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MasterKeyer MK-1 Manual V1.22

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1. Elow control Command followed by displays help for that command Restore Defaults Ca Modify the port settings for flow control Click the Call icon looks like a NONE Since this is a USB connection telephone You should now be able to the bits per second setting does not matter communicate with your MK 1 Firmware Version 1 30 39 3 4 2011 Computer Commands Commands may be sent from the computer via the USB interface whenever the keyer is not in keyboard Morse mode this means when buttons 3 amp 6 are not illuminated Commands can be sent either by a program or manually using a serial terminal program such as PuTTY HyperTerminal or Minicom Characters received while in normal operating mode will be queued until a carriage return ASCII 13 hex 0x0D the Enter key on your keyboard is sent The command will be acted upon as soon as any pending messages are finished Any paddle activity will clear the communication buffer Most commands that can be sent from the paddles in Command Mode can also be sent from the computer Commands must be entered one at a time and are terminated with a carriage return The input will be echoed to the computer as it is sent so you can see the command as you type The Command Menu Of course you may not always have this manual available while operating or it may not be convenient to use it Typing a question mark when you don t remember what to do is usually
2. Me Processors SCSI and RAID controllers Sound video and game controllers System devices Universal Serial Bus controllers Click the plus sign next to Ports COM amp LPT to expand the list of serial and parallel ports Device Manager Eile Action View Help e amp Ra A 1952 R1 L3TH463 Batteries Computer Ge Disk drives 2 Display adapters DVD CD ROM drives 3 Human Interface Devices IDE ATAJATAPI controllers Imaging devices J Infrared devices gt Keyboards gt Mice and other pointing devices Monitors E9 Network adapters PCMCIA adapters 7 Ports COM amp LPT J Communications Port COM1 ov Printer Port LPT1 MPA USE Serial Port COMB Me Processors SCSI and RAID controllers In this example the new port appears as COM8 On your computer it may be a different port number depending on how many other USB to serial converters have been connected and other factors To verify that this is the correct port right click the port and click Properties Firmware Version 1 30 35 3 4 2011 USB Serial Port COMB Properties General Port Settings Driver Details GF USB Serial Port COMB P Z Device type Ports COM amp LPT Manufacturer FTDI Location on USB Serial Converter Device status This device is working properly i If you are having problems with this device click Troubleshoot to start the troubleshoot
3. o Curtis Mode A Curtis Mode B with adjustable paddle timing Bug mode automatic dots manual dashes Ultimatic mode Dot or dash priority o Straight key or Cootie mode e Paddle sensitivity or timing can be adjusted to suit your personal preference e Up to 30 memory slots available in five banks of six messages each o Each message can be up to 255 characters in length o Any bank of 6 messages can be assigned to the top buttons o Embedded commands in memory messages for a wide range of functions Change the sidetone frequency Send your stored callsign Send serial QSO number with or without automatic incrementing Send a steady carrier 1 9 seconds in length Increment decrement or change speed to a specific value Set HSCW speed up to 15 000 LPM Set QRSS speed from 1 to 120 seconds per dit Set Farnsworth spacing Send the last call sign sent from the paddles Call any other message from any bank Merge two characters into a prosign o Messages can be paused to manually insert information from the paddle and will automatically resume o Messages can be stacked to send in sequence o Beacon mode will repeat a message at regular intervals from 1 second to 5 minutes o Cut numbers supported for serial numbers any combination of 0 9 T N o Altered settings Farnsworth QRSS HSCW automatically cancel on completion of the memory message e Simple intuitive memory record play control o Tap any memory
4. or N to cancel Save all settings and memories to FLASH drive Respond with Y to confirm or N to cancel Load all settings and NA memories from FLASH drive Respond with Y to confirm or N to cancel Firmware Version 1 30 3 4 2011 Note Additional responses for XS and XL commands include ND No Disk present NF No File exists DF Disk Full and WF Write Failed A WF response may indicate a write protected file or a problem reading the USB drive Y Ymycall Mycall Stores your call sign for String use in memory messages maximum 15 Using a single space after characters the Y Y will clear the MYCALL setting Z Z Y N Z YN Leading zeros for QSO Y N number Table 1 Command Mode commands Keying Modes A number of keying modes are available for use with the MK 1 The choice of keying mode is a matter of individual preference there is no one right choice other than what works best for you The available modes are as follows Iambic A A This mode emulates the original Curtis keyer chip The dash paddle will produce continuous dashes the dot paddle will produce continuous dots Holding both paddles in will result in alternating dots and dashes The keyer checks the state of the paddles only after an element has finished sending Iambic B B Similar to Iambic A but the keyer begins checking the state of the padd
5. 1 30 2 3 4 2011 Congratulations and thank you for the purchase of your new MasterKeyer MK 1 I believe that this is the most advanced most fully featured and best Morse code keyer available to the Amateur Radio operator today Its combination of power and ease of use combined with its ability to be upgraded with new features and capabilities makes it unique Its high quality and rugged construction means it should give you many years of service I have put many hours into the design and testing of this unit It is my hope that you will find it easy to operate powerful and intuitive If you have suggestions for future improvements or features you would like to see or see done better please do not hesitate to let me know via email or letter I would also like to gratefully acknowledge the work of Steve Elliott KIEL in establishing the Winkeyer computer command interface as the standard for communicating with contest logging software 73 Dale Botkin N XAS HamGadgets 16624 Elm St Omaha NE 68130 1826 Email n0xas hamgadgets com Phone 1 888 777 1393 USA amp Canada On The Web http www hamgadgets com This manual the design and the firmware contained in the MasterKeyer MK 1 are copyright 2009 2011 by Dale Botkin and HamGadgets all rights reserved Firmware Version 1 30 3 3 4 2011 Introduction The MasterKeyer MK 1 is a self contained iambic Morse code memory keyer The hardware and operating pr
6. HSCW speed of 6000 letters per minute you would use SH60 SH by itself will cancel HSCW mode e SS will control QRSS mode When followed by a number from 1 to 120 the dot length is set to n seconds SS by itself will cancel QRSS mode e SR will reset any speed changes immediately e SO will reset speed changes the same as SR All speed changes are canceled at the end of the memory message MYCALL The Y command will send the contents of the MYCALL setting if there is one If the MYCALL setting is empty this command has no effect Example CQ CQ CQ DEY Y Y K Memory Calling amp Chaining A memory message can call any other message When a slant bar followed by a single digit is encountered the corresponding message from the active memory bank is called Ifthe slant bar is followed by two digits it is interpreted as a bank and message number Control is passed to the called message then returns when that message is complete Messages can be called up to eight deep Examples e 2 calls Message 2 from the current message bank e 32 calls message 2 from bank 3 Firmware Version 1 30 32 3 4 2011 Connecting to Your Computer Overview Your MasterKeyer can be connected to your USB equipped computer if you wish This allows the use of text mode for setup and message editing along with support for various contest logging programs If you don t plan to use a computer with your MasterKeyer it is safe to skip th
7. MYCALL Sends the contents of the saved MYCALL parameter if it has been set n or bn Call Call message n from the current bank or message n Message from bank b Table 2 Embedded message commands Firmware Version 1 30 29 3 4 2011 Audio The A command is used to set or reset the sidetone audio frequency It may be desirable to temporarily set the sidetone to a higher frequency for example for HSCW operating or to give yourself an indication that a message is about to pause or terminate The A command can be followed by a number to set the sidetone frequency within its valid range or can be used by itself to restore the normal sidetone When setting the tone use 1 10 the desired tone 80 for 800 Hz 100 for 1 kHz etc The sidetone will be set back to its normal frequency when the message is finished Example A100 TONE SET TO 1KHZ A200 NOW AT 2KHZ A BACK TO NORMAL TONE Beacon The B command is used at the end of a message With no parameter it will cause the keyer to wait the number of seconds specified by the B parameter setting then repeat from the beginning You may also specify a delay time in seconds from 1 to 600 that will override the B parameter This will continue until the message is terminated using either a paddle or a button press Example CQ CQ CQ DE Y Y Y K B will repeat the message at intervals determined by the B setting B10 will repeat the message every 10 seconds regardless of the B setting
8. You may be able to find a good quality cable for your rig at Radio Shack or a similar consumer electronics store 3 5mm 1 8 plugs are commonly used for audio purposes and an audio patch cord will work fine The output is completely isolated and is not polarity sensitive Firmware Version 1 30 9 3 4 2011 Using a Straight Key A straight key may be connected to the ST KEY jack The straight key cannot be used for command entry or control Note that early Rev A produced in 2009 boards had no optical isolation of the straight key jack This means that if your rig has a high keying voltage that voltage may be present on parts of the straight key Also the AMP OUT output will not be active when using the straight key if you have an unmodified early production keyer Later production units have improved straight key support including optical isolation from the output sidetone and AMP keying Key Ground Figure 3 Straight key wiring diagram Radio and Amplifier Connections Two outputs are provided for connection to your station transmitter or transceiver and amplifier The KEY OUT connection is an optically isolated solid state relay output used to key a transmitter or transceiver It can key virtually any solid state transmitter or transceiver as well as most tube gear See the Specifications page for maximum ratings It is set up for a 3 5mm mono plug wired the same as the ST KEY straight key input shown above Note that
9. a memory message We ll cover those in the Embedded Memory Commands section Firmware Version 1 30 18 3 4 2011 Remember though that each embedded command starts with a slant bar or character If you want to send a slant bar in a message say for example as part of your call sign you need to enter two slant bars So to send DL NOXAS I would store it as DL NOXAS This is only needed when recording memory messages not during normal operation Message stacking Pressing a memory button while a message is playing will queue that message to be sent For example if Message 1 is playing and you press button M2 Message 2 will be sent as soon as Message is finished Up to six messages can be queued up this way You can even queue up the same message to be sent multiple times for example if you have your call sign stored and want to send it more than once One exception applies to this If your current message is repeating in beacon mode pressing any button will terminate beacon mode and clear any stacked messages This applies only after the first repetition of the message during the first repetition it can be canceled as usual by the paddles or ESC key Terminating messages You may wish to terminate a message or a series of messages while it is being played Simply tap either the dot or dash paddle to terminate all message send activity immediately If you are in USB Keyboard mode the ESC key on the keyboard will h
