WinWarbler CW Settings

WinWarbler Online Help Contents

 

The CW tab of WinWarbler's Configuration window provides panels  that controls the generation of CW

The CW panel contains general settings, and four sub-panels: keyboard mode, weight, PTT, and keying.

CW general settings

Xcvr mode specifies whether Commander (if running) should set the transceiver mode to CW or CW-R when WinWarbler is placed in CW mode
CW offset (hz) specifies an offset in Hertz that aligns the displayed CW receive frequency with a known CW frequency; negative values are accepted. This can be used to compensate for an offset between your transceiver's VFO display and its actual frequency, ensuring that an accurate frequency will be logged with the QSO.
display xmit/rcv characters when checked, presents a receive pane in which characters are displayed as they are transmitted or received (this setting can only be changed when WinWarbler is in CW mode)
use cut #s in macros when checked in CW mode, substitutes T for 0 and N for 9 in the results of RSTsent, RSTrcvd, transmit_power, rx_serial_number, and tx_serial_number macros
auto start when checked, automatically starts CW transmission when characters are entered into the Transmit pane by keystroke or macro

Note: the auto start setting will be un-checked and disabled if the Send control characters from Transmit Pane setting is checked while in CW mode with keying via the external modem; this prevents keystrokes intended to control the external modem from initiating transmission.
auto stop when checked,  automatically stops CW transmission if there are no more characters to transmit

Note: the auto stop setting will be un-checked and disabled if the Send control characters from Transmit Pane setting is checked while in CW mode with keying via the external modem; this prevents keystrokes intended to control the external modem from initiating transmission.

 

CW keying panel

Note that changing the CW keying while a CW transmission is in progress will abort that transmission.

serial port RTS when selected, key the transceiver via the specified serial port's RTS modem control signal

note: if the specified serial port is selected in the PTT port panel, and if the PTT port's RTS signal is available for CW keying, then PTT port (com n) RTS will automatically be selected; if the PTT port's RTS signal is not available for CW keying, then use of the PTT port for CW keying will be disallowed.
serial port DTR when selected, key the transceiver via the specified serial port's DTR modem control signal

note: if the specified serial port is selected in the PTT port panel, and if the PTT port's DTR signal is available for CW keying, then PTT port (com n) DTR will automatically be selected; if the PTT port's DTR signal is not available for CW keying, then use of the PTT port for CW keying will be disallowed.
WinKey when selected, key the transceiver via a WinKey keyer connected to the specified serial port
serial port selector serial port to be used for CW keying
PTT port (com n) RTS when selected, key the transceiver via the PTT serial port's RTS modem control signal; this option is disabled if the PTT mode panel is set to none, RTS, or Xcvr Ctrl SW, or if the PTT port panel is set to none
PTT port (com n) DTR when selected, key the transceiver via the PTT serial port's DTR modem control signal; this option is disabled if the PTT mode panel is set to none, DTR, or Xcvr Ctrl SW, or if the PTT port panel is set to none
parallel port when selected, key the transceiver via the specified parallel port signal; while WinWarbler is in CW mode with parallel port keying enabled, the specified parallel port's strobe signal  is asserted, placing a TTL 0 voltage on DB25 pin 1
parallel port selector parallel port to be used for CW keying

  • LPT1 is the port whose hexadecimal address is 378

  • LPT2 is the port whose hexadecimal address is 278

  • LPT3 is the port whose hexadecimal address is 3BC

  • LPT4 is the port whose hexadecimal address is 2BC
parallel port signal selector determines which parallel port signal is used to convey CW keying

  • databit 0 (DB25 pin 2)

  • databit 1 (DB25 pin 3)

  • databit 2 (DB25 pin 4)

  • databit 3 (DB25 pin 5)

  • databit 4 (DB25 pin 6)

  • databit 5 (DB25 pin 7)

  • databit 6 (DB25 pin 8)

  • databit 7 (DB25 pin 9)

  • initialize printer (DB25 pin 16)

  • select input 0 (DB25 pin 17)
external modem when selected, key the transceiver via the an external modem 
  • disables all settings on the CW keyboard mode, CW weight, and CW PTT panels (as these functions are controlled by the external modem)
Xcvr Ctrl SW when selected, key the transceiver via Commander (not yet available)

