TR4W does not read the frequency from COM1 RRC1258MkII K3-Twin Control end

[rm4f]

Greetings, colleagues!

I am using RRC1258MkII K3-Twin with loggers TR4W and sometimes WinTest.
The local PC is connected to an RRC COM1 port by cable with Prolific USB-to-COM driver.
If no loggers is running, the Remote Radio is controlled normally.
If any logger starts, the execution time of commands on the remote radio increases.
The reaction to the rotation of the encoder and to the pressing of buttons slows down.
The local and remote position are connected to LAN by an optical cable. Ethernet speed is 1Gbps.
Max ping time is less then 0,1ms. The sound in both directions passes without problems, both with logger and without them.
The main problem is the lack of a frequency readings in TR4W. At the same time, the commands typed in the TR4W (alt_M, alt_B and others) are executed normally. Mouse clicks on the bandmap spots set the K3 to the desired frequency, but with a long delay.
If K3 is connected to the PC with the same cable directly (without RRC system) to RS-232, TR4W reads everything correctly and does not slow down.
WinTest in the same setup reads the frequency normally, but still slows down.

Please, advise me how to achieve the correct operation of the K3-Twin with TR4W logger.

Nick, RM4F

[dj0qn]

Hi Nick,

The problem is related to the Windows USB driver. I suggest two things:

1) You replace the Prolific cable with one using the FTDI chip.

2) You should take a look at the following presentation and implement some of the suggestions:
https://www.kkn.net/~n6tv/Everything%20You%20Need%20to%20Know%20About%20USB%20and%20Serial%20Interfaces%20by%20N6TV.pdf

Especially starting on pages 26-35 once you replace the cable and deinstall the drivers per the instructions in the presentation.

I am pretty sure that it will work afterwards.

As an alternative, just use the RRC's built-in USB to serial adapter instead of an external one. All you do is plug-in a USB cable and then
set COM1 to USB in the RRC's web page. Make sure that you first installed the serial drivers when installing the Microbit Setup Manager before
plugging-in the USB cable.

If you want to save money, try the second method before buying an FTDI cable, but still use the presentation's suggestions to modify the RRC's
serial settings. It most likely will also work for you.

73,
Mitch DJ0QN / K7DX

[rm4f]

Dear Mitch,

Thank you for the prompt response.
If I'm already use COM3 (COMExtra) as WinKeyer, will I be able to get CAT
for TR4W from it as well?

[dj0qn]

Hi Nick,

Using the K3-Twin, COM2 is blocked for the communications between the two K3's. This leaves ONLY
COM1 for CAT. You set COM1 on both RRC's to Mode-7.

This allows CAT on both RRC's in parallel. You can run for example a sync to amplifier on the rig side
and a control program on the control side. The baud rates do NOT have to be the same as COM2!

I hope this answered your question.

73,
Mitch DJ0QN / K7DX

[rm4f]

Hi Mitch!

I understood this problem.
I bought USB to COM adapter on FTDI chip.
I installed a proprietary driver. The TR4W doesn't read the frequency anyway.
I connected TR4W to COMExtra instead of WinKeyer and set COM1 to USB in the RRC's web page. Uselessly.
The TR4W doesn't read the frequency anyway.

Normally TR4W receives a frequency in response to its request. If TR4W  is connected to K3 directly without RRC1258, then TR4W receives a data packet
for each request. If TR4W is connected to COM1 via RRC1258, then data for the second K3
is continuously transmitted to COM1. Requests from TR4W either do not have time to reach the local K3,
ore they are ignored. TR4W does not see CAT throught RRC1258.

WinTest constantly reads the frequency value from COM1 without waiting for answers to its requests. WinTest sees the frequency value normally.
To reduce the exchange delays when working with the WinTest, I set the COM1 baudrate 57600.
 
How to organize the exchange between TR4W and K3 against the background of the data flow between local and remote radio?


       

[dj0qn]

Hi Nick,

After reading your message several times, I have to admit that I do not understand your problem
or question.

It isn't clear to me for what and why you are using the FTDI cable. Where is that cable going to?
Understand to make CAT work on COM1, then the RRC must have "set COM1 to USB" turned OFF
if using a serial cable like the FTDI. You set it to NO if using the USB cable only between the RRC
and computer.

I am not sure if this helps, since I don't understand what you are asking.

73,
Mitch DJ0QN / K7DX

[rm4f]

Hi Mitch!

Last weekend, my friend Alex UD4FD and I were sorting out the problem of TR4W vs RRC1258.
The K3 Twin algorithm does not allow normally working with the TR4W logger.
Unlike WinTest or DxLog, TR4W can receive all the parameters of the transceiver CAT, including the frequency value,
only in response to its requests, wich it sends every 10-20 ms.
At the same time, the RRC1258 generates IF requests to the remote K3 every 80-100 ms, regardless of whether the valcoder of the local K3 rotates. All these requests are added to RRC1258 and via IP and COM2 are sent to remote K3.
TR4W for some reason does not receive responses from the remote K3.
To make it work, you need to teach TR4W to read the frequency value from COM1 (which is constantly formed there by internal RRC1258 requests) without sending own IF requests.

In short.
Modification of the TR4W or K3 Twin software is required.
 

[dj0qn]

Sorry to hear that you can't get TR4W to work. I am not familiar with that program. I suggest you get
in touch with the developer to see if he can solve your problem. It is highly unlikely that Microbit would
be willing to modify their firmware for one program.

Another possible solution would be to add an S-Box: https://www.kkn.net/~n6tv/S-BOX/index.html
You can email N6TV to see if it would be a solution to your problem.

73,
Mitch DJ0QN / K7DX