HAM Radio 1/HamRadio.cdr/control/ft-747gx/readme.doc

Text File | 1991-01-01 | 17KB | 405 lines

Note:  To obtain a printed copy of this file, put  your  printer
       on-line and type  d:PRINTME from the DOS prompt, where d:
       is the letter specification of the drive containing  this
       disk.

                             (1)





                        Table of Contents

Topic                           Page
------------------------------------
Table of contents -------------- 1
Features ----------------------- 2
Introduction ------------------- 3
Running the program ------------ 4
General ------------------------ 5
Frequency selection functions -- 6
Changing mode ------------------ 7
Color selection ---------------- 8
Entering a custom title -------- 8
Saving and loading memories ---- 9
Exiting the program ------------ 9
Interface hardware ------------ 10
Miscellaneous notes ----------- 10

                             (2)




                            Features

* Large frequency display

* Similarity to actual front panel for instant familiarity

* Flexible QSY functions

* Display of all memory contents

* Memos may be assigned to memory channels

* Memory information and memos may be saved to/loaded from disk

* Transient or memory-resident (pop-up) operation

* User-selectable color combinations

* On-screen date and time

                             (3)




                          Introduction

This  program  allows you to take full advantage  of  the  serial
interface  that is an integral part of your FT-747GX  transceiver.
An  effort was made to make the program as convenient to  use  as
possible.  Display layout is similar to that on the  transceiver,
and  the  main frequency is comprised of large  digits  for  easy
viewing.   All  memory  contents are shown for  easy  review  and
selection.

Most  functions are activated by use of the  computer's  function
keys  and  keypad  keys, and menus appear at the  bottom  of  the
screen to define the action of the function keys.  In addition, a
PROMPTS  window  provides useful information on the use  of  many
functions, and displays error messages.

The  program may be run as a transient or installed to be  memory
resident, allowing it to be popped up over a logging program, for
example.

                             (4)




                       Running the program

There  are five 'switches' that may be specified in  the  command
line  following  the 747 command.  If more  than  one  switch  is
specified, they may be entered in any order, but each switch must
be  preceded  by  a slash (/). Type 747/ to  get  information  on
switch usage.

The program defaults to the use of serial port COM1 unless the /2
switch  is  used, and to the use of color unless  the  /M  (Mono)
switch is used.  If you run this program on a laptop with an  LCD
screen, you will probably need to specify the /M switch.

The  third switch is /D (Demo), which allows you  to  demonstrate
the  program in the absence of a transceiver.   (The  frequencies
and  modes initially displayed are those of an FT-747GX that  has
just had its memory cleared.)

The fourth switch is /R (Resident).  Using this switch causes the
program to install itself as a memory resident (pop-up)  utility.
To  invoke the program, you must hold both SHIFT keys down  while
pressing the S key.  The program will only pop up if the  display
is in an 80 column text mode (mode 2, 3 or 7).  The first time it
is  popped  up  it will take a second to paint  itself  onto  the
screen;  subsequent  pop-ups  will be  instantaneous.   A  status
update is automatically performed each time the program is popped
up.

Older Yaesu 747's had some minor differences from newer FT-747's.
Using  the /O switch causes the program to properly  reflect  the
annunciator status as it appears on those older transceivers.  If
you  are  using  this  program with  an  FT-747GX,  and  the  CAT
annunciator  in  the upper left corner of the  display  does  not
appear when a command is sent to your transceiver, specify the /O
switch in the command line.  (The CAT annunciator will still  not
appear.)

                             (5)




                             General

There  are  two  basic  operating  modes.  One  allows  frequency
changes, VFO and memory selection and manipulation, and more; the
other is mainly involved with mode selection.

When  the  program is started, it comes up in  the  former  mode.
This is evident both from the function key menu at the bottom  of
the  screen, and from the position of the arrowhead at the  right
side of the main frequency window.  The TAB key is used to toggle
between these two operating modes.

If  something happens to cause an error message to be  displayed,
the  console bell will sound, and you will be prompted  to  press
any key to confirm that you are aware of the error.

The  serial interface protocol of the FT-747GX allows commands to
be  sent to the transceiver quickly, but to check the setting  of
any transceiver function requires the receipt of a 'status dump',
which  takes  approximately 800 mS.  To ensure that  the  display
continues  to  properly  reflect the  state  of  the  transceiver
without  slowing operation, the following procedure is  followed.
Whenever  a  command is about to be sent to  the  transceiver  to
change  some setting, the program first displays what the  result
of  the  change will be, then sends the command.  If  no  key  is
pressed  for  a period of five seconds, the  program  requests  a
status dump, and again refreshes the display.  If the command was
properly  executed, no change in displayed data will occur.   You
will  simply  see  a message appear briefly,  indicating  that  a
status request is being made.  If the program detects any errors,
it  will announce the problem.  Otherwise the Ready! prompt  will
reappear.   If you wish to override the automatic status  request
with a manual one, just press the ENTER (Return) key.

