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1980-01-01
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ACB
Radio Teletype Program
For The IBM Personal Computer
Version 1.2G
06-12-1986
Glenn E. Welman - KF4NB
3301 Pastern Ct.
Lexington, Ky 40513
(C) Copyright Welman Software 1983, 1984, 1985
IBM PC RTTY Ver 1.2G
INTRODUCTION
This program runs on the IBM Personal Computer and
interfaces to your Amateur Radio equipment through the
Asynchronous Communications adapter. I wrote the program
to be as flexible as possible hoping that it will be
useable with any Terminal Unit (TU) and radio combination.
I have attempted to provide enough information to help you
make your system operational. The program will work on the
IBM PCjr with one minor limitation which is explained
further on in this document. I suspect that the program
will also work on the IBM Portable PC, most PC clones and
possibly the IBM PC AT, even though I have not had the
opportunity to test the program on those machines.
I intend for the program to be distributed by hams, rather
than retailers. I suggest the following.
DISTRIBUTION GUIDELINES
Please share (copy) the program with others who are
interested in RTTY.
Do not sell or barter the program to anyone. (That's my
right!)
When you pass along the program, include only the
original unmodified version.
Send a SASE along with your current version number and
I will let you know if any known problems have been
fixed by a later version.
Don't remove these guidelines from the program or
document.
If you find the program of value, a small contribution
for my effort will be appreciated ($25 suggested).
Introduction 1
IBM PC RTTY Ver 1.2G
SUMMARY OF VERSION 1.2 CHANGES
■ Capability to clear the transmit buffer.
■ Capability to save the transmit buffer, clear it and
later restore it.
■ Up to 10 filenames can be specified for easy loading
into the transmit buffer from diskette.
■ The screen can now be used in color instead of white
only. The colors can be modified to your own taste.
■ The program can now handle any oscillator frequency
input to the 8250 Async chip. (e.g. The PCjr's
frequency is different from the PC.)
■ There are now separate baud rates for Baudot and ASCII
modes. Additional baud rates can be user specified for
extended flexibility.
■ Several enhancements have been added for our European
friends
- The European date format is supported. (e.g.
15.Nov.1984)
- 100 and 200 baud rates are now in the default ASCII
set.
- The column for the warning beep is 56 and there is
an automatic CR/LF at column 64. These values can
be changed and the automatic CR/LF turned off.
- The Baudot character set is modified to support the
European standard.
■ Several characters have been defined to support unique
ASCII to Baudot conversions for MARS usage.
■ The ASCII to Baudot and Baudot to ASCII conversion
tables can be modified at program startup time to
support unique conversions.
■ The title screen will now go away after 10 seconds or
after the first keystroke.
■ The default time type can be specified in the
"PARMS.RTY" file and no prompting will occur.
■ The operation of the DTR and RTS outputs can be user
specified for transmit and receive.
Introduction 2
IBM PC RTTY Ver 1.2G
■ The number of ASCII data bits, parity bits and stop
bits can now be specified.
■ SELCAL has been implemented for unattended monitoring
operations.
■ A simple QSO logging capability has been added.
SUMMARY OF VERSION 1.2A CHANGES
■ Added MARS keyword support to the PARMS.RTY file
processor.
SUMMARY OF VERSION 1.2B CHANGES
■ Redefined some MARS special characters for ASCII to
Baudot translation.
■ Fixed a bug, in ASCII mode "+" would be sent 12 times,
now it is sent only once.
■ Enhanced the setting of baud rates in the PARMS.RTY
file. You can now specify the rates positionally (you
define the order).
SUMMARY OF VERSION 1.2C CHANGES
■ Fixed bug when a transmit file with blank lines was
sent, two line feeds were sent for each blank line.
■ Fixed a bug in receive mode, with unshift on space
turned on, the program assumed an automatic unshift
with CRs and LFs.
■ Provided a method to make the program start up in the
ASCII mode.
■ Added the capability to specify the parms filename on
the command line.
■ Provide some special support for packet radio users.
Introduction 3
IBM PC RTTY Ver 1.2G
■ Enhanced the MARS support to include the automatic
sending of 12 letters functions when "NNNN" is sent.
SUMMARY OF VERSION 1.2D CHANGES
■ Made a change to the handling of blank lines. Changed
the default to always send carriage return and line
feed for blank lines. If you only want line feeds for
blank lines then specify "BLLF" in the parameter file.
SUMMARY OF VERSION 1.2E CHANGES
■ Fixed the scroll routine to handle foreground and
background colors.
■ Changed the program to allow a greater range of
foreground and background colors.
■ Added the capability to specify the SELCAL end string
and added an alternate string capability.
■ Provided the ability to start the program in the ART
mode and/or in the unshift-on-space mode.
■ Added the capability to inhibit the bell (beeps) in the
ART mode.
■ Added some enhancements for packet operation. Packet
starts up in the transmit mode. You can specify a
string to send the current time and date to your TNC.
You can inhibit sending of the time and date on
power-up and send it later with the use of the alt-D
character. You can let the system send a note that you
are not around and then save data to a file for stored
messages.
■ I put the scrolling routine assembler source code in
the BAS file so there would be one less file to send
and keep track of.
Introduction 4
IBM PC RTTY Ver 1.2G
SUMMARY OF VERSION 1.2F CHANGES
■ Fixed a bug where the program would quit abruptly if
SELCAL was turned on and the SELCAL ending sequence was
received when the starting sequence had not been
received.
■ Fixed a problem by making the program ignore null
entries in the parms file.
■ Fixed a bug in the MARS option when "NNNN" is
received.
■ Added the capability to vary the receive and transmit
screen size.
■ Added the capability to customize the Date and Time
stamp to your own liking.
■ Added the capability for the program to append the
extension of "RTY" to the name of the parms file given
when RTTY is invoked.
■ Added the ability to specify the UTC time difference in
the parms file instead of being prompted for it.
■ Added the capability to send received data to both the
printer and diskette with the SELCAL option.
■ Added the function when receiving data to a file for
the program to save the file after every 15 lines of
text. This will keep you data loss to a minimum if you
happen to lose power in the middle of a session or
someone accidentally resets the entire system for you.
■ The program now figures out if you are running on a
PCjr, and sets all of the correct parameters for you.
SUMMARY OF VERSION 1.2G CHANGES
■ Fixed a bug in the MARS mode that occured when NNNN was
received.
■ Added the alt-B key to toggle the enable/disable of the
bell character in the ART mode.
■ Added several "alt-" key combinations to provide a
means of sending control characters to the
Introduction 5
IBM PC RTTY Ver 1.2G
communications port. (All of the control keys which
have special meaning to my program.)
■ Added several "alt-" keys to facilitate use of the
Kantronics UTU.
■ Added a couple of new keywords to the PARMS file to
make the program just a tad more flexible. (HAND and
XMIT)
■ Changed the program logic for the handling of the DAY
command for packet operation. You now use a keyword to
send the command when the program starts, rather than
specifying not to send the command. (Removed NPDT,
added PKDT)
Introduction 6
IBM PC RTTY Ver 1.2G
PROGRAM OPERATION
The program is started by placing the program diskette in
the default drive (usually drive A:) and entering
RTTY or RTTY filename
In the above example, "filename" is the name of the
parameter file to use instead of "PARMS.RTY". This feature
allows multiple runtime configuration files to be used for
various operation modes. This and other files should be
personalized prior to running the program with your
callsign and other pertinent information. These files are
identified further on in this document and may be changed
with any text editor. The program is primarily written in
BASIC and compiled to achieve a useable operating speed.
There is one subroutine written in Assembly Language to do
things which I can't do well in BASIC. Specifically, the
routine scrolls the receive and transmit screens.
The program takes advantage of the IBM Personal Computer's
capabilities. The interrupt capabilities of the
Asynchronous Communications adapter and the keyboard allow
many things to occur simultaneously without the loss of
information. The use of DOS files allows the storage and
retrieval of a large supply of RTTY data. I hope you find
the program's many features useful.
In version 1.2 I have tried to make the program a little
more flexible. The price that is paid for flexibility is a
little more complexity in setup. One of the changes is to
allow the use of the program on the IBM PCjr. The PCjr has
a slightly different input frequency to the 8250 Async chip
and it does not have DMA (direct memory access) during
diskette operations. The significance of no DMA is that
data through the Asynchronous port will stop during any
diskette accesses. Specifically, if you are sending the
received data to a diskette file, then about every 500
characters there is a chance of missing one or more
received characters. During some tests which I performed
with a 5200 character test file, 2 characters were dropped
at 45.5 baud (BAUDOT mode), 8 characters were dropped at 74
baud (BAUDOT) and 110 baud (ASCII), 28 characters were
dropped at 300 baud (ASCII) and 35 characters were dropped
at 1200 baud (ASCII). Note that this is a hardware
limitation as noted in the PCjr Technical Reference.
Characters are only lost when received characters are
placed in a diskette file, all other operations of the
program are functional with no known problems.
