[WriteLog] RTTY PPT delay

Joe Subich, W4TV lists at subich.com
Mon Apr 29 20:18:47 EDT 2013 

Jerry,

Flex Radio's PowerSDR is notorious for software latency ... I would
give up COMM PTT entirely and forget about VAC.  Treat the box as
if it were a conventional radio and use the analog PTT/audio In/Out
from MK2R+.  The only question I would have (not having played with
a 5000) is whether you can actually get to both analog audio streams.

73,

    ... Joe, W4TV


On 4/29/2013 7:51 PM, Jerry Pixton wrote:
> Well, now when I read Joe's message I tried to set the Writelog CAT port
> to none. That did not work. Just now I tried to set the WinKey port to
> none. But I got about the same response. Haven't thought how to get more
> quantitative measurements. Just know that my signal is going out much
> later than I want.
>
> With the Flex 5000 there seems to be noticeable delay - so much so that
> I have tried to judge where the calling station would end and start my
> message early.
>
> Watching my second hand I have almost over one second before I get audio
> or RF power.
>
> There is definitely a latency delay that builds up in PwrSDR for the
> Flex. It could be in the VAC pipeline - I recall from my early attempts
> that when I use the USB Audio CODEC in my mK2r+ that the responses were
> much better - going from digital to analog and back to digital was
> faster than staying in digital????
>
> Now it looks like there may be more sources to look at???
>
> Jerry, W6IHG
>
> On 4/29/2013 9:01 PM, Gary AL9A wrote:
>> I think the PTT delay culprit has been found!  I had previously checked
>> my WL Ports setting to make sure the radio PTT was set to Off so there
>> wouldn't be a conflict between software and hardware PTT.  After reading
>> through Don's comments I reread Joe W4TV's comments below in reply to my
>> first query about the PTT delay.  As I was in the middle of two
>> different contests, the SPDX and the BARTG 75, I didn't give the Joe's
>> note the thorough reading and thought it deserved.  However, upon
>> further review...
>>
>> Joe refers to XMMT.ocx as "... asserting PTT on Winkey (all mode PTT)"
>> and ended that I could check it "...by temporarily setting the WriteLog
>> port to 'None' in Router's Ports tab."  At first I thought Joe was
>> talking about the FSK port assignment for WL in the router Ports tab,
>> but then it struck me he may have meant the Winkey port assignment
>> setting.  So I set my Winkey port, which is normally COM4, to none and
>> changed the TU type back to XMMT.ocx and reset up the MMTTY settings.
>> Ta Da - no PTT delay with the Winkey (all mode PTT) port disabled!  Just
>> to check I reset the Winkey port back to COM4 and when sending with
>> XMMT.ocx the delay is back.
>>
>> So apparently the secret for those of us who use the microHAM router and
>> Winkey is to disable the Winkey port setting when running the XMMT.ocx
>> interface.  I will create a new router preset, WriteLog XMMT, which will
>> feature the Winkey port set to none.  Should I want to revert back to
>> using the MMTTY plug-in I can just select my normal WriteLog preset and
>> the Winkey port will again be defined for COM4.
>>
>> Thanks to both Don and Joe steering me in the right direction - AGAIN!
>>
>> 73,
>> Gary AL9A
>>
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Don AA5AU" <aa5au at bellsouth.net>
>> To: "Writelog Reflector" <writelog at contesting.com>
>> Sent: April 29, 2013 10:06 AM
>> Subject: Re: [WriteLog] RTTY PPT delay
>>
>>
>> While testing WriteLog on my laptop after installing hardware PTT via
>> the ACC connector on the back of my TS870, I noticed a delay in PTT. I
>> found that I had forgotten to disable PTT via radio control after
>> enabling hardware PTT.
>>
>> It's been well documented that using both hardware and software PTT will
>> cause problems with PTT and delay is one of those problems. I don't know
>> if this could be the source of your delay, but it should be checked.
>> Once I disabled PTT via radio control, all worked normally. If you are
>> connected for hardware PTT, go to the Setup menu in the WriteLog window,
>> and select Ports. Make sure Comm PTT is set to NO on the port connected
>> for your radio.
>>
>> In the BARTG Sprint 75, I used 2Tone as the main window for both radios
>> and used hardware generated FSK. Despite the blue characters going out
>> ahead of what was actually sent, this setup worked very well. I didn't
>> use my laptop because it doesn't have any legacy COM ports, only a USB
>> to serial adapter. I have 5 legacy COM ports on this PC. Two were used