Note:  When the VOICE feature is activated, the automatic  status
dump request will not occur.  You must press ENTER if you want to
issue a status update request.

                             (6)




                  Frequency selection functions

When  the  arrowhead points to the bar over  the  main  frequency
digits (press TAB if it doesn't), you may use the Home, End, Left
Arrow and Right Arrow keys to position the bar over the digit you
wish to change.  Pressing the Up Arrow will increment the  digit,
the Down Arrow will decrement it.  If the digit increments from 9
to 0, or decrements from 0 to 9, the carry or borrow will  affect
the more significant digits.  This makes it easy to 'scan' a band
in steps of 25 Hz, 100 Hz, 1 kHz, 10 kHz, etc.

If  you want to enter a new frequency, or part of  one,  position
the bar over the most significant digit to be entered, and  press
the  INSERT  key.   (The bar may also  be  moved  after  pressing
INSERT.)   Then enter the frequency.  Each digit  entered  causes
the bar to move to the next-least significant digit.  If you make
a mistake, you can back up to that digit and re-enter it.  If you
begin  to enter a frequency, then change your mind, just hit  the
ESC key, and the original frequency will return.  After  entering
the  new digits, press ENTER, and the new frequency will be  sent
to the transceiver.

The  function  key  assignments  should  be  pretty  much   self-
explanatory, but some clarification is given here.

The  Lock function (F1) locks the dial on the  transceiver  only.
It  does not prevent making frequency changes from  the  program.
If  there is any chance of someone accidentally turning the  main
tuning knob on the transceiver, you should turn Lock on.  If  the
dial is turned while a status request is being made, it is likely
that an error message will occur.

The Clarifier may be turned on from the computer using F3, but  a
frequency  entered  from  the  keyboard  will  not  go  into  the
clarifier  register.  Instead, it will go into the VFO  currently
selected for receive.  As a result, the use of the Clar  function
from the program is not of much use.

F6 allows you to use the contents of a memory channel for receive
and/or  transmit.   [Note  that an equal  (=)  sign  between  the
receive and transmit frequencies indicates that that channel  has
a  simplex frequency stored.  A slash (/) indicates split.]   You
can  select  a  new memory channel by entering  its  number  when
prompted (leading 0 not required), and pressing ENTER, or  accept
the  current (highlighted) channel by just pressing ENTER.   When
MR is on, you can also use the Home, End, and the four arrow keys
to move through the memory channels.

                             (7)





You  can  assign  a line of text to each  memory  channel,  as  a
reminder as to why it was saved.  The Memo function (F4)  toggles
between  the display of frequencies of the memory channels and  a
display  of  the  memos.   These 'memos'  are  only  good  for  a
particular  operating  session,  unless  saved  with  the  memory
contents as described below under Saving and loading memories.

To  enter  a new memo, use F6 (if necessary) to  select  MR,  and
enter  the  number  of the channel for which  the  memo  will  be
entered.  If MR is already on, you can use the Home, End,  and/or
arrow keys to make your selection.  Then press INSERT, enter your
memo,  and press ENTER.  If you press ESC instead,  the  original
memo, if any, will return.  (If voice is on, press Insert to have
the  current memo spoken, then ESC to leave it intact.)   If  the
frequency  display  is shown when you press Insert,  the  display
will  automatically change to show the memos, and will return  to
the frequency display after the memo is entered.

F10 toggles between Transmit and Receive.  No other functions are
active when in transmit, and the program does not check to see if
the  transceiver is actually transmitting, since the  transceiver
ignores a status request while in transmit.


                          Changing mode

Pressing TAB so that the arrowhead jumps to the mode line in  the
display  offers  several  ways of selecting mode.   Mode  may  be
selected directly from the function key menu, or the active  mode
may  be selected with the Home, End, Left Arrow and  Right  Arrow
keys.   The  Up  Arrow selects the Wide filter;  the  Down  Arrow
selects the Narrow filter in modes where applicable.

                             (8)





                         Color selection

If  you have a color monitor, you will appreciate the ability  to
customize  the colors to your liking.  Temporary changes  may  be
made during an operating session to relieve eyestrain, or changes
may be made permanent.

