+++++++++++++++++ Date: Wed, 07 May 2003 12:31:09 -0700 From: Eric Swartz WA6HHQ - Elecraft Organization: Elecraft To: Elecraft List , QRP-L Subject: [Elecraft] KRC2 Band Decoder For the K2 and most HF Rigs Here is the information on the KRC2 band decoder. 73, Eric WA6HHQ ------- The Elecraft KRC2 Band Decoder is a universal, programmable station control unit that can switch any combination of antennas, filters, amplifiers, or other equipment. It supports analog, digital, and RS232 control inputs, so it's compatible with transceivers from Icom (voltage level), Yaesu (BCD), and Kenwood (serial or BCD via logging program), as well as Elecraft's own K2 and K2/100. The KRC2 includes decoded outputs for all HF bands (including WARC bands), three transverter bands, and general accessories. High-side (source) and low-side (sink) relay drivers are included. All signal lines are RF bypassed to eliminate RFI and noise pickup. Individual driver outputs can be "wire-ORed" as with conventional decoders. However, the KRC2 also provides a PC-based command interface, allowing the user to configure the unit with simple text commands. New firmware can even be downloaded via the internet. The combination of these features makes the KRC2 uniquely suited to the user's present as well as future station control needs. The KRC2 is fully integrated with Elecraft's transceivers, decoding band-change data via the company's AuxBus protocol. But other unique K2 features are also supported that can be enabled or disabled with jumpers inside the KRC2. The K2's ACC menu entry can be used to directly control the KRC2's accessory outputs. Four buttons on the top of the KRC2 can be used as "hot keys" for instant access to CW message buffers, fast switching of the rig's RXANT jack, or other functions. Finally, the KRC2 can act as a complete CW-feedback interface for the K2, allowing enhanced accessibility for operators with special user interface requirements. Packaged in an attractive, compact enclosure that is only 1.2 x 3.5 x 5.5 inches (3 x 9 x 14 cm), the KRC2 is styled to match the K2. The easy-to-build kit uses Elecraft's "no-wires" construction and is suitable for first-time kit builders. Price: $159.00 Availability: Orders received now via phone or via the Elecraft web site, http://www.elecraft.com , will ship the week of June 22nd. +++++++++++++++++ Date: Wed, 07 May 2003 13:07:41 -0700 From: Eric Swartz WA6HHQ - Elecraft Organization: Elecraft To: KXBill Cc: Elecraft List Subject: [Elecraft] Re: Fw: KRC2 Band Decoder For the K2 and most HF Rigs If they put out BCD band data we should be in good shape :^) 73, Eric ==== KXBill wrote: > Eric: > Hope it's compatible with the Ten-Tec Orion, Jupiter and Argonaut V. > Cheers and have phun > Bill/w7kxb > K1/K2 owner > +++++++++++++++++ Date: Wed, 07 May 2003 20:47:53 -0700 From: Wayne Burdick Organization: Elecraft To: k6iii at juno.com Cc: elecraft at mailman.qth.net, Jack Brindle Subject: [Elecraft] KRC2 Band Decoder: it's also the "Aux Box" k6iii at juno.com wrote: > ....What else would I do with it [KRC2]....? Hi Jerry, You and I both clearly need more antennas ;) Beyond its basic band decoding function, the KRC2 is a superset of a product idea we once floated: the "Aux Box". In this capacity, it's a decoder for events on the K2's Aux Bus. This combined with the RS232 interface means the KRC2 will have a number of interesting uses: - a four-key pad for those who want "1-touch" CW message buffers for contest use (it's an ergonomic improvement over the K2's present "fast-play" mechanism: the unit sits flat on the desk like a message key pad) - a means of quickly accessing certain K2 features more quickly, such as the RXANT jack (which you could toggle on/off with one of the KRC2's switches); in fact the buttons will eventually permit download of user-defineable macros, so you could do things like multi-band scanning - a relay driver for things you might control from the K2's general-purpose "ACC" menu entry, which could be anything from a multiple-rig audio/RF selector box to an "on-air" light - an indispensible accessory for blind ops; the KRC2 can provide complete CW feedback for the K2 when buttons are pressed, VFO is turned, etc. (and this behavior will be programmable) In fact the "RC" in "KRC2" means Remote Control, in the most general sense. It's a means of extending the affordances of the K2 into the rest of the shack. I'm sure the KRC2 will be used for many things we haven't yet thought of. Feel free to send suggestions to the KRC2's designer, Jack Brindle (copied on this e-mail). 