10. a good idea As long as you are not in Morse keyboard mode you will usually see a hint that will help you along A question mark by itself will give you a list of all commands Typing a command followed by a question mark will get you a reminder of the applicable parameters or range So let s say you want to set the beacon time for auto repeating a message But it s been a while since you did it and you re not sure of the command A quick list of all available commands can be seen by typing a question mark So you type and hit ENTER MK 1 V1 30 BETA4 Type one of these commands A nnn Audio tone freq B nnn Beacon time delay C XxX Cut zero nine D nn nn Precomp Prefirst delay Enn Edit message Fonn Farnsworth spacing H n Pause hang time I Y N Helper dits J nn nn Amp lead trail K x Key mode A B U G S E T L Y N Auto letter space M Y N P Sidetone monitor N n Message bank select Q nnn QSO Serial R nn nn Speed range S nn Set speed T n Timing see manual TC Contest spacing U nn Command UI speed V Firmware version Wn Weight XA Reset to defaults XE Y N Enh straight key XL Load from FLASH XM Clear all mem XS Save to FLASH Y xxx MYCALL Z Y N Leading zeros Command followed by displays help for that command Firmware Version 1 30 40 3 4 2011 So now you know the command to set the beacon time is B but you don t remember
11. button to play its associated message o Hold the button to review record or edit the message e Keying output rated at 400V at up to 200 mA e Amplifier or PTT keying output rated at 400V at up to 400 mA with adjustable lead amp hang times e Keying times can be adjusted to lengthen all or only the first element sent e Straight key input for manual keying O00 0 Firmware Version 1 30 5 3 4 2011 e USB interface for connection to computer o Review or change any setting o Review change and save memory messages o Send Morse code from text sent from the computer ASCII to Morse translation o Capture text sent from paddles Morse to ASCII translation o Compatible with KIEL Winkeyer protocol to support logging and contest software e USB host interface o Use a USB FLASH drive to back up and restore all settings and message memory o Upgrade firmware from USB FLASH drive o Send Morse code and stored messages from a USB keyboard Dual Set speed control allows easy default to a pre set speed Separate fixed user interface Command Mode speed setting Adjustable sidetone monitor frequency and volume Stuck key safety disables keyer if a stuck paddle is detected Smart tune mode with constant carrier or 50 duty cycle User adjustable speed control range 5 99 WPM Farnsworth spacing is supported Automatic letter spacing is supported HSCW at up to 15 000 LPM 3 000 WPM o With sine wave audio output o Use amp key output for PTT audio to
12. dashes Mode T will be sent instead of alternating dots and dashes Keyboard sending can be paused using PAUSE key USB keyboard only PAUSE or ENTER will resume sending From either the PC host or the USB keyboard CTRL S and CTRL Q will work as they should to pause and resume sending CTRL BACKSPACE will delete the previous word when sending or recording a message from the USB keyboard NUM LOCK state of USB keyboard is preserved after power off or reset CTRL P PROSIGN lets you merge any two Morse characters from the keyboard in either host or USB mode Some keyboards don t properly send the INS of END keys you can use F1 F10 to end message entry from the USB keyboard The same message can now be stacked multiple times Added improved straight key support requires hardware mod enabled disabled by XE command Added helper dits I command to indicate word space Firmware Version 1 30 56 3 4 2011 during message recording BUGFIXES Loading settings from USB would set some parameters incorrectly at least some of the time Monitor M setting could be corrupted if changed from serial terminal Fixed terminal mode D command to set both precomp and prefirst Bank 6 can no longer be selected since it does not exist Any button press will now terminate beacon mode When using stacked memories pressing buttons in sequence to send more than one message there was no word space between the first and second
13. in non volatile FLASH memory meaning it is retained while power is off but can be altered when needed From time to time it may be desirable to update the internal program the firmware that controls your MasterKeyer MK 1 Firmware updates can Firmware Version 1 30 51 3 4 2011 include corrections to problems that have been discovered bug fixes new features or improved functionality New firmware files can be downloaded from the HamGadgets com web site as they become available The firmware update process is simple and takes only a few minutes After downloading the update file copy it to the root directory of a FAT formatted USB FLASH memory drive Disconnect the PC from the USB B connector if you have it connected With power to the MasterKeyer MK 1 switched off insert the FLASH drive into the USB host A connector on the rear panel Hold down function memory buttons 1 and 6 and switch the power on After a short self test you will see a distinctive chase pattern in which the buttons will sequentially light up green As soon as this pattern begins you can release the buttons while the firmware load proceeds When the program load is complete the keyer will reset and function as normal It is safe to leave the USB FLASH memory drive inserted a firmware update will only be performed if the first and last buttons are held down while power is switched on Suggestions amp Feedback Everyone will at some point think
14. mic input QRSS settings from 1 to 120 seconds per dit QRSS1 QRSS120 Power from any AC or DC source from 9 to 20V Built in self resetting overcurrent protection High quality powder coated metal cabinet with silkscreen printed legends FCC NOTICE NOTE This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation This equipment generates uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions may cause harmful interference to radio communications However there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected Consult the dealer or an experienced radio TV technician for help Firmware Version 1 30 6 3 4 2011 Quick Start Guide Despite the length of the MK 1 s manual it s really easy to operate Every e
15. precomp first element and Firmware Version 1 30 21 3 4 2011 AMP OUT lead tail times You may wish to use a slash instead of a space to separate the two parameters for example R10 25 works the same as R10 25 and you may find it easier to use To exit command mode simply tap any button OR send the prosign SK The keyer responds with dit dit and all six buttons will go back to their normal non illuminated state Shown below is a table of all available Command Mode commands The text in bold in the Check and Set columns is what you would send to check or set a parameter Characters in square brackets such as nn as in the R and J settings indicate an optional parameter The Response column shows what the keyer will send values in curly braces indicate that one of the values shown will be sent For example C 0 T 9 N means the keyer will send C followed by 0 or T then 9 or N depending on the current setting Setup Commands Response from Setting Description Limits Keyer Sidetone audio frequency 500 2500 in Hz The default beacon delay 0 255 time in seconds This can be overridden within a recorded message using the Bxx embedded command C 0 T 9 N Cut numbers for serial 0 9 T N number When set 0 can be sent as T and 9 can be sent as N D Dan nn Dnnnn First parameter Precomp 0 40 or delay in 1 millisecond Dan nn increments This will be added to
16. straight key support The straight key input is now treated similar to the paddle inputs with sidetone and amp keying The XE menu setting must be set to N for early unmodified units in order for the unit to operate It must be set to Y for later production units in order for the straight key to work The default state after a reset all XA command is N so that older units are not disabled Early production MK 1s can be modified for enhanced straight key operation The modification involves changes to the PCB and can be done by the user or by returning the unit for rework Please contact me for details if you want this modification made to your MK 1 Changes Errata and Notes From time to time the firmware that controls your MasterKeyer may be updated This may be done to add new features improve or change existing features or to fix errors or bugs This section lists changes from the previous firmware release as well as list any known issues errors or bugs Version Date Notes Changes 1 30 March FEATURES 2011 e L message command now sends the last call sign sent from paddles If MYCALL is set saves only other calls e Buttons 1 amp 5 force call sign from last word sent good for special event call signs etc e Paddle timing range is now 1 15 e Messages sent to the screen PC menu mode are enclosed in quotes BUGFIXES e Menu cleaned up TC command fixed e Keyer sends correct hyp
17. what the range of valid settings is You type B Keyer responds B 0 255 Now you know that the beacon time is a number that can be set from 0 to 255 You type B15 Keyer responds B 15 Note that you can send the command and setting together B15 or with a space B 15 it doesn t matter Some commands are not available via the computer port For example the P command to assign the dot paddle can be used only in Paddle Command Mode There are also some commands such as editing messages that are available from the computer but are not available in Paddle Command Mode Editing messages from the computer Any of the 36 message slots can be recorded by entering text from the computer To store or edit a memory message type the memory edit command E followed by the bank and message number to edit To edit a message in the currently selected bank you can omit the bank number Examples Edit Bank 1 Message 1 Edit Bank 1 Message 6 Edit Bank 3 Message 2 Edit Message 2 in the currently selected bank Ame ey NS Os 3 2 After you hit ENTER the keyer will respond by printing the bank and message number then the entire contents of that message If there are characters stored in the message that are not printable ASCII characters they will be represented by a special code explained below To leave the message alone without changes simply hit ENTER If you wish to delete the message completely type a single space c
18. 4 Figure 6 Top panel Firmware Version 1 30 12 3 4 2011 e The six function memory buttons These have several uses all of which are explained in more detail in the sections to follow Starting playback of a stored message Recording a new message or reviewing an existing one Entering and leaving Paddle Command Mode Entering and leaving Tune Mode Entering and leaving USB Keyboard Mode QSO number quick decrement Factory reset of all parameters Starting a firmware upgrade Indicating stuck key safety mode O 0000000 0 And again on the rear panel VOL PADDLE Figure 7 Rear panel e The POWER switch whose operation should be pretty obvious e The VOL control which adjusts the volume of the sidetone monitor Setting the Speed Control The keyer s speed can be adjusted using the speed control knob The normal default speed range is from 5 to 35 words per minute WPM but this can be changed using the R command from the command menu Rotating the speed control knob clockwise from approximately the 9 o clock position will increase the speed rotating counter clockwise will lower the speed Low end of speed range S High end of speed range Set speed A 3 area Figure 8 Speed control setting Firmware Version 1 30 13 3 4 2011 Many operators like to leave their keyer set at their customary operating speed but want to be able to change their speed to match that of anothe
19. 600 use the serial port name you discovered earlier Firmware Version 1 30 36 3 4 2011 3 Hit ENTER you should see a command prompt from the MK 1 If you type a question mark and hit ENTER you should get the command menu 4 To exit the screen program type Ctrl A followed by a backslash Setting up PuTTY Windows Now that we know the COM port number we can set up our terminal program accordingly The free program PuTTY is included on your MK 1 CD it s easy to use and works well There is no special install process the program has a single executable file that can be run by itself You can also use Windows Hyperterminal if you have it or under Linux you can use Minicom The example below uses PuTTY X PuTTY Configuration Category Session Logging Terminal Keyboard Bell Features Window Appearance Behaviour Translation Selection Colours Connection Data Proxy Telnet Rlogin SSH Serial Basic options for your PuTTY session Specify the destination you want to connect to Host Name for IP address l Connection type ORaw O Iene ORlogin SSH O Serial Load save or delete a stored session Saved Sessions v C Close window on exit OdAlways ONever Only on clean exit Open the PuTTY program This will be the first screen you see IX PuTTY Configuration Category Session Logging S Terminal Keyboard Bell Features Window Appear
20. Carrier The C command is followed immediately by a single digit 1 9 It can be used to send a steady tone for the number of seconds specified The tone can be terminated early by tapping either paddle Farnsworth The F command turns the Farnsworth letter spacing feature on or off Farnsworth spacing is a method of sending characters at a specified speed but extending the spacing to get a slower speed For example a typical Farnsworth setting might be 20 WPM characters sent at 10 WPM spacing This is generally used only for code practice not on the air When the F command is followed immediately by a one or two digit number the Farnsworth speed will be temporarily set F by itself or FO will turn Farnsworth spacing off The setting will revert to the permanent setting once the message has finished playing Last Callsign The L command will send the last call sign you sent from the paddles Automatic detection works for most call signs as long as they meet some basic criteria The first three characters must contain one letter and either one digit or a slash The call sign must be at least 4 characters long It cannot begin or end with a slant bar This will detect for example calls such as WIAW KASMSS 2EOABC NOXAS QRP DL NOXAS V35NN etc It will NOT detect certain special event and non Amateur call signs such as N4B NNNOABC etc If you need to force detection of a call sign you just sent you can press buttons 1 and 5 toget
