K1EL WinKeyer3 User manual

WKmini USB
Rev B
WinKeyer3
Morse Interface
User Manual
www.k1el.com
Revision 1.2

K1EL WKmini USB WinKeyer User Manual WKmini B
WKmini Rev B User Manual 2/16/2022 Rev 1.2 Page 2
Introduction
This document will describe WKmini and its various interfaces. All the information you will need to
connect WKmini to your station will be included in this manual along with specific guides for
getting it working with N1MM+ Logger, HRD/DM780, N3FJP AC Log, and MRP40.
What is WinKeyer and why do I need it ?
Due to timing latencies inherent in multi-threaded operating systems like MS Windows, it is very
difficult to generate accurately timed Morse in software. All it takes is a higher priority task to
demand service and Morse generation will be delayed which results in wrongly timed dits, dahs,
or the spacing between them. A WinKeyer based device, like WKmini, attaches to a PC’s USB
port and appears as a serial com port to an application running on the PC. The application,
instead of generating Morse in software, sends the letters to WKmini. The application has full
control over sending speed as well as weighting, spacing, and PTT generation. WKmini has a
paddle interface so a user can break in immediately to handle fast exchanges in contest
situations. Electrically isolated keying outputs provide safety and prevent ground loops. Two
separate keying outputs allow the user to run two different radios from one keyer without
swapping cables. WKmini Rev B has two differences over Rev A. First, it uses a CH340 USB
controller instead of a FTDI controller in Rev A. The other difference is that Rev B moves Key 2
to the AUX port. Like Key 1, This port is optically coupled through a solid state relay. Maximum
voltage on either port is +/- 60 V.
WKmini Features
•USB 2.0 Interface with Mini type 3 connector •Uses K1EL’s latest WK3 IC
•Iambic CW Paddle Interface •Adjustable Speed 5-99 WPM
•Iambic A, B, Ultimatic & “Bug” paddle modes •Adjustable Weighting and dit/dah ratio
•Two separate keying outputs •Adjustable Keying Compensation
•Only KEY1 has a PTT output. •Adjustable Letterspacing
•Solid state relay output rated at +/-60V @120 mA •Adjustable PTT lead in and tail delays
•160 character input buffer •Optional autospacing
•External power not required, runs off USB power •Metal enclosure with RFI filtering
•ESD protection on paddle input •Auxiliary input for future enhancements
•Firmware can be updated over USB •160 character input buffer
•Embedded commands •Inexpensive cabling options
•Farnsworth spacing option •Adjustable dit/dah ratio
•RTTY FSK transmit with WK3.1
•Works with any logging or contest application that supports WinKeyer !!
Product Warranty, Support, and Liability
WKMINI is fully warranted to the original purchaser against defects in materials and workmanship for one
year after purchase. This warranty does not cover damage caused by accident, improper care, or lightning
damage. Please contact us before returning your WKmini for repair and we will issue an RMA.
Please submit support questions by e-mail to [email protected]
While every effort has been made to insure that the WKmini design is safe and the documentation is
clear and accurate, it is still possible to cause equipment damage or incur personal injury if:
WKmini is not used as intended, WKmini is connected incorrectly, Safety guidelines outlined in this
document are not followed, or WKmini is modified in any way.
K1EL cannot be held responsible in these or other similar events.

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WKmini Rev B User Manual 2/16/2022 Rev 1.2 Page 3
USB drivers
Don’t plug WKmini into your PC until you have read this paragraph !!
WKmini B uses a CH340N USB interface IC which is very reliable and easy to set up. Windows
drivers for this device can be found on the WKmini B website. There are two versions, a self
installing .exe and a zip file containing the individual drivers as used by Windows Update. Please
read through Appendix A for our recommended install procedure.
Drivers for Mac and Linux are also available on the WKmini B website. Contact K1EL if you need
guidance for those installations.
WKmini Connections
There are four connectors on WKmini, PDL and OUT on the left with AUX and USB on the right.
The PDL connector is an 1/8” stereo jack which accepts paddleset input. The paddle can be an
iambic or sideswiper type. A bug is not acceptable. The paddle inputs are activated when
switched to common ground (GND). The paddle connector needs to be wired this way:
GND
DAH
DIT
Paddle Connector
The OUT connector is a 1/8” stereo jack. It has two switched outputs; Key1 and Key2/PTT1. The
user has a choice of using KEY1 with optional PTT or Having two separate Key1 and Key2.
These outputs are isolated from WKmini ground and all other WKmini signals by an optically
coupled solid state relay which insures a 5000V barrier. These outputs can switch voltages up to
+/- 60 V, keyed currents up to 120 mA. The output connector is wired as shown below:
Sleeve
GND
Key 2/PTT 1
Key 1
Ring
Tip
Out Connector

