[Elecraft] k-pod data cable

[Bill Frantz]

I read "short distance..." after sending my stuff. I think you 
are correct about the I2C electrical connection, but I still 
think Elecraft needs a box to box communication protocol which 
allows multi-masters. USB would do, but probably isn't the only 
choice. Ethernet?

There is a question of just how much distance needs to be 
supported. If you have your KPA500 at the base of your antenna, 
that is quite a distance, on the other hand, you probably don't 
need to control you K3 from there.

73 Bill AE6JV

On 1/16/17 at 8:23 PM, wes_n7ws at triconet.org (Wes Stewart) wrote:

>Bill,
>
>I dunno.  I'm an RF guy and this uProcessor stuff makes my eyes glaze over.
>
>That said, your own reference says in part: "short-distance, 
>intra-board communication." It seems to me that the problems 
>seen are related to interconnections between the K3 and the 
>K-Pod. And it seems the longer, the worser.
>
>As I understand it, and I could very well be totally wrong, a 
>couple of micro-controller pins are brought out to an 
>unshielded connector without any buffering or filtering.  From 
>that point the environment is anyone's guess.  The only reason 
>that there isn't one of Jim Brown's Pin 1 problems, is pin 1 
>isn't used :-)
>
>Wes  N7WS
>
>
>On 1/16/2017 8:08 PM, Bill Frantz wrote:
>>It is likely that the interface used by the K-Pod is the I2C 
>>bus <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I%C2%B2C>, a very commonly 
>>used bus in the chip world. I use it to connect the real-time 
>>clock board to my BeagleBone Black board.
>>
>>I2C is a 2 way, multi-master bus protocol that might be ideal 
>>for tying the ever-growing collection of Elecraft devices.
>>
>>We would really like to send commands from whatever device 
>>we're using, whether it is the controls of the K3, a keyboard 
>>attached to a P3, the panel of a KPA500, or the K-Pod. While 
>>USB could support this kind of network, I2C is much simpler 
>>and cheaper. RS232, as a point to point protocol, really 
>>shouldn't be considered.
>>
>>73 Bill AE6JV

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Bill Frantz        | Since the IBM Selectric, keyboards have gotten
408-356-8506       | steadily worse. Now we have touchscreen keyboards.
www.pwpconsult.com | Can we make something even worse?