> seconds and sends more of the macro then hangs up again.
>>>> Sometimes it takes several seconds to TX to turn off despite
>>>> having %E at the end of the macro. This happens with both
>>>> 2Tone and MMTTY under ocx control. It sounds like those K3
>>>> ops who are using a CW paddle to key their RTTY transmissions.
>>>>
>>>> When I switch back to the MMTTY plug in choice in the TU Type
>>>> menu it transmits normally again. The only thing I notice
>>>> that is different is that with the ocx option selected in the
>>>> Ports drop down list there are three FSK keying options. The
>>>> last one in the list is checked - Hardware FSK. I have the
>>>> microHAM Router software running and use the MK II for FSK.
>>>> Is there a setting somewhere I'm missing in RttyRite, MMTTY,
>>>> 2Tone or Router? Not sure where to go or what to try next.
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
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>>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/writelog
>>> WriteLog on the web: http://www.writelog.com/
>>>
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>>
>
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