Ham Radio 2000/Ham Radio 2000.iso/ham2000/fax_sstv/proskan/setup.txt

Text File | 1996-05-20 | 14KB | 309 lines

 History:
    ProSkan (FSCAN.EXE) has been writen by KA1LPA

 UnRegisted Limitations:


     The Unregisted version has been limited in its use.
      File List has been reduce to 10 per directory for the
     unreg version, (1000) for the Registed one.

      There is no save option in the FSAX portion, the Registed
     version contains a "T~EMP.PCX" that can be read from
     most PAINT programs.
      Your call is transmitted like so "~MYCALL" in the
      digital Header but is sent normally in the Registed
      version and can not be changed.


    Big Notes:

    If you detect problems with red bleeding pictures while
    operating in the SCOTTIE Modes, check the F2 Button
       99% SSTV pictures in SCOTTIE modes use them with the
       F2 button on(lighted).
    When some on the freq is using a program like JVFAX or
    MFJ-1278,HISCAN for example you may want to turn off this
    button, other wise keep it on all the time.

    The Registed Version has 200 thumbnails print pictures that
       you can select from, the unregisted version only supports the
       20 thumbnails..


    Maynard A. Philbrook jr.
    520 Pleasant St.
    Willimantic, CT 06226
    1-(203)-456-1167 or 1-(203)-456-2521 as of this writeing
       Main Language Used :

        Turbo Pascal Version 6.0 (legal Copy);
       Assistance language:
        Turbo Assembler & Inline Assembler
        Symantec C++ for some support Files(legal Copys);

 Important Note :
    Please try to run the program with out the use of a Memory manager
  unless you are using a PC that is a very fast variety, starting
   from a 60 Mhz Pentium and up or if non PCI is being use then
   machines of 486 80Mhz/2 or faster is recogmented.
     This could be done simply by creating boot floppy with your
    minimum on it, you will need a mouse driver, and you can use
    HIMEM.SYS.
      In any case you deside you the memory manager in your system
    then FSCAN will detect the presence of it and notifie you that
    you should insure that your RRXcorrectOffset is set up to fix the
    Timing problems EMM386 generate..
      P.S.
    Memory managers also cause unexplained noise dots in be
    present in a clean picture..
      if you don't experience this while using the EMM386 or QEMM
    then all you need to do is just insure the CorrectRXoffset  in
    Proskans configuration is properly set a value. 0..12

 Some Specs:
 FOR SERIAL AUDIO :
     Serial Audio can be used, but the PC specker is really better,
   if serial audio is all that you want to use then insure that
   you are on a 386DX-33 or better due to speed problems..
    You still may want to isolate the audio to the rig with a
    transformer for protection  and RF problems..
    TX graph will be disabled if using the Serial audio..


 FOR SPEAKER AUDIO :

    Audio for Transmiting at this time is to be connected
     from the speaker source in side your PC..
     Radio Shack Speaker Transformer..

 To Audio Input   ||(------------- to one side of PC Speaker.
     ------------)||( 1k Ohms  Side
     -/\/\/\-----)||(
 of radio for TX  ||(------------- to other side of PC Specker.

  8ohm - 1k ohm is good for microphone use  to reduce the output..
  if you use one of the inputs on the back that requires an
  anverage of 0.7 VRMS then using a 1:1 transformer maybe more
  proper to use..
    In the case of using the in 0.7 input a resister of about
  47k should be placed in series from the audio transformer leading
  to the rear input to privent any loading of audio that effects
  some rigs..
   if using the microphone input then the 8 ohms to 1k ohms as
   shown above should be used with aprox. 100k or more ohm resister
   inline to the microphone input to privent RF and low impedance
   loading.

     Do not ground any side of the PC speaker hook up..
   how ever you can ground one side of the output of the transformer
   going to the audio input of your rig for TXing .

   TX is VoX or PTT operated.
   The RTS line will go high diring TX...
   Proscan will turn it off after the picture is complete.

   For Receive Refer to the PS-board.PCX File with this software..
   Print was done by N1FEH using PAINT Brush+5..