21. Comments may be included and lines can be commented out Any line beginning with a character will be ignored when the file is read by the keyer using the XL command Also note that the file must be terminated by a single line containing EOF An example of a partial setting file follows Firmware Version 1 30 53 3 4 2011 A This is an example of a comment line V1 30B 00700 00010 DO 00000 D1 00000 00001 00008 GA 00000 GC 00000 GL 00000 GN 00000 GP 00000 GU 00000 GZ 00000 O ee S RY RL 5 RH 40 S T U r Y 00001 00000 0 00000 1 00000 00000 00002 00001 Note that leading zeros are optional demonstrate settings with no leading zeros 1 13 8 LS 5 NOXAS R RDI E Y R RK ER CALL UR RST P NAM E Y MKN E HR IS DALE Th py next few lines Here is an example of a CQ message using the MYCALL setting M11 CQ M12 M13 TU F M14 M15 M16 BTU L DI R Not all memory messages are shown in this example EOF Firmware Version 1 30 54 3 4 2011 Enhanced Straight Key Support Early production units PCB Revision A had no optical isolation for the straight key input PCB Rev B had optical isolation In each case the straight key was not monitored by the microprocessor and there was no sidetone or amplifier PTT sequencing More recent PCB versions have been modified to provide greatly improved
22. FLASH drive or a standard USB keyboard USB A or a PC host connection USB B Certain multifunction or wireless keyboards may not work with your MK 1 FLASH drives must be formatted with a FAT filesystem Do not connect a USB hub or any USB devices other than a FLASH drive or keyboard to the USB A connector Your MasterKeyer MK 1 is equipped with a USB slave port Type B connector for connection to a computer This connection is optional the computer can be left disconnected or powered off without affecting the operation of the keyer The computer can be connected and disconnected with power off or on as with all USB devices hot plugging is fine When connected the keyer s USB port will appear as a serial COM port attached to your computer Firmware Version 1 30 15 3 4 2011 A USB Type A host port marked USB A is also provided This port is for attaching a USB FLASH drive or a USB keyboard Complete details regarding the use of the USB A port can be found in the Operating section of this manual Firmware Version 1 30 16 3 4 2011 Using the Buttons The six illuminated function memory buttons along the top of the keyer give you instant access to the currently selected bank of six message slots Using the buttons you can record a message review it play it back and use the pause resume feature You can also access a number of functions as detailed in the following sections Memory Recording amp Playback Recordin
23. Gee this is nice but I wish it would do this Well don t keep it to yourself The MK 1 is capable of doing things we haven t even thought of yet and some we have thought of but haven t perfected yet And as with pretty much any device from a toaster oven to a space shuttle there may be the occasional bug or feature that doesn t work quite exactly as it should If you find one of these problems or have a great idea for that perfect feature or change don t keep it to yourself Let me know how you think this keyer can be improved I can t promise you will see your idea adopted but if it is something that the majority of users will want or it makes sense to include it for a significant minority it may well appear I the next firmware update You can always send your feedback comments suggestions and bug reports via email to mk comments hamgadgets com Firmware Version 1 30 52 3 4 2011 Settings File Format Your MasterKeyer uses relatively complex software to operate There are also commands available such as XA and XM that will result in saved settings or messages being lost As with most things there exists the possibility that something will eventually go wrong Saving your configuration toa FLASH memory drive will make it much easier to recover if you should ever need to do a complete reset of your unit Editing the settings file by hand can be done but should be done with care If you do decide to make chan
24. HamG adgets MasterK eyer MK I User Manual Firmware Version 1 30 3 4 2011 Table of Contents MTVU NG cg eaos av cusses cscs gee cosas as cn ste anaes aa veces ca oxen cada wen ended opm 4 FeatUr ES iosian a A E A E RS 5 QuickStart GUE nae EEN A A EE E E 7 Detailed Setup and Installation cases ynsecassnvasncen sitcusteontenest saseewssnndsneunecaaaisoosaveesvscesubewwacneets 9 Connecting Th Paddle sieis iane EREEREER SERN 9 Using a Sat TC 3 ce reas rivers nnaccnutvaacined naeseneuenseasanneacavam aacorus tire riamvcctasernearenemeate 10 Radio and Amplifier Connections ssicvsscsstveentcvusvesyenesaneddsounneaissstdsennoidcsearsasctustiseints 10 Detailed Operating Instructions 2 cissdsanccsevssnccinds soucannsnaceseasndenanieancdsageatccenaiiasundssiacens 12 Controls amp TING ALOT ss cases sica aseanecaseeen cares eunacionteecnseaeeseetanceneoeeeene a aamoetemee ees 12 Setting the Speed Control ic acayscsvdedsenccseiatecesunye sivas aunacewanncsaeahedieaneoasecumidaants 13 Sidetone Monitor and Sidetone Volume ce ccecccecceesecsseceeeceeeeeeaeecsaeceeeenseeeeaees 14 St ck Key Safety WIGS cpusiscnsurcesscduornsesprdennceuesennestavpes oni pN EEE e EENE Ea a 14 Memory LOC tiONS srsiranirssnsin nia A E E A RR 15 USB GMM COINS acres scutes tei an i aceconevoncavticoniwivansenaaee Gancecueos tina 15 Using the BUtOnSaeseior enina eie u E RRE E E RE 17 Memory Recording amp Playback siisicsccsssnisasesassssedsesasactssataneennnssaeasssaen
25. ICA ON Sarri a a E EREE RR RE R 59 Table 1 Command Mode commands sssssesssssessesseseesessesreseseesessesestsseseesseseesesseseese 26 Table 2 Embedded message commands ccceesceesseceseceseceeeeeeseecaeceseeeeeeenseecsaeenseenees 29 Table 3 Effect of ESC END and Pause keys on messages ccescceeseeesceesseeeteeeteeeees 43 Table 4 Effect of Num Lock on USB keyboard c ce ceeeccceeseceteceeeeeeeeeeseecsaeeneenees 44 Table 5 Morse characters from keyboard cccccsseceseceseceeeeeeseeceaecneeeeecenseeesaeeneenaes 48 Table 6 Specificatiohsn sse n a A E dente eee a ENSA 59 Table 7 Command Cheat sheet ix cise cssssccoissecces dis necstevecens cava staatadionsg Aaaincviadicevasavayeneite 60 Figure Rear panelaren e en e a A aces aime tres E E E sony a 9 Figure 2 Paddle wiring diagram saeco csiaoeshrsee dence sacedeinde scan aedanccnpavacawcteececcsewacseusardancammaniecn 9 Figure 3 Straight key wiring dia ot attics se ust ivi iccneiiivdohe ieee deatalesanganoniedauncds redo 10 Figure 4 AMP OUT and KEY OUT timing 00 ccc ccceceseceseceseeeesceceeceseceeeeesaeeenaeees 11 Figure Sa Prontepane dca ects occa n aah cq teccte ascend cay E A A evacuees 12 Fig r Gre Top Panel sas eses gcse eel ia a E cee nae Nyaa cella aes SR ad bs asl 12 Fig r Te RC ar Pantie lonion neinei ERE AARE EEE Ven sania deans AE 13 Figure 8 Speed control settihg eecscncoecicnrsinrii iiini nai i ei 13 Firmware Version
26. accordingly Speed changes will automatically cancel when you exit keyboard mode Key Action Num Lock on Action Num Lock off Number keys 1 6 Sends corresponding memory message same Sends corresponding number ag F1 F6 in Morse code Number keys 7 9 Sends corresponding number in Morse code Numeric pad Page Up Increase speed 1 WPM Increase speed 1 WPM Up arrow Numeric pad Page Down Decrease speed 1 WPM Decrease speed 1 WPM Down arrow Numeric pad 1 6 will select a bank Left arrow Reset speed of messages Right arrow resets speed Table 4 Effect of Num Lock on USB keyboard Num Lock The Num Lock indicator will be turned on by default when USB keyboard mode is entered You can turn off Num Lock using the Num Lock key naturally This will affect how the numeric pad is used see the table above This allows the use of some compact keyboard with embedded numeric pads letter keys used as numbers It also allows the use of a USB numeric pad for memory bank selection and message sending The MK 1 will remember the state of the NUM LOCK key until you change it Pause amp Resume The PAUSE key on your USB keyboard or CTRL S CTRL Q can be used to control the flow of characters from the keyboard to the transmitter When you hit the PAUSE key or type CRTL S transmitting will be stopped You can still type into the keyboard buffer Hitting the PAUSE key aga
27. ad trail time K Key mode L Auto Letter spacing M Sidetone Y N N Bank number P Dot paddle select Q QSO QI Increment QSO QD Decrement QSO R Speed control range S Set speed T Paddle sense timing U UI speed setting V Firmware version W Weight XA Reset all params XM Wipe mem XL Load from USB drv XS Save to USB drive XE Enhanced straight key mod Y MYCALL Z Leading zeros on off Table 7 Command Cheat sheet Firmware Version 1 30 60 3 4 2011
28. ally we ll cover that feature later on 12 Again tap the button to stop recording The keyer sends 13 Once you re finished recording tap the button or send SK The button LED turns off and you re done Playback To play a stored message using the pushbuttons simply tap the button corresponding to the message you wish to play The button will light up green while the message is being played The color will change to orange whenever the keying output is active If you have the sidetone monitor enabled you will hear the Morse code message playing via the internal speaker Using the example message in the Recording section let s say you have just started a QSO with another station It s your turn to send and you want to try out your new memory message 1 You tap the memory button The keyer immediately starts sending You hear it send NAME HR IS DALE DALE QTH OMAHA NE OMAHA NE UR RST 2 Now the keyer has stopped sending but the button is still green You send the signal report by hand 3 As soon as the keyer detects that you have stopped sending it automatically resumes HW CPY BK TO U and pauses again 4 You send the other station s call sign 5 The keyer sends DE NOXAS KN Now the message is complete and the button LED goes out The message we just used as an example contains an embedded command the P or pause command There are a number of commands like this that can be used in
29. ance Behaviour Translation Selection Colours Connection Data Options controlling local serial lines Select a serial line Serial line to connect to coms Configure the serial line Speed baud 9600 Data bits Stop bits Parity Elow control IR PuTTY Configuration Category Session Logging E Terminal Keyboard Bell Features B Window Appearance Behaviour Translation Selection Colours Connection Data Proxy Telnet Rlogin SSH Serial Basic options for your PuTTY session Specify theg stination you want to connect to Speed Onriection type ORaw OvTelnet Rlogin O SSH Serial Load save or delete a stored session Saved Sessions aC Cieee v Close window on exit O Always O Never Only on clean exit Type the COM port name COM8 in this example Click the Serial radio button IX PuTTY Configuration Category amp Session Logging S Terminal Keyboard Bell Features Window Appearance Behaviour Translation Selection Colours Connection Data Proxy Telnet Rlogin SSH Serial Cie ies Firmware Version 1 30 Options controlling local serial lines Select a serial line Serial line to connect ta COMS Configure the serial line Speed baud Data bits Stop bits Parity Elow control 3 4 2011 Select the Serial category 18 PUTTY Configurat Ed Change Flow control to None Put g Category Ca
30. and clear the message queue END will still clear only the keyboard buffer e Sidetone choices are now Always Never Paddle only e Demo lamp test mode exits if you tap either paddle or any button e Added M embedded command to merge two characters into one BUGFIXES ENHANCEMENTS e Fixed sidetone in tune mode to be always on e Fixed a bug in message calls A message calling a lower numbered msg could terminate early and or send 7 dashes e Fixed a bug that caused problems backspacing 8 dits while recording Message 1 from the paddles e Better treatment of precomp Now lengthens each element and shortens inter element spaces by the same amount e Fixed a bug in message calls where last_word was not being set for the new message e Fixed a bug where loading settings from USB drive could turn off sidetone in command mode e Fixed a bug that could result in no sidetone for QSO number decrement buttons 1 amp 2 e Fixed poor sensitivity timing of TUNE mode paddle sensing e Fixed sidetone issue while recording from USB keyboard e Fixed an issue with multiple button presses sometimes not being detected if they were within 5ms or so 1 10 July 23 2009 e Added USB keyboard mode replaces PC keyboard mode e Added half space character for messages e Fixed a bug that would result in the amp lead time being applied for all characters sent from paddles e Added second parameter to D setting to lengthen only th