73, Wayne N6KR ++++++++++++++++ Date: Wed, 7 May 2003 21:50:15 -0700 Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Transverter & Satellite work questions? Cc: To: "Rick Tilton" From: Jack Brindle OK, let me throw some folks into a tizzy. I believe this can actually be done. I understand the main requirements to have two K2's to operate side-by-side each with its own transverter on separate bands and have them track in frequency for doppler effects. Setting up the radios shouldn't be too difficult to do, you just need to practice standard dual-operation techniques to make sure the radios don't adversely effect each other (desense, etc). Tracking shouldn't be a big problem, it just takes some software on a computer (PC, Mac, or ???) with two serial ports to issue VFO commands (DN, UP, FA or FB commands) to set the frequency on each radio as to coordinate for doppler shift. Shouldn't be too bad, and you don't even need a KRC2 to do it. Wait. There must be a good reason to use the KRC2 in this situation... By the way, the KRC2 probably wouldn't be a good choice to try this operation since it doesn't have the frequency calculation capabilities you would need, nor can it talk to two radios simultaneously. But it _could_ switch your antennas and automatically send your CW QSO exchange for you. On Wednesday, May 7, 2003, at 09:02 PM, Rick Tilton wrote: > NOW for the biggie question - Would there be ANY hope of tying the two > K2's > together with their transverters and have them where they will be able > to do > normal tracking and inverting tracking with the two radios for sat > work. > Will the KRC2 be able to do this with the right software? Basically a > way to > tie the two radios together so that the freq will track normal or > inverting > as it should between the two radios. I know this would not be the most > efficient way to do this but is it possible. Just think about this a > minute. > Might not be the cheapest way to do it but what would it be like to > build > your own Satellite capable radio! The parts are there but can we tie > them > together somehow so we could seek full duplex operation between two > K2's > with tracking. Is there hope of getting these two to track? Of course > then > maybe someone could come up with software to help with the tracking > for the > two radios (Such as W6IHG radio tuner software)? Am I """WAY""" out > in left > field here? I am not an engineer or of the such and I'm sure I've > overlooked some giant caveat? So be kind in your answers for where I > may > shown my ignorance. But I've got to know!? -Jack Brindle, WA4FIB ======================================================================= MacDobs - helping to shift the paradigm for low-cost amateur astronomy. ++++++++++++++++++ Date: Wed, 07 May 2003 22:32:58 -0700 From: "Rick Tavan" Organization: TIBCO Software Inc. To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KRC2 Band Decoder Controller - huh? Switching bandpass filters in a multi-transmitter station (SO2R, M/2, M/S, M/M) is a key application. You can usually survive forgetting to throw a manual antenna switch. But transmitting into the wrong BPF is likely to fry it. A neat thing about the KRC2 is that you can control both antenna and BPF switches at the same time ... if you have such things, of course. /Rick N6XI k6iii at juno.com wrote: >Well, I admit to lacking in imagination, here, but.... after reading what >the KRC2 is supposed to do, I still don't understand why I would want one >attached to my K2. -- snip -- +++++++++++++++++++ From: "Bob Tellefsen" To: "Wayne Burdick" , Cc: , "Jack Brindle" Subject: RE: [Elecraft] KRC2 Band Decoder: it's also the "Aux Box" Date: Thu, 8 May 2003 10:29:27 -0700 Hi Jerry Just a follow up to Wayne's comment. I queried Eric earlier on this. While it isn't clear from the product description, it requires the KI02 or the KPA100 (which inludes the KI02) to provide the interface between the new box and the K2. So those of us without either will have to add a KI02 to our shopping list. Oh boy, another kit to build :-) 73, Bob N6WG ++++++++++++++++++ Date: Thu, 8 May 2003 21:13:20 -0700 Subject: Re: [Elecraft] bout the new band decoder option From: Jack Brindle To: , "John Cooper" On Thursday, May 8, 2003, at 06:42 PM, John Cooper wrote: > if i had a k1 and a k2 using the same antenna could that be used to > switch between the 2 radios or is it for switching between 2 or more > antennas only. Yes. There are four pushbuttons on the KRC2. One could be set up to control an accessory output to switch a relay between the K1 and the K2. You might also want to set up the relay so that the radio that is not connected to the antenna _is_ connected to a dummy load just in case you accidentally