Configuring the CW Keying connection

The Keying panel on the CW tab of WinWarbler's Configuration window specifies how a CW keying signal is to be generated; there are 5 basic alternatives:

1. by a serial port RTS or DTR signal, employing RS-232 voltage levels (+12 VDC, -12 VDC); in this configuration, CW timing is controlled by Windows, and thus may vary with CPU and memory load

2. by a parallel port data Data, Init, or Select signal, employing TTL voltage levels (+5 VDC, 0 VDC); in this configuration, CW timing is controlled by Windows, and thus may vary with CPU and memory load

3. by a Winkeyer circuit (or by an interface device containing this circuit) connected by an RS232 cable

4. by an external HF modem (e.g. a KAM, PK-232, etc.)

5. by a transceiver that can be directed to transmit CW via CAT command and that is being controlled by Commander

   1. Configuration

      1. set the Keying panel to Xcvr Ctrl App

      2. automatic switching between reception and transmission may also require configuring your transceiver for CW Break-In operation
   2. Transceivers
      • DZKit Sienna

      • Elecraft: K2, K3, K3S, KX2, KX3, or K4 (additional configuration instructions for K3 family and K4 transceivers are here); note: enable the transceiver's VOX function

      • FlexRadio: all models running PowerSDR or SmartSDR

      • Icom: IC-705, IC-7100, IC-7300 (current firmware), IC-7410, IC-7600, IC-7610, IC-7700, IC-7800, IC-7850, IC-7851, IC-9100, IC-9700

        • enable the transceiver's Break-in function

        • Icom transceivers provide a command that conveys up to 30 characters to be sent in CW, but provide no indication of how many CW characters remain un-transmitted. Commander will break messages larger than 30 characters into multiple commands, but the transceiver may reject commands if sufficient buffering in its microprocessor's memory is not available
      • Kenwood: TS-480, TS-570, TS-590, TS-870, TS-990, TS-2000

      • TenTec: Orion

Some transceivers require their Break-in function to be enabled in order to transmit CW via the means described above.

RTS or DTR Circuit Details

If you use a serial port RTS or DTR signal, an external circuit is required is required to drive your transceiver's straight key input:

• a simple opto-isolator circuit

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• a simple NPN transistor circuit

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• MORTTY - a CW and RTTY interface

• N6TV offers a fully assembled breakout box that provides four keying circuits as well as one or two internal FTDI USB-to-Serial adapters and all required cables

• a section of a commercial interface

Changing a Serial Port's COM Number

If necessary, you can change the COM port number that Windows assigns to a USB-to-serial-port adaptor.

Setting up CW, Phone, PSK, and RTTY Operation

Getting Started with CW, Phone, PSK, and RTTY Operation

Getting Started with DXLab