Program Operation 7
IBM PC RTTY Ver 1.2G
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
An IBM Personal Computer with at least 128K bytes of
memory and a minimum of one diskette drive or a true
IBM PC compatible computer.
An IBM Personal Computer Asynchronous Communications
Adapter or equivalent. Note that for the compiled
BASIC program to work correctly, the Asynchronous
adapter must use an 8250 UART chip mapped into the same
I/O address space and interrupt level as the IBM PC
version.
IBM Personal Computer Disk Operating System (DOS)
version 1.1 or later (or equivalent).
A Terminal Unit (TU) for amateur radio teletype (RTTY)
applications. Or a packet terminal node controller
(TNC) for packet radio operation.
A radio receiver or transceiver capable of operating
RTTY.
Program Operation 8
IBM PC RTTY Ver 1.2G
FEATURES
The program will run under DOS 1.1 or later.
The program will run on a monochrome display and both
the 80X25 and the 40X25 mode on a color display.
The program runs in a split screen mode with received
data displayed on the top and the transmit buffer
displayed on the bottom of the screen. The number of
lines used by the receive and transmit screens can be
varied by using the RXLN keyword in the PARMS.RTY
file.
Run time information is displayed in the middle of the
screen, such as current time, date and elapsed time
since the last TTY ID was sent.
Prompts for operator input are also displayed in the
middle of the screen.
The definition and status of the function keys is
displayed at the bottom of the screen.
Errors and informational messages are also reported at
the bottom of the screen.
In transmit mode the program sends CR, CR, LF, and
letters at the end of a line. This provides some
degree of compatibility with the old mechanical
teletype machines.
The program supports both BAUDOT and ASCII RTTY modes.
■ Common BAUDOT rates of 60, 67, 75, and 100 WPM are
supported. Those are baud rates of 45.5, 50, 56.9,
and 74.2 respectively.
■ Common ASCII baud rates of 100, 110, 200, 300, 400
and 1200 BAUD are supported.
■ Additional baud rates can be user specified in the
"PARMS.RTY" file up to a maximum of 10 rates on
both modes.
The received input goes to the display and can be
directed to the printer and/or a DOS file. File
compression is supported which can result in using less
diskette/disk file space.
While you are receiving, you can fill a 4000 character
transmit buffer from the keyboard or DOS files.
Program Operation 9
IBM PC RTTY Ver 1.2G
While the program is prompting you for information,
received characters are placed into a 4000 character
receive buffer. If more than 4000 characters are
received while the program is prompting you, a
communications buffer overflow error will result. The
program will attempt to recover as much as possible.
There are several predefined files which can be loaded
into the transmit buffer with the stroke of a function
key. Up to 10 files can be user defined to be loaded
into the transmit buffer with the use of the "Alt" and
numeral keys. Up to six files can be queued to be
placed into the transmit buffer at any one time.
A cursor is displayed at the current Transmit buffer
location. When the cursor reaches column 56, the
program will sound a beep. The user can define a new
warning column and can specify an ending column with an
automatic CR/LF insertion.
The transmit buffer can be edited minimally by using
the backspace key. There is no full screen support.
In the transmit mode, a date and time stamp can be sent
over RTTY, as well as, a predefined RTTY ID field.
There is a key defined to allow the storage of the
callsign of the other station in the QSO. The contents
of this storage field will be placed at the beginning
of the TTY ID when it is selected. This buffer can be
changed at any time.
The transmit buffer is filled first by any transmit
files, second by characters resulting from special
keys, and finally from keyboard input. The program
will stop placing characters in the transmit buffer
when it is full and will resume as characters are
transmitted from the transmit buffer.
A special Baudot mode can be selected for European
usage.
Program Operation 10
IBM PC RTTY Ver 1.2G
Some special characters have been defined for ASCII to
Baudot translation for the MARS program. These
characters and their meanings are as follows
* causes a carriage return to be sent
= causes a line feed to be sent
+ causes 12 letters characters to be sent
@ causes the bell character to be sent
\ causes the null character to be sent (&H00)
> causes the figures character to be sent
< causes the letters character to be sent
Note that these characters may not operate correctly in
the European mode.
An additional MARS mode reduces the end-of-line
function to CR, CR, LF and does not send a letters
character automatically at the end-of-line or on the
space character.
SELCAL is now supported to automatically print or store
received signals when a user specified sequence of
characters is received.
The transmit buffer can be cleared or stored for those
times when you really want to send something other than
what's in the buffer.
A limited logging function can be executed with the use
of a few keystrokes. You will be prompted for
pertinent information and it will be placed on
diskette.
When multiple blank lines are sent, the program only
sends line feed characters to speed things up.
Carriage returns are not sent for blank lines.
Special support has been added for packet radio
controller support. I implemented a few things for use
with my Kantronics Packet Communicator. I believe that
these are compatible with most TNCs on the market which
follow the TAPR command structure. There is a DAY
command to set the clock in the TNC. The program will
also send a message when you are away from the
keyboard.
Program Operation 11
IBM PC RTTY Ver 1.2G
SPECIAL KEYS
Backspace - Pressing the backspace key erases the last
character entered into the transmit buffer and the
cursor backs up. If the last character was a line
feed, the cursor backs up to the previous line and the
character is displayed in reverse video. When you
backspace beyond the top line of the transmit screen,
the previous line entered into the transmit buffer
appears on the top line. Lines prior to the line at
the top of the screen are not visible. Note that you
cannot back up beyond the last character sent to the
Asynchronous communications adapter.
ENTER - Pressing the "ENTER" key at the end of a line
causes a carriage return and line feed to be placed
into the transmit buffer.
Ctrl E - Ctrl E is a new added feature. Typing a Ctrl
E into the transmit buffer will cause the program to
automatically return to the receive mode upon reading
the Ctrl E from the transmit buffer. Additional
transmit buffer contents are retained but not
transmitted until the XMIT mode is entered again. This
should be useful when you are transmitting a long file
and you want to take a break and may not make it back
in time to switch it over manually.
Ctrl S - Pressing Ctrl S causes the program to prompt
you for a line of characters which will be stored for
later retrieval. The information is kept in memory
until the program is ended or another Ctrl S is
entered.
Ctrl R - This is the companion key of Ctrl S. Pressing
Ctrl R retrieves the stored line and places it in the
transmit buffer.
Ctrl W - Ctrl W is pressed to instruct the program to
place only a carriage return in the transmit buffer.
Pressing the "ENTER" key immediately after a Ctrl W
will be ignored by the program. Pressing a character
key will result in an overprint condition. The Ctrl W
key will find primary application in sending RTTY art.
This character is placed in the receive file for any
carriage return. An idea of what character may be
displayed by various editors can be found in appendix C
of the Technical Reference manual.
Note that the absence of the Ctrl W/Ctrl T at the end
of the line will result in the normal end of line
processing which send CR, CR, LF and ltrs.
Program Operation 12
IBM PC RTTY Ver 1.2G
Ctrl T - Ctrl T is the companion of the Ctrl W key and
results in a single line feed being placed in the
transmit buffer. Pressing "ENTER" immediately after a
Ctrl T will be ignored by the program. The Ctrl T key
will be used in RTTY art and may be used to replace a
line feed erased by backspacing. This character is
placed in the receive file for any line feed. An idea
of what character may be displayed by various editors
can be found in appendix C of the Technical Reference
manual.
Note that the absence of the Ctrl W/Ctrl T at the end
of the line will result in the normal end of line
processing which send CR, CR, LF and ltrs.
Ctrl X - Ctrl X is provided to force the sending of the
"Figures" character in Baudot mode only. This key
could be useful in send a SELCAL prefix. This key will
appear in the transmit buffer as a up arrow.
Ctrl Y - Ctrl Y can be used to force the sending of the
"(ltrs)" character in BAUDOT mode only. This key can
also be used in sending a SELCAL prefix. This key will
appear in the transmit buffer as a down arrow.
Alt A - Alt A can be used to toggle between the Art
mode and the No Art mode. Art mode is for overstrike
lines to darken (fill in) the print. Note that
multiple strikes are visible only on the printer, not
on the display. The No Art mode is used for noisy
conditions (primarily text) where you want a CR/LF any
time a CR or LF is received for maximum copy. The
status of the Art mode is included at the bottom of the
screen in the receive mode. Art mode is indicated by
an "A" beside "RECV" and the No Art mode is indicated
by an "N". At program start the default is the No Art
mode. The "BELL" file on the diskette is an example of
RTTY Art.
Note that files which are received in the Art mode will
have Ctrl-W and Ctrl-T characters in the file. Files
received in the no Art mode will not contain the Ctrl-W
and Ctrl-T characters.
Alt B - This key is used to toggle the enable/disable
of the bell character (beep) in the ART mode. This is
extremely helpful when you are absolutely sick and
tired of listening to incessant beeps.
Alt C - This option can be used to clear the transmit
buffer. The buffer is cleared, all loading from
diskette files is stopped, and you can start again with
a clean slate.
