[Elecraft] K4 on Digital Modes

[Joe DeVincentis]

This brings up a question about FSK.  If I read this correctly, we will be
able to generate FSK by toggling RTS/DTR).  Personally, I find the jitter in
Windows to be unacceptable using this method.  Windows is no where real time
having any sort of guarantee.  That's why I use an external FSK keyer on my
K3s.  

What I was wondering is if the K4 will be able to accept an ASCII string and
do the FSK keying (ala a TinyFSK module)?

73,
Joe, KO8V

-----Original Message-----
From: elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net <elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net> On
Behalf Of Bob Wilson, N6TV
Sent: Saturday, June 27, 2020 12:36
To: Elecraft Reflector <Elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K4 on Digital Modes

On Sat, Jun 27, 2020 at 8:14 AM Gus Holcomb <gus at oatbit.com> wrote:

> With the K4D, for instance, what interfaces are presented on the 
> computer and how many of them are there?


To review, on a K3S or K3+KIO3B with USB connector, you get one virtual
serial port and one USB Sound Card (USB AUDIO CODEC).  Windows cannot
separately set the record level of the left/right audio channels of the K3S
sound card.

With the K4 USB connector you get *two* virtual serial ports on the USB
(similar to IC-7610) and a new USB Sound Card that Windows recognizes as
"LINE" instead of "MIC", so you can set the left/right recording levels
separately, if needed for critical SO2V RTTY Contesting.  The second serial
port is ideal for computer-generated CW, FSK or PTT keying (via RTS/DTR
pins) for programs like N3FJP (and HRD?) that cannot do both CW keying and
rig control on the same serial port, or programs like MMTTY that need a
dedicated serial port for FSK keying.  Port sharing software not needed.
An FSK keying circuit on the K3 ACC connector is no longer needed (but is
still supported).

There's also a separate and independent female DE-9 RS232 connector ideal
for connecting non-Elecraft amplifier "CAT" cables or SteppIR controllers.
This port operates independently of the USB serial ports so no special
Y-Cables needed, and it can use a different baud rate; the device is allowed
to poll the K4 at the same time that a logging program is polling the radio
on a different port (not possible on K3 or K3S).

Will all over them be accessed over ethernet or can you also use USB?


Ethernet can be used too, but it is optional.


> What software will you need to run on your computer?


Same as you would for K3, with enhancements developed over time to take
advantage of K4's extra capability, such as FSK keying over serial port.

Can you run multiple copies of a wsjt-x and monitor different
> bands/frequencies simultaneously?


Monitoring two bands will be possible with a K4D model if a Sub Receiver is
enabled.  However, we'll have to tell the second instance of WSJT-X to read
"VFO B" instead of "VFO A" to display the SubRx frequency, and transmitting
one both would require constantly switching between "SPLIT ON" and "SPLIT
OFF".  Of course, while one VFO is transmitting the other won't be able to
receive since all receivers are muted during transmit.


> Will you be able to transmit on each of those bands seamlessly?


Not sure what you mean by seamlessly.  It's treated as one radio with two
VFOs, and you can transmit on VFO A if SPLIT is OFF, or transmit on VFO B if
SPLIT is ON.


> With the K4D each having a receiver and a sub-receiver can you monitor 
> 4 bands or just 2?
>

Two bands.  There are only two audio output channels, not four.

73,
Bob, N6TV
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