K1EL WKmini USB WinKeyer User Manual WKmini B
WKmini Rev B User Manual 2/16/2022 Rev 1.2 Page 4
The AUX connector uses the same type connector as OUT. It provides a single switched output
which can switch a voltage up to + 60 V, keyed current up to 50 mA. This feature will be used in a
future Rev B firmware release. The output connector wiring is shown below:
GND
N/C
AUX
AUX Connector
PTT is only provided for KEY1 and is off by default. It can be enabled by software configuration if
necessary.
WKmini contains no user serviceable or configurable jumpers, Please do not tamper with or
modify the internal circuitry of WKmini as this will void the unit’s warranty and may result in
unsafe operating conditions.
Let’s actually run WKmini !
Once the USB driver is installed and you have plugged WKmini into your PC, you can determine
WK’s port assignment using K1EL’s WKscan app: https://www.k1elsystems.com/WKscan.html
WKscan Tutorial
Once you know WK’s com port, you are ready to run WKdemo.
If WKscan won’t run on your PC
We’ve had feedback that WKscan will not run on all PCs. If this happens, please refer to
Appendix B which shows how to obtain com port assignments using Device Manager.
After you have installed WKscan, start it
up and you will see the dialog box
shown at left. Click Scan and WKscan
will display all of the serial ports found
on the system. The ports will either be
identified as unassigned, in use, or
attached to a WK device. In this example
we have a WinKeyer1 device on COM2
and a WinKeyer3 device on COM4.
Yes, multiple WKs can be operated from
a single PC using two applications.
The USB connector is designed to mate with a Type A to
Mini-B cable. This cable is shown at left. The interface will
run at USB 1.0 and 2.0 speeds and will also work with a
USB 3.0 connector which is backward compatible with USB
2.0 interfaces by design.

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WKdemo tutorial
Click Cancel for now and go back to the main dialog box. Type into the lower keyboard entry
window and the test LED light will flash through the hole in the side of the enclosure. WKmini
does not have a local sidetone speaker so the sidetone LED is included for testing purposes.
WK3DEMO is a general purpose test application that can
exercise all of WKmini’s capabilities:
https://www.k1elsystems.com/files/WK3demo_41_setup.exe
Once the application is installed, start it up and you will see
the dialog box show at left. All you need to do to get started
is to configure the serial communications port. Click on
Setup and the com port selection list is shown. Only the
currently active USB com ports are shown. Select a WK
com port identified by WKscan.
You can click on ? In the upper right for a very brief help
menu.
Click on Open to connect to WKmini. If all is well, the Open
pushbutton will change to Close and the WK IC version will
be displayed. Click on Setup again and this time the Setup
dialog box will be displayed as shown on the next page.
This presents all of WK3’s various configuration options
which can be modified to your requirements.

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The sidetone options on the WKdemo setup display must be enabled. If serial echo is on in Setup
then what you type will be echoed in the upper text window as it is sent.
Now hook up some paddles and test paddle entry. If Paddle Echo is enabled, letters entered on
the paddles will displayed in the upper text window. It’s tricky to do this without an audible
sidetone. Use the Setup Dialog to try different keying options. Note that if you change settings on
the Setup dialog box, you have click Done and return to the main application to transfer those
new settings to WKmini.
Like sidetone, WKmini does not have a speed pot so those controls related to speed pot use are
disabled. That means it will function as if Speed Pot Lock was disabled. When Pot Lock is
unchecked, the Up/Down arrows next to the WPM readout on the main dialog box will control the
speed or you can directly enter a speed in the WPM edit box. In other words, speed is controlled
solely by the host application. This is how the majority of PC logging and contest applications
operate. Speed is controlled by keyboard commands, macros, or messages with embedded
speed commands. The name of the game in contesting is to have one central user focus, that
being the keyboard.
Although WKtest packs a lot of power in a small app, it is only meant to be a hardware test tool; it
gives you a good idea of what WKmini is capable of and confirms that it is operating properly. The
next logical step is to move on to a ‘real’ application, such as N1MM+. Before that we will briefly
look the WK3tools application.
WK3tools application
Normally when a WinKeyer device is not connected to a host application it will run in standalone
mode. Since WKmini has been designed to be a cost effective host only device, it does not
provide a useful standalone mode. It will operate when connected to a USB port, but since there
are no pushbuttons or a sidetone speaker, the user has no control over its operation. In other
words you can send at a fixed speed using a set of paddles but that’s about it. You really need to
run it from a PC application to be effective.
https://www.k1elsystems.com/files/WK3tools_52_setup.exe
The WK3tools application is used to customize standalone settings, you can use this app to set
up a standalone configuration and it will work but as previously stated there aren’t many options
here. Controls related to messages, users, and speed control are disabled. WK3tools is most
useful for updating the firmware on WK3mini. Current firmware versions are posted on the
WKmini website:
https://www.k1elsystems.com/WinKeyer_31.html
The procedure for updating WKmini can be found in Appendix D.

