[Elecraft] Sharing a KX3 to multiple application on Mac OS 10.10

[Don Wilhelm]

I would like to expand on this post (below):
RS-232 is a point to point protocol and the hardware requires normally 
one driver on each signal line and one receiver.
In special circumstances, more than one receiver can be on any one 
signal line.
BUT, never more than one driver.

In other words, you cannot use a Y cable to connect a KX3 (or any other) 
to more than one regular COM port.
SteppIR has been mentioned, but their controller only listens to the 
communications - there is a setting in the SteppIR controller which 
disconnects the drivers if you are using it that way.  It is only under 
this special condition that a Y cable can be used.  In this instance, 
the StepIR controller does not ever control the RS-232 signalling, it 
just listens to the traffic.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 2/16/2015 2:18 PM, Michael Walker wrote:
> Sharing is a challenge, but not impossible.
>
> Consider if you require both applications to be able to control the unit.
> If this is the case, then I would say no.
>
> If you only want one to monitor the frequency of the radio but not provide
> input, then it is doable.
>
> The 'simple' way is to have a Y cable where one connection is the master
> connection that has full control of the radio and the other just listens to
> the radio communication.  Steppir does this already as an example.'
>
> This Y cable would connect to the radio and would connect to 1 physical
> serial report as the master.  Then, with another single wire it would go to
> another physical serial port in an RX only mode.
>
> The above is the safest so there are no port conflictions or control issues.
>
>