Program Operation 13
IBM PC RTTY Ver 1.2G
Alt D - This option will send the current time and date
over the Asynchronous port in the format specified by
the PDAT keyword. The PDAT keyword is relatively free
format to allow for different TNC implementations. See
the PARMS.RTY description for additional details.
Alt T - This option saves the transmit buffer in a file
named "TXBUFFER.RTY" and then clears the transmit
buffer just like the "Alt C" option. If the transmit
buffer was previously saved (this session) it will
first clear the transmit buffer and then load the file
"TXBUFFER.RTY". Note that once the file has been
restored it will reset the flag indicating that the
transmit buffer was previously saved.
Alt S - Alt S is used to toggle the SELCAL (Selective
Call) option on and off. When the SELCAL option is
turned on, you will be prompted to find out if you want
to send the selected data to the printer, diskette or
both. A filename will be asked for when the diskette
option is selected. A message will appear at the
bottom of the screen when the option is turned off.
The character string to search for to start saving the
data can be specified in the "PARMS.RTY" file. Because
there is no letters or figures character in ASCII, I
have included the capability to specify a separate
SELCAL ID for both the BAUDOT and ASCII mode. SELCAL
saving is terminated by the receipt of the sequence
"NNNN" in the default mode. You can use the ESEL and
GESL keywords to specify your own unique SELCAL
terminator.
Alt L - This option will place information into a
logging file with a filename of "LOG.RTY". You will be
prompted for the callsign of the station worked and for
any other pertinent data. You may want to include such
things as signal reports, frequency, names and so on.
The date, time and your data will be appended to the
"LOG.RTY" file.
Alt N - This option toggles the not-at-keys
enable/disable flag. The current status is displayed
on the error line for approximately 5 seconds. When
turned on, the program will send the file "AWAY.MSG"
when a string is received which matches the NKEY
string. All incoming data will be stored in the file
"WHILE.OUT" or the already active received data file.
This option is primarily for packet use.
Alt 0-9 - This key sequence will load the file defined
in the "PARMS.RTY" file corresponding to the file
numbers 1 to 10. If the filename has not been
specified, then no action will be taken.
Program Operation 14
IBM PC RTTY Ver 1.2G
Note that some of the special keys may be the same as the
control keys for some TNCs. The RTTY program will take
action on the special key and will generally not pass any
code over the Asynchronous lines. To fix this problem, I
have implemented the use of several alt-keys to send the
control character codes directly through the Asynchronous
adapter. Note that the code will go immediately, not in
sequence with anything in the transmit buffer.
Alt E - This key will send the code for a cntl-E.
Alt G - This key will send the code for a cntl-T.
Alt H - This key will send the code for a cntl-S.
Alt R - This key will send the code for a cntl-R.
Alt W - This key will send the code for a cntl-W.
Alt X - This key will send the code for a cntl-X.
Alt Y - This key will send the code for a cntl-Y.
Alt Z - This key will send the code for a cntl-C.
I have also included some special alt-keys in an attempt to
make the running of the program with the Kantronics UTU a
little easier. These alt-keys send a cntl-C followed by a
command letter to the UTU. These characters are placed
sequentially into the transmit buffer. To run the UTU, you
should specify the PACK option in the PARMS.RTY input
file.
Alt I - This key sends cntl-C followed by R which
selects receive mode.
Alt J - This key sends cntl-C followed by S which
selects shift change mode.
Alt K - This key sends cntl-C followed by N which
selects transmit mode.
Alt M - This key sends cntl-C followed by X which
selects command mode.
Alt O - This key sends cntl-C followed by T which
selects speed change mode.
Program Operation 15
IBM PC RTTY Ver 1.2G
FUNCTION KEYS
The ten function keys are used during program operation to
direct the flow of information in the computer system. The
definition and status of the function keys is displayed at
the bottom of the screen. The function keys are defined as
follows:
General Function Keys
F1 - KEYS
This key toggles the definition of function keys 3
through 10 and changes the status line.
F2 - RECV/XMIT
This key toggles the program between receive mode
and transmit mode. When the program begins, this
key defaults to RECV. When the key is pressed to
go from XMIT to RECV, the program will wait until
the basic communication buffer is empty before
returning to the RECV mode. BASIC buffers up to
128 characters independent of the program. So
don't get too anxious if the transmitter doesn't
stop immediately.
There is a short delay of about one half a second
from the time the program turns the transmitter on
and the first data is sent. This should give the
other station a chance to lock onto your signal.
Additionally, an A or N will appear with RECV to
indicate the current status of the Art mode (See
Alt A for additional information).
Program Operation 16
IBM PC RTTY Ver 1.2G
Function Key Set 1
F3 - RX FLE
Receive a File. Pressing this key prompts you for
a filename in which to place the received
information. The information is appended to the
file. Pressing only "ENTER" results in no file
being opened. Pressing this key while a file is
currently open will close the file. Another
filename must be entered to continue saving data.
Entering the same name as an existing file will
result in that data being appended to the file.
When a filename is entered, you are asked if you
want the file to be saved as a compressed file.
Compressed files will take up less room on your DOS
diskette, but are not readily alterable in an
editor. A utility is provided to decompress or
compress a file offline.
When a receive file is open, a reminder is
displayed on the middle status line of the screen.
The form of the display is "RX-filename". The
program will close and then reopen the file after
every 15 lines of input. This forces the computer
to update the file status and prevents the loss of
the entire file should you happen to lose power in
the middle of a session or if the computer managed
to get reset in the middle of a session.
F4 - UOS ON/UOS OF
This key toggles between "Unshift On Space" being
turned on and turned off. This key only applies to
received data. When "unshift on space" is on, the
program will shift back to "letters" mode any time
a space is received.
Independent of this key, the program will transmit
a "(ltrs)" character in the BAUDOT mode as required
with a space. This makes the program compatible
with either type of teletype which may be in the
other station. When the program begins, this key
defaults to UOS OF.
F5 - END
This key provides a means to terminate the program
gracefully. You will be prompted for confirmation
of your request to quit.
Program Operation 17
IBM PC RTTY Ver 1.2G
F6 - PRT OF/PRT ON
This key toggles output to the printer on and off.
When PRT ON is displayed, all characters received
will also be printed on the matrix printer. Bell
characters are not sent to the printer to keep down
the noise pollution. When the program begins, this
key defaults to PRT OF.
F7 - Baud Rate Selector
This key toggles through the baud rates supported
by the program. The status line is updated with
each change. In Baudot mode, the baud rates of
45.5, 50.0, 56.9, and 74.2 correspond to character
rates of 60, 67, 75, and 100 words per minute (WPM)
respectively. When the program begins, this key
defaults to 45.5.
For ASCII the baud rates of 100, 110, 200, 300,
400, and 1200 are supported. When the ASCII mode
is selected this key defaults to 110 baud.
Up to 10 baud rates per mode are possible by adding
baud rates through the use of the BAUD and ASCI
options of the "PARMS.RTY" file. The default rates
can also be changed.
F8 - BAUDOT/ASCII
This key toggles between Baudot and ASCII modes.
Any combination of baud rate and mode is
obtainable. When the program begins, this key
defaults to BAUDOT unless specified otherwise in
the parms file. Each time this key is pressed, the
baud rate selection will change to the first baud
rate for that mode, the default if 45.5 baud for
Baudot and 110 baud for ASCII.
F9 - NEW LN
This key provides the ability to force a CR/LF (new
line) in the middle of received text. Such an
operation might be needed if the original CR/LF
were lost in the noise.
F10 - LTRS
This is the "letters" key. During Baudot reception
it is occasionally desirable to force the receive
mode back into the "letters" mode. This key
accomplishes that task.
Program Operation 18
IBM PC RTTY Ver 1.2G
Function Key Set 2
F3 - TX FLE
Transmit a File. Pressing this key allows the
contents of a DOS file to be placed into the
transmit buffer for transmission. You will be
prompted for the filename of the file to transmit.
Pressing just "ENTER" will result in no file being
transmitted. Entering the word "stop" will cause
the current file being processed to be closed.
The filename is placed in a buffer que which will
eventually be opened and read. This allows for
placing several transmit files into the transmit
buffer in sequential order. The filename of the
file currently being read is displayed on the
center display line. The form of the display is
"TX-filename".
If an error is encountered in opening the file, an
error status is displayed for about five seconds at
the bottom of the screen and a beep is sounded.
Note that the program will not handle tab
characters. The file should contain spaces to get
to the correct column. For example, if the file is
created using the Personal Editor program, be sure
to use the "notabs" keyword when the file is
saved.
F4 - TX CQ
Transmit a CQ. Pressing this key causes the file
"CQ.RTY" to be loaded into the transmit buffer.
This file is queued just like a transmit file and
is displayed on the middle status line of the
screen. Note that you must personalize the
"CQ.RTY" file with your callsign and name.
