microHAM DigiKeyer User manual

microHAM © 2016 All rights reserved
DigiKeyer
microHAM
fax: [phone]
e-mail: [e-mail]
homepage: www.microham.com
Version 8.0
1 March 2016
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microHAM © 2016 All rights reserved
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
1. FEATURES AND FUNCTIONS ........................................................................................................ 3
2. IMPORTANT WARNINGS ................................................................................................................ 3
3. PANEL DESCRIPTION .................................................................................................................... 4
Front Panel .......................................................................................................................... 4
Rear Panel .......................................................................................................................... 5
4. INSTALLATION ................................................................................................................................ 6
Preparing for Use................................................................................................................. 6
Macintosh (OS-X) Installation .............................................................................................. 7
Windows Installation ............................................................................................................ 7
Installing microHAM USB Device Router ......................................................................7
Configuring USB Audio Codec ........................................................................8
Configuring microHAM USB Device Router ................................................................ 9
Creating and Using Virtual Ports ................................................................................ 10
5. microHAM DEVICE ROUTER ........................................................................................................ 11
Menu: Router ..................................................................................................................... 11
Menu: Preset ..................................................................................................................... 12
Menu: Device ..................................................................................................................... 13
Menu: Virtual Port .............................................................................................................. 14
Menu: Help ........................................................................................................................ 15
Device Configuration .......................................................................................................... 15
Ports Tab..................................................................................................................... 16
CAT& 2
nd
CAT ...................................................................................................... 17
FSK & 2
nd
FSK .................................................................................................... 20
CW ....................................................................................................................... 21
PTT & 2
nd
PTT ..................................................................................................... 22
Squelch ................................................................................................................ 22
Control...................................................................................................................22
Keying Tab.................................................................................................................. 23
Audio .................................................................................................................... 23
PTT........................................................................................................................24
FSK from Keyboard .....................................................................................................24
FSK Messages ............................................................................................................24
6. SETTING AUDIO LEVELS ............................................................................................................. 25
7. EXTERNAL KEYBOARD ................................................................................................................ 27
8. PACKAGE CONTENTS .................................................................................................................. 27
9. WARRANTY ................................................................................................................................... 28
10. SPECIFICATIONS .......................................................................................................................... 28
11. SYSTEM CONSIDERATIONS ........................................................................................................ 29
12. HARDWARE SPECIFICATIONS .................................................................................................... 29
13. DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY .............................................................................................. 30
APPENDIX A – CONNECTORS ............................................................................................... 31
APPENDIX B – RFI Considerations ........................................................................................... 32
APPENDIX C – Tracking ........................................................................................................... 33
APPENDIX D – Cables and Bridges .......................................................................................... 34
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microHAM © 2016 All rights reserved
1 - FEATURES AND FUNCTIONS
 No Serial or Parallel port necessary, just one USB port
 Complete "Computer <-> Radio" isolation
• bidirectional transformer isolation of audio signals
• optical isolation of ALL digital signals: Radio Control, CW, PTT, FSK
 Internal USB sound capability
• Wide range audio level: works with transceiver levels from 100 mV to 1.5 V
• Extremely low noise floor: as low as 0.7 mV effective
• High dynamic range: 84 dB typical, 82 dB minimum
 Compatible with all MS Windows based logging or control software
• the special microHAM "USB Device Router" program creates virtual COM ports for full operation with
standard Windows applications.
• customizable presets allow instantly changing DIGI KEYER parameters to match the program
currently in use
 Integrated computer control port for all radios CI-V, FIF-232, IF-232, RS-232
• fully supports Icom, Kenwood, TenTec, Yaesu and other radios
• no separate level converter required
 Squelch input for additional software control
 Strong RFI immunity
• integrated chokes and filters for best RFI immunity
• advanced shielding and circuit design for RFI product suppression
 Connections:
• Computer – USB
• Radio - DB15
 Front panel LEDs for easy visual feedback of CW, PTT, SQL, POWER and radio control data
 Front panel adjustable Transmit and Receive audio levels
 USB sound support built-in to the Operating System
• does not require special drivers or limit your choice of applications.
• Supported under Windows, Apple OS 10 and LINUX
 Metal/Aluminum case, powder coated and silk screened
 Free, no time limit, on-line firmware/software upgrades
2 - IMPORTANT WARNINGS
You must set the CAT level jumpers inside the DIGI KEYER
before using it for the first time.
If you power DigiKeyer from an external power supply ALWAYS
check the polarity of the external 13.8 V supply.