transmit with the wrong transceiver. Depending on how you have things set up, the K2 would probably determine which band you are switched to, so you would need to have the K1 follow the K2. Also realize that the K1 does not have the ability to control a KRC2... Having said this, the KRC2 is _very_ versatile. You will be able to configure it to do many things, including switch antennas. The trick is in the configuration which allows you to program the device to behave how you need it to behave. Pushing buttons can trigger many different actions depending on this configuration. As we get closer to the ship date I will have much more information on this subject, but for now consider that you will be able to program the KRC2 to do things much in the same way a simple computer is programmed. This is why the device is difficult to describe. It can do so many things for you! -Jack Brindle, WA4FIB +++++++++++++++++ Date: Tue, 13 May 2003 12:30:05 -0700 Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Using serial port load MSG buffers? Cc: elecraft at mailman.qth.net To: Marteinn Sverrisson From: Jack Brindle On Tuesday, May 13, 2003, at 03:02 AM, Marteinn Sverrisson wrote: > I was wondering if you can use the serial port to load messages into > the CW MSG buffers. > > I tried using the KY command to put CW messages into the MSG buffer 0, > by setting the REC to buffer 0 and then sending a KY message via > serial port, > but it did not work. > > Is there a way to do this? In a word, no. The only way to load the message buffers is from a paddle or key connected to the K2. The serial KY command is used to send CW text from a computer. At this point the two facilities are not connected. But, you will be able to download text messages into a KRC2 and send them at the press of a button. (Sneaky way to get an advertisement in, eh?) -Jack Brindle, WA4FIB ++++++++++++++++ Date: Sat, 24 May 2003 13:21:20 -0700 Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KRC2 manual Cc: eric at elecraft.com, elecraft at mailman.qth.net To: "Dale C. Gorsuch" From: Jack Brindle That's my cue... > When can we expect to see the KRC2 manual on the download page? The manual is still in the works. It will be posted when it is ready, closer to ship time. We are still making tweaks to the device as a result of testing and user comments. If there are specific questions about the KRC2, I can probably answer them now... -Jack Brindle, WA4FIB ++++++++++++++++++ Reply-To: From: "Bruce Thompson" To: Date: Fri, 30 May 2003 13:33:01 -0600 Subject: [Elecraft] Questions on the KRC2 I've got some questions about the KRC2 box. I plan on using it in my vehicle to automatically select the proper filter setting on my SGC500 amp but there could be a bunch of other things that could be fun... 1. Does it have a power switch? Running power in my vehicle is always a pain. 2. How much current does it draw? Is it something that could just be left on all the time? Does it have a sleep mode? 3. Can it detect when the K2 is turned off or on and then do something such as switch on one of the transistors? (I'm assuming here that the unit wouldn't actually detect the loss of power but the loss of communication with the K2). 4. Can the PC serial port also be an output? I wouldn't mind programming it to control other serial devices. 5. It looks like there is an LED on the front. Can it be programmed? 6. Can the unit write something to the display of the K2? (Useful on a button press or some automatic function) 7. Can it detect when the "tune" button has been pressed? I'd like to use that to turn off the amp automatically. 8. How many outputs are available? Can't quite read the PC board in the photograph. 9. Are there any inputs? Can the controller read the state of any lines? 10. It looks like the wires are passed through the square hole next to the serial ports. Is there any strain relief/shield ground on it? 11. Can the unit be programmed to send things to the K2 to turn on the sidetone? This is really useful in a mobile environment if the system could send CW messages out the speaker as to what it was going. 12. What is the interior slider switch for? I assume to put the processor in program mode? 13. How "programmable" is the processor? (e.g. what language, what development tools, remotely programmable, how much memory is available, etc.) 14. Will the buttons on the unit be able to detect tap as well as hold? 15. Could the switches be remotely mounted so the box could be located away from the operating position? Important when running mobile. 