F5 - RESET
This is the reset key. Pressing this key will
close all transmit files, clear the screen and
start the program over. There is no prompting to
make sure you mean it. Note, BASIC sometimes
decides to clean up the string area at the most
inappropriate times. When it does this, the system
may appear to lock up for several seconds (maybe
many), so try to be patient.
Program Operation 19
IBM PC RTTY Ver 1.2G
F6 - TX RYS
Transmit RYs. Pressing this key will result in the
"RYS.RTY" file to be placed into the transmit file
que and eventually into the transmit buffer. This
is handy for placing a bunch of RYs at the start of
your transmission, which gives the guy at the other
end a chance to lock back onto your signal.
F7 - PSE OF/PSE ON
Transmit Pause Off / Transmit Pause On. This key
is used to temporarily stop the program from
sending any more characters out of the transmit
buffer. This is useful for sending a steady
carrier signal for tuning purposes or whatever. It
should be noted, that BASIC can buffer up to 128
characters. These characters cannot be stopped
from being sent. Thus, you may not be able to make
the program pause exactly where you want. When the
program begins, this key defaults to PSE OF.
F8 - TTY ID
Teletype ID. Pressing this key causes the contents
of the "TTYID.RTY" file to be placed into the
transmit buffer. The contents of the QSO ID buffer
is placed at the beginning of the line. Note that
this line of data is read from the file at the
beginning of the program and stored in program
memory. Also note that the "TTYID.RTY" file must
be personalized with your name and callsign. The
little block at the end of the TTYID when it is
placed in the buffer is used by the program to
reset the time since last ID.
F9 - QSO ID
This key prompts you for an entry of the current
QSO station id. The data entered is placed at the
beginning of the TTY ID when that key is pressed.
F10 - DT&TM
Date and Time stamp. This causes the current date
and time to be placed into the transmit buffer.
Note that the time sent is the time the key is
pressed, not the time the characters are actually
sent.
Program Operation 20
IBM PC RTTY Ver 1.2G
PROGRAM FILES
There are three files which the program expects to find on
the default DOS drive. If any of these files are absent
when they are accessed, an error message will be
displayed. There is also an optional file which may be
absent with no adverse effects. There are also two files
which will be created if absent and will be written to by
the program. The files are described below.
Required Files
TTYID.RTY - This file is required to have one line
only. The line contains the characters to be placed in
the transmit buffer for your RTTY ID (e.g. DE KF4NB
"GLENN" IN LEXINGTON, KY). Note, you must personalize
this file with your callsign, name, location and
whatever.
CQ.RTY - This file contains all the information you
would like to send for a RTTY CQ. Note, you must
customize this file with your callsign, name, and
location. You may optionally change the format of the
CQ. This file may contain any number of lines.
RYS.RTY - This file is simply a line of RYs which will
be sent in response to a function key being pressed.
This file could be changed in just about any way you
desired. Multiple lines are allowed.
Program Operation 21
IBM PC RTTY Ver 1.2G
Optional Files
LOG.RTY - This file will be appended to by the "Alt L"
command. The information placed in the file is the
date, time, Station ID worked and your comments. If
the file does not exist, a new file will be created.
TXBUFFER.RTY - This file will be created or read by the
"Alt T" command. The transmit buffer will be dumped
into the file on the first use of the "Alt T" command
and the file will be reloaded into the transmit buffer
on the second occurrence of the "Alt T" command.
AWAY.MSG - This file will be sent when the not-at-keys
string is received. This is primarily intended for
packet operation to allow you to tell someone to leave
you a message when they connect. All received input
up until the time the end string is received
(disconnect) will be placed into the file "WHILE.OUT".
Both the start and stop strings can be user defined.
PARMS.RTY - This file can have one or more of the
following keywords on a single line separated by commas
or on separate lines. The first three or four
characters of the words are compared and when a match
is found, the pertinent information is obtained from
the text string. Any extra information between commas
or at the end of the line is ignored. Blank lines are
ignored. Commas can be imbedded in a keyword string by
placing the entire keyword string in double quotes.
For example, "DTTM=HH:MM Z MONTH DD, YYYY".
The filename can be overridden by specifying the
alternate filename on the command line (e.g. RTTY
ASCII.RTY). The contents of the file may be any valid
keywords for the PARMS.RTY file. The program will
automatically attempt to append the RTY extension, if
it is unable to find the filename specified. When an
alternate filename is specified on the command line,
the program will prompt for a new filename anytime
during that session that the RESET key is used.
As the file is processed, each parameter specification
is displayed on the screen. When the file has been
processed, the program will wait approximately three
seconds and then clear the screen and continue. This
waiting period can be bypassed by pressing any key.
During processing of the file any parameters which are
incorrectly specified will be displayed on the screen
and the program will wait for you to press "Enter" to
continue.
Program Operation 22
IBM PC RTTY Ver 1.2G
AGSL - This keyword is used to set the general
SELCAL search string for ASCII mode selection. The
format is AGSL=QST. Up to 10 characters can be
specified. The default is "QST".
ALCR - This keyword can be specified to override
the default value put into the ASCII Line Control
Register of the 8250 Async chip. This value will
determine format of the ASCII data. It controls
the number of data bits, the number of stop bits,
use of the parity bit and the type of parity if
used. The format of the option is ALCR=&H3E. The
default value is &H3E, which sets the ASCII mode to
7 data bits, 2 stop bits and parity bit stuck low.
Further information on the possible values of this
parameter can be found in the Technical Reference
Manual.
ART - This keyword allows you to start the RTTY
program in the ART mode. If it is not specified
the program defaults to NoART mode.
ASCI - This keyword is used to add extra values to
the ASCII baud rate selection list. The format is
ASCI=nnnn where "nnnn" is any baud rate number you
want to be able to run. Up to 10 baud rates are
allowed. A second form of the keyword allows you
to redefine the baud rate for any of the rates in
the list (even the default values). The format is
ASCIxx=nnnn where "xx" is a number from 1 to 10 and
"nnnn" is the desired baud rate. The number "xx"
must correspond to a previously defined rate or
just one more than the total number of rates
defined.
When the baud rate is specified, the program will
set the 8250 Async chip timer divisor rate to the
closest value to achieve the specified rate. The
divisor rate of the 8250 is set to the integer
value of the crystal frequency divided by the baud
rate. A total of four ASCII baud rates can be
specified. Refer to the Technical Reference manual
for further information on divisor rates.
ASEL - This keyword is used to set the specific
SELCAL search string for ASCII mode selection. The
format is ASEL=KF4NB. Up to 10 characters can be
specified. The default is "??????????".
Program Operation 23
IBM PC RTTY Ver 1.2G
ATCR - This keyword is used to turn on the
automatic carriage return and line feed (CR/LF)
option. When this option is on, a CR/LF will be
added to the transmit data if the data reaches
column 64 or the column specified in the LLEN
option. This option defaults to off.
BAUD - This keyword is used to add extra values to
the Baudot baud rate selection list. The format is
BAUD=nnn.n where "nnn.n" is any baud rate number
you want to be able to run. Note that the baud
rate is different from the words per minute rate.
Up to 10 baud rates are allowed. A second form of
the keyword allows you to redefine the baud rate
for any of the rates in the list (even the default
values). The format is BAUDxx=nnn.n where "xx" is
a number from 1 to 10 and "nnn.n" is the desired
baud rate. The number "xx" must correspond to a
previously defined rate or just one more than the
total number of rates defined.
When the baud rate is specified, the program will
set the 8250 Async chip timer divisor rate to the
closest integer value to achieve the specified
rate. The divisor rate of the 8250 is set to the
integer value of the crystal frequency divided by
the baud rate. A total of six Baudot baud rates
can be specified. Refer to the Technical Reference
manual for further information on divisor rates.
BDLW - This keyword provides the capability to
change the Baudot to ASCII conversion table of the
program. The BDLW command is used to specify the
letters mode Baudot character to ASCII character
relationship. The format of the command is
BDLWnn=xxxx. Where "nn" is a number from 0 to 31
representing the 5 bit Baudot code and "xxxx" is
the value of the ASCII character. For example,
"BDLW10=&H52" causes the receipt of a Baudot
character of 10 in the letters mode to be
translated to an ASCII character of &H52 which is
the correct representation of the letter "R". Any
number of BDLW commands may be contained in the
file.
Program Operation 24
IBM PC RTTY Ver 1.2G
BDUP - This keyword provides the capability to
change the Baudot to ASCII conversion table of the
program. The BDUP command is used to specify the
figures mode Baudot character to ASCII character
relationship. The format of the command is
BDUPnn=xxxx. Where "nn" is a number from 0 to 31
representing the 5 bit Baudot code and "xxxx" is
the value of the ASCII character. For example,
"BDUP10=&H34" causes the receipt of a Baudot
character of 10 in the figures mode to be
translated to an ASCII character of &H34 which is
the correct representation of the number "4". Any
number of BDUP commands may be contained in the
file.
BDOT - This keyword provides the capability to
change the ASCII to Baudot conversion table of the
program. The BDOT command is used to specify the
ASCII character to Baudot character relationship.
