Specifications

NOTE: "Disable router queries" disables Router polling only when the port has been opened by an

application program. When the virtual port is closed, Router always polls the radio to support the

automatic switching functions of microKEYER. If it is necessary to disable all polling, select one of the

"none" options in the Radio box.

PW1 on radio bus – When this box checked, Router periodically generates an Icom "Transceive"

broadcast to keep the PW1 synchronized.

The bottom two-thirds of the Radio window is a serial communication monitor. The monitor uses colors and tags

to indicate which device is responsible for the data. Black queries (H1-TX or H2-TX) and grey radio responses

(H1-RX or H2-TX) are from the "host" application (e.g., logger), H1 indicates the host application on the main

CAT port, H2 is the host application on the 2

CAT port. Green packets (R-TX and R-RX) are polls/responses

from/to Router and not routed to the application.

Router monitors the communication when the host application performs control and polls the radio periodically

for any missing information (VFO frequencies and mode). Because some applications do not poll the radio

regularly or completely, Router must break this communication to update its internal state. In order to avoid

confusing the application when Router polls the radio, data from the application is buffered and sent to the radio

after Router receives a response to its query. If Router does not receive response to a poll within the time

allowed or does not understand the response, it displays "oldest query discarded" but forwards all data to the

virtual serial port to avoid confusing the application (logger).

Since USB transmits data in frames with a delay between frames, Router indicates frame boundaries with three

dots (...). When a packet ends with three dots it means that the data continues in the next frame.

CAT PORT

Beginning with version 7.0, Router provides unique control capability: the 2

CAT Port is an intelligent data fork

(software 'Y' connector) that allows a second application to share control of the radio. Router monitors when

data is sent from each application and routes the radio's responses to the correct virtual port.

IMPORTANT: Both applications must use same communication parameters (baud rate, data length, parity and

number of stopbits) for proper operation!

Neither CAT port has priority. Polls/commands from the applicationa are processed alternately. In order to

avoid collisions and confusion due to unexpected data, responses from the radio are returned only to the

application that generated the command. Unsolicited data such as automatic frequency/mode updates (Icom

"transceive" packets or "Auto-information" data from Kenwood, Elecraft and recent Yaesu transceivers) is

forwarded to both CAT ports.

Due to physical limitation of data channel throughput and the controller capabilities in various transceivers,

there are several important rules which must be observed.

● Combined data from both applications must not exceed maximum throughput of the radio control port

and transceiver controller. In other words, the polling rate from one application may need to be

decreased to provide data space for the second application and vice versa.

● Applications must be tolerant of delayed responses from the radio. Each application must wait for the

radio to respondwhen the another application is communicating with the radio.

● Due to protocol deficiencies in handling VFO split commands with many transceivers (particularly

Icom), split mode must be initated and ended by only one application and manual split control (from the

front panel of the radio) should not be used.

NOTE: Despite extensive testing using various combinations of applicaitons for the CAT and 2

CAT ports,

microHAM cannot guarantee proper operation with every potential combination of applications.