16. How much of the internal state of the K2 can it detect? Such as the real time clock? To see what I'm talking about as far as my mobile setup, check out: http://home.attbi.com/~thompsj/wsb/html/view.cgi-home.html-.html Most of the links are bogus but check out the photos to see what I'm using. Thanks in advance. 73, Bruce KG0SH Golden, CO +++++++++++++++ Date: Fri, 30 May 2003 18:46:53 -0700 From: Wayne Burdick Organization: Elecraft To: brucet at santechconsulting.com Cc: elecraft at mailman.qth.net, Jack Brindle Subject: [Elecraft] Re: Questions on the KRC2 Hi Bruce, I'll hit as many of these as I know off the top of my head. The principle designer of this product, Jack Brindle (WA4FIB) may add his own comments. I also copied Jack on this so you'll have his e-mail address and can ask him questions directly. Also see our KRC2 page on the web, which covers most of this stuff. > 1. Does it have a power switch? Running power in my vehicle is always > a pain. No power switch, but its logic circuits are powered from the cable to the K2. If you're turning on relays via the sink outputs, and the relays have their own 12 V line, you will probably not need to run a separate power cable to the KRC2. But it has a supplemental 12V input just in case. > 2. How much current does it draw? Is it something that could just be > left on all the time? Does it have a sleep mode? It draws very little when not sourcing current to relays -- probably less than 30 mA. It will turn off when the K2 turns off. Of course you can use it with other rigs, so you may want to turn power off to the KRC2 in that case. > 3. Can it detect when the K2 is turned off or on and then do something > such as switch on one of the transistors? (I'm assuming here that the > unit wouldn't actually detect the loss of power but the loss of > communication with the K2). Integration with the K2 is seamless: when the K2 turns on, the KRC2 turns on an output corresponding to the band selected (including WARC bands and up to 3 transverter bands). It also turns on up to 3 accessory outputs, as controlled by the K2's ACC menu entry. > 4. Can the PC serial port also be an output? I wouldn't mind > programming it to control other serial devices. Yes. You might want to describe the specifics you have in mind to Jack. > 5. It looks like there is an LED on the front. Can it be programmed? I believe so. It's there mostly as a status indicator for keeping track when you download new firmware to the KRC2 from a PC. > 6. Can the unit write something to the display of the K2? (Useful on a > button press or some automatic function) Not with present K2 firmware. The K2's "DS" command is read-only. But a future revision of K2 firmware might support display control via the KRC2 if we determine that this would be useful in many situations. > 7. Can it detect when the "tune" button has been pressed? I'd like to > use that to turn off the amp automatically. The KRC2 definitely knows when the K2 has been put into transmit mode, but check with Jack on the specifics. > 8. How many outputs are available? Can't quite read the PC board in > the photograph. 10 decoded HF bands, including WARC bands; 3 transverter bands; and 3 accessory outputs. All of the relay outputs include both sink and source lines, for a total of 32 relay drive outputs. There are also 4 BCD band decodes which can be inputs or ouputs. Finally there are a few analog inputs which can be used with Icom rigs and certain band-decode boxes which put out an analog band-select voltage. One interesting application we haven't described in detail yet is the use of the KRC2 to control multiple rigs. You could for example have a K2 and a couple of rigs from other manufacturers all controlling the KRC2's relay drive outputs, and you could program the four buttons on top of the box so that you'd tap one switch to select each rig. That rig could then control the antenna farm, etc. The KRC2 will be truly universal in that you can use a PC-based application to customize the firmware, then download it to the box. Most of the standard functions you might use can also be controlled by jumpers inside the KRC2, so in most cases you won't even need to hook up a PC to it. But that functionality will be there if you need it. One of the big benefits of this is that you won't necessarily have to do any "Wire-ORing" of antenna selects inside the KRC2. You could use your PC to do all of this configuration automatically, saving a lot of tedious wiring. The KRC2 is the only unit we know of that provides this capability. > 9. Are there any inputs? Can the controller read the state of any > lines? Yes. It will be able to take band-select inputs from two or three different analog inputs, RS232, AuxBus, or BCD. The BCD format will