If your radio includes upgradeable firmware,
DO NOT perform any upgrade through DigiKeyer.
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microHAM © 2016 All rights reserved
3 - PANEL DESCRIPTION
FRONT PANEL
(1) – POWER
YELLOW color indicates when unit is powered
(2) – TX
Adjusts transmit audio level (drive)
(3) – CW/FSK
RED color indicates when CW is active, GREEN indicates when FSK is active
(4) – SQL
GREEN color indicates when squelch is active
(5) – PTT
RED color indicates when PTT is active
(6) – RX #2
Adjusts receive audio level from the second (sub-, aux-, etc.) receive channel.
(7) – RX #1
Adjusts receive audio level from the main receive channel.
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microHAM © 2016 All rights reserved
REAR PANEL
All connectors for connecting the computer, radio and accessories are located on the rear panel.
(1) – PA PTT: PTT output for Power Amplifier
Ground during transmit
TIP - Signal
SHELL - Ground
(2) - LNA PTT: Control output for Low Noise Amplifier
Ground during transmit
TIP - Signal
SHELL - Ground
If the jumper is in SS position, open collector switching
transistor is connected to the PAPTT or LNAPTT output jack.
The transistor can switch up to 48V @ .8A. This position is
appropriate for modern Power Amplifiers with electronic
keying and LNA bypass relays .
Check manual of your PA and LNA to be sure the power requirements do not exceed the transistor rating
otherwise set the appropriate jumper to the RE position. This position connects the relay contact to the
output jack. Maximum rating for the relay is:48V AC/DC @ 1A.
NOTE: If you are not sure about keying voltage of your amp on LNA, use the RE position.
(3) - RADIO: DB15F connector for radio interconnection – a detailed description is in Appendix A
(4) - REM: MiniDIN6 for PS/2 keyboard or numeric keypad.
(5) - USB: USB B connector for computer connection. Connect the supplied USB A-B cable.
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microHAM © 2016 All rights reserved
4 - INSTALLATION
Installing DIGI KEYER consists of several steps:
1) prepare DIGI KEYER to work with your radio
2) install microHAM USB Device Router (the control and interface software)
configure the Windows USB Audio Device
3) configure Router
Preparing DigiKeyer for Use
1. Remove the top cover from the DI I KEYER and set the CAT jumpers as shown in the following chart. The
CAT interface jumpers must be configured to select the proper level for each radio type.
RS-232 levels:
All transceivers with RS-232 CAT ports.
IF-232 levels:
Kenwood: TS-140, 440, 450, 680, 690, 711, 790,
811, 850, 940, 950
FIF-232 levels:
Yaesu: FT-100, 736, 747, 757 XII, 767, 817, 840,
857, 890, 897, 900, 980, 990, 1000, 1000D
CI-V levels:
Icom: all radios except 7700 & 7800 with RS-232
TenTec: all radios with 3.5 mm connector
NOTE: the CAT interface is not configured at the factory.
2. Plug the DB15M on the radio cable set into the DB15 connector on the rear panel of the DIGI
KEYER and plug ALL connectors from the cable set to the appropriate jacks at the rear panel of
your transceiver. Each connector on the radio interface cable is marked same as the matching jack
on your transceiver.
3. If the radio cable ends with leads for external power, connect these leads to a 12-16V DC power
supply.
Be sure to observe the proper polarity.
4. Locate but do not connect the USB cable from DigiKeyer to your computer.
NOTE: If you will be installing on a Windows computer, skip to “MICROSOFT WINDOWS
(Windows 2000, XP, Vista, & Windows 7) INSTALLATION.”
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IF232
CI-V
FIF232
RS232

microHAM © 2016 All rights reserved
Mac OS X INSTALLATION
1. Insert the microHAM CD in your CDROM/DVD drive
and navigate to Drivers/OS-X or use your web
browser to go to
http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/VCP.htm and
down load the latest driver image for OS-X.
2. Open FTDIUSBSerialDriver_v2_2_18.dmg by
clicking on it.
3. For OS-X 10.4, 10.5 or 10.6 open
FTDIUSBSerialDriver_10_4_10_5_10_6 and follow
the instructions to install.
4. Plug in the USB cable
5. Turn on the radio or external power supply.
6. Follow the instructions for your software to configure the application to work with DigiKEYER.
MICROSOFT WINDOWS INSTALLATION
Installing microHAM USB Device Router
1. To install Router click on the Install USB
Device Router link on the installation CD or
download the most recent installation
package from the web site:
www.microHAM.com/downloads.html.