Part of this command requires the capability to
specify if the Baudot character should be sent in
letters mode, figures mode or don't care mode.
This is accomplished by adding 64, 128 or 192
(decimal) respectively to the Baudot character.
This can also be represented by &H40, &H80, and
&HC0 (hexidecimal). The format of the command is
BDOTnn=xxxx, where "nn" is the value of the ASCII
character and "xxxx" is the value of the Baudot
character with the added value for the proper
mode. For example, "BDOT52=&H8A" causes an ASCII
character of 52 ("4") in the transmit buffer to be
sent as a "figures" followed by a Baudot 10. Note
that if the figures mode was already valid then no
figures character would have been sent. Any number
of BDOT commands may be contained in the file.
BGSL - This keyword is used to set the general
SELCAL search string for Baudot mode selection.
The format is BGSL=(ltrs)N(ltrs)N(ltrs)N where the
"(ltrs)" indicates the letters Baudot character.
Up to 10 characters can be specified. The default
is "(ltrs)N(ltrs)N(ltrs)N". Note that "(ltrs)" is
defined to be "Ctrl Y" and "(figs)" is defined to
be "Ctrl X" during program operation.
BLLF - This keyword is used to suppress the sending
of carriage returns when a blank line is
encountered. Only line feeds will be sent for
blank lines when this option is used.
Program Operation 25
IBM PC RTTY Ver 1.2G
BSEL - This keyword is used to set the specific
SELCAL search string for Baudot mode selection.
The format is BSEL=(ltrs)KF4NB where the "(ltrs)"
indicates the letters Baudot character. Up to 10
characters can be specified. The default is
"??????????". Note that "(ltrs)" is defined to be
"Ctrl Y" and "(figs)" is defined to be "Ctrl X"
during program operation.
COLO - This keyword is used to set the values for
the color characters for a color display. The
colors can be further modified independently
through other options of the "PARMS.RTY" file. Any
further changing must occur after the COLO
statement. The default is to black and white
characters.
COM2 - This keyword will cause the program to use
the second asynchronous communications adapter for
RTTY. The program default is the first adapter
(COM1). This option may be useful if the first
adapter is primarily used for some other reason
such as a telephone modem or a serial printer.
This keyword must be used with a PCjr if an
internal modem option is installed.
COMM - This keyword specifies the base I/O address
of the 8250 chip (serial port). The default is
COMM=&H3F8. For the PCjr the parameter should be
specified as COMM=&H2F8. If the PCjr also contains
the internal modem option, the COMM keyword must
come after the COM2 keyword in the PARMS.RTY file.
Note that beginning in version 1.2F, the program
recognizes that you are running on a PCjr and
correctly sets the proper COMM value to &H2F8.
DIDL - This keyword is provided for those folks who
like to send something (even null) while the
transmit buffer is empty. Null characters are sent
about once per second while the transmit buffer is
empty.
DTR - This keyword can be used to specify what
logic level the DTR (Data Terminal Ready) line out
of the Asynchronous adapter should be set to for
receive and transmit modes. The format is DTR=xy,
where xy can be 00, 01, 10, or 11. The number
corresponding to "x" is the logic level during
receive and the number corresponding to "y" is the
logic level during transmit. "0" corresponds to a
low logic level and a "1" corresponds to a high
logic level. The default is DTR=01.
Program Operation 26
IBM PC RTTY Ver 1.2G
DTTM - This keyword lets you specify the format of
the date and time stamp which can be sent using
function key F10. The normal default is "HH:MM:SS
TMT MONTH DD, YYYY", where HH is hours, MM is
minutes, SS is seconds, TMT is the time type (e.g.
EST), MONTH is the month name, DD is the day of the
month and YYYY is the year. The default time will
change if the MARS or the EURO keywords are
specified. By using DTTM you can customize your
time stamp to anything you would like it to be.
The following keys will result in the indicated
substitution actions:
HH - hours as two decimal digits
MM - minutes as two decimal digits
SS - seconds as two decimal digits
TMT - time type as specified by TIME keyword
MO - month as two decimal digits
MON - month as a three letter abbreviation
MONTH - month as the actual month name
YY - year as two decimal digits
YYYY - year as four decimal digits
Any other characters entered along with the keyword
will be displayed as they appear, no substitution.
The form of the keyword is DTTM=HH:MM:SS Z
MO/DD/YY. If you want to imbed a comma within the
date and time stamp, then the entire keyword must
be placed within double quotes. For example,
"DTTM=HH:MM:SS TMT MONTH DD, YYYY".
Program Operation 27
IBM PC RTTY Ver 1.2G
ECHO - This keyword causes each character sent to
the BASIC "COMn:" port to be displayed on the
receive portion of the screen. This option is
provided for those who have TUs which do not place
the transmitted data back onto the receive line
coming back to the computer. The program default
is no ECHO.
Note - BASIC has a 128 byte transmit buffer. When
this keyword is active, the receive screen shows
the character when it is placed into the BASIC
buffer. In other words, just because you see it on
the screen doesn't mean it has been sent yet! The
program contains a check to make sure that the
Asynchronous adapter has finished before turning
off the transmitter.
If the receive buffer seems to be repeating
characters while in the transmit mode, then the
most likely problem is that you have specified echo
and your TU is also feeding back into the receive
input. ECHO should be removed from the "PARMS.RTY"
file.
ERRB - This keyword is used to set the error line
background color. The format is ERRB=7. The
defaults are ERRB=7 for the monochrome mode and
ERRB=0 for the color mode. Refer to the BASIC
manual for colors associated with possible values.
ERRF - This keyword is used to set the error line
foreground color. The format is ERRF=0. The
defaults are ERRF=0 for the monochrome and ERRF=12
for the color mode. Refer to the BASIC manual for
colors associated with possible values.
ESEL - This keyword is used to set the specific
SELCAL search string for turning off SELCAL and/or
packet not-at-keys data storage. The format is
ESEL=* DISCON. UP to 10 characters are allowed.
The default is "NNNN".
Program Operation 28
IBM PC RTTY Ver 1.2G
EURO - This keyword is used to specify the European
mode. The date and time stamp format is changed to
default to the form "HH:MM:SS TMT DD.MON.YYYY",
where HH is hours, MM is minutes, SS is seconds,
TMT is the time type (e.g. EST), DD is the day, MON
is the three letter month name and YYYY is the
year. The time format can be changed using the
DTTM keyword. This EURO mode uses the automatic
CR/LF option and changes the Baudot to ASCII
conversion table to fit the European standards
instead of the U.S. standards. The differences are
for figures mode only and are as follows
Baudot European
code character
05 '
09 #
11 bell
13 [
17 +
20 !
26 ]
30 =
Note that any parameter specifications using the
BDLW, BDUP or BDOT commands should occur after the
EURO command in the file.
FILE - This keyword is used to specify the names of
files to be transmitted with the use of the "Alt n"
keys, where "n" is one of the number keys at the
top of the QWERTY section of the keyboard. The
format of the command is FILEnn=filename, where
"nn" is a number from 1 to 10 and filename is any
valid DOS filename. For example, FILE1=PARMS.RTY
will cause the "PARMS.RTY" file to be loaded into
the transmit buffer when "Alt 1" is pressed. Note
that "Alt 0" will cause FILE10 to be loaded. Note
that the file must be in the current directory.
GESL - This keyword is used to set the general
SELCAL search string for turning off SELCAL and/or
packet not-at-keys data storage. The format is
GESL=QUIT. UP to 10 characters are allowed. The
default is "NNNN".
HAND - This keyword is used to tell the program to
start the communications port expecting to use the
handshaking lines. Refer to the "OPEN COM" command
in the BASIC manual for further information.
Program Operation 29
IBM PC RTTY Ver 1.2G
KEYB - This keyword is used to set the keys status
line background color. The format is KEYB=7. The
defaults are KEYB=7 for the monochrome mode and
KEYB=3 for the color mode. Refer to the BASIC
manual for colors associated with possible values.
KEYF - This keyword is used to set the keys status
line foreground color. The format is KEYF=0. The
defaults are KEYF=0 for the monochrome and the
color mode. Refer to the BASIC manual for colors
associated with possible values.
LLEN - Use this keyword to specify the column at
which you want the end of the line to be. This is
used in conjunction with the ATCR command. The
format is LLEN=nn, where nn is the column number of
the end of the line. The default is 64.
LPT2 - This keyword forces the printer output to go
the second printer adapter (LPT2). The default is
LPT1.
LPT3 - This keyword forces the printer output to go
to the third printer adapter (LPT3). The default
is LPT1.
MARS - This keyword modifies the operation of the
program slightly for compatibility with the MARS
format rules. Specifically, end-of-line processing
is set to CR, CR, and LF. A letters character is
not sent automatically at the end of the line or
after the "space" character if a number preceded
it. Also the bell character is represented by an
"@" in the receive file. The letters character
after space can be reenabled by specifying
BDOT32=&H44 after the MARS keyword in the PARMS.RTY
file. Twelve consecutive characters will be sent
after "NNNN" is transmitted. The characters will
be the letters function or any alternate character
specified using the NCHR keyword.