be programmable, but will default to the industry standard. Unlike other decoder boxes, the KRC2 fully decodes the WARC bands, which could be of use at your station depending on your antenna setup. > 10. It looks like the wires are passed through the square hole next to > the serial ports. Is there any strain relief/shield ground on it? Provision has been made for strain relief, and there are several ground terminals available. The case itself is grounded to the PCB directly, and all I/O lines as well as the 12 V line are RF bypassed. RF bypassing turns out to be sorely lacking in most decoders, but we paid a lot of attention to this. > 11. Can the unit be programmed to send things to the K2 to turn on the > sidetone? This is really useful in a mobile environment if the system > could send CW messages out the speaker as to what it was going. Yes. The KRC2 will include the option to provide CW feedback on all K2 front panel events, including VFO movement (with programmable band edges), switches, and knobs. You'll even be able to get CW feedback while using the K2's menu, allowing 100% eyes-free operation. This capability was intended as a service to blind hams or others with special user interface needs, but it will certainly be useful for mobile operators. You can also use the four buttons on the top of the KRC2 to access up to four CW message buffers (one-touch). This may be of interest to contest operators who would rather not use the K2's "fast-play" mode since it supplants existing switch functions. > 12. What is the interior slider switch for? I assume to put the > processor in program mode? Yes. There are also jumpers to disable specific functions that are routed to the DB9 connectors. This provides great flexibility in multi-rig installations. > 13. How "programmable" is the processor? (e.g. what language, what > development tools, remotely programmable, how much memory is available, > etc.) The programmability of the KRC2 will initially be "moderated," that is you will work only with "events" and "outputs." A future more general programming capability is possible but not planned at this time. We'll see how demand for such functionality shapes up. > 14. Will the buttons on the unit be able to detect tap as well as hold? They do. Various sets of default behavior are possible, including CW message buffers, multi-rig contol, accessory control, etc. > 15. Could the switches be remotely mounted so the box could be located > away from the operating position? Important when running mobile. Sure. > 16. How much of the internal state of the K2 can it detect? Such as > the real time clock? Virtually anything that affects the display can be read and output as CW. The KRC2 detects nearly every switch press, knob turn, etc., as well. Jack will be happy to go into further detail. 73, Wayne N6KR ++++++++++++++ From: "hhooker Hooker" To: "Wayne Burdick" , Cc: , "Jack Brindle" Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Re: Questions on the KRC2 Date: Fri, 30 May 2003 22:17:59 -0400 Hello Wayne, Thanks for the KRC2 posting. I needed that . My 1st KRC2 is on order. 73, Harry W8YMO Cleveland OH +++++++++++++++ Date: Sat, 31 May 2003 12:01:04 -0700 Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Questions on the KRC2 - part 1 From: Jack Brindle To: Elecraft at mailman.qth.net Apparently the reflector doesn't like messages over a certain size, so my reply to Bruce was rejected. He has already seen the response, but I thought the rest of you folks would like to see it also. So, here it is in several parts... Great questions! With the upgrade capability of the box, many of its features will be changing or added to as time progresses. exactly what gets added will come from user's suggestions and ways of doing things we haven't anticipated. That's the cool thing about the box - because it is configurable, you get to decide what it really does! On Friday, May 30, 2003, at 12:33 PM, Bruce Thompson wrote: > 1. Does it have a power switch? Running power in my vehicle is always > a pain. No. There are three power feeds to the KRC2, for feeding two separate areas. Main controller power can either come directly from the KRC2 or the barrel connector. In either case, the voltage must be limited to less than 15 volts (same as K2). Current drain is no more than about 20 mA on the units I have tested with LED on full. Turn the LED off, and current drops. The second power feed is for powering the source relay drivers. This may come from the barrel connector, with its 15V max rating, OR from a terminal pin, allowing a much higher voltage, up to 50 volts. Max current drain is about 1 amp on this circuit, limited