31. ave the same effect All messages playing or queued will be terminated and the keyboard buffer will be flushed Tune Mode Tune Mode is a convenient way to key your transmitter for antenna or amp tuneup You can send either a steady carrier or a string of dits 50 duty cycle for as long as you need To enter Tune Mode press buttons 4 and 6 at the same time Both buttons will illuminate red to confirm your selection At this point you can tap the dot paddle for a series of dots or the dash paddle for a continuous carrier Tapping either paddle will stop transmitting but remain in Tune mode You can press any button to cancel Tune Mode Note that in Tune Mode the stuck key detection is disabled This means that Tune Mode can be left on for as long as it is needed Sidetone is always ON when in tune mode so that you will always have an audible indication that your transmitter is being keyed even if you cannot hear the rig s sidetone Firmware Version 1 30 19 3 4 2011 QSO Number Quick Decrement From time to time you may wish to quickly decrement the automatic serial QSO number While this can be done from paddle command mode QD command or from within a message memory QD there is an ever quicker and easier way Simply press buttons 1 and 2 simultaneously The buttons will briefly illuminate red the keyer will send two dits using sidetone only and the QSO number will be decremented by one It will not decrement past 1 in other w
32. down memory buttons 2 and 5 while powering on The keyer will turn buttons 2 and 5 orange and send RESET to confirm your choice You must release the buttons then press buttons 2 and 5 again to complete the reset Hold the buttons in until they turn red then release This is similar to the command menu XA reset it will do a complete reset of all user settings but will not delete the contents of the message memory slots Cleaning Your MK 1 is equipped with a sturdy aluminum cabinet and a tough textured powder coat finish Given normal care it should provide many years of reliable service No periodic or preventative maintenance is required under normal conditions You can clean your keyer cabinet with a damp cloth and mild cleaner To avoid anything getting in through the openings do not spray liquid cleaners directly onto the keyer Do not use abrasives harsh cleaners or solvents such as paint thinner or acetone For stubborn residue or stains a little isopropyl alcohol can be used on the metal surfaces Commercial adhesive removers such as Goo Gone can be used for label residue Do not use any solvents including adhesive removers near plastic parts especially the function buttons Of course always make sure your keyer is turned off and disconnected from any power source and from your computer before cleaning Firmware Updates The operation of your keyer is controlled by its internal program The program is stored
33. e power on reset Internal parameters are reset and emulation mode is closed This prevents the USB interface from dropping during a reset e Because the MK 1 s message memory capacity far exceeds the normal 256 byte dump format the Dump EE command hex 0x00 0x12 does not return any stored message data e Similarly the Load EE command 0x00 0x13 does not store messages e The full range of sidetone settings is accepted but the sidetone frequency will only be set to values between 500 and 3000 Hz e Weight is set in 10 increments though any value can be sent from the program e Paddle watchdog setting does not disable the stuck key safety e Parameters set by software using Winkeyer commands are temporary and are not set permanently When the program issues the Host Close command all of the normal MK 1 settings are used once again e PTT tail time does not follow the Winkeyer specification Any value can be sent but the actual tail time will be set from 0 to 7 elements see Note also that while in emulation mode the stored messages normally used are available as usual When one of the buttons is pressed a status update is sent to the host computer to tell it that a button was pressed and that the keyer is busy sending It is up to the host to act upon this status update Complete documentation of emulation mode commands and status will be included in a separate document A note regarding speed settings Setting speeds abo
34. e first element sent e Improved USB device host detection 1 02 May 20 2009 e Morse prompts from the keyer now use a different audio tone than paddle input e Add memory chaining instead of a button press terminating a message e AMP OUT now has both lead and trail delay settings e Fixed a sidetone audio frequency shift issue e Fixed problem in straight key cootie mode Firmware Version 1 30 58 3 4 2011 Specifications Physical Width 6 1 8 155 5mm Depth Case approximately 4 102mm Including controls amp connectors approx 5 127mm Height 1 1 2 38mm Weight 12 9 Oz 367g Electrical Input Voltage 9 20 Volts AC or DC Not polarity sensitive DC Connector 5mm 2 5mm coaxial plug Input Current Less than 100 mA no LEDs less than 300 mA all LEDs on Protection Internal self resetting overcurrent protection Three internal voltage regulators XCVR Output Max 400 Volts max 200 mA AC or DC AMP Output Max 400 Volts max 400 mA DC center positive Audio Sine wave sidetone internal speaker Environmental Temperature 0 to 85 Celsius operating 40 to 125 C storage Humidity Non condensing Table 6 Specifications Firmware Version 1 30 59 3 4 2011 A Audio tone B Beacon delay C Cut numbers D Precomp delay F Farnsworth H Hang time I Helper dits J Amp le
35. each element sent Second parameter First element lengthening Firmware Version 1 30 22 3 4 2011 H I J Or Jnn nn K K A B U G S E T Fun K A B U G SET similar to precomp but only added to the first element sent Farnsworth speed in 5 99 or WPM This affects the 0 to disable inter character and word space but not the speed of the transmitted characters If the Farnsworth speed is set higher than the current operating speed it is ignored It is always ignored for QRSS and HSCW modes Hang or auto resume time Messages paused with P will resume after H 0 One letter space H 1 1 1 3 letter space H 2 1 2 3 letter space H 3 2 letter spaces When recording a memory message from the paddles send two fast dits at higher sidetone frequency to signify a word space has been inserted Amplifier PTT output lead 0 40 lead and trail time Lead time 0 7 trail is in milliseconds Trail time is in element dit lengths after the last element you send so timing depends on keying speed Keying mode Curtis A A B U G S Curtis B Ultimatic Bug E T G Straight key Dot or Dash priority mode see Keying Modes section for Firmware Version 1 30 23 3 4 2011 details Automatic letter spacing on or off M M Y N P M Y N P Y always on N never on or P on for Paddles only N N n N n Select messa
36. eaeee Eae erT o TAE TENE AEEA EAEE TOERE RE EE Erea ET EEEE aet 42 USB Keyboard Mors TIN acs innuna a R N NE 43 Sending Mots Codeine tr Ee EEE EEEE E EASRA EE 43 NUM LOCK sexes eve usoda eean ene e seins EAEE EE OAE E AEE ER SEEE 44 PIS SERS SUNN G is es es iiei eR E e EEEE EE ERTE S 44 PrOSID AS ete e e a 45 Sending Stored Messages senoressa aione N RE EENE a aia 45 Storing and Editing Messages sivsss cis sdccnssstacannsisdcuandanscedabsaccaaasssusediadecainanccinsssnivans 45 PC Ry DO Are Morse TOG cs sesheiccasecpineenaniceiecanenezude ielaxasaudintancedescen sonia ceeantexsutenaentenneoues 47 Keyboard Character Saesnes nennir na a RNR eee ae 47 Firmware Version 1 30 Page 1 3 4 2011 Pause amp Res mee nii ias en a cede a she dccdecs a Sec sdduidl sbeheale a Backes 48 PROGINS aeara a ods uate a E Santee oda cate E abs eateaennent 48 KIR Wnke yer Protocol nr snorren olen or teats haan tah antenatal A ete 49 Cate and Maintenant eisi anr anar di dat atari didnt ad aus aden ates 51 ACTON Y R storan a E eA E E EA EE EN OERE ARN EA 51 Cleaning eie eee eee ees ee ATA ARE E I A E E RA E R RR 51 Firmware Updates iieis e a a a a aa a aa a 51 S gj stons amp Fecedbackitoisasiirrnriencnenan a aen a a a 52 Settings File Format ric a septate nenen tenets a a a a a a i aa 53 Enhanced Straight Key Support ssssesessseessesssseessessrssresseeseesrrsseesresessressesersseessessess 55 Changes Etrata and N tesicicnsnoent ennen a A a i aii 55 SPR C
37. ed KEYBOARD on the top panel The two buttons will illuminate green to confirm that the keyer is now accepting input from the keyboard Ifthe buttons do not stay illuminated it means that the keyboard has not been detected You may need to re connect your keyboard The same button combination will also exit keyboard mode It s safe to unplug the keyboard any time you re not sending Morse whether you are in keyboard mode or not Sending Morse code While in keyboard Morse mode whatever you type on the USB keyboard will be sent as Morse code This does not interfere with normal sending from the paddles nor with the use of the top panel buttons for recording and sending messages using the paddle command mode tune mode etc Sidetone will operate as normal if you have the sidetone set to Y you will hear the characters being sent The keyboard is buffered meaning you can type up to 127 characters ahead of what is being transmitted The keyboard buttons 3 and 6 will turn orange when you are close to filling the keyboard buffer and will turn red when the buffer is full They will return to the orange and green colors as the buffer is emptied Tapping either paddle or pressing the END or ESC keys on your keyboard will immediately stop sending and will flush the keyboard buffer The ESC key will also terminate a stored message if one is currently being sent Please refer to the following table to se the effect of the END key o
38. er Troubleshoot Device usage Use this device enable v Note that the properties tab identifies this as an FTDI USB serial converter Now note the COM port number we ll need to remember that Some software may not be able to deal with COM port numbers above COM8 If you need to change the COM port number you can click on the Port Settings tab and click the Advanced button to select an unused lower numbered port For now we can close the windows we have open just click CANCEL and close the other windows Note that as with Linux systems this port number can change if you move your MK 1 from one USB plug to another To avoid having to change the configuration of your logging or serial terminal software it s a good idea to always plug your MK 1 into the same USP port on your computer Using Linux and Mac Software Linux Linux users will probably have minicom picocom or seyon installed The screen command can also be used if present There are a lot of free open source terminal emulation programs available that can be installed and used on your system Mac Numerous choices also exist for Mac users The simplest for Mac users is screen a command normally installed with Mac OS X Other choices include simple serial terminal emulation programs such as picocom minicom iTerm zTerm and others To use the screen command Mac or Linux 1 Open a Terminal window 2 Type the command screen dev ttyxxxx 9
39. ffort has been made to make operation simple straightforward and intuitive Wherever possible features just work the way you would expect So let s take just a few minutes to get you up and running Your MasterKeyer MK 1 is packed with a CD ROM and a power cord You can set the CD ROM aside for now Unpack the keyer and power cord and find a suitable spot on your operating table You will want to leave a couple of inches behind and above the keyer so you can reach the power switch volume control and memory buttons Step 1 Power Connect the supplied power cable to a convenient AC or DC power source Your regular shack 13 8V DC supply is fine If you don t have one handy anything from 9 to 20 Volts will do either AC or DC You can connect the wires either way but you may want to put on the center pin and on the outer sleeve if you have other devices that use that convention Plug the cable end into the POWER jack on the MK 1 rear panel Step 2 Paddle and Straight Key Plug your single or dual lever paddle into the PADDLE jack on the MK 1 rear panel If you have a straight key you can connect it to the ST KEY jack The paddle connector should be a 3 5mm 1 8 stereo plug the straight key plug can be either mono or stereo Step 3 Transceiver or Transmitter You may want to wait a while before connecting to your rig If you want to do it now the KEY OUT connector will accept either a mono or stereo plug onl
