[Elecraft] gennovation keypad

[Dave Cole]

On Thu, 2016-09-29 at 17:52 -0700, Dave Cole wrote:
> On Thu, 2016-09-29 at 21:11 +0000, P.J.Hicks wrote:
> > 
> > As stated before, I have used a G-keypad on my KX3 for several years
> > and it is convenient and works well. However I have not been able to
> > make it work with the K3 in any of the ways I have tried to set it
> > up.
> 
> Nor have I, and I have tried at least three different ways as well...
> 
> > 
> > Firstly I believe I do not know what the data stream data the K3
> > requires; I thought it was serial ASCI. It is obviously different
> > from what the KX3 requires. 
> 
> That was the part about getting my head around the protocol I
> mentioned in a previous post...  I need to find out exactly how the P3
> fires macros into the K3, then have the Raspberry Pi do the same.
>  After that, it will be a snap to connect the keypad to the Pi.  I
> believe the Pig Knob does it, so it is something that is doable.
> 
> > 
> > But then again I may be wrong. The Genovation, in my understanding,
> > sends ASCI text via the serial port to the KX3 where it is
> > interpreted as commends and executed. 
> > 
> > What am I missing here? 
> > 
> > If the K3 accepts ASCI commands from the Elecraft K3 Utility and the
> > KX3 accepts ASCI commands from the KX3 Utility, why are they not
> > interchangeable? 
> 
> Because they are not implemented the same-- that seems to be the only
> conclusion I can come too in this.  You said it upthread, the two
> don't accept the same command set, yet they both send ASCII...  I
> think you are correct.  I suspect there is another layer of protocol
> involved, which is being transferred via ASCII.  
> 
> What I need to do is to get Wireshark, (a port snooper), going and
> look at the data leaving the P3...  That will answer many questions.
> 
> > 
> > 73 and keep it civil
> 
> Always do...

It just hit me why it fails...  I believe that the keyboards are not
sending out ASCII, but scan codes...  See:
http://www.rapidtables.com/convert/number/hex-to-ascii.htm

The protocol stack on the P3 does not interpret scan codes, which is
what the Keyboards send out...  While I would bet the KX3 protocol stack
does interpret them...

Don't know why this never occurred to me before...  Thanks for asking
the question the way you did!  It triggered something in my head!

-- 
73's, and thanks,
Dave (NK7Z)
For software/hardware reviews see:
http://www.nk7z.net