[Elecraft] K3 - interfacing to N1MM Contest Logging software

[Joe Subich, W4TV]

> At a wild guess (since I've never used the program) they are 
> running something at a high priority in order to try to 
> overcome Windows innate inability to do accurate high speed 
> timing.

That is correct.  With SO2R the logging programs must run their 
CW timing at high priority in a separate process or Window's 
non-realtime nature will severely screw up the timing.  It is 
the lack of Windows' ability to handle real-time events and the 
lack of common "PC hardware" to provide an independent clock 
that is at fault here.  

WinKey is the only "transceiver independent" way to get that 
timing outside of Windows where it is not effected by the 
vagaries of Windows (or any other operating system).  

> Unfortunately as has been pointed out on two previous occasions 
> when I have questioned why it is not used, the trouble is that 
> the K2 and K3 are the only radios that implement this in a 
> properly thought-out way, so developers of general purpose 
> software are not interested in doing the necessary work to 
> exploit it. 

First, the Kenwood TS-480, 570, 870, 2000 also support the "KY" 
command.  However, KY is not "properly thought out" and lacks 
several features - most notably the ability to edit portions of 
a message that have already been sent to the external device.  
The development teams of BOTH major US based Windows contesting 
programs and several other major integrated packages have stated 
that the lack of editing, the "transceiver specific" nature of 
the KY command, and the differences between the Elecraft and 
Kenwood implementations make "KY" an absolute non-starter.   

73, 

   ... Joe, W4TV 
 



> -----Original Message-----
> From: elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net 
> [mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Julian, G4ILO
> Sent: Monday, September 29, 2008 1:35 PM
> To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 - interfacing to N1MM Contest 
> Logging software
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Jim Brown-10 wrote:
> > 
> > So as far as I can tell, it has NOTHING to do with the K3, and the
> > programmers should not need a K3 to solve the problem. They 
> just need to
> > find 
> > a better way for computers to generate CW. Since I'm not a 
> programmer, I
> > have 
> > no idea how much of a challenge that is. 
> > 
> > The sad thing though is that the N1MM programmers SEEM to have 
> > abandoned the idea. If you want to use N1MM and run SO2R, 
> you should 
> > voice your concerns to
> > them. 
> > 
> > 
> At a wild guess (since I've never used the program) they are 
> running something at a high priority in order to try to 
> overcome Windows innate inability to do accurate high speed timing.
> 
> The K3 has a very elegant, processor-independent method of 
> sending CW from a computer via the serial port, the KY 
> command. Unfortunately as has been pointed out on two 
> previous occasions when I have questioned why it is not used, 
> the trouble is that the K2 and K3 are the only radios that 
> implement this in a properly thought-out way, so developers 
> of general purpose software are not interested in doing the 
> necessary work to exploit it.
> 
> -----
> Julian, G4ILO. K2 #392  K3 #222.
> http://www.g4ilo.com/ G4ILO's Shack   
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