Another try at Virtual Ports - K3 Twin Remote Setup Trying to Get Winkeyer CW Go

[K3TN]

On a clean Windows 7 laptop I installed the Microbit Setup Manager and had it install virtual ports. I also installed the N1MM logging program.

I am running my K3 in terminal mode to connect to a remote K3. I have that working, with one slight audio issue I'll chase later.

I added computer control via N1MM - a USB serial adapter shows up as COM 6 on the Win 7 laptop, I connect that to COM1 on Control RRC front panel. That works fine.

Now, I want to add CW keying. I tried following W1UEs instructions for using DTR keying, did not work.

Decided to try the Winkey approach, following DJ0QN's instructions, connecting a USB cable to the Control RRC USB connection - N1MM says Winkey not detected.

One problem may be the virtual ports. In device manager I see:

Intel Active Management Technology - SOL (COM3)
RRC1258 COM2 (COM5) - this appears when I plug in the USB to USB cable
USB Serial Port (COM6)


So, I'm telling N1MM to use COM5 for CW - but that doesn't work. However, DJ0QN's instructions seem to want me to use a virtual port COM 3, but I'm seeing that Intel COM 3, no virtual one.

In the Other Devices within Device Manager I see 3 1258 Remote Rig entries with a question mark on them, clicking on any of them brings up Device Status of "Driver not Installed"

What am I missing??

Thanks, John K3TN

[dj0qn]

John,

You should see four virtual serial ports under Windows after plugging-in the USB cable into
the RRC. I don't understand why you don't see these, this is puzzling. It is a piece of cake
to use the Winkeyer virtual port to key, assuming you use the right COM port.

I can take a quick look at your PC using Teamviewer this weekend if you want. Contact me
directly if you are interested.

73,
Mitch DJ0QN / K7DX

[W1SRD]

Trying to use Writelog in the same config.
I see all 4 virtual ports in Device Manager.
As soon as I open the RR Winkey port (COMFSK) in Writelog, PTT is asserted and won't let go until I remove the USB cable to the RR and cycle the K3/0 mini.
Also found using COM1 as a USB virtual port to be very unstable.
Going to try on a different computer this evening.
73,
Steve, W1SRD

[W1SRD]

Installed setup manager and N1MM+ on another computer. And also using a different USB cable.
Frequency tracks but...
COMExtra configured as Winkey will send the first macro, then N1MM TX Focus indicator stays orange (transmitting).
In other words it never returns.
Does the Winkey emulation actually work?
So far the only reliable CW is with a paddle.
W1SRD

[sm2o]

N1MM was the program we used when developing the Winkey emulation, so of course it works. I have not tested it personally with N1MM+. But I have not seen any other comments that indicate that it's not working with N1MM+.

/mike

[W1SRD]

That's helpful to know, but what's the next step in figuring this out?
This will be a very common use case and as the vendor you should have tested configurations that are known to work and "supported".
I am sure there are community members that will work with you to test many of them.
I am still baffled why Writelog + mode 8 Winkey triggers PTT at program startup and won't let it go.
I've spent hours on this trying to find a way to produce quality CW generated on the remote side.
I would appreciate if you spent some time looking into this as well.
Steve, W1SRD
K3/0 Mini