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Connecting WKmini to your station
Minimally all you need to do is connect the USB cable from WKmini to a USB port on your PC
and connect the key output to the keying input on your rig. Since WKmini performs the keying
function it drives your rig in the same manner as a straight key. In other words there are only two
leads, ground and key control. For that reason a keying cable is quite easy to build.
K1EL.com sells a universal keying cable kit that covers 95% of keying requirements.
Keying cable details (also see page 8)
An 1/8” stereo phone is recommended for the WKmini end of the keying cable and the other end
will have a connector that mates to your rig’s key input. Usually this is a 1/4 inch phone plug. A
two wire cable is all that is required to key a typical transceiver. Wire the key line to the tip of the
1/8” connector and ground to the sleeve as shown below, same for both OUT and AUX ports.
GROUND
No Connect
KEYLINE
sleeve
tip
ring
GROUND
No Connect
KEYLINE
sleeve
tip
ring
Keyer side of cable Transmitter end of cable
On the transceiver end, the key line goes to tip and ground goes to the sleeve. Make sure you
disable the radio’s internal keyer (if it has one) and set it up for straight key operation. It’s always
a good idea to test your keying cable before using it with WKmini. Plug the cable into your
transceiver and leave the keyer end unconnected. Now set up your transceiver for transmit and
then at the keyer cable end, short tip to sleeve with a clip lead. If this doesn’t work then either the
cable is not made correctly or the radio is not in break in mode. If you get dits or dahs, then the
keyer in the radio is still enabled. Some transceivers want you to use a stereo plug even if the
internal keyer is disabled, it’s always a good idea to use a stereo connector at the radio end no
matter what and leave the ring unconnected. PTT is rarely required for most CW stations. It is
used for RTTY operation though.
If you want to key a transmitter with vacuum tube finals, WKmini will not work because its solid
state keying relay is only rated for +\- 60V switching at 120ma. Grid block voltages are always
greater than this. Same goes for cathode keying. WKUSB is a better choice for grid block keying.
WKmini’s keying connector is electrically isolated from WKmini’s enclosure and ground. This
means that you can directly connect your transceiver to WKmini with PC attached and not worry
about ground loops or RF getting into your PC through WKmini.
PTT Connection
As mentioned previously, PTT will not be used in most CW radio setups. It is provided to run an
external antenna switch or to pre-key a linear amplifier. If you are just driving a barefoot
transceiver, PTT will not be required.
If you do need PTT, WKmini provides useful functionality. PTT is asserted before KEY and is held
for the entire transmit interval. Both lead-in and tail delays are adjustable. Just wire PTT to the
ring of the keyer connector and configure WKmini for single radio keying (KEY1/PTT1). Make
sure that PTT is enabled in your configuration settings.
Refer to the RTTY section on page 11 to see how PTT is used in that mode.

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Paddle Connection
If you decide to use a set of keying paddles with WKmini, they plug into the paddle jack input on
the left side of the unit. An 1/8 inch stereo jack is used on WKmini, if your paddles have a 1/4 inch
size plug an adapter cable will be necessary.
WK3demo is useful for verifying that WKmini is keying your rig properly. If you run into problems,
make sure you have selected the correct key output port. This is done in the Output Config
control in the WKdemo setup dialog box. Also check to make sure the connector is fully plugged
into the WKmini jack. The tune function is useful for signal tracing.
A cheap path to a keying cable
In today’s world of iPhones and portable music players, 1/8” stereo to 1/8” stereo connectors are
very easy to find and are inexpensive. If your transceiver requires an 1/8” keying plug you are
done. If it needs a 1/4” plug, purchase an 1/8” to 1/4” stereo adapter.
Alternatively, an 1/8” stereo plug to dual RCA cable can also be used. In this case get two RCA to
1/4” connectors and you have a keying cable that can key two different radios.
The point is that you can come up with just about any cable you need by juggling cable types and
adapters. Or buy one of our cable kits from us.
Note that 3.5mm and 1/8” connectors are the same size, so don’t let that confuse you.
Troubleshooting hints
1) WKmini won’t key my radio. First check to make sure your keying cable is wired correctly
and then check to make sure it is plugged into either the KEY or AUX output. If you have
it plugged into PDL it won’t work. See if swapping AUX and OUT works, if so you have
port selection swapped.
2) I get dits or dahs only or the CW output is garbled. This usually happens when you have
not disabled your transceiver’s internal keyer. You need to enable straight key mode. In
most transceivers this function is controlled by menu selection, older radios may employ
a dip switch or jumper. Please check your radio’s user manual.

