[Dx4win] CW function-key with USB RS232 emullation

[Larry Gauthier (K8UT)]

I had this problem 3 years ago with DX4WIN CW keying on a Dell Pentium 800 
MHz computer. NOTHING I did with this computer solved the problem -- load, 
unload, install, reconfigure, new versions of Windows, BIOS upgrades, old 
and new versions of DX4WIN -- nothing fixed it.  The problem turned out to 
be a strange timing-related software issue with the computer, CPU chip set, 
the BIOS, and the serial port driver.

I solved it with a different (slower!) computer.

Bon chance,

-larry
K8UT
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Radivoj KAR" <radivoj.kar at chello.fr>
To: "Paul van der Eijk (E-mail)" <pvander at erols.com>
Cc: "DX4WIN Reflector (E-mail)" <dx4win at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Saturday, November 13, 2004 5:19 PM
Subject: [Dx4win] CW function-key with USB RS232 emullation


> Hi Paul,
> I have purchased  very fine and versatile Micro-Keyer (MK) from OM7ZZ
> (www.microham.com ), which allows full computer control, Iambic keying,
> CW/PTT and PSK/Packet/RTTY/SSTV interfacing with my FT1000MP (and other
> modern rigs) over the USB port of the laptop (many new laptops today do 
> not
> have RS232 comports). The MK uses a program that emulates RS232 COMports
> over the USB port, without need to manually define the IRQ's.
>
> I have configured DX4WIN preferences on my Win2000Pro Pentium III 1GHz
> laptop (the same one that was used to control radio via RS232 ) to use now
> the COM4 for radio control and COM5 DTR/RTS for CW and PTT keying.
> Everything works fine as before (when I was using COM1 RS232 for radio
> control, CW and PTT keying), except one thing:
>
> The messages stored in buffers of the CW function-key keyer of DX4WIN are
> now being sent with a lot of errors: omission of dots, replacement of 
> dashes
> by dots, change of spacing/weights...
>
> The examples (changing randomly):
> F6GNZ becomes --> R6GNZ, R6GIZ, F6RNZ..
> F6EPY --> F6PY, R6EPY..
> UP --> AG, AP
> QRZ --> QNZ....
>
> I first thought the problem could be  either in the USB/RS232 driver
> software or within the micro-Keyer software. But, I found that with 
> another
> (contest) logging software (WinTest by F5MZN), installed on the same 
> laptop,
> there is no problem nor distortion of CW strings sent from its function
> buffers over the USB interface. I tried to inhibit all other programs
> running in the background, but still no improvement of DX4WIN CW keying. 
> So
> ,I suppose DX4WIN uses some different software routine for CW keying than
> WinTest.
>
> As the issue may have a similar impact on the future non-RS232 port 
> provided
> PCs, which would use USB/RS232 emulators to interface DX4WIN with rigs,
> would you please give me your thoughts on the above, and let me know if 
> the
> issue is dependent on the USB driver program used, and if yes, do you
> suggest using a particular one. I could use the internal MK CW buffers to
> store message strings, but it won't be able to read and insert the
> correspondent's callsign nor automatically log the QSO, like it can be 
> done
> by the use of the DX4WIN buffers in CW pileups.
>
> Thanks in advance for your help.
>
> 73,
> Radi  F6GNZ
>
>
>
>
>
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