40. frequency That s how you can distinguish gt 66 the keyer s voice from your own Now let s record your message Using the paddle send R for Record The keyer will respond with R At this point you can start recording whenever you like you won t get extra spaces if you pause before or during the message Send a test message such as your call sign When you re finished tap the button the keyer will again send the prompt At this point you can send P to replay the message to make sure it s right If you want to change it just send R to record it again Once you re satisfied just tap the button again to save the message and exit recording mode To send the message you just saved simply tap the button The message will play with the button changing color to let you know what is happening Green indicates that a message is playing but the transmitter is not keyed Orange means that the transmitter is being keyed If you need to kill a message that s being played just tap either the dot or dash paddle or the straight key That s it a five minute introduction to the basic features of the MasterKeyer Of course there are many many more features you can use to customize the keyer to your own use Read on for more complete instructions including advanced topics such as the setup command menu commands that can be used within stored messages operating with a keyboard o
41. g To record a message press and hold the button corresponding to the message slot you wish to record After a two second delay the button will illuminate red and the keyer will send a question mark via the sidetone speaker At this point you can record a new message review the message associated with this button or perform some limited editing of the current message 1 Send P from the paddle to play the current message via the internal sidetone speaker only The KEY OUT jack will not be active 2 Send R from the paddle to begin recording the message Any existing message in the selected slot will be erased When you are finished entering the message tap the button to stop recording 3 Send C from the paddle to edit and add to the message The existing message will be played and you will then be able to add to the message You can stop playback at any time by tapping the paddle replacing the remainder of the message with new text You will not be able to insert or delete text in the middle of a message only delete or replace from the point that playback is stopped 4 Send the SK _ prosign to exit record review mode or simply tap the button again to quit The LED is extinguished and the keyer is once again in normal operating mode Here is an example Let s say you want to have a message that will send your name QTH and a signal report You want the message to pause while you send the RST by ha
42. ge bank to be assigned to the six top panel buttons DIT Select dot paddle paddle reverse Tap the paddle you wish to use for dots Q Qmm Q nnnn QSO serial number 0 65535 QD Decrement QSO number by one Q nnnn QI Increment QSO number by one Q nnnn R Ran nn Or Ran nn Speed pot low and high 5 150 limit values These are the absolute low and high limits for example to set Ran nn the speed control range from 10 to 30 WPM you would send R10 30 or R10 30 S Snn S an nn Set speed in WPM If 5 150 the speed control is set in the normal speed range you will also hear the speed currently selected by the speed control N Firmware Version 1 30 4 3 4 2011 TC Tn TC Y N XE Y N XM s m TC Y N V n nnx RESET XE Y N WIPE SAVE LOAD Paddle sense timing see 0 15 Keying Modes section for details Use contest spacing shortens word spaces slightly Command menu User interface speed in WPM Firmware version and type n nn version number x type Alpha Beta Custom or Release Markispace Weight Weight 1 9 Factory reset all ee but not message memory Respond with Y to confirm or N to cancel Enables or disables enhanced straight key support see Enhanced Straight Key section Wipe all stored messages from memory Respond with Y to confirm
43. ges keep a copy of the un edited file just in case The settings file is always named SETTINGS MK1 This is a simple text file and can be edited by hand if reasonable care is taken For example if you do not wish to load certain settings from the file you can delete or just comment out their respective lines When settings are saved to a file all settings are saved when settings are loaded only those present in the file are set the rest are left unchanged Each setting is on a separate line The first field is the setting s code for example S for speed B for beacon time etc These correspond to the setup mode commands The second field is the value of that setting The format of the numbers generated by the XS command will always be five digits with leading zeros If you are creating or modifying a file the number does not need the leading zeros for example either B 00015 or B 15 are acceptable For memory slot contents the first three characters are M followed by the memory bank number and message number M11 for Bank 1 Message 1 M43 for Bank 4 Message 3 and so on There is one space after the memory slot number then the memory message follows If the message contains characters that are not part of International Morse code they will be represented by a three digit number preceded by a backslash character like this 012 Each line is terminated with a carriage return and linefeed
44. haracter and hit ENTER Otherwise you can type up to 255 characters to be stored in the message slot Remember that the slant bar character is used to denote an embedded command in a message If you wish to send a slant bar as part of your message you must use a double slant bar For example if you wish to send WX HR IS COLD CLDY Firmware Version 1 30 41 3 4 2011 you would save it as WX HR IS COLD CLDY Half Spacing It may be desirable to send certain words for example your call sign with slightly expanded spacing between the letters This can be done using the vertical bar character This will insert an extra half space between characters For example to send your call sign with slightly slower than normal spacing you could type it as N O X A S During playback you will hear a single dit at a higher audio tone to indicate the half space character Advanced Topic Non Morse Characters If you have characters in your message that do not match up to International Morse Code characters they will be represented by a three digit numeric code preceded by a backslash like this 059 These can be interpreted as follows e First convert the decimal number In our example 059 decimal is equal to 00111011 binary e The character is read from right to left least significant bit first A zero indicates a dot a one indicates a dash The left most one is not included in the character to be sen
45. hen character to PC for _ _ e Backspacing issue when editing a message from the PC terminal interface is fixed e Speed changes set in messages were not cancelling when the message terminated e Straight key sensing now uses polling instead of an Firmware Version 1 30 55 3 4 2011 interrupt which seemed to have been susceptible to environmental factors WinKey buffer clear command was not terminating a WinKey buffer clear command was not terminating a character in progress now terminates immediately at the end of the element being sent if any WinKey dot dash priority bits now honored in Umatic mode WinKey autospace could result in double spacing between characters Fixed WinKey commands 0x12 set paddle switchpoint and 0x17 set ratio SD de EISDi now works Minor tweak to contest spacing was 1 2 element short Y X command would not clear the saved MYCALL setting Auto letter space works without Farnsworth Stacking messages could terminate MYCALL early NOTES If firmware is downgraded from 1 30 to an earlier version you should manually set T to 0 7 before downgrading 1 22 July 2010 FEATURES Prints firmware version as part of help menu Command prompt on terminal when not in host KB mode No need to type before commands in terminal mode Added dot amp dash priority key modes E amp T These work much like Ultimatic when both paddles are held closed either dots Mode E or
46. her This will cause the last word sent to be copied to the other call buffer The last call buffer is not updated during a message pause This command can for example be quite useful in contest or DXpedition operations to embed the call sign of the station called into a message Example UR RST P BK TO U L DE Y MKN Firmware Version 1 30 30 3 4 2011 Merge The M command will merge two Morse characters into one As an example you could use MKN to send KN at the end of an exchange as a prosign instead of as two separate characters Pause The P command will pause playback of a message to allow you to insert text from the paddles This is very useful for example to insert information like a signal report weather call sign etc Message playback will automatically resume after you have finished sending see the H setting in the Paddle Command Mode section or if you tap the button again You can also insert text from the USB keyboard if in keyboard mode Message playback will resume when you hit the ENTER key Hitting ESC will cancel the message Information sent during the pause is not stored in the Last Word buffer so will not affect the L command It is a good idea to send the P command immediately following the last character before the pause this prevents you from accidentally terminating the message if you happen to be a little early If you tap the paddles while the keyer is sending a wo
47. in or typing CTRL Q will resume transmitting sending Firmware Version 1 30 44 3 4 2011 anything that is in the keyboard buffer The ESC key will clear the buffer and un pause the keyboard Prosigns You can use CTRL P to merge any two characters into a single character sent as a prosign For example you can use CTRL P followed by BT to send the double dash BT prosing if you don t want to use the key This allows you to merge any characters you wish to form special characters or less common prosigns Sending Stored Messages The function keys F1 through F12 can be used to send memory messages F1 through F6 will act like the M1 M6 buttons on the top panel sending the corresponding message from the current bank Function keys F7 through F12 will send the six messages from the next sequential message bank For example if you have set Bank 1 as the current bank function key F1 will send Bank 1 Message 1 The 7 key will send Bank 2 message 1 F8 will send Bank 2 Message 2 and so on As the keyboard is buffered you can stack as many memory messages as you wish to be sent in sequence As mentioned earlier hitting the END key on the keyboard or tapping either paddle will clear the keyboard buffer including any queued messages Storing and Editing Messages You can also edit messages in the current memory bank using SHIFT F1 through SHIFT F6 While in editing mode the top panel button corresponding to the message bei
48. is in the keyboard buffer The ESC key will clear the buffer and un pause the keyboard Prosigns You can use CTRL P to merge any two characters into a single character sent as a prosign For example you can use CTRL P followed by BT to send the double dash BT prosing if you don t want to use the key This allows you to merge any characters you wish to form special characters or less common prosigns Firmware Version 1 30 48 3 4 2011 K1EL Winkeyer Protocol Your MasterKeyer will operate with contest logging software that includes support for the KIEL Winkeyer protocol Emulation mode is automatic the MasterKeyer will respond properly to commands send from a computer via the USB port There are a few differences in how commands are implemented by the MasterKeyer The first of these differences is a limitation imposed by hardware The MK 1 does not have a second set of keying or PTT outputs so commands to manage the second key amp PTT outputs will be ignored The remaining differences are due to the MK 1 s internal program and reflect decisions made during the design process e The MK 1 can use its full range of speed control settings Also the MK 1 speed control knob will still use the Set speed range while in emulation mode see the note below regarding speed settings however e The MK 1 dot dash ratio is fixed at 1 3 and cannot be altered e The Winkeyer RESET command hex 0x00 0x01 does not perform a complet
49. is section and proceed directly to the Operating Instructions section Device drivers for Windows and Mac OS X are provided on the documentation and driver CD ROM Driver support is built into Linux with a reasonably recent kernel your computer will automatically add a TTY device Device drivers for recent Macs OS X may already be present on your system The latest version of drivers for all operating systems can be downloaded at no cost from www ftdichip com if needed The connection process is relatively simple but will differ depend on the operating system you use Windows XP Vista Linux OSX etc the communication program you prefer and your hardware configuration The MK 1 uses an internal USB to serial converter chip and will appear on your system as a USB serial port In Windows this means you will see a new COM port in Linux you will see a TTYs or TTYusb device Once connected and recognized by your computer any serial terminal emulation program can be used to communicate with the keyer Some common programs include Hyperterminal or PuTTY for Windows and Minicom for Linux The CD ROM included with your keyer includes a copy of PuTTY a free Windows terminal program that has a number of advantages over Hyperterminal including support for COM port number greater than COM8 Install the Drivers When you connect the MK 1 to your computer via the USB port the system will automatically detect the new device In many cases the c