MODE - This keyword can be used to make the program
start up in the ASCII mode. The form of the
keyword is "MODE=A". The normal default is to
start in the Baudot mode.
NCHR - This keyword is used in conjunction with the
MARS keyword to specify the character to send when
"NNNN" is sent. The character will be sent twelve
times. The form of the keyword is NCHR=nn, where
nn is the value of the character to be sent. The
default is NCHR=60 which causes twelve letters
functions to be sent.
Program Operation 30
IBM PC RTTY Ver 1.2G
NKEY - This is the keyword to use to specify the
search string for the not-at-keys message during
packet operation. When the string is found, all
received data up to the reception of the stop
search string will be saved in the file WHILE.OUT,
unless a receive file is currently open. When this
string is received, the file AWAY.MSG is sent out
over the Asynchronous lines. The format of the
keyword is NKEY=** CONNECT. Up to 10 characters
are allowed. The default is "* CONNECTE".
NOBP - This keyword is used to disable the bell
character (beep) on the PC while in the ART mode
only. You may use the alt-B key to toggle the
enable/disable of the bell character.
PACK - This keyword is used to make the controller
compatible with packet radio TNCs and smart
terminal units. The program is modified to send
only one CR at the end of the line instead of the
normal two CRs. Also when backspace is used, the
program will send the backspace character to the
TNC for any character already sent up to the last
CR. The program will also erase the characters on
the last line which have been sent. The program
will come up in the transmit mode. Most TNCs are
semi-full duplex, so there is no need to run in the
half duplex mode. (You can send data at any time
without tying up the channel.)
PDAT - This keyword is used to specify the packet
time/date command format, which is sent by the use
of the alt-D key. You can specify just about any
form you want with the exception of no imbedded
commas. The format of the keyword is
"PDAT=MO-DD-YYYY AT HH:MM:SS EST". Where the
program will substitute in the proper numbers from
the date and time commands. The parameters to use
are YYYY for the full 4 digit year, YY for just the
last 2 digits of the year, MO for the month, DD for
the day of the month, HH for the hours digit, MM
for the minutes and SS for the seconds. Any other
characters in the string will be sent as is with no
substitutions. Any of the parameters can be left
out of the string. The default is
"PDAT=DAY YYMODDHHMMSS".
PKDT - This keyword tells the program to send the
packet time/date over the asynchronous lines when
the program is just starting or has just been
reset. To send the packet time/date, use the alt-D
key during normal program operation.
Program Operation 31
IBM PC RTTY Ver 1.2G
QB - This keyword causes a bell character to be
sent any time a quote character is sent in the
transmit mode. This is possibly useful in RTTY
ART, since some machines have the quote and the
bell reversed. No action is taken in the receive
mode. The default is no QB.
RTS - This keyword can be used to specify what
logic level the RTS (Request To Send) line out of
the Asynchronous adapter should be set to for
receive and transmit modes. The format is RTS=xy,
where xy can be 00, 01, 10, or 11. The number
corresponding to "x" is the logic level during
receive and the number corresponding to "y" is the
logic level during transmit. "0" corresponds to a
low logic level and a "1" corresponds to a high
logic level. The default is RTS=01.
RXB - This keyword is used to set the receive
buffer background color. The format is RXB=0. The
defaults are RXB=0 for the monochrome and RXB=2 for
the color mode. Refer to the BASIC manual for
colors associated with possible values.
RXF - This keyword is used to set the receive
buffer foreground color. The format is RXF=7. The
defaults are RXF=7 for the monochrome mode and
RXF=14 for the color mode. Refer to the BASIC
manual for colors associated with possible values.
RXLN - This keyword is used to change the number of
lines used for the receive data area of the screen
and the transmit data area of the screen. The form
of the keyword is RXLN=n, where n is the number of
lines you would like to use for the receive data
area. The number is value checked to be within the
range of 2 to 20 (19 in 40 column mode). The
remaining lines will be used for the status line,
key definition line(s), error reporting lines and
for the transmit data area lines. Increasing the
receive lines will decrease the transmit lines.
The default number of receive lines is 11.
SPLF - This keyword is used to suppress the sending
of line feeds over the communications link. This
may prove useful when the program is used to send
data to a packet radio TNC which cannot handle the
CR/LF normally sent at the end of a line.
Program Operation 32
IBM PC RTTY Ver 1.2G
STSB - This keyword is used to set the status line
background color. The format is STSB=7. The
defaults are STSB=7 for the monochrome mode and
STSB=6 for the color mode. Refer to the BASIC
manual for colors associated with possible values.
STSF - This keyword is used to set the status line
foreground color. The format is STSF=0. The
defaults are STSF=0 for the monochrome and the
color mode. Refer to the BASIC manual for colors
associated with possible values.
TIME - This keyword is used to set the time-type at
program startup time. When this keyword is used,
the program will assume that the time and date are
set according to the time-type and no prompting for
the time will be done at program startup time.
(Generally people always set their time the same
way every time.) The format is TIME=EST. If
TIME=? is used then prompting will occur.
TXB - This keyword is used to set the transmit
buffer background color. The format is TXB=0. The
defaults are TXB=0 for the monochrome and TXB=1 the
color mode. Refer to the BASIC manual for colors
associated with possible values.
TXF - This keyword is used to set the transmit
buffer foreground color. The format is TXF=7. The
defaults are TXF=7 for the monochrome mode and
TXF=11 for the color mode. Refer to the BASIC
manual for colors associated with possible values.
UOS - This keyword will cause the program to begin
operation with the unshift-on-space option turned
on. The default is to start with the option turned
off.
WARN - Use this keyword to specify the column at
which you want the program to beep at you in the
transmit buffer to warn you that you are
approaching the end of the line. The format is
WARN=nn, where nn is the column number at which you
would like to be warned. The default is 56.
Program Operation 33
IBM PC RTTY Ver 1.2G
XMIT - This keyword tells the program to start up
in the transmit mode. This will be useful for
operating with smart terminal units and packet
units. The PACK keyword automatically invokes this
option.
XTAL - This keyword is used to specify the crystal
input frequency to the 8250 Async chip. The format
of the command is XTAL=1.8432. For the IBM PCjr
XTAL is set to 1.78977. Note that the complete
number must be given and that any inaccuracies will
affect the accuracy of the baud rate. The default
is set to 1.8432 MHz.
ZULU - This keyword is used to specify that time is
to be sent in a military format. The default time
format is "DDHHMMZ MON YY", where DD is the day, HH
is the hours, MM is the minutes, MON is the first
three letters of the month and YY is the last two
digits of the year. If the time displayed on the
screen is anything other than "UTC", you will be
prompted at the start of the program for the amount
of time in hours to be added to the local time to
convert it to UTC time. You can specify the
default time difference in the PARMS.RTY file and
you will not be prompted for the adder. The form
of the keyword is ZULU=n where n is the number of
hours to add to the default time. The time format
can be changed by using the DTTM keyword. Anytime
the timestamp is placed in the transmit buffer, the
program will convert the displayed time to "UTC"
time, correcting for any overflow into the next
day, month and/or year. Leap years are also taken
into account. Additionally, when this keyword is
specified the timestamp will also be appended to
the end of your "TTY ID".
Program Operation 34
IBM PC RTTY Ver 1.2G
UTILITY PROGRAM
A utility program has been provided to perform some of the
normal program functions offline. The utility is started
by entering
RTTYU
The program uses the same "PARMS.RTY" file to determine
which printer to use for output and to decide whether or
not to add a bell character after a quote. The program
prompts you for the name of the file to be processed. A
name must be entered and if any problems are encountered,
the program terminates.
You are then asked if you want the processed data sent to
another file. If you answer in the affirmative, you will
be asked the name for the file. Responding with only an
"ENTER" for the filename will be interpreted as meaning you
do not really want to save the data in a new file. If the
filename is OK, you are then asked if you would like the
data in the new file compressed. Here again as in other
places, responding with anything other than a word starting
with the letter "Y" will be taken to mean "NO". This
feature should be good for uncompressing a file so it can
be edited or for compressing a file to save diskette
space.
You will also be asked if you want the file printed on the
matrix printer. Answer in the affirmative if you would
like hard copy. Again, this routine does not send the
noisy bell character to the printer.
Regardless of the choices you make in processing the file,
the information is displayed on the display so you can keep
current with the progress of the program.
Program Operation 35
IBM PC RTTY Ver 1.2G
BASIC COMPILING HELP
COMPILING THE RTTY PROGRAM
I am changing my stance on sending out the source code from
my original position. Originally, I intended only for the
compiled program to be sent to the general public and the
source code to stay under relatively tight control. Well,
as luck would have it, some well meaning soul took the
liberty of placing "My source code" on the public access
disk of CompuServe and Lord knows where else. Well, if you
can't lick 'em. . . join 'em! This little episode along
with some requests for help in getting it to run on some PC
clones has helped change my mind.
