[WriteLog] RTTY PPT delay

Wed May 1 20:28:17 EDT 2013

Joe,

My early tests last year indicated that I can get both analog audio 
steams to the mK2R+ USB Audio CODEC from the Powered Speaker stereo as 
long as I keep one balance control to right and one to left. MMTTY is ok 
with this. Not sure about 2Tone.

Just for kicks I will go back to that early configuration tomorrow. I 
did get the PTT delay down quite a bit today by setting the interrupt 
time for VAC down to 3 from 7 (I guess milliseconds) and setting the WKM 
driver latency to 0.

Jerry, W6IHG

On 4/30/2013 12:18 AM, Joe Subich, W4TV wrote:
>
> 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/
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> WriteLog mailing list
>>> WriteLog at contesting.com
>>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/writelog
>>> WriteLog on the web:  http://www.writelog.com/
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> WriteLog mailing list
>>> WriteLog at contesting.com
>>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/writelog
>>> WriteLog on the web:  http://www.writelog.com/
>>>
>>
> _______________________________________________
> WriteLog mailing list
> WriteLog at contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/writelog
> WriteLog on the web:  http://www.writelog.com/
> .
>

-- 
-----------------------------------------------
Dr. Jerry R. Pixton, PIXOS Designs
http://www.shentel.net/pixosdesigns/RadioTuner/
jpixton at shentel.net
-----------------------------------------------