50. it ENTER UIR R S T P WIX HIR IIS R A I N Y A You can use the Tab key to review the message again then hit END to save it If you change your mind and do not wish to save the changed message hit the ESC key twice Firmware Version 1 30 46 3 4 2011 PC Keyboard Morse mode In addition to using the USB keyboard you can send ASCII text to your MK 1 for conversion to Morse code The process for entering and exiting this mode is similar to USB keyboard Morse mode With a computer connected via the USB B port and no USB keyboard connected to the USB A port press and release buttons 3 and 6 The MK 1 will first check to see if a USB keyboard is connected if it is that will be used and the PC interface will be disabled If there is no USB keyboard connected the MK 1 will look for a PC host connected to USB B If one is found the button combination marked KEYBOARD 3 amp 6 will illuminate green At this point any ASCII text received from the host will be sent as Morse code PC keyboard mode is somewhat limited compared to USB keyboard mode This is due to the difficulty of configuring most terminal emulation software to send appropriate information for a number of special keys such as function and control keys When using PC keyboard Morse mode the function keys are not supported and depending on the configuration of your terminal progra
51. les while an element is being sent The result is usually an extra dot or dash being sent after both paddles are released during iambic dot dash operation The timing of the paddle sense can be altered using the T command Settings less than the default of 8 will start checking paddles earlier settings higher than 8 will check paddles later This is useful only for a few operators it is usually best to leave the T setting alone Ultimatic U This mode emulates the original Ultimatic Keyer Operation is similar to iambic A or B with one important difference When both paddles are pressed the keyer will send continuous dots or dashes depending on the last paddle pressed This can make it easier to send characters such as X and P Dot or Dash Priority E or T Operation is similar to Ultimatic but the keyer will always send either dots or dashes depending on whether you selected Dot or Dash priority mode when both paddles are pressed Bug mode G This mode emulates a mechanical semi automatic bug key When the dot paddle is pressed dots will be sent automatically Dashes are formed manually using the dash paddle Firmware Version 1 30 26 3 4 2011 Straight key S This mode emulates a straight key in that no automatic formation of dots or dashes is done The cootie or side swiper is actually emulated since either paddle can be used like a straight key Firmware Version 1 30 27 3 4 2011 Embedded Memory Command
52. m may result in odd or unexpected characters being sent The numeric pad and keys also cannot be used for speed changes they will be treated as any other characters Keyboard Characters Both USB and PC keyboard modes use all of the normal 26 English language letters and digits 0 through 9 In addition a few special characters are available as well as some commonly used prosigns as shown in the table below Keyboard Keys Morse code characters sent Exclamation sign Dollar sign amp Ampersand AS See note below Open parenthesis Close parenthesis Plus AR Comma 1 Hyphen minus Double dash BT Apostrophe Quotation mark Underscore j SK Firmware Version 1 30 47 3 4 2011 Table 5 Morse characters from keyboard NOTE Ampersand from the USB keyboard will transmit as ES From the PC or in a stored message will send as an ampersand AS Pause amp Resume The PAUSE key on your PC host keyboard cannot be used to control the flow of characters from the keyboard to the transmitter However CTRL S and CTRL Q can be used to stop and start transmitting When type CRTL S transmitting will be stopped You can still type into the keyboard buffer Typing CTRL Q will resume transmitting sending anything that
53. message This has been fixed 1 21 Feb FEATURES 2010 e Current bank is checked for autostart on power up A in first two positions of M1 e With NumLock off numpad 1 6 act as F1 F6 for memory e Keyboard mode will use USB keyboard if present otherwise will use the PC host via the USB B port e Jfa stuck button or paddle input is detected during power on LEDs will indicate it e Firmware version is stored in SETTINGS MK 1 file BUGFIXES ENHANCEMENTS e Fixed a couple of missing OK confirmations in paddle command mode e Text sent from paddles now includes spaces when sent to the host PC e With sufficient effort a user could set the speed pot hi limit lower than the lo limit resulting in some unexpected behavior Fixed it e Timing change to Mode A keying e Y MYCALL was missing from the command menu e Y command from terminal did not work now it does e Fixed undesired interaction between auto space amp Farnsworth spacing e Corrected sidetone audio frequency now within 5 from 500 to 1500Hz 1 20 Nov FEATURES 2009 e KIEL Winkeyer protocol added Message pause will now wait input from the paddle OR from the USB keyboard and will automatically resume after a word space button push or ENTER key Firmware Version 1 30 57 3 4 2011 e B now supports optional numeric parameter to override the global beacon delay setting e In USB keyboard mode ESC will terminate a message playing
54. meter in Command mode will be used Cn Send a carrier n seconds long Fnn Farnsworth Set Farnsworth spacing to nn words per minute FO will cancel Farnsworth spacing H Halfspace Inserts an extra one half character space the same as from the USB keyboard or in a text file Instead of H a special prosign YO can be used Firmware Version 1 30 28 3 4 2011 L Last Sends the most recent call sign sent from the paddle Callsign See text below for details of how call sign detection is done Mxx Merge Combine the next two characters xx into one Morse character Useful for sending prosigns P Pause Pause the message to allow manual insertion of information from the paddles or keyboard QI Send Sends the current QSO serial number and increment Number amp Increment QD Decrement Decrements the current QSO serial number without Number sending it QN Send Sends the current QSO serial number and does NOT Number change it QR Send Last Re sends the previous QSO serial number that is the Number current number minus one R Repeat Repeats the last word Word Snn Set Speed Sets sending speed to nn WPM Zero resets to the normal speed SD Speed Decrements the current speed by one WPM Down SU Speed Up Increments the current speed by one WPM SHnnnn Set HSCW_ Sets HSCW mode to nnnn x 100 LPM SSnnn Set QRSS Sets QRSS mode with a speed of nnn seconds per dot Y
55. n messages being sent or queued for sending The ESC key will terminate all messages regardless of how they were initiated The End key will cancel only those messages that have been queued for sending using the keyboard function keys F1 F12 ESC key END key Message sent or queued using M1 M6 buttons top panel All messages immediately terminated Not affected messages will be sent Message sent or queued using F1 F12 keys on keyboard All messages immediately terminated Current message will be completed any queued messages will be canceled Table 3 Effect of ESC END and Pause keys on messages Firmware Version 1 30 43 3 4 2011 Backspacing over text that has not yet been sent will prevent it from being sent Note that you can use CTRL Backspace to backspace over the last word you typed again assuming it has not been sent already Automatic key repeat is not enabled The keyboard is automatically set for caps lock this cannot be changed The sending speed can be temporarily incremented or decremented during USB keyboard operation Speed can be increased or decreased using any of the keys specified in the table below The normal speed selected by the front panel knob will be restored when you exit keyboard mode Bear in mind that this adjustment is applied as an offset to the current set speed if you change the position of the speed control knob the code speed will change
56. n your Control Panel and double click the System icon You can also right click your My Computer icon and select Properties Now select the Hardware tab and you should be looking at a window like the one below For Windows Vista and Windows 7 open Control Panel and find the Device Manager the results will be similar System Properties System Restore Automatic Updates Remote General Computer Name Hardware Advanced Device Manager The Device Manager lists all the hardware devices installed on your computer Use the Device Manager to change the properties of any device Device Manager Drivers Rg Driver Signing lets you make sure that installed drivers are A compatible with Windows Windows Update lets you set up how Windows connects to Windows Update for drivers Hardware Profiles Hardware profiles provide a way for you to set up and store zg different hardware configurations Hardware Profiles Click the Device Manager button to open this window Firmware Version 1 30 34 3 4 2011 Device Manager SEE File Action Yiew Help e m 4 1952VR1 L3TH463 il Batteries Computer Se Disk drives o E Display adapters 2 DVD CD ROM drives gy Human Interface Devices Sy IDE ATA ATAPI controllers SB Imaging devices Infrared devices Se Keyboards 75 Mice and other pointing devices Monitors BB Network adapters E PCMCIA adapters a Ports COM amp LPT
57. nd You would store the message like this note that in this example we use for the BT pause prosign 1 Press and hold the button you want to use for the message After 2 seconds the button will turn red and you will hear a prompt in Morse code 2 Release the button 3 To record the message send R from the paddle The keyer will respond with R 4 Send your message using the paddles Let s say you send this NAME HR IS DALE DALE QTH OMAHA NI Firmware Version 1 30 17 3 4 2011 5 Whoops That should be NE not NI No problem Just send the normal Morse code for a mistake 8 dits The keyer will respond by backing up and re sending the last word OMAHA 6 Continue the message NE OMAHA NE UR RST P HW CPY BK TO U 7 Now that you re done recording tap the memory button The keyer sends the prompt 8 You probably want to review the message so you send P to play it The keyer plays it back NAME HR IS DALE DALE QTH OMAHA NE OMAHA NE UR RST P HW CPY BK TO U 9 Now let s say you want to add something to the end of the message You send C Continue 10 The keyer plays the message You can tap the paddle at any point to stop the message and record over it from that point on We ll let it play until the end 11 You can now add to the message let s say you add PDE NOXAS KN This will let you send the other op s call sign manu
58. ng edited will turn red The existing message if there is one will be loaded into memory and can be reviewed edited or replaced A pointer is kept in memory that can be manipulated using several of the keys on the keyboard similar to the way they would be used if you were editing text on a screen The following keyboard keys are used in store edit mode e ENTER Ends the message at the current character position The pointer is set to the beginning of the message zero so the message can be reviewed The keyer sends R to acknowledge e HOME or UP ARROW Sets the pointer to zero e TAB Plays the message from the current pointer location for review To review the entire message press HOME or up arrow followed by TAB e Backspace Deletes the character just before the pointer the last character played e Down arrow Sets the pointer to the end of the message At this point you can add to the message until it reaches its maximum length 255 characters e Left arrow Moves the pointer back by one position and plays the character being pointed to Does not delete the character Firmware Version 1 30 45 3 4 2011 e Right arrow Moves the pointer forward one position and plays the character being pointed to e Escape ESC Hit twice to quit editing without changing the existing message e END INS or any F1 F10 function key Quits editing saves contents of the buffer to the current message and returns to normal keying ke
59. ogram was designed with the Amateur Radio operator in mind The intuitive controls and large number of features make Morse code operating easier faster and more enjoyable It uses a highly advanced embedded microcontroller and non volatile memory so all settings are retained with power off Firmware can be upgraded by the user with no special equipment or computer software The cabinet measures approximately 6 wide by 4 deep by 1 1 2 tall The front panel provides a speed adjustment knob and a power indicator LED The top surface has six memory and function control buttons each with three color LED backlight illumination The rear panel includes connections for power paddle input straight key input Morse keying output amplifier or PTT keying output a USB Type B port for connection to a computer and a USB host Type A port for use with USB storage devices and keyboards There is a volume control for the internal sidetone monitor The MasterKeyer MK 1 can be used standalone or connected to your computer through a USB connection While no computer and no special software is required to fully enjoy the features of the MK 1 the addition of the KIEL Winkeyer emulation feature means operating with your favorite contest or logging software can be easier and more enjoyable than ever Firmware Version 1 30 4 3 4 2011 Features e Simple to operate e Morse code keying from a single or dual lever paddle e Numerous keying modes supported
