[Elecraft] KIO3B

Sun Mar 13 18:34:35 EDT 2016

I have read the same discussions about problems with serial-port keying,
and like Guy, have never understood why some people experience timing
problems while others do not.

However, the point at issue here is much more specific: VP8NO's
observation that his KIO3B-USB connection in his older K3 had keying
problems whereas his hardware RS232 connection did not.  I was only
trying to balance that with the observation that the KIO3B's USB port
*is* capable of providing good serial-port keying in the absence of any
other problems. 

73 from Ian GM3SEK

>-----Original Message-----
>From: Elecraft [mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of
>Guy Olinger K2AV
>Sent: 13 March 2016 19:29
>To: Ian White
>Cc: Elecraft Reflector
>Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KIO3B
>
>This seems to be the same ole age old problem of relying on a PC keying
CW
>over a single lead on the RS232 connection or its stand-in (USB).
>
>Over and over ad nauseum, literally thousands of times, this has been
>discussed everywhere since before USB existed. Parallel port
keying...if
>you don't know what a parallel port is, don't feel bad, that's how old
this
>problem is...it first surfaced so long ago I can't remember how far
back.
>Parallel port keying seemed to be far less susceptible, with cleaner
code
>formation. But we all know what happened to parallel ports, if you even
>know what one is.
>
>I have not, in my entire life, heard a satisfying answer as to why the
>difference.
>
>The very large sample size conclusion: Some people can do that and
sound
>perfectly crisp, no matter what. Some will get infrequent odd scattered
>distortions, that are not enough of a problem to worry about. Others
are
>driven to distraction with distortions sometimes bordering on
hilarious.
>Some computers have spells of it that come and go, seeming to
correspond
>to
>phases of the moon, alignment of planets, or giraffe mating season.
>
>Some now have excellent results with straight, normal RS232, but USB
>routed
>functions screw up. Others via USB lines do perfectly well. Others
STILL
>can't use the serial line approach AT ALL. Back in the day, slow CPU
speed
>and limited memory were often associated with the poor performance.
>
>SOMETIMES, NOT ALWAYS, upgrades to the CPU and memory would fix it.
>Many
>just gave up and went PERMANENTLY to WinKey (way, way cheaper than
>motherboards and memory) based solutions, myself included.
>
>The N1MM integration of WinKey devices is at this point flawless. And
the
>ability now to create tailored PTT, that changes with code speed from a
>MicroHam box with embedded WinKey, is priceless.
>
>There has NEVER, in all this decade of fighting this problem, been a
silver
>bullet solution that fixed the RS232 or USB key line problems. Over the
>years I have literally seen hundreds of extended email threads about
>dragged-on investigations by earnest and intelligent ham investigators
who
>never uncovered any solution except throwing bigger and better CPU's at
>the
>problem, HOPING for better performance.
>
>Some people having the problem, while others with similar or identical
>equipment having none, simply means nothing. It has always been that
way.
>One swears that he did this or that and the problem went away, and it
>really did go away when HE did that, he's not lying or deluded. But
others
>try the same solution and nothing changes.
>
>Blaming key line over RS232 or USB problems on anything other than
>poltergeist is just plain unfair. It just could be that one insulted
Murphy
>just one too many times.
>
>I understand that people are trying to make cabling go away. Completely
>understand. Been there, done that, failed. Back to WinKey, permanently.
No
>more wasting time, except my 432nd (or is it 610th, or 326th? I forget)
>lifetime email on this frustrating problem.
>
>I have other poltergeist to work on that have no convenient WinKey
solution
>standing by.
>
>73, and I DO wish you good luck on this one, but don't count on it.
PC's
>and their constantly thrashing drivers and system program code just
have
>too many moving parts.
>
>Guy K2AV
>
>On Sun, Mar 13, 2016 at 1:46 PM, Ian White <gm3sek at ifwtech.co.uk>
>wrote:
>
>> Same here too, well formed CW from both a K3 and a K3S using the
KIO3B
>> board configured for USB. N1MM+ keys the virtual DTR line (no
Winkey).
>>
>> 73 from Ian GM3SEK
>>
>>
>> >-----Original Message-----
>> >From: Elecraft [mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf
Of
>> >Jim Miller
>> >Sent: 13 March 2016 15:42
>> >To: w0agMike at gmail.com
>> >Cc: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
>> >Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KIO3B
>> >
>> >Clean CW here well over 30 wpm.
>> >
>> >GL
>> >
>> >Jim ab3cv
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >On Sunday, March 13, 2016, Mike Murray <w0agmike at gmail.com>
>wrote:
>> >
>> >> Interesting observation, especially since I've been considering
the
>> KIO3B
>> >> in an effort to reduce my  current rat's nest of cabling.  Has
anyone
>> else
>> >> noted this problem and/or found a solution?
>> >>
>> >> Mike - W0AG
>> >>
>> >> My non-PC specialist conclusion is that either the driver
supporting
>> the
>> >> > KIO3B or all the USB routing action within the KIO3B is causing
the
>> >> damage.
>>
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