Press  TAB if required so that F9 is labeled Colors.   Press  F9,
and a new menu will appear, defining sections of the screen,  and
you  will be prompted to make a selection.  After doing  so,  the
selection begins blinking in the menu line, and you are  prompted
to  use the arrow keys to select colors.  The Up Arrow  and  Down
Arrow  keys  change background colors, while the Left  Arrow  and
Right  Arrow  keys  change  foreground  colors.   Note  that  the
background  color  for the frame (border  lines)  determines  the
background for the annunciator section, and the annunciators that
are  off are always black, unless a foreground color of black  is
chosen, in which case they disappear.

Note:   The  program automatically prevents any  selections  that
would  cause  any part of the screen to  become  invisible.   For
example,  the  program  won't allow the choice  of  a  foreground
(background)  color  of brown until the  background  (foreground)
color is changed to something other than brown.

After  changing  a  section,  press  ESC.   The  selection  stops
blinking, and you can choose another section to change, or  press
ESC again to leave the color selection mode.

If you hold either SHIFT key down while pressing ESC to return to
the  Ready!  prompt,  the changes will be  made  permanent.   The
program will prompt you for a filename, allowing you to  maintain
several  different  versions.   Important:   You  should   always
specify an extension of .COM.


                     Entering a custom title

Press TAB if required so that F9 is labeled Title.  Press F9, and
enter a new title.  If you press ESC, the old title will  return;
pressing  ENTER  accepts  it.  If you want  to  make  this  title
permanent,  hold either SHIFT key down while pressing  ENTER,  as
described  under Color Selection, above.  Be sure to  specify  an
extension of .COM.  (Note that the current color selections  will
also be saved by this action.)

                             (9)





                   Saving and loading memories

The PgDn and PgUp keys may be used to save the contents of all 20
memories,  along with any memos you have assigned to them,  to  a
disk   file.   You  can  therefore  save  custom   groupings   of
frequencies  -  foreign  broadcast,  nets,  schedules,  etc.,  as
permanent  disk  files.  The Memo feature  will  be  particularly
appreciated here.

Press  the  PgDn key to perform this  'download'  function.   The
process  takes  only a couple of seconds.  Use the  PgUp  key  to
'upload'  a  previously-saved memories file to  the  transceiver.
This  process  takes  somewhat  longer,  due  to  the  number  of
operations  involved,  and the speed limitations  of  the  serial
protocol.   (Do not turn the tuning dial during this process,  or
some memories will not be loaded properly.)

Each of these operations prompts for a filename.  You may want to
use  .747 as an extension for these files for  consistency.   Each
file will be 980 bytes long.


                       Exiting the program

Press the ESC key to leave the program.  If it was being run as a
transient  program, you will be asked to confirm this  action  by
pressing 'Y'.


                             (10)





                        Interface hardware

Your  FT-747GX's  serial interface uses  TTL levels.  To use this
FT-747GX CAT controll software, you will need an interface to the
RS-232 port on your computer.  A simple circuit to accomplish the
required level shifting may be viewed by typing DRAWME.  The file
DRAWME.COM  furnished on this disk  will present the schematic on
your screen.

Power for this circuit is derived from a +12 Volt DC  source such
as your FT-747GX Supply. Parts and layout are non-critical.    We
recommend the use of a  shielded enclosure and  shielded cable to
ensure against RF problems.

Parts list
----------

QTY     DESCRIPTION
-----------------------------------------------------------------
8       4700 Ohm, 1/4 Watt resistor
1       220 Ohm, 1/2 Watt resistor
1       10 uF., 25 Volt electrolytic
1       100 uF., 10 Volt electrolytic
2       General purpose diode (1N4149 or similar)
1       5.1 Volt Zener diode (1N5231 or similar)
3       General purpose NPN transistor (2N3904 or similar)
1       General purpose PNP transistor (2N3906 or similar)
1       RCA phono plug (for 12 Volt jack)
1       6 pin DIN plug (to mate with serial port on FT-747GX)
1       9 or 25 pin female 'D' connector (to mate with computer)
1       Length of 2 wire shielded cable


                       Miscellaneous Notes

The  VFO  windows show the current contents of VFO A and  VFO  B.
Following  the mode of each is a letter indicating  whether  that
VFO is selected for receive (R), transmit (T), or transceive (X).
When  using  F7 to save VFO(s) to memory, remember  that,  unless
Split mode is selected, only the receive frequency will be saved.
If  the  Split annunciator is on, the VFO that is  designated  as
receive  (followed by an 'R') will be copied to the receive  side
of   the  currently  selected  memory  channel.   These   letters
disappear when MR is selected.

If you have only a single serial port, and need to share it  with
a  printer or other device using an A-B switchbox, note that  the
program fully restores the serial port upon exiting.

If you experience problems with this program, either in transient
or  pop-up  modes,  it  may  be  due  to  other,  memory-resident
programs.   Uninstall them and try installing them one at a  time
to determine which one is causing the problem.