60. on when in paddle setup mode When operating normally it can be set to one of three states Always On Never On or Paddles Only In Paddles Only mode you will hear the sidetone while sending manually from the paddles You will not hear the MK 1 sidetone for anything send from the computer stored messages or from the USB keyboard Turning the sidetone monitor off lets you use your rig s sidetone while operating without the distraction or extra noise of the keyer and without having to adjust the sidetone volume There are two exceptions to this rule The first is when the QSO number Quick Decrement feature is used two quick dits will be heard from the sidetone speaker regardless of the monitor setting Also the sidetone will always be enabled when in Tune mode Whether the sidetone is on or off you can still monitor the progress of memory message playback by watching the button LED colors green for active orange for transmitting You can change the sidetone monitor setting using the M command during setup The default setting is Always Stuck Key Safety Mode Of course proper operating procedure dictates that your station equipment should be powered off while you are not at the operating position We know that accidents do Firmware Version 1 30 14 3 4 2011 happen occasionally a bumped paddle napping cat or other mishap will result in a station sending a constant carrier or an endless series of dots or dashes In order to preven
61. ords repeated presses of buttons 1 amp 2 will not decrement the QSO number to zero or past it to 65535 Quick Speed Readout You may wish to know what speed the keyer is currently set for You can use S while in command mode to get the current speed control range and current speed but there is a faster and easier way Pressing buttons M1 and M3 together will send the current operating speed in WPM via the sidetone only Paddle Command Mode There is an optional User Interface speed setting available via the U command This setting will take effect in place of the Set speed any time you are in Paddle Command Mode In this way you can easily recover from any unfortunate selections of Set speed and hi lo speed control settings It is recommended that you set the UI speed to some speed you can copy with relative ease If you set it to zero the keyer s speed in Paddle Command Mode will be set as normal either the Set speed or the speed set by the speed control knob depending on the position of the knob Command Mode is entered by pressing function buttons 5 and 6 simultaneously All six buttons will illuminate orange and you will hear a prompt in Morse code from the sidetone speaker At this point you can query or set any of the saved parameters You can exit command mode at any time by tapping any button or by sending the SK prosign To find out the current state of a parameter simply send its charac
62. orrect drivers will already be loaded this is true for all reasonably modern Linux and OSX installations For Windows you may need to install the device drivers present on the CD ROM that came with your MK 1 The newest updated drivers can also be obtained directly from FTDI via their web site http www ftdichip com Drivers VCP htm Determine the port number name Once the device drivers are installed and the MK 1 connected you will need to determine the COM port number Windows or port name Mac Linux assigned to the MK 1 s interface Linux The command Is dev ttyUSB should show one or more devices If your MK 1 is the only device attached as a virtual serial device it will probably be dev ttyUSBO Note that this number can change Ports are numbered as they are connected if you Firmware Version 1 30 33 3 4 2011 unplug your MK 1 plug in a USB to serial converter and plug your MK 1 back in its port number will change This can be avoided by adding the following line to etc udev tules d 99 local rules SUBSYSTEMS usb ATTR idVendor 0403 ATTR idProduct 6001 RUN bin In sf dev serial by id usb HamGadgets MasterKeyer_MK 1 if00 port0 dev MasterKeyer Mac First open Terminal If you ve never used it before it s under Applications Utilities Terminal Next type Is dev tty to get a list of all of your serial ports Your MK 1 will be an entry that begins with dev tty usbserial Windows Ope
63. prior to the KEY OUT signal and will remain active until after the last element is sent There is an adjustable lead and trail time The amp lead and trail times can be set to zero in which case the AMP OUT signal will precede the KEY OUT signal by only a fraction of a microsecond and drop as soon as the character is finished KEY OUT AMP OUT Amp lead time if set Amp trail time if set Unkeyed Keyed Figure 4 AMP OUT and KEY OUT timing Firmware Version 1 30 11 Unkeyed Keyed 3 4 2011 Detailed Operating Instructions Controls amp Indicators The keyer has a few controls and indicators that are easy to learn and easy to use We ll start with the front panel shown here PA MasterK eye MK I Figure 5 Front panel e The POWER indicator This indicates that power is available and the power switch is on It is powered by the internal 5V regulator e The SPEED knob This is used to control the Morse code speed while sending from the paddles or memory There are a few operations that will override the speed control knob o Paddle command mode can use the optional User Interface UI speed setting to operate at a constant speed o Sending QRSS or HSCW while playing back a stored message o Operation with some logging programs that ignore the speed setting Moving to the top of the unit KEYBOARD TUNE COMMAND M
64. r computer and much more Firmware Version 1 30 8 3 4 2011 Detailed Setup and Installation KEY QUT OUT VOL PADDLE f am Figure 1 Rear panel Connecting The Paddle For normal use a paddle is plugged into the 3 5mm stereo jack on the rear panel marked PADDLE Either a single or dual lever paddle may be used The normal method of wiring the paddle is with the dot contact wired to the tip of the stereo plug dash contact to the ring and the common or ground connection wired to the sleeve The dot contact is normally that which closes when you move the paddle with your thumb toward the right for right handed people or to the left if wired for left handed operation If your paddle has its dot and dash contacts wired the opposite way or if you wish to swap the paddles for opposite handed operation the paddles can quickly and easily be swapped without re wiring the plug This is done from the command interface using the P command see the PADDLE COMMAND MODE section Dash Dot Common Figure 2 Paddle wiring diagram Next you will want to connect the MasterKeyer to your rig Check your rig s manual to see what kind of plug is needed and how it should be wired The MK 1 s output will act like a straight key so if your rig s manual doesn t talk about electronic keyers just use the straight key connection instructions The KEY OUT jack uses a 3 5mm plug which can be either mono or stereo Hint
65. r station When they finish the contact they want to be able to quickly return to their normal sending speed If the knob is turned fully counter clockwise below the 9 o clock position the keyer will use the Set speed the default Set speed is 13 WPM This allows a quick change to a preset speed The Set speed as well as the speed control range can be changed using either Command Mode or by command sent via the computer Note that the Set speed is completely independent of the speed control range For instance let s say you normally operate between 20 and 30 WPM but wish to be able to work newbies or run a slow code practice net at 5 WPM You can change your Set speed to 5 WPM and the speed control range to 20 to 30 WPM Now you can rotate the knob all the way counter clockwise for 5 WPM operation or set it to your normal operating speed Conversely you can have your Set speed at for example 25 WPM and set the range from 5 to 30 for maximum flexibility It s up to you to determine how you want it set up Sidetone Monitor and Sidetone Volume Sidetone volume can be adjusted using the rear panel VOL control The sidetone speaker openings are on the bottom of the keyer In order to best hear the sidetone you should keep the cabinet on a smooth surface with some clearance between the speaker openings and the desktop or operating surface The sidetone monitor internal speaker is always
66. rd space it will terminate the message Example UR RST P WX HERE IS P HW CPY Sending QSO Numbers The Qx commands are all used to send the contents of the auto incrementing QSO number e QN will send the current QSO number only without changing it e QI will send the number and increment it by one e QD will not send the current number but will only decrement it by one e QR will re send the previous QSO number that is the current number minus one The number is not changed Useful for example to re send a number after using IQI Examples Here are some examples of how the Q commands might be used during a contest e QI B Y 92 NE normal exchange e QR B Y 92 NE re send e QN QI Y Y 92 92 NE NE during heavy QSB QRM Repeat Word The R command will repeat the last word sent including the space after it if any Speed Control The Sx commands can be used to control the sending speed during a message Bear in mind that each of these commands is in effect only until the message terminates when settings are returned to normal e Snn sets the speed to nn WPM where nn can be anything from 5 to 99 e SU increases sending speed by one word per minute e SD decreases sending speed by one word per minute Firmware Version 1 30 31 3 4 2011 e SH is used to control HSCW mode When followed by a number it will set the HSCW mode speed to that number of letters per minute LPM times 100 For example to set a
67. s A number of commands are available for use within a memory message like the P command used in the previous example Embedded commands consist of a slant bar and the command During the recording and review process when you are using the memory button to record or review a message before sending it you will hear the command itself and not its effect For example you will hear R instead of a repeated word When the memory message is played live you will hear the result of the command Remember that the slant bar character is used to start a command To send a slant bar as part of your message simply use a double slant bar A list of the embedded commands and how they can be used is shown in the following table with a more detailed explanation following Command Name Description Action Slant bar Send a slant bar character A Audio Set or reset the sidetone audio frequency EXCEPT as OR noted below Autostart A can also be used to auto start a beacon message On power up the MK 1 will check Message 1 of the current memory bank for A in the first two character positions If it is found the message will automatically be played immediately This ONLY applies to the first message M1 in the currently selected bank B nn Beacon Set BEACON mode to repeat message The optional nn parameter is the number of seconds to wait before repeating the message If nn is omitted the delay set in the B para
68. t This means our example will be sent as dah dah di dah dah This process can be reversed to create decimal codes if you wish to enter them from the keyboard The rules to remember 1 The number MUST be entered in the format nnn Use leading zeros For example the Morse letter D would be 009 2 Certain codes are reserved 253 will send a half space 254 will insert a space and 255 indicates the end of the message 001 will be ignored No special process is required to enter a non standard character from the paddles simply key it as you normally would Anything up to seven dots or dashes is fine It is only when editing or entering messages from the PC that you will need to worry about numeric codes Note that it is usually much easier to simply combine Merge two existing Morse characters into one using the M command see the Embedded Message Commands section above This can be done from the paddle PC or USB keyboard In the example above the character could easily be recorded as MMW or MGM or even MQT you get the idea Firmware Version 1 30 42 3 4 2011 USB Keyboard Morse mode Your MasterKeyer is capable of using a standard USB keyboard to send Morse code send stored messages and save and edit messages In order to do this connect a USB keyboard directly to the USB A port on the back panel To enable the keyboard for use simultaneously press function buttons 3 and 6 this combination is mark