2. If you download an updated package, right click on
"urouter_release_xx_xx.exe" (xx_xx is version) and
choose “Run as administrator” to start installation.
3. The Windows setup utility will start and ask into
which folder Router and its supporting files should
be installed. Note: unless you have a very strong
reason to install Router elsewhere, please accept
the default location.
4. When the Router installation is completed, plug in
the USB cable when instructed, click "Finish" to
launch Router for the first time and proceed to
configuring Router for your station and software.
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microHAM © 2016 All rights reserved
Configuring USB Audio CODEC
Windows will automatically install the USB Audio Device driver to support the USB Audio CODEC in DIGI
KEYER.
Windows automatically selects any newly installed
audio device as the default device for Sound
Playback and Sound Recording. This is
undesirable as Windows Sounds would be played
through DIGI KEYER and onto the air!
Open "Sound" in the Control Panel or right click on
the Speaker Icon on the Taskbar and select
"Playback." Reset the Default Device to Speakers
of your computer's primary sound device.
Select “Recording.” Reset Default Device and
Default Communications Device to an input on the
internal (primary) sound card in your computer.
Double click on “Microphone” USB Audio Codec
device, click on Advanced tab and verify that the
Default Format is set to 2 channel.
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microHAM © 2016 All rights reserved
Configuring microHAM USB Device Router
The microHAM USB Device Router (Router) program provides a Windows compatible configuration tool for
microHAM USB Devices (DIGI KEYER as well as microKEYER, CW Keyer and USB Interfaces)and
software interface to other Windows applications (loggers, digital mode software, etc.). The software
interface is provided as Virtual Serial Ports.
To configure and use DIGI KEYER with Windows compatible application programs it is necessary to have
installed the USB driver, started the Router, and applied power to DIGI KEYER by turning on the attached
radio or external power supply. Router is then configured to match the requirements of the application
(logger or digital mode) software.
DIGI KEYER Status
When the USB driver is installed correctly and DIGI KEYER
is powered from a radio or external 12V DC supply Router
will show a device tab with a GREEN check beside the
device name (DIGI KEYERI).
When Router shows a YELLOW “X” instead of a green ,
it means the USB driver is correctly installed but DIGI
KEYER is not receiving power from the radio or external
supply.
When Router shows a RED “X” instead of a green , it
means the device is disconnected and Router does not see
the USB part of DIGI KEYER.
This happens when the USB cable is unplugged or the USB
driver is not correctly installed.
Initial Setup
Router must be used to configure DIGI KEYER for proper
operation. The device configuration tab (in the red
rectangle) is used to setup each part of the DIGI KEYER
– virtual ports for communicating with the application
(Ports), audio levels, PTT and keyboard FSK (Keying),
and stored FSK messages (FSK Messages).
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microHAM © 2016 All rights reserved
Creating and Using Virtual Serial Ports
microHAM Router provides a set of virtual serial ports which allow Windows applications (loggers and digital
software) to work with DIGI KEYER just as they would work with "real" (hardware) serial ports.
In order to use these virtual Ports, you must first create the ports and then assign a function (radio control,
PTT, CW, FSK, etc.) to each virtual port.
DO NOT define a port that is already in use (for example, COM1 or COM2 which are hardware ports on
many motherboards) or a virtual port used by another USB device. Even though Router will not allow using
a COM port number which is already present in the system (like hardware COM ports or internal modems),
sometimes these ports are hidden. If a device which also uses virtual serial ports (external USB devices,
bluetooth devices, mobile phones, PDA etc ...) is not connected to the computer when creating virtual ports
in Router, the ports can overlap and will not work properly when you connect such device.
IMPORTANT WARNING: Before you start creating virtual COM ports, attach all external devices you use
with the computer and allow them to connect to the system. Restart Router and then create the virtual
COM ports.
Virtual ports are created from the Virtual Port menu.
Create - Creates virtual COM ports. It is possible to
select more than one port at a time by holding the
Ctrl key on keyboard and clicking on COM port
numbers. Creating virtual ports may take a long time
(several tens of seconds), be patient.
Delete - Deletes any single virtual port.
Delete All - Deletes all previously created virtual ports.
Do not delete a virtual port until all applications using that port have been closed.
TIP: It is possible to select multiple ports at one time by
holding Control key on keyboard and clicking on the COM
port numbers.
TIP: If you have uninstalled another device which used
virtual ports and Router does not offer the released COM
port number, you will need to reset the virtual port bus.
You can do this by deleting all the virtual ports at once.
Select "Virtual Port | Delete All" and create the ports again.
Any missing port number should appear.
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