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MORSE ACADEMY
OPERATION MANUAL
VERSION 5.1n - NOVEMBER 15, 1992
The contents of this manual is Copyright (C) 1992 by Joseph Speroni, AH0A.
Blanket permission is hereby given to copy and distribute this material,
including the Morse Academy program, for non-commerical purposes. No part
of this work may be reproduced in any form where such copy is offered in
exchange for any payment unless written permission has first been secured
from the author. Authorized Morse Academy distributors with their name on
the product are permitted recovery of reasonable costs to cover distribution.
{ Morse Academy is distributed to Radio Amateurs by }
{ TIARA, The Tokyo International Amateur Radio Association }
{ THIS IS A BETA RELEASE FOR TESTING ONLY }
{ Contact J. Speroni on Compuserve address 76350,2561 }
{ to report problems or to request changes }
Morse Academy -- Version 5.1n
November 15, 1992
Index
Section Page
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Learning Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Receiving Game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Endurance Trials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Proficiency Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Morse Keyboard Tutor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Keyboard Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Generation of tests and keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Weighting Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
View Previous Sessions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Option Selections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Appendixes
A - Amateur Radio Morse Abbreviations . . . . . . . . . . 32
B - Frequently Used Q-Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
C - Construction Notes for an External Tone Generator . . 36
D - ADLIB Compatible Music Synthesizer Card Support . . . 39
E - RS232/Parallel Port Keying . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Introduction Page 1
Morse Academy is a Morse code teaching program incorporating Computer Aided
Instruction (CAI) that is extremely useful in teaching the code. It is
designed to help students who have no knowledge of the code or computers.
Operation is simple with functions selected by a single key. Different
sessions are provided to allow students to vary the way they learn the code.
Testing is automated to allow the student to spend more time on learning, and
less on the tedious task of checking the result of a session. Morse Academy
includes:
- on-line HELP for each session (F1 key)
- option settings that can be saved on diskette or disk
so they are not lost when power is turned off
- the ability to edit and sequence the character set used
in all sessions
- a set of sample code tests for student practice
- the ability to generate random Novice, General, and Extra
test sessions for practice
- the ability to create, save, and reload text for replay
- the ability for the student to input his copy via the keyboard
during the Proficiency session and have it automatically
compared with the generated text at the end of the session
- the ability to save all computer generated text for later
printing (F10 key)
- the ability to select your own desired character weightings
(frequency of occurrence of characters)
- the saving of the history of mistakes from the last Receiving
Game for optional use in computing character weighting
- the optional ability to allow the Receiving Game to reorder
the character set in worst-to-best sequence
- the optional generation of Morse Prosigns in context that
helps a student understand their meaning
- the ability to adjust the code sending speed for the variances
of different PC's
- support for ADLIB compatible music synthesizer cards or an
external tone generator via the printer port
Introduction Page 2
Morse Academy's features will help a student learn the code. Some are of
use to an instructor accompanying the student thru his short odyssey to code
proficiency. It's still true that a small amount of hard work is needed to
learn the code. Computer feed back during the process of learning Morse code
helps a student, so learning the code is relatively painless with Morse
Academy. Developing copying skills takes an effort by the student and the
devotion of time to the process.
If you have comments or suggestions to improve Morse Academy, I'd like to
hear from you. Please write to:
Joseph Speroni, AH0A
259 Copper Beech Drive
Blue Bell, PA 19422
Introduction Page 3
Installation for a Hard Disk System
The first time you use Morse Academy you should carefully follow the steps in
this section. Afterwards you will only need step 3 to use the program.
