[Elecraft] K3 and VB6

[wa9fvp]

A few months ago I was working on a Visual Basic program to control my K3. 2
days ago when I went back to do some coding, I had a problem where, when I
opened the Comm port, the K3 would transmit. I tried sending the RX
software command to the K3 but it didn't help. It was stuck in transmit! I'm
not sure what happened but after I explored VB6 MSComm Event, I found that
my code didn't initialize the RTS line. RTSEnable is a VB6 comm control
that can toggle the RS232, RTS line low or high. The K3 detects the signal
from the RS232 port and immediately places it in transmit mode. I added a
line of code and the problem was solved.

There's also an annoying problem that in valves the comm port. Every time
in turn on my PC, during boot-up, the K3 momentarily transmits. Is there a
way to prevent that or every time I turn on the PC, do I have to turn off
the K3?



-----
Jack WA9FVP

Sent from my TRS-80 :-)
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[Joe Subich, W4TV]

There's also an annoying problem that in valves the comm port. Every
time in turn on my PC, during boot-up, the K3 momentarily transmits.
Is there a way to prevent that or every time I turn on the PC, do I
have to turn off the K3?

Set CONFIG: PTT-KEY -> OFF-OFF and the K3 will no longer respond to
the DTR and/or RTS signals.

73,

... Joe, W4TV

A few months ago I was working on a Visual Basic program to control my K3. 2
days ago when I went back to do some coding, I had a problem where, when I
opened the Comm port, the K3 would transmit. I tried sending the RX
software command to the K3 but it didn't help. It was stuck in transmit! I'm
not sure what happened but after I explored VB6 MSComm Event, I found that
my code didn't initialize the RTS line. RTSEnable is a VB6 comm control
that can toggle the RS232, RTS line low or high. The K3 detects the signal
from the RS232 port and immediately places it in transmit mode. I added a
line of code and the problem was solved.
There's also an annoying problem that in valves the comm port. Every time
in turn on my PC, during boot-up, the K3 momentarily transmits. Is there a
way to prevent that or every time I turn on the PC, do I have to turn off
the K3?
-----
Jack WA9FVP
Sent from my TRS-80 :-)
--
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Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
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[Don Wilhelm]

All,

While Joe's response will eliminate the behavior, I feel that a fuller
explanation is in order.
When a computer boots, it will "exercise" the RS-232 signal lines
including the RTS and DTR signal lines.

If you have your K3 set to do keying or PTT with those lines, you can
expect the K3 to go into transmit while the computer does its boot-up.

So, take your choices - if you have no need for DTR/RTS keying of the
K3, turn the PTT-KEY menu to OFF-OFF as Joe indicated, but if you have
need for computer control of the PTT or Keying of the K3 via the DTR or
RTS signals, then expect that behavior and either place the K3 into TX
TEST or switch to a dummy load while the computer is "doing its
diagnostics" during the boot-up cycle.

73,
Don W3FPR

Post by Joe Subich, W4TV

There's also an annoying problem that in valves the comm port. Every
time in turn on my PC, during boot-up, the K3 momentarily transmits.
Is there a way to prevent that or every time I turn on the PC, do I
have to turn off the K3?

Set CONFIG: PTT-KEY -> OFF-OFF and the K3 will no longer respond to
the DTR and/or RTS signals.
73,
... Joe, W4TV

A few months ago I was working on a Visual Basic program to control my K3. 2
days ago when I went back to do some coding, I had a problem where, when I
opened the Comm port, the K3 would transmit. I tried sending the RX
software command to the K3 but it didn't help. It was stuck in transmit! I'm
not sure what happened but after I explored VB6 MSComm Event, I found that
my code didn't initialize the RTS line. RTSEnable is a VB6 comm control
that can toggle the RS232, RTS line low or high. The K3 detects the signal
from the RS232 port and immediately places it in transmit mode. I added a
line of code and the problem was solved.
There's also an annoying problem that in valves the comm port. Every
time
in turn on my PC, during boot-up, the K3 momentarily transmits. Is there a
way to prevent that or every time I turn on the PC, do I have to turn off
the K3?

[Kevin Stover]

It's been this way since the first ham hooked a radio up to a windows
serial port.
It's not a radio issue it's an computer issue. Linux does it too.
I reboot my computers once a week whether they need it or not. Same with
the radios....they just get turned back on when the computer is up at a
desktop.

Post by Don Wilhelm
All,
While Joe's response will eliminate the behavior, I feel that a fuller
explanation is in order.
When a computer boots, it will "exercise" the RS-232 signal lines
including the RTS and DTR signal lines.
If you have your K3 set to do keying or PTT with those lines, you can
expect the K3 to go into transmit while the computer does its boot-up.
So, take your choices - if you have no need for DTR/RTS keying of the
K3, turn the PTT-KEY menu to OFF-OFF as Joe indicated, but if you have
need for computer control of the PTT or Keying of the K3 via the DTR
or RTS signals, then expect that behavior and either place the K3 into
TX TEST or switch to a dummy load while the computer is "doing its
diagnostics" during the boot-up cycle.
73,
Don W3FPR

[Thomas.Norff]

Maybe the TX inhibit function can help in this case.
You don't have to modify your settings in your radio or modify the computer.

http://www.kl7uw.com/TX-INHIBIT.htm

73,
Thomas DM7TN

-----Original-Nachricht-----
Betreff: Re: [Elecraft] K3 and VB6
Datum: Mon, 13 Oct 2014 16:00:38 +0200
Von: Kevin Stover <kevin.stover at mediacombb.net>
An: elecraft at mailman.qth.net

It's been this way since the first ham hooked a radio up to a windows
serial port.
It's not a radio issue it's an computer issue. Linux does it too.
I reboot my computers once a week whether they need it or not. Same with
the radios....they just get turned back on when the computer is up at a
desktop.