So much for the philosophical statements, now to the good
stuff. There is one assembly language routine which must
be assembled. This routine is a basic subroutine to scroll
half screens. It must be properly linked into the basic
program before it will work. If it isn't done correctly or
the BASIC program is run in the interpretive mode, chances
are the PC will lock up really well when the receive screen
is full. Because the execution speed of the interpretive
mode is totally unacceptable (by my standards) I won't even
try to explain how to link in the assembly language routine
to the interpretive mode. The following lines show how to
compile the RTTY program and properly link the appropriate
programs to end up with the executable RTTY file.
BASCOM RTTY,,,/X/W/O/C:4096/S (Assumes source in B: and
LINK RTTY+RTTYSUBS+A:IBMCOM,,,A: BASIC compiler in A:,
B: is primary)
BASIC Compiling HELP 36
IBM PC RTTY Ver 1.2G
COMPILING THE RTTYU PROGRAM
The RTTYU program is similarly compiled as follows
BASCOM RTTYU,,,/E/O (Assumes source in B: and
LINK RTTYU,,,A: BASIC compiler in A:,
B: is primary)
GETTING AND ASSEMBLING THE RTTYSUBS PROGRAM
Starting with version 1.2E, the Assembly language for the
Scrolling routine to support the half screens is included
in the RTTY.BAS file. In order to properly assemble the
program, first of all copy the RTTY.BAS program to a file
called RTTYSUBS.ASM. Next using an editor of some flavor,
preferably a full screen editor such as Personal Editor,
remove the first several hundred lines of the basic program
up to the start of the assembly code. Next, remove the
BASIC line numbers and the quote mark and leading blank
characters from the remaining statements. Once this has
been accomplished, you can use the macro assembler to
generate the object module necessary to link the Compiled
BASIC RTTY program.
BASIC Compiling HELP 37
IBM PC RTTY Ver 1.2G
INTERFACE INFORMATION
INTERFACE SIGNALS
This program interfaces to the Amateur Radio equipment
through the Asynchronous Communications adapter. The
specifications for the voltage levels are those for a
standard RS-232C interface. In particular, the standard
specifies voltage levels of +12 volts and -12 volts to
represent the logic states of the signal. Further
information can be obtained in the Technical Reference
Manual. The signals which the program uses are as
follows.
Pin 2 - Transmit Data (Tx data) - characters to TU
Pin 3 - Receive Data (Rx data) - characters from TU
Pin 8 - Carrier Detect (CD) - CW data in from TU
Pin 4 - Request to Send (RTS) - Transmitter
control
Pin 20 - Data Terminal Ready (DTR) - CW ID control
Pin 7 - Ground (Gnd) - reference level
For Tx data and Rx data, mark is -12v and space is +12v.
CD is tied to Rx data and is not required for RTTY,
however, I included it for future use if I ever get around
to writing a Morse receive routine.
RTS and DTR are -12v in receive mode and +12v in normal
transmit mode.
Hopefully this is enough information to help you interface
to your terminal unit.
Interface Information 38
IBM PC RTTY Ver 1.2G
KANTRONICS 'THE INTERFACE' INFORMATION
While I will give information here on how I interfaced the
Kantronics TU to my system, I must add that it was a
decision based on availability and price at the time of
purchase more than anything else. If you are trying to
make a decision, check around and see what is available and
what seems to work well. While the Kantronics does well in
many cases, it does seem to have difficulty with weak
and/or fading signals. The Kantronics interface does not
provide an RS-232C level interface and also requires an
external power supply. Additionally, the RTTY transmit
line requires a normal space condition for receive to
operate correctly. Based on these considerations, I
designed a special RS-232C to Kantronics interface box.
The schematic is included below.
Since my original purchase of a TU, Kantronics has come out
with some new models which seem to have addressed some of
the above mentioned problems. In particular, they have
increased the sensitivity of the circuits and have provided
an RS-232C level interface. So remember, it pays to
inquire before you purchase.
Next, just a few words about the circuit. The interface
chips used are the same as those used in the IBM PC,
namely, the 75150 line driver and the 75154 line receiver.
The 1488 line driver and 1489 line receiver from Radio
Shack could also be used but the pinouts are different.
The 74LS00 is used to gate the Tx data signal with the
transmitter control, to invert the RTTY transmit signal and
to invert signals for the normal/reverse switch. The
circuitry needs +5v, +12v and -12v to run. I used the
7805, 7812 and the 7912 voltage regulators to get my
voltages, but you can use your favorite regulator. Just be
sure to have enough filter capacitance on the input and
enough heat sink on the regulators. There is nothing worse
than intermittent problems when things get hot and heavy.
Also note, the signal ground from the asynchronous adapter,
the special interface ground and the TU ground should all
be tied together.
Due to popular demand, I have also included a schematic
using the 1488 and 1489 which should be readily available
at Radio Shack.
Interface Information 39
IBM PC RTTY Ver 1.2G
KANTRONICS RS-232C INTERFACE SCHEMATIC
+5v
│
┌──────────┐ │
─┤1 ├─ │ ┌─────────────────────────────────────── CWID
─┤ ├──┘ │
─┤ ├─ │ ┌──────────────────────── KEYIN
DTR ─────────┤ ├────┘ │ ┌──────────┐
Tx data ─────┤ ├────┐ ├──┤1 ├─ +5v
RTS ─────────┤ ├───────────────────┴──┤ ├───┬───┬── DECODE
─┤ 75154 ├─ │ ┌──┤ ├───┘ │
Gnd ─┤ ├──┐ │ └──┤ ├─────┐ │
└──────────┘ │ │ ┌───────┤ ├───┐ │ │
┌────────────────┘ │ │┌──────┤ 74LS00 ├───┤ │ │
│ │ ││ Gnd ─┤ ├─┐ │ │ │
│ │ ││ └──────────┘ │ │ │ │
│ │ ││ │ │ │ │
│ │ │└──────────────────────────── RTTY
│ └───────────────────────┐ │ │ │ │
┌─────────────────────────────┐ │ /o────────┘ │ │
│ │ │ └───────────o| │ │ │
│ │ │ |o──────┘ │ │
│ │ ┌──────────┐ │ | │ │
│ └──┤1 ├─ +12v │ /o────────────┘
├──────┤ ├─────────┐ └──────────────o │
└──────┤ 75150 ├───────┐ │ o──────────┘
Gnd ─┤ ├─ -12v │ │
└──────────┘ │ │ Normal/Reverse
│ │ DPDT switch shown
Rx data ────────────────────────┘ │ in normal position
CD ───────────────────────────────┘
Gnd ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Gnd
Computer Kantronics
Interface Interface
│
Note: Non-Intersections are indicated by ───
│
All grounds are connected together.
An IBM Graphics Printer is required for this schematic
to print correctly.
Kantronics RS-232C Interface
Interface Information 40
IBM PC RTTY Ver 1.2G
DTR ────────────────────────────┐
│
┌──────────┐ +5v │
Tx data ─────┤1 ├──┘ │ ┌───────────────────────────── CWID
─┤ ├───────┘ │
┌──────┤ ├─ │ ┌──────────────────────── KEYIN
RTS ─────────┤ ├──────────────┘ │ ┌──────────┐
┌────┘ ─┤ ├─ ├──┤1 ├─ +5v
│ ┌──────┤ 1489 ├─ ┌────────────┴──┤ ├───┬───┬── DECODE
│ │ Gnd ─┤ ├─ │ ┌──┤ ├───┘ │
│ │ └──────────┘ │ └──┤ ├─────┐ │
│ │ │ ┌───────┤ ├───┐ │ │
│ │ │ │┌──────┤ 74LS00 ├───┤ │ │
│ └────────────────────────┘ ││ Gnd ─┤ ├─┐ │ │ │
│ ││ └──────────┘ │ │ │ │
│ ││ │ │ │ │
│ │└──────────────────────────── RTTY
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ │ │ │
┌────────────────────────────────┐ │ /o────────┘ │ │
│ │ └───────────o| │ │ │
│ │ |o──────┘ │ │
│ ┌──────────┐ │ | │ │
│ -12v ─┤1 ├─ +12v │ /o────────────┘
└─────────┤ ├───────────┴──────────────o │
Rx data ─────┤ ├─ o──────────┘
─┤ ├─────┐
─┤ ├─ │ Normal/Reverse
─┤ 1488 ├─ │ DPDT switch shown
Gnd ─┤ ├─ │ in normal position
└──────────┘ │
CD ───────────────────────────┘
Gnd ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Gnd
Computer Kantronics
Interface Interface
│
Note: Non-Intersections are indicated by ───
│
All grounds are connected.
An IBM Graphics Printer is required for this schematic
to print correctly.