>> for radio control and two were connected to transistor interfaces for
>> FSK and PTT. There was absolutely no delay in PTT.
>>
>> 73, Don AA5AU
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Joe Subich, W4TV" <lists at subich.com>
>> To: <writelog at contesting.com>; "Gary AL9A" <al9a at mtaonline.net>
>> Sent: April 27, 2013 1:57 PM
>> Subject: Re: [WriteLog] Fw: RTTY PPT delay
>>
>>
>>>
>>> I see no difference in PTT lead/tail times with either the SM6SRW
>>> MMTTY plugin for Writelog or WriteLog's XMMT.ocx support.
>>>
>>> What are your WinKey Lead/Lag times in Router?   WriteLog's XMMT.ocx
>>> support will assert PTT on Winkey (all mode PTT) while MMTTY is
>>> asserting PTT on DTR of the FSK port.
>>>
>>> You can check to see if it is the all mode PTT by temporarily setting
>>> the WriteLog port to 'None' in Router's Ports tab.
>>>
>>> 73,
>>>
>>>    ... Joe, W4TV
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>>> ________________________________
>>> From: Keith Goobie <keith at goobie.org>
>>> To: Gary AL9A <al9a at mtaonline.net>; Writelog Reflector
>>> <writelog at contesting.com>
>>> Sent: Monday, April 29, 2013 8:32 AM
>>> Subject: Re: [WriteLog] RTTY PPT delay
>>>
>>>
>>> Hi All
>>>
>>> I played as well in the SPDX RTTY contest (as part of VE3FJB) and I can
>>> support the observations of Gary regarding PTT delays. It is quite
>>> noticeable.
>>>
>>> I am running writelog 11.11c, both 2Tone & MMTTY through XMMT.ocx, and a
>>> Flex 3000 connected through DDutil. We just upgraded to 11.xx version of
>>> Writelog prior to this contest and we were using this as a shakedown
>>> contest.
>>>
>>> Prior to the changes, we were running a version 10.xx Writelog with the
>>> MMTTY plugin. No delays in PTT and it was snappy with the Flex / DDUtil
>>> combo.
>>>
>>> Based on this info, I did notice in the contest that some stations I
>>> communicated with had longer turn around times - quite noticeable -
>>> and it
>>> does make one ponder were they using Writelog?
>>>
>>> Please view my feedback as constructive.   Writelog is a super great
>>> program. We are not straying. We did make some 300 contacts in SPDX in a
>>> mostly search and pounce operation.
>>>
>>> Keith - VA3YC
>>> One of the Ops at VE3FJB
>>>
>>>
>>> On 4/27/13 1:23 PM, "Gary AL9A" <al9a at mtaonline.net> wrote:
>>>
>>>> I've been struggling to make a few QSOs in the SPDX RTTY contest and
>>>> band
>>>> conditions are simply awful. However, it is providing a bit of a test
>>>> bed for
>>>> the new XMMT.ocx interface. I've been noticing two things on
>>>> transmit. One,
>>>> in the main Rttyrite screen that prints in blue italics text, my macro
>>>> messages print erratically. Sometimes they print out character by
>>>> character,
>>>> as with the MMTTY plug-in, other times the entire macro dumps onto
>>>> the screen
>>>> as soon as the F key is pressed, and still other times I see part of
>>>> the macro
>>>> print to screen, then a slight pause and then the rest of the macro
>>>> dumps onto
>>>> the screen. Both of my clone windows, one with 2Tone the other with
>>>> MMTTY,
>>>> print the macros correctly character by character. I don't know what
>>>> the
>>>> problem is with the main Rttyrite screen, but it seems to be sending ok
>>>> despite the weird appearance.
>>>>
>>>> On another note, I use the microHAM MKII keyer and router software
>>>> with my FSK
>>>> setup. It seems to me by ear that both the PTT lead and tail are
>>>> longer than
>>>> what I'm used to hearing with the MMTTY plug-in. The PTT tail seems
>>>> particularly long and I've tried adjusting that setting on the PTT
>>>> tab in
>>>> router to no avail. Is there something in XMMT.ocx that is causing
>>>> this?
>>>> Anyone else notice it or just me? I think I will reinstall the MMTTY
>>>> plug-in
>>>> and see if that makes a difference.
>>>>
>>>> 73,
>>>> Gary AL9A
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> WriteLog mailing list
>>>> WriteLog at contesting.com
>>>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/writelog
>>>> WriteLog on the web: http://www.writelog.com/
>>>
>>> --
>>> keith at goobie.org
>>> Keith Goobie
>>> Richmond Hill, ON, CANADA
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> WriteLog mailing list
>>> WriteLog at contesting.com
>>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/writelog
>>> WriteLog on the web: http://www.writelog.com/
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>
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>>
>

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