There is the possibility of unforeseen problems. It is recommended that
before starting you make a backup copy of the discette to insure you always
have a readable copy. Follow these steps:
Step 1. Create a Directory to hold Morse Academy
C>C: <Enter> (make sure you are on drive C)
C>CD\ <Enter> (make sure you are in the root directory)
C>MD MA <Enter> (create the MA directory)
C>CD MA <Enter> (change to the MA directory)
Step 2. Copy the discette files to the hard disk
C>COPY A:*.* C: <Enter>
Step 3. Execute Morse Academy
>CD\MA <Enter>
>MA <Enter>
Installation for a Floppy Disk System
Before performing the copy operation you must format a new disk onto which
you can copy Morse Academy. You do not need to make this a system discette,
but you may find it more convenient to have DOS on the same discette when
starting the system. The first time you use Morse Academy you should
carefully follow the steps listed below. Afterwards you will only need step
3 to use the program. Follow these steps:
Step 1. Format a blank discette
Put a new discette in drive B. Then type either
A>FORMAT B:
or
A>FORMAT B: /S
depending on whether you want the MA discette to have
a copy of DOS or not.
Introduction Page 4
Step 2. Copy the MA discette to a newly formatted discette
Replace your DOS discette in drive A with the Morse
Academy master. Put the newly formatted discette in
drive B.
A>COPY A:*.* B: <Enter>
Step 3. Execute Morse Academy
Remove the Morse Academy discette in drive A and
store it. Mount the new discette with Morse
Academy files copied on it (from drive B) into
drive A. (MA will actually operate on any drive)
Type the following to execute Morse Academy.
A>MA <Enter>
G. General Information Page 5
╔═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ Morse Academy Version 5.1a, Copyright 1 Jun 92 J. Speroni, AH0A/7J1AAA ║
║ This program was developed based on ideas from AEA's Morse University ║
║ ║
║ Select: █ ║
║ L. Learning menu ║
║ R. Receiving game ║
║ E. Endurance trials ║
║ P. Proficiency session ┌──────────────────────┐║
║ M. Morse keyboard tutor │The selected sound │║
║ │generator is the PC's │║
║ K. Keyboard │sound chip (use │║
║ G. Generate examinations │Options menu, Tone │║
║ W. Weighting selection │submenu, to change the│║
║ V. View last session │selection) │║
║ O. Option selections └──────────────────────┘║
║ ║
║ D. DOS return ║
║ ║
║ { Morse Academy is distributed to Radio Amateurs by }║
║ { TIARA, The Tokyo International Amateur Radio Association }║
║ { THIS IS A BETA RELEASE FOR TESTING ONLY }║
║ { Contact J. Speroni on Compuserve address 76350,2561 }║
║ { to report problems or to request changes }║
║ Select session from menu by letter ║
║ Use the F1 key for HELP or F10 to print the screen ║
╚═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
Figure 1. Morse Academy Main Menu
G. General Information Page 6
Morse Academy is based on Computer Assisted Instruction concepts from AEA's
Morse University. The author thanks AEA, a company dedicated to support of
amateur radio, for their help and encouragement in developing this program.
Operation is menu driven with a single key selecting the desired session:
(L)earning: Selects characters, and provides learning mode.
(R)eceiving game: An interactive game to teach the Morse code.
(E)ndurance game: An interactive game to increase copying skills.
(P)roficiency: Generates actual code tests to improve skills.
(M)orse keyboard tutor: An interactive game to develop keyboard skills.
(K)eyboard: Used to send Morse practice text from disk files.
(G)enerate examinations: Creates random tests of practice and testing
(W)eightings: Varies the frequency of occurrence of characters.
(V)iew sessions: Displays prior session results.
(O)ptions: Allows selection of tone, screen, and other options
(D)OS return Proper way to terminate and SAVE CHANGED OPTIONS.
The ESC key serves as a STOP RUN key. Push it to return from a sub-session
to a session, and again to the main menu. The ALT key is a European shift
key, shown on the last of the screen of some menus as an UP-ARROW.
The F10 key prints a screen. The F1 key can be used AT ANY TIME to display
HELP. A short help prompt is ALWAYS shown at the bottom of the screen.
