[Elecraft] Fldigi/Flrig and KX3 control investigation. (Before I re-invent the wheel!)

[Nate Bargmann]

* On 2013 29 Jul 08:03 -0500, g8kbvdave at googlemail.com wrote:
> Hi All.
> 
> Before I dive in, and go about creating or fixing drivers for people 
> who seem to have trouble with the KX3 and Fldigi(Flrig) etc, I took 
> a look at the current state of things.
> 
> On Windows (XP SP3) with Fldigi (V3.21.70, the *Latest* is 3.21.72)
> 
> The built in Hamlib driver (V1.2.12) for the K3 works as far as I 
> can tell (A plesant suprise, no audio connections, and no RF 
> launched, just basic rig control tried.) 

Dave did a bunch of work about six weeks ago to be able to include the
current development branch of Hamlib in Fldigi for Windows builds.  The
problem is a library we use in Hamlib and we are considering removing
that library which should allow Fldigi to use Hamlib in the future
without so much trouble.

The 1.2.12 release of Hamlib was from before I bought my K3 and then
fixed up a lot of issues in our Hamlib code.  Since Hamlib 1.2.13 the K3
support is fairly stable and I may well change it "Stable".  I added the
KX3 based on Wayne's comment at the time that the two radios would
support the same command set.  However, the KX3 may benefit from its own
definition as in the future some things (not used by Fldigi) will be
slightly different as in a couple of places I rely on emulating button
presses on the K3, but those will probably be different on the KX3.

> Even the PTT via Hamlib 
> command worked, as did tuning and frequency control, also mode 
> changing but you need to select PKTUSB to get the rig into DATA A 
> mode.

That is pretty much a Hamlib quirk of naming.  PKTUSB is intended to
support radios that have a difference between AFSK and FSK.  Perhaps we
may look toward either adding a new name or renaming this value to be
more clear.

> I also tried on Linux (Lubuntu with Fldigi and Flrig.)  That machine 
> has a later version of Hamlib (V1.2.15) also the needed driver is 
> listed as "K3/KX3 Beta", not just "K3".  Again, as it is, it all 
> seems to work at present, no code changing done at all.
> 
> The K3 selection in Flrig works the KX3 too, PTT control, mode and 
> bandwidth settings seem to work OK.

I appreciate the feedback.  For Fldigi users the radios are close enough
that the same definition works.  For other software things like reading
the S-Meter are likely different due to testing the K3 firmware version
for SM versus SMH command support.

> I will check things later when I get home (domestic management 
> permitting) on Win7 (Home Premium, 32 bit) if the place hasn't been 
> washed away in the storms, or suffered a direct lightening zap.

The Win7 support should be the same as for XP as far as Hamlib is
concerned.

73, de Nate >>

-- 

"The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all
possible worlds.  The pessimist fears this is true."

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