Post by Don Wilhelm
All,
While Joe's response will eliminate the behavior, I feel that a fuller
explanation is in order.
When a computer boots, it will "exercise" the RS-232 signal lines
including the RTS and DTR signal lines.
If you have your K3 set to do keying or PTT with those lines, you can
expect the K3 to go into transmit while the computer does its boot-up.
So, take your choices - if you have no need for DTR/RTS keying of the
K3, turn the PTT-KEY menu to OFF-OFF as Joe indicated, but if you have
need for computer control of the PTT or Keying of the K3 via the DTR
or RTS signals, then expect that behavior and either place the K3 into
TX TEST or switch to a dummy load while the computer is "doing its
diagnostics" during the boot-up cycle.
73,
Don W3FPR

--
R. Kevin Stover
AC0H
ARRL
FISTS #11993
SKCC #215
NAQCC #3441

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[Rick Prather]

OS X doesn't do it.

Rick
K6LE


On Mon, Oct 13, 2014 at 7:00 AM, Kevin Stover <kevin.stover at mediacombb.net>

Post by Kevin Stover
It's been this way since the first ham hooked a radio up to a windows
serial port.
It's not a radio issue it's an computer issue. Linux does it too.
I reboot my computers once a week whether they need it or not. Same with
the radios....they just get turned back on when the computer is up at a
desktop.

Post by Don Wilhelm
All,
While Joe's response will eliminate the behavior, I feel that a fuller
explanation is in order.
When a computer boots, it will "exercise" the RS-232 signal lines
including the RTS and DTR signal lines.
If you have your K3 set to do keying or PTT with those lines, you can
expect the K3 to go into transmit while the computer does its boot-up.
So, take your choices - if you have no need for DTR/RTS keying of the K3,
turn the PTT-KEY menu to OFF-OFF as Joe indicated, but if you have need for
computer control of the PTT or Keying of the K3 via the DTR or RTS signals,
then expect that behavior and either place the K3 into TX TEST or switch to
a dummy load while the computer is "doing its diagnostics" during the
boot-up cycle.
73,
Don W3FPR

--
R. Kevin Stover
AC0H
ARRL
FISTS #11993
SKCC #215
NAQCC #3441
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[Lynn W. Taylor, WB6UUT]

I think "exercise" is the wrong term.

You're talking about hardware (the serial port) and how it behaves
before it is initialized.

Saying that the OS has anything to do with how a port behaves before the
OS boots is a bit questionable.

It's possible that Apple's hardware behaves consistently on power-up --
I'd believe that. Apple operating systems don't have to contend with
the same amount of random hardware.

73 -- Lynn

Post by Rick Prather
OS X doesn't do it.
Rick
K6LE
On Mon, Oct 13, 2014 at 7:00 AM, Kevin Stover <kevin.stover at mediacombb.net>

Post by Kevin Stover
It's been this way since the first ham hooked a radio up to a windows
serial port.
It's not a radio issue it's an computer issue. Linux does it too.
I reboot my computers once a week whether they need it or not. Same with
the radios....they just get turned back on when the computer is up at a
desktop.

Post by Don Wilhelm
All,
While Joe's response will eliminate the behavior, I feel that a fuller
explanation is in order.
When a computer boots, it will "exercise" the RS-232 signal lines
including the RTS and DTR signal lines.
If you have your K3 set to do keying or PTT with those lines, you can
expect the K3 to go into transmit while the computer does its boot-up.
So, take your choices - if you have no need for DTR/RTS keying of the K3,
turn the PTT-KEY menu to OFF-OFF as Joe indicated, but if you have need for
computer control of the PTT or Keying of the K3 via the DTR or RTS signals,
then expect that behavior and either place the K3 into TX TEST or switch to
a dummy load while the computer is "doing its diagnostics" during the
boot-up cycle.
73,
Don W3FPR

--
R. Kevin Stover
AC0H
ARRL
FISTS #11993
SKCC #215
NAQCC #3441
______________________________________________________________
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[Kevin Stover]

It happens after the BIOS hands off to the OS, it is OS specific.
The easiest fix is turn the radio on after the OS has started.

Post by Lynn W. Taylor, WB6UUT
I think "exercise" is the wrong term.
You're talking about hardware (the serial port) and how it behaves
before it is initialized.
Saying that the OS has anything to do with how a port behaves before
the OS boots is a bit questionable.
It's possible that Apple's hardware behaves consistently on power-up
-- I'd believe that. Apple operating systems don't have to contend
with the same amount of random hardware.
73 -- Lynn

[aj4tf]

My experience with a dual-boot computer (Fedora 9 and Windoze XP) with a
relay toggled by the RTS line: Windoze fiddles with the RTS line while
booting, Fedora 9 doesn't.

de AJ4TF



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