[Elecraft] Need clarity on digital outputs

Sat Mar 30 20:07:44 EDT 2013

Paul,

The com port baud rate is a different 'animal' than the soundcard 
sampling rate.
The KX3 can operate at a baud rate of 38400 (two zeros), and I would 
recommend that the COM port be set to that rate - although that normally 
happens automatically.

The com port will provide rig control - and yes, selecting the K3 in 
OmniRig should allow that to work for you.

As for the soundcard selection, set whatever sampling rate your 
soundcard is capable of 24000 is usually good.  Even though the 
soundcard may have a stereo input, only the left channel is normally 
used by Data Mode applications running on your computer.
The SignaLink has an internal USB soundcard (as well as a serial port 
that can be used as your com port), but I believe it only implements the 
left channel audio.

Treat the rig control from the com port differently than the soundcard 
audio stream - they are 2 different aspects.
You can get the soundcard to display a waterfall and signals without the 
com port connected.  I suggest getting that right first, and then add 
the com port to ACC1 to allow you to control frequency, mode, and other 
settings that your application provides after you can see the waterfall 
display with signals on it.  Note, you should be able to hear the KX3 
audio through the computer speakers if the soundcard is set up right.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 3/30/2013 6:55 PM, k7nhb wrote:
> The manual is a little light on these features so please tell me if I
> understand correctly or need a "fill-in".
>
> Case 1) Rig control. I see software rig control accomplished by connecting
> the USB cable to the ACC1 jack. The cable "looks like" a COM port to the rig
> (driver installation not necessary) and rig control software is configure to
> use that psuedo COM port. Looking at Device Manager will give the number of
> the COM port added (other devices that use a KeySpan Dongle my have their
> own COM Port number).
>
> What should be Baud rate be set ?
>
> Some places I see 3840: some places I see 4800. I don't see a menu choice
> for that in the KX3 so what shoud the computer configuration be?
>
> Also, there is some question about the KX3 working with any device that uses
> OmniRig. Can I just select K3 in OmniRig and the KX3 will work as well
> (BandMaster, CW Skimmer, etc.)?
>
> So rig control uses 1 USB port (which looks like a COM port to the PC).
>
> Case 2) PSK and other digital modes. Though you can go from the Phones jack
> to the computer mic (or line in?) input and computer phones (or line out?)
> to rig mic in, it seems cleaner to go though another USB device - like a
> Griffin "hocky puck" that takes phones and mic and gives USB output or a
> Signalink.
>
> The Signalink shows up as a USB Audio CODEC and I'm guessing the Griffin
> would have a similar selection in the Sounds control panel. In that control
> panel for the device via Properties and Advanced tab, there's a setting for
> the data format. Do you know what should be chosen for the SignaLink and/or
> Griffin. Choces are like 2 channel, 16 bit, 48000 Hz, or 2 channel 8 bit,
> 11025 Hz.
>
> I see that sample rate of 11025 Hz come up often in the digital software.
> Should I set the audio device to that - for example, 2 channel, 16 bit,
> 11025 Hz - or should I change the field in the digital software to match
> what I put in the device prefence (2 channel 16 bit, 96000 Hz)?
>
> Because there are three devices - the KX3, maybe a USB interface (Griffin or
> SignaLink), and the computer/software - how should I set that format they
> all dance to the same music?
>
> So this uses a second USB port and I can't keep the Mic plugged in if I'm
> going to use Digital modes.
>
> CASE 3) SDR Applications, like HDSDR
> This looks like a different situation from Digital modes for RX/TX. This
> gives input so you can use PanAdapter type software to "see" a section of
> the band.
>
> It looks like this is a third cable going to the KX3 - to the RX I/Q jack.
> Now this has to come into the PC via a stereo in Port - which is probably
> NOT the computer "mic in". In the case of a little netbook, there is no
> Stereo in jack and no way to add a "card" to the laptop. So I"m guessing you
> would have to pass this through a Griffin "hocky puck" to get stereo into
> the PC via a third USB Port?
>
> I have some older SoundBlaster 16 bit and 24 bit external boxes. Maybe they
> would work as well? But if I used the Griffin (smallest choice), it looks
> like I would plug the Rx IQ cable into the Mic In on the Griffin and set the
> slide from "Mic" to "Line".
>
> Hopefully the Griffin will show up as a third sound source in the control
> panel. It looks like I have a choice of how to configure it's format 48KHz,
> 96KHz, 192KHz.  So that would match up with some configuration in HDSDR? It
> looks like the some settings would be configured with CW Skimmer because it
> has an "I/Q" input option too?
>
> So - if a Laptop/Netbook that doesn't have line-in/out, doesn't have Stereo
> Mic-in, and in my case with the small netbook, doesn't even have separate
> phones and Mic jacks (the netbook documentation seems to say the one jack
> can be used either for phones out or for mic in but not both. No no plug
> with a tip, two rings and a shaft for example; I'm waiting to hear from Asus
> on that), then sound must come in via a USB device. And if HDSDR or I/Q
> features of CW Skimmer are desired, that USB device must provide Stereo In.
>
> Please fill in the blanks or correct my errant misunderstanding. I know this
> is a long post but hopefully it will result in all the information being in
> one place and very specific to the KX3 instead of posts that say it's sort
> of like the K3, but not really, and leave you there.
>
> Thank you and 73,
> Paul
> K7NHB
>
>
>
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