    If you already have an HAMCOM type Interface already Build then
 this should work but i would suggest looking at the PCX file any
 ways bacause of additional electronics that balances the Serial
 ports TTL lines...
   ProcScan has a two phase Detector & Sharpness Control that inproves the
 picture performance for receive, if the serial port isn't properly
 balanced then Settings in the right box will cause a pore picture
 to be received veres the left box settings.

   By Viewing the PCX file you can see the balance control
  functions and thus allowing you to implement the same in your
  interface if you already have one..
    Using a Chip like the TLO82 is also a must for this higher
  level of use to insure high gain and fast slew rate to prevent
  random digital false tripping on the input of the serial
  port which would cause a eradic tone detection and poor pictures.
   You could modifie the curcuit slitly and just leave the clamping
  diodes in place of the first stage Op amp and eliminate the
   Balancing control and the 10meg resister, this will work fine as
  long as the audio signal level on the input stays to a normal valume.

 Firstime RUN:
    when runing for the First Time you need to select a Video
  Card to work with..

   VESA64k is the first i would Pick...

   Example of a first time run or video card change.
    FAX VESA64k       <cr>

     Note: make sure all Files with BIN in the suffix are in the
      same directory as FSCAN.EXE
    There are a couple of Direct Video Drivers for 64k & 32k modes
    Cir64k/Cir32k = Cirrus Logic;
    Tri64k/Tri32k = Trident true Color;
    TSG64k/TSG32k = TSG4000/W32 or better.

     if you have one of these cards then select these because
     there are mach faster divers then the VESA's
     The Card selection is for the SSTV modes only..
   In the avent you only have a 256 SVGA you can select one
    of many BIN files that have a 256 number in it...
     Vesa256.bin
     tri256 = trident 256 SVGA is one of them...
     Cir256 = Cirrus  256 SVGA;
     Ts256  = Tseng4000 ect..
     Par256
   Note:
     it has been found that Video Cards with a TSG labs chip on it
      (ET4000 series) does not work properly in VESA modes due to the
      split banks for READ/Write, simply slect the TSG32k/TSG64k driver
      for this problem.
       Some of the Hurcurles cards use this chip.
    also it has been reported that some Speed star 64 cards use
    the Cirus chip, if you have one then try the Cir32k/Cir64k

 First Screen :
    Your first screen is the simple one, from there you can
   select FAX mode which is only a Test mode for Freq alignment
   for now, but works well and should be used to track one of the
   Wefax Stations to adjust your Systems Cystal Freq..
    Tune one in on a WEfax station which can be found in many
   places in the HF band, 8.0780 USB is one i can think of.'
   If you can not find a WeFax station then find your self a
   WWV station and tune in on the pulse, you should be able
   to get evenly track pulse blocks on the FAX Rx screen while in
   the 60 mode..

      Hit the Space bar to start RXing.
    if the picture slants to the left/right as it is coming down then
    ESC from there and go into the configuration and select
    option 0 to set the systems Crystal freq..
    the Default for a perfect computer timer is 1193182 Mhz but
    i haven't seen a perfect computer yet..
     if the FAX was slanting to the left on the way down then
      decrease the freq by 100 hz aprox... or if the
     picture slants to the right then increase the freq by 100 hz
    when you get very near tracking  then adjust using smaller
    number fixes to fine tune it until you can receive a long
    portion of the fax with no slanting...
     This will be your master set reference through out the
    rest of the program..


 Quick Setting the SlowScan Timing...
    The Quick setting isn't perfect but will get you there as a good
  starter, besure you have aligned the Systems Crystal with the
  WeFax procedure as explained above...
    When selecting the Configuration from the Main Menu,
   you wull see an option for Timer mode, currently it will be
   on one for normal operation, this only means normal in the
   since that all background timing functions use this timer.
    hit that option so that you will see the Mode 2 be displayed,
   at this time you will see another option pop up, there you can
   hit the Quick Set, this will use timer one references to calculate
   timer two references, if you see the option in there for
   Correcting the RX offset then this means that Proskan has detected
   the EMM386 or the same in function loaded, this means that you should
   have a value other then 0 pluged into this space, hit this option
   now and deside what to do, from my experience do for i have found
   that the faster the machine the less the offset needs to be, Qemm
   uses a higher offset then the Micro Soft version does.
     The Figure should not exceed 13...