Morse Academy will support muliple students, and remember option settings
for each. Seperate OPTIONS and LOG files are maintained for each student.
The student name is typed on the command line when executing MA:
MA student_name
The student name can contain lower or upper case alphabetic characters and
spaces. Lower case characters are treated as equal to their corresponding
upper case character. If a new student name is typed, MA will give you the
option to enter the new name into its student list, or exit from the program.
An existing student can be deleted using the D option:
MA/D student_name
If the name is not present, the request will rejected and MA exited. If the
name is present, the student will be asked to confirm deletion. If a delete
request is accepted, the student name is removed from the active list, AND
HIS OR HER OPTIONS AND LOG FILES WILL BE DELETED. (As with all DOS files
NORTON's undelete or DOS 5's UNDELETE command could restore them).
L. Learning Menu Page 7
╔═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ Use cursor keys ( or ) and INS/DEL to select and unselect characters ║
║ Hold INS/DEL key and use the cursor keys to select a block of characters ║
║ ARRL Standard Character Set ║
║ ║
║ 1 A 17 M 33 SK [+] ║
║ 2 E 18 P 34 1 ║
║ 3 R 19 G 35 2 ║
║ 4 N 20 F 36 3 ║
║ 5 AR [*] 21 , 37 4 ║
║ 6 █ <Ins 22 W 38 5 ║
║ 7 I 23 B 39 6 ║
║ 8 O 24 BT [=] 40 7 ║
║ 9 S 25 J 41 8 ║
║ 10 D 26 / 42 9 ║
║ 11 H 27 K 43 0 ║
║ 12 C 28 Q ║
║ 13 U 29 X ║
║ 14 Y 30 V ║
║ 15 . 31 Z ║
║ 16 L 32 ? ║
║ ║
║ F. First hearing ║
║ L. Lesson number 1 ║
║ C. Character speed 18 WPM ║
║ Select options, ENTER to activate keyboard, or ESC to return to main menu ║
╚═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
Figure 2. Learning Menu
L. Learning Menu Page 8
This menu allows students to chose the characters they wish to learn. This
can be done by typing the letter L followed by the lesson numbers to be
learned (type the same number twice to select only one lesson). You can also
include or exclude characters by using the INSERT or DELETE keys and moving
the blinking cursor using the DOWN or UP cursor control keys. Characters
selected have their two digit numeric sequence number shown in reverse video.
The character set and their order can be modified using Selection and Edit
commands in the main menu (O)ption selections.
The (F)irst hearing key introduces the characters being learned. Each
character is sent four times during which it is displayed in large full
screen format. At first display occurs prior to the sending of the character
in Morse code, with the time slowly being decreased with successive
repetitions. All characters being learned are sent in a random sequence,
with the full set being repeated until the session is terminated by ESC.
The (C)haracter speed key sets the average speed characters are sent. Morse
Academy is set to send at a relatively fast character speed. The default
character speed of 18 WPM is a good choice for students aiming for a code
speed of 13 WPM. This may seem fast, but learning the individual characters
at this rate with pauses between them makes it easier to progress. At faster
average sending rates the character speed remains the same but the pauses
between them shortens.
The ENTER key activates the keyboard and allows a student to associate a
single keyboard key with the Morse code sound for it. Students can use this
as another way to become familiar with characters as they are added to the
practice sessions.
The Learning menu is the only one that controls the number of characters
being learned. This selection applies to all sessions.
The ESC key can be pressed while in the keyboard activate mode (started with
the ENTER key) to return to the Learning menu and a second time to return to
the main menu.