 

CW keyboard mode panel

Settings on this panel specify when characters are transmitted if the CW Keying panel is set to serial port RTS, serial port DTR, WinKey, PTT port RTS, PTT port DTR, or parallel port.

character when selected, transmit each character as its entered in the transmit pane
word when selected, wait to transmit until a word is entered, as signified by a space, punctuation, or pro-sign character

 

CW weight panel

Settings on this panel specify the relative time-weighting of transmitted CW elements if the CW Keying panel is set to serial port RTS, serial port DTR, WinKey, PTT port RTS, PTT port DTR, or parallel port.

dot time units per CW dot
dash time units per CW dash
element space time units per CW element space (not adjustable if keying via WinKey)
character space time units per CW character space (not adjustable if keying via WinKey)
word space time units per CW word space (can only be set to 6 or 7 if keying via WinKey)

 

CW PTT panel

Settings on this panel specify whether and how PTT is asserted during CW transmission if the CW Keying panel is set to serial port RTS, serial port DTR, WinKey, PTT port RTS, PTT port DTR, or parallel port.

assert PTT during CW when checked, assert PTT during CW transmission; this option is disabled if the PTT mode panel is set to none
PTT lead time (ms) PTT lead time, in milliseconds; WinWarbler will wait for this amount of time after asserting PTT before transmitting CW (with WinKey, non-zero values will be rounded up to the next largest multiple of 10ms)
PTT lag time (ms) PTT lag time, in milliseconds; WinWarbler will wait for this amount of time after transmitting CW before un-asserting PTT (with WinKey, non-zero values will be rounded up to the next largest multiple of 10ms)

 

WinKey panel

Settings on this panel control the operation of a WinKey keyer; this panel's caption indicates WinKey's firmware version.

speed potentiometer

  • establishes the range of speeds that can be set by the speed potentiometer, in words per minute

  • specifies the standard 3-wire potentiometer connection, or the optional 2-wire potentiometer connection
timing

  • if the Farnsworth speed setting is greater than the current CW transmission speed, then Farnsworth spacing is used at the Farnsworth speed; setting the Farnsworth speed to 0 precludes Farnsworth spacing at any transmission speed

  • the dot/dash ratio setting sets the ratio between dot and dash durations, by the formula

    Dot/Dash = 3 x (N/50) where the setting N must be in the range of 33 (producing a 2:1 ratio) to 66 (producing a 4:1 ratio)

  • the first extension setting increases the duration a transmission's first dot or dash by the specified number of milliseconds to a maximum of 250; this can be used to compensate for a transceiver's slow break-in response

  • the compensation setting increases the duration of all dots and dashes in a transmission by the specified number of milliseconds to a maximum of 250, reducing the duration of spaces to maintain the specified speed; this can be used to compensate for the shortening of transmitted CW elements by a transceiver's QSK circuit
sidetone

  • if enabled, the WinKey's pin 5 is configured for sidetone output at the specified audio frequency

  • enabling PTT during CW disables this option, as WinKey pin 5 is used to generate PTT
paddle

  • iambic A, if selected, sends alternating dots and dashes when both paddles are pressed (Curtis-style)

  • iambic B, if selected, sends alternating dots and dashes when both paddles are pressed, and sends an extra alternate dot or dash when the paddles are released (Accu-keyer style)

  • ultimatic, if selected, sends a continuous stream of whichever paddle was last pressed when both paddles are pressed

  • bug/straight, if selected, sends dots when the dot paddle is pressed, but sends a single dash when the dash paddle is pressed; to use a straight key, connect it to the dash paddle input

  • swap, if enabled, configures the right paddle to generate dios and the left paddle to generate dashes

  • autospace, if enabled, interprets a pause of more than one dot time as a letter space, and generates the full letter space timing; additional dots or dashes entered during this interval will be buffered and sent once the letter space has been completed

  • echo back, if enabled, decodes CW generated via the paddles for display in WinWarbler's receive pane (if enabled)

  • the switchpoint delay setting determines when a new paddle press will be accepted after sensing the current one; the default value of 50 corresponds to 1 dot time, and is adjustable as a percent of dot duration by the formula

    Delay = (N x DotDuration)/50  where the setting N must be in the range of 10 to 90