Kantronics RS-232C Interface
Interface Information 41
IBM PC RTTY Ver 1.2G
A TERMINAL UNIT DESIGN COMPLIMENTS OF BOB AUSTIN, N4CLH
W1GAFSK MODULATOR WITH XR-2206
W0H
** ALL PARTS ARE AVAILABLE AT RADIO SHACK **
┌────┐
┌──────────────────────────────────────────┤1 16├
R1= 220 │ AUDIO OUT├───────────────┤C5├───────────┤ ├
R2= 33K │ ┌─────────┤R8├─────────────────┤ ├──┤R1├──────┐
R3= 20K │ │ ┌───────────────┤ ├────────────┘
R4= 20K │ │ │ ┌────┤C3├───┤ ├───────────────┐
R5= 33K │ │ +12V├─────┤ └───────────┤ ├ │
R6= 4.7K │ │ │ ┌───────┤ ├────────────┐ │
R7= 4.7K │ │ │ │ ┌──┤8 9├────┐ │ │
R8= 50K │ │ │ ┴ ┴ └────┘ ├──TTL │ │
│ ┌──────┼────┤R7├──────┘ R5 R2 │ IN │ │
C1= 1uf │ │ │ ┬ ┬ │ + ┴ │
C2= .001uf │ + ┴ ┴ ┴ │ ┴ C1 │
C3= .01uf │ C4 R6 R4 ┴ C2 ┬ │
C4= 10uf │ ┬ ┬ ┬ R3 ┬ │ │
C5= .1uf │ │ │ │ ┬ │ │ │
┬┼┬ ┬┼┬ ┬┼┬ ┬┼┬ ┬┼┬ ┬┼┬ ┬┼┬┬┼┬
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTES:
C3 MUST BE STABLE CAPACITOR
R3/R4 SHOULD BE MULTI-TURN POTS
R8 VARIABLE POT TO ADJUST AUDIO OUTPUT
C1/C4 ARE ELECTROLITIC
SETUP:
POWER TO PIN 4, ADJUST R3 FOR 2125 HZ AT AUDIO OUTPUT
POWER TO PIN 4, GROUND PIN 9, ADJUST R4 FOR 2295 HZ AT AUDIO OUTPUT
ADJUST R8 FOR DESIRED AUDIO OUTPUT LEVEL TO MICROPHONE CONNECTION
NORMALLY LESS THAN 1 VOLT PEAK.
NOTE**
THE XR2211 WILL BLOW IF MORE THAT 2V PEAK AUDIO IS APPLIED. IF YOU HOOK UP
THE RELAY CIRCUIT TO ECHO XMIT BUFFER DO NOT ADJUST R8 FOR MORE THAN THE
2V PEAK.
Interface Information 42
IBM PC RTTY Ver 1.2G
From Bob Austin, N4CLH
W1GAFSK DEMODULATOR USING XR-2211
W0H
┌─────┐
IN +12V├────────┤1 14├─────┤C6├────┐
AUDIO ├───────┤C11┤───┤ ├─────────────┘
┌───┬──────────────────────────────┤ ├─────────────┐
│ │ ┌──────────────────────────┤ ├───┬─┤R9├────┴──┤R10├────┐
│ │ │ ┤ ├───│───────────────┐ │
│ │ │ TTL OUT├────────┬──┤ ├ └─────────┐ │ │
│ │ │ ├──┤7 8├─┬──┤R12├────┤ │ │
│ │ │ +5V├────┤R15├───┤ └─────┘ │ │ │ │
│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
│ │ │ └───┤R13├──┤ ┴ ┴ ┴
┴ ┴ │ │ C7 C8 R11
R14 C10 │ ┴ ┬ ┬ ┬
┬ ┬ │ C9 │ │ │
│ │ │ ┬ │ │ │
┬┼┬ ┬┼┬ ┬┼┬ ┬┼┬ ┬┼┬ ┬┼┬ ┬┼┬
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
R9 = 220K
R10= 15K NOTES: PINS 10 AND 11 DO NOT CONNECT
R11= 20K R11 IS MULTITURN POT
R12= 100K C6 MUST BE STABLE CAPACITOR
R13= 470K C9 IS FOR 110 ASCII/BAUDOT OR LESS
R14= 470K I SWITCH TWO CAPS AT C9 FOR LOW SPEED AND HIGH
R15= 10K SPEED USING .047 AND .0047(HIGH) 300 ASCII/BAUDOT
C6 = .022 ADJUSTMENT:
C7 = .0047 POWER TO PIN 1, ADJUST R11 FOR CLEAN COPY
C8 = .1 (I USE A STRING OF *U FOR ADJUSTMENT AT 110 ASCII)
C9 = .047
C10= .05
C11= .1
Interface Information 43
IBM PC RTTY Ver 1.2G
From Bob Austin, N4CLH
W1GTTL TO EIA INTERFACE
W0H
I LIKE TO USE A 7404 OR 74LS04 BETWEEN THE EIA LINE DRIVER/RECEIVER
AND THE EXAR CHIPS TO LET ME USE SOME L E D'S FOR MARK AND SPACE.
YOU MAY ELIMINATE THIS CIRCUIT AND CONNECT THE EXAR CHIPS TO THE
LINE DRIVER/RECEIVER DIRECT.
TTL IN FROM XR2211-PIN6
─┬─
│ 7404 OR 74LS04
│ ┌─────┐
N ┌────┴─────────┤1 14├─────────┤+5V
┌─────── S1 ┌──┤ ├
│ R └─┬─────────┴──┤ ├
│ │ ┌──┤ ├
│ ┴ ┌──┴──┤ ├
│ R16 │ ┤ ├
│ ┬ ┴ ┌─┤7 8 ├
│ │ R17 │ └─────┘
│ ┴ ┬ │ S1= SPDT FOR NORMAL AND REVERSE
│ D1 │ │ SIGNALS
│ ┬ ┴ │ R16= 390
│ │ D2 │ R17= 390
│ │ ┬ │ D1= LED (MARK)
│ ┌┼┐ ┌┼┐ ┌┼┐ D2= LED (SPACE)
------│---------------------------------------------------------------------
│ 1488 DRIVER
└──────────────────────────┐ 1489 RECEIVER
│
+12V -12V EIA PIN6 │ PIN4 PIN9 PIN2 +5V
┬ ┬ ┬ │ ┬EIA ┬ ┬EIA ┬
│ └─────┐ │ │ │ │XR │ │
│ ┌─────┐ │ │ │ │ │2206│ │
└─────┤1 14├─┘ │ │ │ │ │ ┌─────┐ │
──┤ ├───┐ │ │ │ │ └──┤1 14├──┘
──┤ ├───┴────│──┐ │ ┌───│───────────────┤ ├
──┤ ├────────┘ │ │ │ │ └───────┤ ├
──┤ ├───┐ │ │ │ └───────────────┤ ├
──┤ ├───┴───────│──┘ │ ┌────────────┤ ├
┌─┤7 8 ├────┐ │ ┴ │ ┌─────┤ ├
│ └─────┘ │ │ C11 │ │ ┌─┤7 8 ├
│ │ │ ┬ ┴ ┴ │ └─────┘
│ EIA ├───┘ │ │ C12 RELAY│
│ PIN3 │ │ ┬ DRIVE│
┌┼┐ ┌┼┐ ┌┼┐ ┌┼┐ ┌┼┐
C11= .1
C12= .1
Interface Information 44
IBM PC RTTY Ver 1.2G
From Bob Austin, N4CLH
W1GPTT CIRCUIT
W0H
FOR THE RELAY TRANSISTOR, I USED A PNP 2N3906.
E
PIN6 ┌────┬── +5V
1489 ├──────┤R18├──┤B │
RCVR └────┴── RELAY COIL (OTHER END GND)
C
R18= 470
RELAY= DPDT 5VOLT MINIATURE.
** THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS TO HOOK THE RELAY UP TO YOUR PTT.
I COUPLED MY AUDIO OUTPUT TO THE AUDIO INPUT TO ECHO
MY XMITTED BUFFER BACK TO ME.(THIS ALLOWS ME TO SEE BOTH XMIT AND
RECEIVE IN MY SAVED FILES)
IF YOU USE THE ECHO FUNCTION OF A RTTY PROGRAM YOU DO NOT HAVE TO
HOOK THIS UP.. A SPST RELAY IS SUFFICIENT FOR PTT
AUDIO HOOKUPS ON THE RELAY ARE MADE WITH COUPLING CAPS C5 AND C11 BETWEEN
XR CHIPS AND RELAY.
XR2206 COM ┌─────┐COM
AUDIO INPUT ├────────┤ ├────────┤ PTT INPUT
XR2211 N/OPEN│ │ N/OPEN
AUDIO OUTPUT ├────────┤ ├───────────┐
N/CLOSE│ │ N/CLOSE │
RIG AUDIO OUT ├────────┤ ├─────── │
(SPKR) └─────┘ │
│
│
│
┌┼┐
W1G73's N4CLHW0H
Interface Information 45 ┌┼┐
W1G73's N4CLHW0H
Interface Information