[ICOM] Computer Control Interface

Sat Dec 31 00:51:14 EST 2005

Thanks to one and all for your help:

I now have computer control. I made my own CI-V interface
and it works with MMTTY, MMVARI, N1MM, LOGGER32, Ham Radio
Deluxe and all the others flawlessly.

Cost me about 6 bucks in parts and a little time
remembering my construction techniques of the past.
(meaning I rebuilt it twice to get it to work <embarrassed
smiley>)

I made sacrifice of an old serial mouse for the 9 pin
serial cable and used it on the circuit board.

I mounted it in the same plastic box as the BUXCOMM
RASCAL.

So there is not even a fraction of an inch taken up extra
on the operating table.

Just a few wires from the Buxcomm Plastic Box to the
computer and the rig and I now have CW KEYING, FSK, all
sound modes, and computer control from the same interface.

I really like this IC-756PRO. It is a fantastic radio.

I cant wait to own my first IC-7800.

But first I am going to go to work on a graphic equalizer
for the audio output on this one.

  73 fer nw,
Bob AD5VJ

10X# 37210, FP#-1141, SMIRK#-5177
http://www.n5iet.com/
Code may be taking a back seat for now,
but the pioneering spirit that put the code
there in the first place is out front of it all.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: icom-bounces at mailman.qth.net 
> [mailto:icom-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of AD5VJ
Bob
> Sent: Wednesday, December 28, 2005 12:24 PM
> To: 'ICOM Reflector'
> Subject: RE: [ICOM] Computer Control Interface
> 
> 
> SENT TO THE WRONG THREAD
> 
> I got it done.
> 
> I modified the BUXCOMM RASCAL and it is now keying the
CW
> JACK on the back of the IC-756PRO as though it was
> originally designed to.
> 
> I added a *very* simple little circuit to the box which
is 
> comprised of a general purpose NPN a 1K ohm resistor and
that 
> was all it took. Now it takes the keying relay to
ground.
> 
> I opened the jacket of the cable going to the serial
port
> just enough to find the DTR line and connect it to my
> little circuit.
> 
> After doing so I then ran a line from pin 5 ground and
the 
> collector (center pin) of the CW KEYING JACK and it is 
> working flawlessly.
> 
> All other functions work perfectly also. The buxcomm box
> still looks like brand new and all there is now is a new
> cable running to the CW KEYING JACK from the same bundle
> as the others.
> 
> Now I am on to build a CAT circuit for the computer
> control aspects of the rig.
> 
> I ordered a MAX233 chip from MAXIM/DALLAS fro the CAT
> design and have a design I gleaned from the Ham Radio
> Deluxe PDF that tells it all about how to kit it and put
> it together.
> 
> Should have it all going by the end of the week thanks
to
> you guys and helping guide my thinking.
> 
> Now I am armed and dangerous, Hi Hi
> 
> Thanks to one and all for your time and help on this
> project. I now understand a lot more about how this
> process it taking place.
> 
> 
> 
>   73 fer nw,
> Bob AD5VJ
> 
> 10X# 37210, FP#-1141, SMIRK#-5177
> http://www.n5iet.com/
> Code may be taking a back seat for now,
> but the pioneering spirit that put the code
> there in the first place is out front of it all.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: icom-bounces at mailman.qth.net
> > [mailto:icom-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of
Gary
> Fiber
> > Sent: Wednesday, December 28, 2005 10:12 AM
> > To: ICOM Reflector
> > Subject: RE: [ICOM] Computer Control Interface
> > 
> > 
> > Well when I was working at Icom the easiest way to
> provide a hard 
> > ground was to use a transistor externally, no mods
> required to the 
> > equipment controlling the rig. We could not suggest to
> the customer 
> > how to modify his after market equipment to make it
work
> with 
> > Icom products.
> > 
> > I looked at a HM-14 schematic, when you place a hard
> ground the U/D 
> > connection rig tunes up in frequency, when you ground
> through a 470 
> > OHM resistor the rig tunes down. I was remembering the
> troubles I 
> > went through with a customer and his DSP-2232 and
using
> the Opto 
> > isolator to drive a transistor was easiest at the
time.
> Some programs 
> > would control the frequency up / down mode in the
> DSP-2232. Others 
> > would use an external antenna, radio frequency
