CAT

[Jim Dunstan]

Hi

Is it possible to send a PTT and,or the  CW keying commands to the K2 via
the RS232 port if the K2 has the KIO2 module installed ..... using software
such as MixW.

Jim, VE3CI

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[Don Wilhelm-4]

Jim,

See the K2 Programmer's Reference for all the commands that can be
sent/received via the K2 through the KIO2 interface.  Keying uses the KY
command, and in SSB or RTTY mode, the TX command will set the transmit
state (pulls PTT low).
If your software application can issue those commands, then it is
possible - if the commands are not available, all you can do is appeal
to the applications author to include that support - I don't know those
specid\fics of MixW.

Please resist the temptation to refer to the K2 AUX I/O as an RS-232
port - it is NOT, even though it contains TXD, RXD and Signal Ground as
RS-232 signaling levels.  Other pins are used for internal K2 signals
that are used by other Elecraft devices such as the KAT100 and the
KRC2.  Connecting a standard computer serial cable to this AUX I/O
connector can damage your K2.  Just because it uses a DE-9 connector
does not make it a serial port (that should true for any device using a
similar connector - if it is not marked as an RS-232 connector, it
probably is not, check the manual for the device first).

73,
Don W3FPR

Jim Dunstan wrote:
> Hi
>
> Is it possible to send a PTT and,or the  CW keying commands to the K2 via
> the RS232 port if the K2 has the KIO2 module installed ..... using software
> such as MixW.
>  
>
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[Julian, G4ILO]

Jim Dunstan wrote

Is it possible to send a PTT and,or the  CW keying commands to the K2 via
the RS232 port if the K2 has the KIO2 module installed ..... using software
such as MixW.

Most software that supports CAT control can use it for PTT control so you don't need a switching transistor driven by RTS or DTR to control hardware PTT.

CW keying by CAT on the K2 and K3 uses a protocol that is unique to Elecraft which is not supported by any software apart from the K3 utility and KComm. A similar protocol is available on some Kenwood rigs but because it does not provide a way to test if the buffer is full or to abort sending in mid-transmission it is not really usable and is not supported by any programs including MixW. Some programs that support sending CAT commands in macros can be made to send CW via RS232 by programming the CAT commands like "KY CQ TEST DE ....;" into macros, but the text must not exceed 24 characters, the buffer length. I'm not sure if you can do that in MixW as I no longer use it.

To send CW using MixW you need a transistor switch driven by RTS or DTR connected to the K2 Key jack (which must be set to straight key not paddle). I think MixW also supports Winkey keying which is more reliable.