69. t this from happening your keyer has a stuck key safety If a dot or dash paddle is closed for more than 127 consecutive dots or dashes the keyer will stop sending disable its KEY OUT and AMP OUT signals and enter a low power mode This will be indicated by button M1 being lit orange Once the paddle is released the unit will come out of its safety mode and will operate normally Note that the ST KEY straight key input is NOT monitored in any way so be careful if you have a straight key connected Memory Locations Your MasterKeyer has a total of thirty message slots These are arranged in five banks of six messages each Each message slot can hold a total of 255 characters At any given time one bank of messages is assigned to the six function memory buttons on top of the keyer This group of six messages can be played recorded and edited using the buttons The other five message banks can be accessed through the PC interface or they can be called by other messages For example let s say you have Bank assigned to the top buttons Any message in Bank 1 can call any other message regardless of its bank This gives you quite a bit of flexibility for setting up longer or more complex messages As you will see later on attaching a USB keyboard can give you instant access to an additional bank of messages see the Keyboard Morse Mode section USB Connections The USB interface is designed to be used only with a USB
70. tegory Session Basic options for your PuTTY session Session Basic options for your PuTTY session Logging Logging H tli d Serial line Speed F ee d Serial line Speed Bell COMS 9600 Bell COMS 9600 Features Connection type Features Connection type Window Raw Telnet Rlogin O SSH Serial Window Raw Telnet Rlogin SSH Serial Appearance A Appearance Behaviour Behaviour Translation aved Sessions Translation Saved Sessions Selection a Selection MasterKeyer Colours lt ea pecs Colours f SS ae Load Connection Connection Data Data Save Proxy Proxy Telnet Telnet Delete Rlogin Rlogin SSH SSH Serial Close window on exit Serial Close window on exit Always Never Only on clean exit Always Never Only on clean exit About Open Cancel About Cancel for this connection MasterKeyer is a good choice Click Save MK 1 V ne one e commands Audio to nnn nnn Cut zero nn nn Edit me Timing Cormand straight key ar all ALL mer followed by displays help MK Ve 03 ETA4 Firmware for that Now you can double click the session name or select it and click Open Beacon time delay delay pacing ersion command Type a question mark in the terminal window you should see the MasterKeyer command menu You can type a command here in this example I typed V to see the firmware version Note that some earlier firmware versions req
71. ter by itself The keyer will respond with the command character the same one you sent followed by the current setting of the corresponding parameter For example to check the current setting of Farnsworth spacing you send F The keyer responds with F 0 This tells you the current Farnsworth setting is zero or OFF You will notice that the keyer s prompts and responses are sent at a slightly higher pitch than what you send from the paddle this is the keyer s voice and should make it a little easier to keep track of what is happening Firmware Version 1 30 20 3 4 2011 To change the setting send the character followed immediately by the new setting The keyer will confirm your command by responding with the command character the same one you sent followed by the current setting of the corresponding parameter If you enter a setting value that is out of range too high or too low for that parameter the keyer will not change the setting and will simply report the current setting Let s say you want to change the QSO number to 1 You would send Q1 The keyer will respond with Q 1 Occasionally you won t remember the allowable range of settings for a command and won t want to look through the manual to figure it out You can send the command letter followed by a question mark and the keyer will respond with the minimum and maximum values for that parameter Let s assume you wish to find out
72. teseuasaterasbaebines 17 TSA IV EOIN ses pessoas ac op eve ON EE EE E E E S 19 QSO Number Quick Decrement sjascasacaisssdicassdvaiainsnsconaaaiantavdesosdeaidaaoaennss 20 Q ick Speed Reado t sorcier inane EE A EE EER 20 Paddle Command M dEisisciieereseniesoin nateni a EiS 20 K ying WOES cc asictedu incu scscuichb pan aiii A EEE EA TEA RREA 26 Embedded Memory Commands cccciisccscssssssvenseassessnscsassasesesnaasonsssensnasvanavesoasssasaaspscnnses 28 Connecting to Yo r C OM PUNET crx sisscseomrtaxtadessamsiasoudesiunndscenessitalesesscuindeaeNadedinmmnunds 33 CVV GE VIG W E E A E A A E 33 MST ANE the Drivers sessista neeaaeia Eirean a READE a an ENE IEEE EEA E NE EE En 33 Determine the port number name aisacesasvesviedacisseanvenniarsiuvnaccuvsndicidiunmunncnnmneeais 33 Using Linux and Mac Sot wares cscisseicacsessasaserasiincateddanstheatieiaccsstasgseinetetiisontavaunnd 36 Setting up P TTY CW INGOWS Vincijzcsasnsessittewnesuwsnacaesvnnndsecniescutsiandasawomeaarecassiuamecuees 37 Setting up Hyperterminal 2555 casi cexguenndetecealdacdibantaeaed E R EE 39 Computer Commands cc atireacisieureicnssenaeeoncuceneunnenenteieautixeucuhione urensentenntPineenwraxeeuateueenaxse 40 The Command Men caiscasahy sstaaestapteestincasneleancudeseeanektaneaaasinenaseussiusslinaveacavaensaaneetases 40 Editing messages from the COMPULEL dices dicascsagivedess shiacassasssusssarandinsdanntersNsaceraeranuines 41 Half Spacinp 6a og acer tiecesesins aneae estcerusppd e
73. the command menu speed and change it You enter the command mode by pressing buttons 5 amp 6 and the buttons all light up orange You then hear the keyer send in Morse code You send U The keyer responds U 13 This tells you the User interface command mode speed is set to 13 WPM The question mark is your prompt to let you know the keyer is ready to accept your next command You wish to set the user interface speed to 20 WPM However let s say you haven t had your morning coffee yet Still half awake you accidentally send U2 The keyer will not set the speed to 2 WPM and again responds U 13 Realizing your mistake you now send U20 The keyer responds with U 20 Now you want to change the weight setting but don t remember the range to use You send W The keyer responds with W 1 9 This indicates that the weight W command can be set to any value from 1 through 9 There are a few commands that can accept two parameters To set the speed control range for example send R followed by the low and high limits desired For example to set the front panel speed control for a range of 10 to 25 WPM you would send R10 25 If you only wish to change the low range limit simply send the R command with the new low limit R10 The keyer will respond with both settings the same as if you had entered both This method also works for the D and J settings
74. this output is not polarity sensitive The AMP OUT connector is an RCA jack It can be used to key an amplifier PTT line or other special applications This signal is also optically isolated and driven by a solid state relay see the Specifications page for maximum ratings The AMP OUT line is polarity sensitive the outer sleeve of the connector must be less positive than the center pin This means that if you are keying a positive signal the outer shell should be connected to ground and the center pin to the positive keying signal If you are keying a grid block or other circuit that uses a negative keying voltage the center pin would be ground and the outer shell would be the negative voltage signal The AMP OUT signal will be active on whenever the KEY OUT signal is active except when using the ST KEY jack see above and will remain on during inter element gaps and for the entire duration of a message played from memory and while the transmitter is active in tune mode The lead time and trail time can be set from command mode If the lead time is set the AMP OUT signal will be active from 1 to 255 milliseconds before the transmitter is keyed If the trail time is set the AMP OUT signal will be active for one to seven element times after the last element is sent Firmware Version 1 30 10 3 4 2011 Figure 3 below shows an example of the signals as the operator sends a V character As you can see the AMP OUT signal will be active
75. uired a slash before the command this is no longer the needed Firmware Version 1 30 38 3 4 2011 Setting up Hyperterminal If you prefer you can use Windows Hyperterminal to communicate with your MK 1 Hyperterminal has some limitations and bugs I recommend using something else but here is how to set it up if you must Connection Description k Connect To an New Connection MasterKeyer Enter a name and choose an icon for the connection Enter details for the phone number that you want to dial Name Masterkeyer Country region Icon Area code P MN i oo 89830 a Ea Rae Kg gt Connect using After starting Hyperterminal type a name Select the COM port number assigned to for this connection Select any icon you your MK 1 like COMB Properties Port Settings Bits per second 9600 MasterKeyer HyperTerminal Data bits 7Iype a slash followed by one of these commands Audio tone freq B nnn Beacon time delay Cut zero nine D nnn Precomp delay T Edit message F nn Farnsworth spacing Parity Pause hang time f Jnn n Amp lead trail Tan Key mode L Y N Auto letter space Sidetone monitor Message bank QS0 Serial 4 n nn Speed range Stop bits Set speed Timing see manual a J Command mode UI speed Firmware version ight Reset all XM Clear all mem Save to FLASH i KL Load from FLASH
76. ve 63 WPM while in Winkeyer emulation mode can cause problems with host mode software At 64 WPM and above the keyer s speed update byte will appear to be a status byte This is the case with the Firmware Version 1 30 49 3 4 2011 MK 1 or any Winkeyer based device To avoid this issue keep the operating speed below 64 WPM when in Winkeyer emulation mode Firmware Version 1 30 50 3 4 2011 Care and Maintenance Factory Reset At some point it may be necessary or desirable to reset your MasterKeyer to factory default settings Certain combinations of settings for example a user interface speed set faster than you can copy or send may make it difficult to recover to settings you can use There are a number of reset options available From the paddle command menu sending XA will reset all user settings to their initial defaults This will not erase the contents of the message memories so you can do it without needing to re program your messages The XM command will leave the user settings alone but will erase the contents of all thirty message memory slots In each case the keyer will prompt you for confirmation before completing the reset or memory wipe You must respond with Y to complete the action otherwise it will be canceled These commands can also be sent from the PC as IXA or IXM If you cannot use the command menu due to an incorrect setting there is another option Power your MasterKeyer off Hold
77. y the sleeve and tip are used The other end of the cable will connect to your rig s key input jack follow your rig s instructions for wiring the plug on that end Step 4 Get Acquainted Set the rear panel VOL control at about its halfway point Set the SPEED control fully counter clockwise Turn on the MK 1 s power switch After a brief self test you should hear the keyer send K through the internal sidetone speaker to let you know it s ready to operate Try the paddle and set the VOL control to a comfortable level You ll notice the speed is set at 13 WPM this is the Set speed which you can change to your normal operating speed Now you can always return to your exact preferred speed just by turning the knob all the way counter clockwise Now rotate the SPEED knob to about the 9 00 position you will notice the speed drop to 5 WPM this is the default lower speed limit From there you can set the speed to anywhere in the adjustment range The Set speed lower and upper limits can all be changed if you want Firmware Version 1 30 7 3 4 2011 Step 5 Record and Play a Message Let s briefly walk through the steps to record and play back messages Press and hold the M1 button for a few seconds it will light up red and you will hear from the speaker The red button means you are recording mode Notice that the prompts sent by the keyer such as are sent at a slightly higher audio
78. yboard mode e Vertical bar inserts a half space in between characters For example to send your call sign with slightly slower than normal spacing you could type it as N O X A S During playback you will hear a single dit at a higher audio tone to indicate the half space character Editing Example Let us assume we have a message stored in memory location 1 and we wish to edit that message from the USB keyboard We press Shift F1 the message is loaded into the buffer and the pointer is set to the first character as shown U R R S T P WIX H R IJS H O T D R Y A If you hit the TAB key the message will be played back and the pointer will remain at the end of the message U R R S T P WIX H R IJS H O T D R Y Now let s say we want to change the message to reflect today s weather Instead of re typing the entire message you can simply use the backspace key UIR R S T P WIX HIR IIS A Or the left arrow which in the end will have the same result UIR R S T P WIX HIR IIS H OI T D R Y A Then replace the last couple of words and h

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