> controller.
> > 
> > When I saw the schematic of the MFJ-1289 I assumed Bob
> might be 
> > experiencing the same issue since the manual reads use
> the CW out for 
> > FSK keying. I did not get into it to far though.
> > I am using a Rig Blaster No Mic and just picked up a
> Tigertronics 
> > Signalink SL-1+ for my IC-718.
> > 
> > Buxcomm has a huge site I was hoping to find the
product
> Bob was 
> > using and have a look at the schematic to find any
> differences in the 
> > FSK Keying as that unit seems to work for him.
> > 
> > >If you are using an opto to do CW keying via the
> UP/DOWN function,
> > >then you should be aware that the UP/DOWN sensing in
> the Icom is 
> > >done by voltage.  That is, it senses the voltage on
the
> UP/DOWN 
> > >line.   The UP/DOWN line is also used for the 4
> voice/CW memory 
> > >keying but in that case, it senses 4 voltages
> > 
> > What Icom rig uses the U/D line for Voice and CW
memory
> keying? Must 
> > be the newer models as the older one didn't so far as
I
> remember.
> > 
> > Gary K8IZ
> > 
> > >.  What this means is, if you are using a transistor
to
> key that
> > >line, whether it is the output of an opto or discrete
> transistor, 
> > >you have to account for the Vcesat of the transistor
in
> presenting 
> > >the line with a voltage.  The UP/DOWN buttons have no
> voltage across 
> > >them when they are on.  The Vce sat could be several
> tenths of a 
> > >volt.  If you do the calculations, understanding the
> internal series 
> > >resistance that is in the radio and the unloaded
> voltage, you can 
> > >come up with 4 new values of resistance for the keyer
> and probably a 
> > >new value for the UP/DOWN.  I have done that for the
> keyer with 
> > >great success.  The only catch with the UP/DOWN, is
> that it only 
> > >uses one resistance, with the other state grounding
the
> line.  This 
> > >may present a problem if the voltage detection is
> looking for 
> > >something less that the saturation voltage of the
> transistor.  I 
> > >have not done an UP/DOWN keyer, so I can't say
whether
> it will work 
> > >or not, but I have done computer controlled
interfaces
> using the 
> > >memory keyer with optos/transistors.
> > >
> > >
> > >At 12/27/2005 12:42 PM, you wrote:
> > > >Bob,
> > > >
> > > >I was looking at the MFJ-1279 schematic and the CW
> out is using a
> > > Opto Isolator. In the past I remember an Opto
isolator
> not being
> > > able to place a hard enough ground on the Icom UP /
> Down input.
> > > >The AEA DSP-2232 users had to install a transistor
to
> provide hard
> > > enough ground so the DSP-2232 would cause a
frequency
> change,
> > > mostly to the IC-970. This was done for Doppler
shift
> > frequency tracking.
> > > >I looked at the Buxcomm site but he has some much
> stuff it would
> > > take a week to find the product you are using
listed.
> > > >
> > > >Gary K8IZ
> > > >
> > > >At 07:58 AM 12/27/2005, you wrote:
> > > >>Ok I give up on this little project, it is quickly
becoming not 
> > > >>worth my time.
> > > >>
> > > >>Is someone using an interface with an Icom PRO or
II
> or
> > > >>III that does all the soundcard modes and FSK
modes
> along with 
> > > >>keying CW from A SINGLE COMM PORT that actually
> works?
> > > >>
> > > >>I would like to know what your using so I can look
> into 
> > getting one.
> > > >>
> > > >>What is recommended by you guys with the
experience?
> > > >>
> > > >>
> > > >>
> > > >>  73 fer nw,
> > > >>Bob AD5VJ
> > > >
> > > >----
> > > >Your Moderator: Dick Flanagan K7VC,
> > icom-owner at mailman.qth.net Icom
> > > >Users Net: Sundays, 1700Z, 14.316 MHz Icom FAQ:
> > > >http://www.qsl.net/icom/
> > >
> > >----
> > >Your Moderator: Dick Flanagan K7VC,
> icom-owner at mailman.qth.net Icom 
> > >Users Net: Sundays, 1700Z, 14.316 MHz Icom FAQ:
> > >http://www.qsl.net/icom/
> > 
> > Gary Fiber K8IZ
> > GROL PG-19-6691
> > Washington State Resident
> > 
> > 
> > ----
> > Your Moderator: Dick Flanagan K7VC,
> > icom-owner at mailman.qth.net Icom Users Net: Sundays,
> 1700Z, 
> > 14.316 MHz Icom FAQ: http://www.qsl.net/icom/
> > 
> 
> 
> ----
> Your Moderator: Dick Flanagan K7VC, 
> icom-owner at mailman.qth.net Icom Users Net: Sundays,
1700Z, 
> 14.316 MHz Icom FAQ: http://www.qsl.net/icom/
> 