[Elecraft] KIO3B

[iw1ayd - Salvatore Irato]

Hi Ed and all.
That's interesting, but not resolutive, nor a full solution for 
everyone. It will introduces changes that needs to be addressed.
But even if addressed, those changes, will not give such a great 
solution redly usable by for everyone. I.E. not contesting with a medium 
or big SO setup.

First, Ed, as you pointed out. there will be the need of another setting 
in a new programmed set of TTY programs.

Second, this will be moving the TXing/translating of 7 bits to 5 bits 
tasks from the PC or the interface /controller just into the radio.  I 
don't see it as a solution, but just as integration of another 
virtualized items.  Any single physical item that fail will trash down 
several virtual items.

Third, I strongly hope that the USB onto the KIO3B interface is on an 
insulated USB - inside the radio. If it isn't electrical noise noise 
will come from each side to the other. Some RFI and EMI may arise in 
particular installations. The Liquid Music approach is showing rules 
that apply here. The right quality doesn't stay on high ends but in 
simple and effective solutions, since the layout of power rails.

The first point is a wait if any programmers is interested it. This will 
be a another cable, USB this time, to be connected to the radio (1). 
Where is the PTT now, a CAT command on USB? Does anybody still need 
sequencing or other signals? Quick and dirty? Add a cable not 
subctracting all the others.
The second point also introduce the need of a controller to tie two 
radios together. This will not superseded by a USB add on for the radio. 
Why a second controller that tie radios to a PC: SO2R. Or, more simply, 
control via a single points different commands to different I/O even 
with single radio ... not having to use other interfaces and boxes to do it.

USB by itself couldn't seem to be a problem, but it will have some 
pitfalls: the radio processor capacity in any season, the needs of a 
controller interface for other tasks (i.e. SO2R related), the still 
needed capacity of a PC (i.e. its processor and OS configuration) to 
pack 7 bits data into the USB stream. This last will not solve the CPU 
capabilities issues, but thankfully move all those to better timings 
realm. That's the only good thing adding an USB to communicate in 
between the radio and the PC. It moves the strict timing problem of a 5 
bits UART emulations into the not so strict problems of a simple  ASCII 
communication - program side. But still leaving all the code or 
libraries intervention to communicate on a USB bus with its drivers 
deeply run by the same CPU. This is one of the why a multi/multi CPU is 
anyway preferred when used with latest OSs.

The third consideration USB insulation may require someone more expert 
than me. But out of the noise propagation quite granted with Galvanic, 
metallic, continuity there is some more prosaic aspects. Digital signals 
doesn't give insulation by itself, that's a job for the wire transport. 
Until yesterday we have used insulated interface and now what?

The new KIO3B doesn't seems to me such interesting out of casual RTTY. 
It's giving, maybe, a solution that will only aggravate others problems.
Maybe, as others already and rightly pointed out, it's too  early to 
discuss about. For this reason I am just on the surface here, not going 
to deep with other, bot corollaries or mains, considerations

                    73 de iw1ayd Salvo

PS real changes are to be made on faster and sharable interfaces, data 
transports and presentations. Moving a serial in or out a PC will not 
solve anything, it will just move the problems. Problems that already 
have workable, effective and high available, solutions made within 
Microham interfaces. Use a knife as a knife and a fork as a fork.

On 17/05/2015 02:30, elecraft-request at mailman.qth.net wrote:
> Message: 7
> Date: Sat, 16 May 2015 15:45:28 -0400
> From: "Ed Muns"<ed at w0yk.com>
> To:<elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KIO3B
> Message-ID: <93A7AE215A1F405ABE58128F1D34DCFC at X2201>
> Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="us-ascii"
>
> "True" 45.45 baud FSK (with no bit timing jitter and near perfect overall
> bit timing) is available via the KIO3B USB port,*IF*  the logger or other
> application program sends ASCII text via KY commands.  This is really the
> best way to do FSK with the K3, or any radio.  Minimal cabling, no PC Serial
> port, no K3 ACC port connection, highest performance.  Only a SMOP for the
> application folks.  Elecraft has done their part of the system design quite
> well, including properly filtered FSK for minimum bandwidth.
>
> Ed W0YK