[Elecraft] K3: RS232 port and Rig control

[Don Wilhelm]

Ken,

I believe you are being confused between hardware and software 
configurations.  See if this explanation helps.

One cannot arbitrarily connect serial ports using a Y cable.  The 
SteppIR can do that ONLY because it simply monitors the traffic for band 
change information, it never transmits commands.

MixW is a software application that can be configured to use a 
particular COM port, it is not a com port itself and the connection is a 
logical one, not a physical one.  The translation of the logical port to 
a physical (hardware port) is handled by the computer operating system.  
Your inclusion of the RigExpert muddies the waters a bit because things 
depend on just how the RigExpert is configured to pass the data (the 
audio lines do not count here, only the serial port part).  That is why 
I have not used any of the 'fancy' interface boxes that include both a 
soundcard and some sort of serial port 'pass-thru' because there are 
many things that interface can do on the serial connection.  I prefer to 
run audio from my soundcard directly to the K3 and run the serial port 
control inside the computer with applications that allow that to happen.

Normally only one device can make use of a hardware serial port at a 
time.  Look at it this way - you have only a single serial cable plugged 
into the K3.

Software programs like LP-bridge allow several applications to 'talk to' 
virtual serial ports (they exist only inside the computer, but are not 
real hardware ports) that in turn LP-Bridge translates to the real 
hardware serial port that is connected to the K3.

You may have to turn LP-bridge off and bypass the RigExpert to run 
K3Utility for firmware downloads - some users have said that they have 
used other functions of K3 Utility through LP-Bridge.

73,
Don W3FPR

Kenneth Waites wrote:
> How to connecct all I need to connect ot the RS232 port is perplexing to me.
>  
> I need it for:
> Stepir antenna tracking - on a y cable
> Rig Expert digital modes interface for MIXW - on a y cable
> K3 Utility interface (disconnect everything else)
> Rig Control Program/Logging program.  This leaves me bound to MIXW.
>  
> I use a Y cable to interface to Steppir and MIXW.  Putting more Y cables creates a rats nest behind the K3, and there could be confilicts on a wire.
>  
> I feel kinda stuck.
>  
>   
>