new PTT button seems not to work with Omni-Rig

[yo3ipr]

Hi Terry

I use a SUCCI (LZ5VK) Interface: http://www.kotarov.com/projects/succi

The SUCCI interface connects to the PC via USB and to the radio via 3 connectors:

1) The CI-V (remote) connector.
2) The PTT output of the interface can be connected to either the acc1 or acc2 socket.
3) The Key jack for the CW keying output.

Normally I only use the first of these three but I can see what the other 2 ports are doing since the interface has 3 LEDS:

1) a TRX led - which blinks when data is present on the CI-V line,
2) a PTT LED which monitors the PTT output
3) a CW led which monitors the CW Keying output

so in fact I can easily see when the PTT output is active even if only the CI-V port is connected to the radio.

By the way, I spent years working with modems and RS232 interface devices in the past so I am fully aware of how the hardware aspects of all of this work

As I mentioned before, I can force the PTT line to permanently activate on the interface by changing the RTS setting in Omni-rig from "low" to "high" which makes the RTS line normally high (reverse of normal). Hence why I said before that LOG4OM simply needs to raise the RTS line on the virtual serial port when sending a PTT command to a radio / interface like mine that uses hardware PTT control.

Thanks & 73
Tony YO3IPR / G4IPR

[G4POP]

I just looked at the web site and instructions for the interface but the information is a bit lacking! when connected does this interface provide one or two com ports?

Eg
My US Navigator provides several com ports from it's USB connection

CAT - Com 3
PTT- Com 4
RTTY FSK a Com 5
Winkeyer - Com 6
etc

The Navigator connects to the remote, ACC socket and CW Jack

However Omnirig provided the PTT command for my rigs whereas it does no apparently for your one

Suggestion, have you tried Hamlib? I have not had much joy with Hamlib in FLDigi and other software that uses it but it might work for you!

[G4POP]

FYI

These are the commands Log4om sends to Omnirig - See section 4

http://www.dxatlas.com/omnirig/IniStru.txt


Eg
We send pmTx or prRx and Omnirig translates this in it's rig ini file to the correct command for the rig, we don't actually set the RTS

[yo3ipr]

Hi Terry

The interface uses an FTDI USB-RS232 chip which uses just one com port as far as I can see in device manager (Com 6 currently, P.S I run Win 7 x64).

A few questions:
1) Which radio(s) are you using with the Navigator? I will take a look at the Omni-rig rig.ini file(s) to see what it does with the pmTx and prRx commands.
2) is the navigator keying the PTT directly rather than sending a data command to the radio for PTT? I assume so.

Hamlib did not work well with my interface. It connected to it then hung after transferring a small amount of data.

FYI Omni-rig originally only had a rig.ini file for the IC-737 / 737A. The IC-736 and IC-738 are functionally identical to the 737 / 737A but with different default CI-V addresses. I modified the IC-737.ini file to make it work with the IC-738 and after I thoroughly tested it Alex, VE3NEA accepted it as a valid file for future distributions of Omni-rig (that was late Jan 2014).

Thanks & 73
Tony

[G4POP]

A few questions:
1) Which radio(s) are you using with the Navigator? I will take a look at the Omni-rig rig.ini file(s) to see what it does with the pmTx and prRx commands.

I have Navigator wiring harnesses for all of those listed but generally run the IC756 ProIII and TS480 with the navigator.

I also use my G4ZLP Digimaster Pro Three with the IC7000 when away from home or mobile and my ZLP Digimater with my 817 for portable opps, both using Log4om

2) is the navigator keying the PTT directly rather than sending a data command to the radio for PTT? I assume so.

Yes it can via the ACC socket on the back of the rig. However I use the data command via CI-V and Omnirig for Log4om PTT whereas with some other software I use the ACC socket which is connected to the Navigator Com 4 for PTT

The ProIII has PTT on the CI-V as does the IC 7000

[yo3ipr]

Hi Terry

I did some research and some tests today.

I have attached the Icom America CI-V manual v 3.2 2002 which may come in handy to you & other readers here. It lists the following radios as having the RX / TX commands available by CAT:

IC-746, IC-746 Pro
IC-756, IC-756 Pro II
IC-703
IC-7800

Of course new models from 2002 onwards may also have it.

A useful site is this one with full CI-V command descriptions & formats: http://www.plicht.de/ekki/civ/index.html It also has a list of commands available on older rigs at http://www.plicht.de/ekki/civ/civ-p52.html and from that I very much doubt that the IC-738 has it.

Tests: I inserted the necessary commands into my Omni-rig IC-738.ini file and sure enough it does not respond to them.

Conclusion: I will try to find a way to make Omni-rig raise the RTS line on the serial (COM) port upon receipt of the [pmTx] command from LOG4OM. I will let you know how I get on.

A quick question:
does the PTT button in LOG4OM act momentarily? i.e. i.e. press for TX, release for RX.
or does it lock? i.e. I press once for TX and oress again for RX?
From the display I assume it's just momentary. Please confirm.

Thanks & 73
Tony YO3IPR / G4IPR

P.S The forum does not allow PDF attachments, or anything bigger than 256KB so here is the link to the Icom CI-V manual http://www.icomamerica.com/en/support/k ... 63AE624429

[G4POP]

A quick question:
does the PTT button in LOG4OM act momentarily? i.e. i.e. press for TX, release for RX.
or does it lock? i.e. I press once for TX and oress again for RX?

Normally press and hold to TX release to RX

also

Press and slide cursor off of the PTT button then its latched to TX
Click once on the PTT button and it unlatches and reverts to RX

[yo3ipr]

Thanks Terry

Here is my email exchange with Alex, VE3NEA, the author of Omni-Rig. I have also sent it to you by email.

Hi Tony,

OmniRig cannot toggle RTS/DTR in response to CAT commands. Instead of
that, it provides a direct interface to those lines so that the client
application, such as a logger, can switch T/R using RTS/DTR on the same
port as the one used for CAT.

73 Alex VE3NEA


On 2014-08-27 10:40, yo3ipr wrote:
> Hi Alex
>
> I have a question about Omni-Rig. You may recall that back in January 2014 I tested Omni-Rig and created the IC-738 rig.ini file.
>
> Older radios like the IC-738 do not support the CI-V TX/RX command. My Interface (SUCCI by LZ5VK http://www.kotarov.com/projects/succi) controls this function by hardware connection to the PTT line of the radio and this is controlled by the virtual serial (COM) port's RTS line.
>
> I can manually make Omni-rig raise the RTS or DTR lines by setting them "high" in the settings dialog.
>
> My question is can I make Omni-Rig set the RTS line high when it receives the pmTX command from the application software and set the RTS line low when it receives the pmRX command.
>
> Is this possible? Can it be done though the ini files or would it require some coding?
>
> FYI my interface uses a single com port. I understand that some use different com ports for CAT / PTT / CW controls.
>
> I would welcome your thoughts on this when you have time.
>
> Thanks & 73
> Tony YO3IPR / G4IPR