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3) When I plug WKmini into the USB port, I see an R flashed on the debug LED but nothing
else works after that. This is a sign that one of the dit or dah paddles are stuck low.
Remove the paddle connector and see if that clears the problem. If so you may have a
short in your paddle cable or paddle.
4) When I try to run WKmini from WK3demo I get the error message Attach WK: No Echo.
This means that the com port selected was a valid one but not the one that WKmini is
connected to. Recheck your port selection with WKscan or Device Manager (appendix B)
5) WKmini is plugged in but WKscan does not show a com port with a WK device. This is a
sign that either a USB driver has not been installed or the USB hardware on WKmini is
not working. It could be a bad USB cable, or bent pin inside the USB connector. Note that
the USB interface is factory tested before a board is shipped so if it doesn’t work the
places to look for trouble are limited to the connector and cable. It could be that the USB
cable is not fully inserted at either WKmini or at the PC.
6) I get an “Access to Port xx denied” message. This probably means that one of the other
K1EL programs or a non-K1EL program is open, perhaps in the background out of sight,
and is still using the port, thereby locking out all other programs from accessing the port.
To solve this issue, be certain that all other programs are closed and then try again.
7) WKmini is ‘kicked off line’ while you are transmitting. There’s a good chance RF is getting
into the keyer or the PC disrupting USB communication between the PC and WKmini. To
solve this issue, first make sure the grounding system in your shack is properly designed
and has the shortest possible path to a ground rod outside. If that doesn’t help, you can
use a ‘bandaid’ of installing snap-on ferrite “beads” on each end of the keyer to PC USB
cable.
8) I setup WKmini and all was working until the PC went to sleep overnight, now the host
app doesn’t see WKmini. The solution is to close the application and restart. WKmini is
designed to be USB compliant and handle the condition where the host PC goes to sleep
and then wakes up. Unfortunately, not all host applications are designed to preserve the
connection to WKUSB. A working solution is to disable the PC from going into full sleep
in the PC’s Power Settings. Allowing a display and hard drive to sleep will save a great
deal of power but keeping the CPU awake will preserve the USB connections.

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Theory of Operation
This section will briefly describe how WKmini works. As shown in the block diagram below, the
host PC is connected to WKmini over a USB com port. WKmini receives commands and Morse
letters from the PC. Letters will be sent in accurately timed Morse.
PC to WKmini Block Diagram
Commands modify WKmini’s operation in some way, for example changing operating speed,
pausing transmission, or asking for status. Commands and Morse letters are processed
differently in WKmini. Morse is put into a FIFO* buffer memory that allows the host to send data
ahead of the Morse being sent. The size of this buffer is 160 bytes. Since there can be a
considerable delay from host input to Morse output, commands bypass the input FIFO and are
acted upon immediately. This allows changes to be made while sending is underway.
*First In First Out; bytes are taken out in the order they were put in.
Data and Command Flow inside WKmini
Since there are times when you don't want commands to take effect immediately, WKmini allows
commands to be buffered. This means that the command is placed in the serial buffer mixed with
Morse and won’t be acted on until it comes out of the buffer. An example would be sending two
words at two different speeds, the first at 15 WPM and the second at 20 WPM. By placing a
buffered speed command between the words, the speed will not be changed until the first word is
completely sent.
WKmini will send data back to the host for processing. There are four reasons this will happen:
1) lnform the host of a WKmini status change.
2) Inform the host of a speed pot or pushbutton change.
3) Respond to a request for status from the host.
4) Echo Morse as it’s being sent by message or by paddles
160
byte
FIFO
Input
Parser
USB Serial
Input
Command
Bypass
to input processing
Morse &
Buffered
Commands
Host
PC
WKmini
Commands
& Data
Keyboard
KEY1
Test LED
Keyer Paddle
Display
USB
USB
PTT1/KEY2
AUX
PDL
OUT