by the terminal connector and the heat dissipation of the driver chips. > 2. How much current does it draw? Is it something that could just be > left on all the time? Does it have a sleep mode? See above for current requirements. It does not have a sleep mode at this time. > 3. Can it detect when the K2 is turned off or on and then do something > such as switch on one of the transistors? (I'm assuming here that the > unit wouldn't actually detect the loss of power but the loss of > communication with the K2). There are two ways of looking at this. If it is powered from the K2, then it certainly detects when the K2 powers up. Power-up of the KRC2 is an event that may cause some user-programmed action. Of course in this scenario when the k2 is powered off, the KRC2 will immediately lose power, and won't be able to perform any action. it will dim the LED, however. ;-) The second case is powering the KRC2 from the barrel connector. In this mode we have the ability to sense inputs from the K2, but do not currently do so to provide a "K2-on" event/action. It is an interesting idea, however. When the K2 is turned on, we get a flurry of information from the unit such as band and ACC settings. When the KRC2 powers up, it automatically sets its relay outputs to off, so the KRC2 uses the K2's power-on communications to set the relay outputs. If you are requesting a "K2-on" event, i will definitely consider it. It could resolve some interesting situations that may occur from the K2 being turned off, then back on... > 4. Can the PC serial port also be an output? I wouldn't mind > programming it to control other serial devices. Yes, but that is reserved for upgrade mode at this point. Serial port messages come in from the K2, cause something to happen in the KRC2, then a result may be sent back out. It is quite possible to send out a command in response to a local event (such as a key press) to have the K2 do something. If the upgrade switch is in the"UPG" position, that data would go out the PC port. Note, however, that the data must be in standard K2 communications format as described by the KIO2 reference manual. If you want to send some text, it would need to be part of a KY command, of the sort: "KY THIS IS A TEXT MESSAGE;" and would be subject to the normal limitations of the command (24 chars maximum). The KRC2 does not impose the character maximum, however, so you could send more, subject to the overall limitation of size of the operand area (I'll have to explain this later). > 5. It looks like there is an LED on the front. Can it be programmed? Not at present. What would you like it to do? It has the ability to have four levels (off to full on), and certainly could be placed under user control. Do I hear a suggestion here? > 6. Can the unit write something to the display of the K2? (Useful on > a > button press or some automatic function) Only for displaying ACCessory text. (See the K2/KIO2 ACCessory command). This is VERY limited. The K2 simply doesn't have the ability for accessories to send in text which can be displayed on the LCD. Maybe someday, but that isn't under my control... > 7. Can it detect when the "tune" button has been pressed? I'd like to > use that to turn off the amp automatically. I have not found a way to do this yet. There simply is no indication that I have found from the K2 that the transmitter is in TUNE mode. It _does_ know when the radio is in transmit mode, and does not allow relay switching during this time. > 8. How many outputs are available? Can't quite read the PC board in > the photograph. Sixteen. All with separate source and sink capabilities. They can be diode ORed if needed (say for a triband beam), but we are also going to allow the user to configure the driver map so that a single output may be turned on for several bands so you don't have to use diodes. This will probably allow you to use the drivers from other triggers besides the bands. The legends you are trying to read indicate the ten HF bands (including 60m), three transverter outputs, and three ACCessory outputs. The transverter and ACC outputs may be mapped either fully decoded (1 of 3) or binary non-decoded output. This means you could have a maximum of eight ACCessory outputs if you'd like. The K2 will support that many devices on its ACC menu; I have tested it... The text displayed for the ACC menu is stored in the KRC2 and sent to the K2 on command. It is also configurable by the user. Also, you can set the ACC outputs separately from the K2. for example, the demo version has buttons that turn each ACC output on depending on which button is pressed, or all off if a fourth button is pressed. -Jack