    When you are in your the Slow Scan screen you can manually adjust the
  Slant as you are receiving a picture from an known correct
  source by Depressing the  CONTROL+left/Right cursor keys..

    The current slant for the mode selected will be displayed just
 to the bottom right, be sure that you are in the correct mode
  when making the settings, each mode has its own personel slant
  factor and will be saved so that each mode can be custom tuned
  beyond what the quick setting offer you in the systems configur
  for timer two mode..

    if the picture slants to the left on the way down then
    use the CONTROL+RIGHT cursor key to move it toward the Righ,
     else if it slants to the right then do the opossite...

    Unlike JVfax after making adjustments in the SSTV mode and
   not in the Configuration Proskan will save your settings for
   each mode, so this only has to be done once for your system..
    For modes like Scottie DX2 and J120 settings, you can have
     another user of proskan switch his Timer to mode 1 and then
    send you a picture, when you get yours correct while your in
    timer two mode then you can do the same for him..
      The Timer one mode is a correct setting modes for all using
     the FAX station as the reference, hower since proskan is the
    only program that supports DX2 & J120, you need some that
    with Proskan to send you picture while they are in time1 mode
    to insure that what you are receiving is correct..

 Serial Balancing:
      Note: if you have eliminate the Balance control then
    ignor this procedure, but make you are using the clamping diodes
    minimum, this keeps the +&- side of the square wave samples at
     the correct durations..
{
     This is very important if you want to take advantage of the
   upper two level sharpness controls..
    Follow these instructions to the letter..
   Find your self a nice steady tone or an AM station that you
 can tune in on using SSB to get a Tone around 1700Hz,
  only insert enough audio to allow the spectro graph to
  barly display peeks forming, this will keep the clamping diodes
  from taking over which would make the control reduntant
  when aligning, the diodes automaticly balance for medium to
  high level audio, the control will take care of the low level
  and deap fade problems..

   Set the Sharpness level all the way to the right in the right box.
   Turn off the Comb filter..
    You will most likly see two sets of Peaks forming in the graph..
   Adjust the Balance control so that these peaks will converge
   together near as possible, if you ignor this alignment then
   you will get poor pictures using the upper sharpness levels.
    Once set you can set your sharpness back one step to the
    third possition for best results,this will smooth the
   noise...
    it is possible that your PC's serial port may be balanced
   already so first check it before adding the balance electronics
   to an already existing interface ( HamCOm type)
    What you will see in a picture of an unbalanced serial detector
   when using the 3 or more possition in the sharpness level
   would be wood grain type paterns forming..
    if you insist in not doing this to balance the circut then
    then you may only be able to use Left Box for sharpness,
    this would be the same as JVfax, Mscan ect..
}

 Mouse problems ?

   If you find that the only way you can get your SSTV video
 to display properly when entering SSTV mode from the Main menu
 then update your mouse driver..
   You may also get jerky movement on an bad driver..
     If it appears that the pointer is there but does not move then
   check for and IRQ conflit between the interface and the mouse
   useage..
   You will need a working mouse to access the small Paint mode in it.

 P.S.
  make sure you set your port address properly on the configuration
  of ProSkan...
   other wise if you see no responds from the spectro graph then this
  is most likly your problem if you know that you have audio going in..

 Another Tech Note:

   I have found on some 486 Mothers boards and maybe others that
 if you share and IRQ with another device like an internal phone
 modem for example, which ever was the first device to activate this
 will be the on device that will have any use of the IRQ until you
 repower your computer, so if your phone modem doesn't work after using
 proskan then you know whats wrong or vise-versa..
  Please report any strange adnomalys with the program...
    When the finale version of FSCAN.exe is completed there will be
   an Auto update Disk around for public access that will only work
  with registered users of the program, this will be accessible from
   the internet ect...