[Elecraft] KPA500 Remote

[Dana Roode]

Dick,

Thanks - I went back and read the manual and I see it clearly explains
what the RS232-XCVR jack is for.  Sorry, I missed that.

Ok on the advantages of the RS232 port, I will hook that up.  I run my
remote station with an 8 port terminal server, and have one port left
(I control the rig, 3 rotators, LP-Remote, LP-100 watt meter, and
Winkeyer).  I have control over the power to the amp to shut it off if
I need a hard reset (via LP-Remote and a relay-power jack).  I can't
use the standard Elecraft K3-KPA500 cable as I need to bring out pins
from the K3: ON and FSK are the ones I remember.  So, I will build a
cable and bring out the various pins I may use on either side of the
connection.

  dana


On Sun, Jul 24, 2011 at 1:25 PM, Dick Dievendorff <dieven at comcast.net> wrote:
> The KPA500 XCVR connector is used primarily to support Kenwood rigs that
> communicate their frequency via a serial port.
>
> If you want to control the amplifier remotely, you'll probably need to
> connect its PC-side serial port to some remote control program.  The KPA
> Utility (as one example) shows you the amplifier's output power, SWR, PA
> voltage, PA current, temperature, monitors for faults, displays the current
> fault, has a button to clear the current fault, changes bands, switches
> between standby and operate, and turns the amplifier on and off.  You can't
> do many of these things from the ACC connector.  You can do some of them by
> remote control of the K3 (like change bands).   You can pulse an ACC pin to
> simulate pressing the front panel power button. You can change the amp's
> band by controlling the transceiver remotely and transmitting. You can
> observe that some fault has occurred, but you can't read the fault code
> through ACC.  There's no pin on ACC to switch the amp between operate and
> standby, or clear a fault.
>
> Dick, K6KR
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Dana Roode [mailto:dana.roode at gmail.com]
> Sent: Sunday, July 24, 2011 1:09 PM
> To: Dick Dievendorff
> Cc: Elecraft at mailman.qth.net
> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 Remote
>
> Hi Dick, thanks for the information.  What is the RS232 (XCVR) connection on
> the KPA500 for? Its why I am some misperceptions about connecting the K3 to
> the KPA.
>
> At this point I see I can control the KPA via its RS232 port but for some
> reason I am inclined to use the control pins on the KPA AUX plug, which
> seems to be the other way to go.
>
>  Dana
>
>
> On Sun, Jul 24, 2011 at 12:37 PM, Dick Dievendorff <dieven at comcast.net>
> wrote:
>> Dana:
>>
>> There isn't an option to connect the KPA500 to the K3 via RS-232.
>> There's an option to connect the KPA500 to the K3 via its 15-pin ACC
>> connector.  If you use that cable, the K3 can track band changes
>> initiated by the amplifier, the amplifier will track K3 band changed
>> without requiring transmission, and it includes the amp keying line
>> and the ALC voltage.  This connection also includes an AUXBUS
>> connection that the KPA500 can use to send fault indications to the
>> K3. And the K3 can automatically adjust its output power based on its
> knowledge of the amplifier being in "operate".
>>
>> The KPA500's "PC" serial port should instead be used for your remote
>> control program, which could be the KPA Utility, or someone else's
>> remote control program.
>>
>> When you use the KPA500 and don't switch the back panel power rocker
>> switch, the front panel on/off button (and the equivalent software
>> command) turns off the high voltage power supply, but leaves the
> microcontroller running.
>> The microcontroller runs in its "boot block" code and part of that
>> code recognizes a software power on command.  The KPA500 Utility
>> "Operate" page uses this technique for its remote control power turn-on.
>>
>> If you require the KPA500 to be "really, really off", you should first
>> press the front panel power button to turn the amp off.  Then you can
>> remove all power by switching the back panel rocker switch or
>> interrupt the KPA500's AC supply.  It's a good idea to let the
>> amplifier close down in a controlled way (press its front panel power
>> button, physically or via a remote control
>> program) so that it has a chance to write its current state into
>> EEPROM and also dump HV filter capacitor energy into the fan. If you
>> don't do this, you'll see fault table entries (using the KPA500
>> Utility's Fault Table
>> display) showing uncontrolled power off events.
>>
>> Nice callsign, Dana!
>>
>> 73 de Dick, K6KR
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net
>> [mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Dana Roode
>> Sent: Sunday, July 24, 2011 12:15 PM
>> To: Elecraft Reflector
>> Subject: [Elecraft] KPA500 Remote
>>
>> Folks - who out there has set up their KPA500 as a part of a remote
> station?
>> I'm planning to do so here, and wondering whether others have used the
>> pins in the AUX cable or plan to use software commands to turn the Amp
>> on and off, etc.  It appears both may be options.
>> There also appears to be a pin in the Aux cable that indicates a fault
>> condition, which would be handy to monitor remotely (I have a
>> LP-Remote board from N8LP).
>>
>> I need to make a custom cable between the K3 and the KPA500 to connect
>> some lines (band indication, auxbus?) and bring out others - the ON
>> pin for the
>> K3 that I currently use, the toggle ON/OFF pin for the KPA500, etc.
>>
>> So, what are others doing?  I see there are options to connect the KPA
>> to the K3 via RS232 not sure what that would buy me.
>>
>>  Dana, K6NR
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