Brindle, WA4FIB ======================================================================= MacDobs - helping to shift the paradigm for low-cost amateur astronomy. ++++++++++++++++++ Date: Sat, 31 May 2003 12:11:11 -0700 Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Questions on the KRC2 - part 2 From: Jack Brindle To: Elecraft at mailman.qth.net > 9. Are there any inputs? Can the controller read the state of any > lines? Yes, in two different ways. There are three analog inputs which may be used to set the band information from third-party radios such as those from Icom and Yaesu. The voltages which set each band from these inputs are user-configurable, and stored in three separate voltage/band tables. Also, the four band outputs may be turned around into inputs, used for setting the band. At present, there are no general-purpose bit inputs, and the hardware has limited ability to support them, but again if needed, the few that exist could be reprogrammed at some point in the future... > 10. It looks like the wires are passed through the square hole next to > the serial ports. Is there any strain relief/shield ground on it? There are two 1/8-inch holes that may not be shown on that picture for use with a plastic tie-wrap (provided with the kit) that may be used for securing cables. We looked at several ways of doing this, but all had the same problem, they would not withstand long-term use. The tie-wraps seem to be the best solution, and are easily replaceable. > 11. Can the unit be programmed to send things to the K2 to turn on the > sidetone? This is really useful in a mobile environment if the system > could send CW messages out the speaker as to what it was going. Anything that can be accomplished through the K2's serial port can be done from the KRC2. This includes most menu settings. The demo units have a button programmed to switch the Receive Antenna on and off, something that can only be accomplished in a menu. It also makes very effective use of the K2's test facility to announce CW messages to the user. Unfortunately when the K2 is in MENU mode it defers KY commands until it exits that mode, thus limiting the ability to tell the user everything that is going on. A speaker option in the KRC2 will allow these announcements without the need for the K2. If you are wearing headphones you will want to use the K2 announcement mode, however, since the K2's sidetone audio is piped through the normal audio channel. > 12. What is the interior slider switch for? I assume to put the > processor in program mode? Yes. It is useful for either upgrade or normal modes. In the upgrade position the KRC2 communicates with the PC, while in the Normal position the K2 communicates either with the KRC2 or the PC. Even when the K2 is communicating with the PC, the KRC2 is listening in and can detect messages in which it needs to do something. > 13. How "programmable" is the processor? (e.g. what language, what > development tools, remotely programmable, how much memory is available, > etc.) Don't think of it in terms of normal programming languages. The KRC2 is designed to be very simple to configure and operate. Rather than have a standard compiled command syntax, the KRC2 does things a bit differently. There are about 60 different events which are generated within the KRC2. These range from initialization to band changes to frequency changes, and even include timeouts from a pair of user-programmable timers. Whenever one of these conditions is detected, the KRC2 generates a corresponding event which is then matched against the command table, which is provided by the user. Each entry in the table has an event and a command which will be carried out, including operands for that command. An example of a command is making a CW announcement with the command being an Announce command, and the operand being the text you wish to announce to the user. There are 27 different operations at present, each with variations that allow the KRC2 to perform many different functions. Events may be the subject of several entries in the command table, so you could have the K2 QSY, change antennas and then send a CW message all from a single button press. The main tool to configure the KRC2 is still in development, and it is expected that others will create their own versions from the specifications we release. Essentially mine has a list of events that may be generated and a separate list of operations. The user would select an event, then an operation that the event would trigger. Each operation would show the variations that are allowed, including space to enter text or numbers. There are currently 64 entries