[Elecraft] Elecraft Utilities

Fri Apr 8 16:55:41 EDT 2016

Yes, my question was partly rhetorical - I don't recall seeing any requests
for access to any of Elecraft's proprietary code, or the ability to modify
it. So I was also a bit mystified by Ken's post.

I think you make a good point but, like you said, Elecraft is primarily a
hardware company, not a software company. A layered approach to something
low-level like firmware that maintains the secrecy of what needs to be kept
secret but at the same time presents an interface to customers that does
everything needed isn't an easy or quick thing to design and implement. It's
a non-trivial thing to do both from a technical and confidentiality
standpoint. 

So I'm sympathetic, but it might not pass the cost/benefit threshold for
Elecraft to do that. It's probably cheaper right now to simply maintain and
distribute a limited set of binaries for this at the current time than to go
to a major development project like a firmware SDK and all the language
bindings that would be needed and so forth.

I doubt it'll be possible to "rewrite the DNA" of an Elecraft rig anytime
soon, if ever, so I wouldn't worry about that either.

73,
LS
W5QD

Jessie Oberreuter-2 wrote
> W5QD et. al.,
> 
>       Ken is referring to the following message, which essentially
> requests 
> a simple command-line firmware loader program.  Note that this is NOT a 
> request for DNA level access to the radio's internals.
>       The communication protocols for most of the Elecraft radio functions 
> are described in the public documentation, enabling people to write their 
> own code for most functions.  The firmware loading protocols, however, are 
> not. The only way to update the firmware (not generate our own!) is to 
> download and run platform specific GUI applications from Elecraft.  For 
> most users running Windows or MacOS, this is fine: virtually all of these 
> users expect GUI software, have their computers directly connected to 
> their radios, and aren't aren't running on unusual computer hardware.
>       For those of us running Linux (or even more obscure operating 
> systems), a GUI application that only works on x86 machines that are 
> directly connected to the radio is awkward.  My laptop and all of my shack 
> machines are ARM based, so when I need to upgrade my K3, I need to extract 
> it from all of its cables and haul it over to my x86 work machine.  My 
> work machine is running 64bit linux, while the Elecraft tool is 32bit, so 
> I also need to install 32bit versions of several libraries to run it. 
> Similarly, all of my radio gear at home is actually hooked to a 
> serial-to-ethernet device, which is great for all of the software I use, 
> but not fine for K3Util, which expects to talk specifically to a directly 
> connected hardware serial port.
>       There are several approaches to solving this problem.  The first is 
> to ask Elecraft to provide more versions of their software: can I get an 
> x86_64 build?  ARM7 please!  Actually, I use my Android for everything ... 
> can I get an Android app?  Fortunately, we recognize that Elecraft is a 
> /radio/ company, /not/ a consumer software company, and we don't want to 
> ask them to spend time supporting dozens of firmware loaders.  Ideally, we 
> would like to see or, with access to the protocol documentation, develop 
> an open-source library for updating the firmware. Then we can build our 
> own firmware loaders for whatever platforms we choose.
>       Recognizing that this may be asking for proprietary and/or licensed 
> information, Bruce has suggested a middle ground -- offer a simple "glue" 
> interface (a command line firmware loading tool) that would be much 
> simpler for Elecraft to build for lots of different platforms and would be 
> more in line with the linux philosophy of starting with light weight 
> command line tools, and adding far more difficult to develop and maintain 
> GUIs on top as desired.
> 
>       Perhaps a simpler option would be to offer a library or command line 
> tool in a portable format that still obscures the proprietary protocol 
> implementation.  Java is a good candidate for this, as there are Java VMs 
> for practically every platform out there.
> 
> -kb7psg
> 
> 
> Date: Sun, 27 Mar 2016 17:52:34
> From: Bruce Nourish <

> w0mbt@

> >
> To: Elecraft Reflector <

> elecraft at .qth

> >
> Subject: [Elecraft] Feature request: Command line firmware updater
> 
> Hi folks,
> 
> As the subject suggests, I'd like to put in a feature request, for a 
> simple, command line firmware updater tool, for all applicable Elecraft 
> rigs. To update the firmware on my KX3 and PX3, I need to download and set 
> up two separate programs, most of whose functionality I won't ever need.
> 
> Such a tool would be easy for Elecraft to write and maintain, and would be 
> easy to make work on different platforms, which brings me to the next part 
> of this feature request. I'd like to be able to run this tool both on my 
> Intel Linux machines, and my Raspberry Pi, which is hooked up to my KX3 
> and PX3 whenever my KX3 is home. Cross-compiling such a simple tool should 
> also be pretty easy.
> 
> I'm sure there are other people who're in similar situations, and would 
> appreciate something to address these use cases. Firmware updates are one 
> of the few things where you can't roll-your-own.
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> Bruce
> 
> 
> 
> On Fri, 8 Apr 2016, Ken G Kopp wrote:
> 
>> Wayne and Eric:
>>
>> PLEASE don't cave in to the requests of those on the reflectors who are 
>> asking you to disclose the "genetic makeup" of their radios by 
>> publishing the software that would enable anyone to modify how a given 
>> radio operates.
>>
>> I see this as no different than a breeder of a thoroughbred breed of dog 
>> opening the pen and letting all comers mate with the females.  You would 
>> end up with a "contaminated" breed.
>>
>> I envision an increased workload at Elecraft in dealing with the 
>> customers who manage to "mess up" their radio's "brains" and want help 
>> in restoring them to the original state.  Nothing but non-profit 
>> overhead.
>>
>> I would be wary ... read "never" ... of buying a used Elecraft product 
>> for fear that it's genetic makeup had been altered and really wasn't an 
>> Elecraft anymore.
>>
>> Perhaps I'm not understanding something ...
>>
>> 73!
>>
>> Ken Kopp - K0PP
>> Full K-line, KX3, PX3, KXPA100, K2/100, W2's, etc.
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