allowed in the table. The limitation is dependent on two factors, the time needed to traverse the entire table as well as the space available in the Microcontroller's Flash memory. The unit also currently sets a limit of 128 bytes/characters for the operand table, which stores text, numbers or other information used by the commands. The programming system will be the subject of its own manual, to be released after the main assembly/user manual for the unit. plans for the tools are still being developed, but you will be seeing some interesting things in the near future. Also look for the tools to be as system-independent as possible. --- END OF PART 2 --- -Jack Brindle, WA4FIB ++++++++++++++++ Date: Sat, 31 May 2003 12:11:09 -0700 Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Questions on the KRC2 - part 3 From: Jack Brindle To: Elecraft at mailman.qth.net > 14. Will the buttons on the unit be able to detect tap as well as > hold? Yes! In fact, there are 24 separate events that can be generated from the pushbutton switches. The action of a button hold is configurable, so that it may either trigger an event and thus an action, or it may be set up to cause a "shift" function, where the next key press determines the actual event. Again, the dem units provide an example. Holding the F4 key causes a "shift-4" condition. The next key pressed (1-4) will trigger an event (in this case a Switch17-Switch20 event) which will be interpreted by the command table. This is where we actually play with the local ACC settings in the demo, turning the ACC drivers on and off for the F1-F4 buttons. > 15. Could the switches be remotely mounted so the box could be located > away from the operating position? Important when running mobile. The box could certainly be remotely mounted. The main limitation when used with the K2 is the length of the interconnect cable, which needs to be short due to the constraints of the AuxBus. Having said this, it would also be possible (although not in the current firmware, YET) to receive the band changes through the RS-232 serial port and not need the AuxBus. This is the way the KRC2 will work when used with a Kenwood radio. You lose the ACC and Transverter information coming from the K2, and there will be a very slight delay for the radio to output the new frequency/band information, but there is no reason it wouldn't work. > 16. How much of the internal state of the K2 can it detect? Such as > the real time clock? Real-time clock information from the KAF2 and KDSP2 is not currently received and processed by the KRC2. Indeed the only AuxBus information we currently handle are the band, transverter and accessory messages. The KRC2 _does_ have an internal timer system which may be used to periodically trigger events. One example of their use would be to send a ten-minute CW identification. This example would require two command entries, one which initializes a timer for the period (ten minutes) and to run, and the second which picks up the timer event, switches the radio to CW mode (if not there already), sends the CW ID, and finally returns the K2 to whatever the previous operating mode was. The timers can be set to automatically repeat their actions by the user. The KRC2 keeps track of the parameters the K2 puts out through the serial port, then compares later updates of these parameters to determine changes and thus create events. So, an event such as a VFOA Frequency change is caused by the KRC2 receiving two updates of the VFOA frequency which are not the same. It can also read the K2's display and bar graph information, note that something has changed, and create an event for you to announce the information. Much of this capability was designed for the accessibility functions of the box, but if it may be useful to others. I am sure the complete manual will be very useful in determining a lot of what you can do with the KRC2. It is in the works and should be available in the near future. To paraphrase Orson Wells, "We shall release no kit before it's time..." He was referring to some great California wine, of course, but the idea counts. ;-) > To see what I'm talking about as far as my mobile setup, check out: > > http://home.attbi.com/~thompsj/wsb/html/view.cgi-home.html-.html Impressive picts! I suspect you will be able to do quite a bit with the KRC2 in your mobile station, including some things we haven't thought of previously. Suggestions are very welcome, and may be incorporated in future versions of the firmware. I look forward to a dialog with you and others on various ways to improve and enhance our cool little control box! -Jack Brindle, WA4FIB +++++++++++++++++