R. Receiving Game Page 9
╔═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ ║
║ ║
║ RECEIVING GAME ║
║ ║
║ Select: █ ║
║ S. Sending speed 5 WPM ║
║ C. Character speed 18 WPM ║
║ D. Duration of game 3.0 Minutes ║
║ ║
║ G. Group size 1 ║
║ W. Weighting Random ║
║ R. Resequencing Off ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ AR * SK + BT = ║
║ Select options, press ENTER to start, or ESC to return to main menu ║
╚═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
Figure 3. Receiving Game Menu
R. Receiving Game Page 10
The Receiving Game is an interactive game that allows a student to practice
code by listening to a random group of 1 to 9 characters, typing the
characters on the keyboard, and having the computer check if he or she is
correct. If correct, a short high pitch tone is emitted. If wrong, a long
low frequency tone sounds, the correct answer is displayed in the center of
the screen with an indicator showing the character that caused the error and
the incorrect student input displayed below it. This feedback allows
students to learn characters thru repetition and correction.
The number of characters used during the game is determined by the Learning
menu. For the first Receiving Game, use the Learning menu to select just a
few characters, say three. Then enter the Receiving Game, and select the
(S)ending speed, (C)haracter speed, (D)uration of game, (G)roup size and
(W)eighting as desired before starting a game.
The (S)peed key allows the selection of the average speed that text is sent.
The (C)haracter speed key sets the speed that characters are sent. Morse
Academy is designed to send at a relatively fast character speed. The
default character speed of 18 WPM is a good choice for students aiming for a
code speed of 13 WPM. This may seem fast, but learning the individual
characters at this rate with pauses between them makes it easier to
progress. At faster average sending rates the speed of characters remains
the same but the pauses between them shortens.
The (D)uration key sets the length of the session from 0.1 to 9.9 minutes.
The (G) size is the number of characters sent by the game in sequence as if a
word were being sent. The size can be set for from 1 to 9 character words.
The (W)eight key selects different frequency patterns of sending of
characters. This allows the student to control the frequency of repetition
of characters to stress those requiring more emphasis. Each time the key is
pressed one of following four options is successively selected:
Random - the character weight will be random (each character having
the same probability of being sent).
Text - the character weight approximates that of english text with
the vowels occurring more frequently. (This will cause the
average speed to increase since these characters are short
in Morse code). Note that with this weighting, characters
sent in sequence are allowed to duplicate. With the other
choices duplicate characters in sequence will not occur.
History - the characters missed during the last complete Receiving Game
will be sent more frequently.
Student's - the character weight set by the student will be used to
control the frequency of selection.
Use the main menu (W)eighting session to display these selections
graphically and to create a student's desired weighting.
R. Receiving Game Page 11
The default values of 5 WPM, 18 WPM and 1 character groups are good choices
for a beginning student.
Start the game with the ENTER key and it will randomly generate the letters
A, E, R, N, T, or the Prosign AR (If you have started with Lesson number 1).
Continue to play the game until you're comfortable with these characters.
With only three characters, the character's sound and their position on the
keyboard are quickly learned. The number of characters can be increased by
adding a few each day. In just a few weeks the student will know all the
characters and their positions on the keyboard.
A running total of right and wrong answers is constantly displayed on the
screen and current score and time remaining are shown as a bar graphs on the
screen. The session ends normally when the duration expires, but it can be
ended early by depressing ESC. In either case, the program signals
completion by sending the Prosign SK (End of Final Transmission).
At the end of the game, the characters sent during the session are displayed
on the screen, in order of the worst result. Each character is displayed
with the number of incorrect responses, and the number of times the character
was correctly copied. For example "F <4,11>" shows the student missed the
letter F 4 times and copied it correctly 11 times. This allows the student
to review the session and find which characters need more work.
The results of a Receiving Game can optionally be used to re-sequence the
characters on the Learning menu. Use the (R)esequence key to select this
option (default is "Off"). If this option is selected and the Learning menu
is brought up after a game is played to completion, the characters will be
displayed in order by the worst character, giving the student a history of
the characters causing the most trouble. To practice those characters go to
the (L)earning menu and set the number of characters being learned so only
the ones in the beginning of the list are used. Remember those characters
needing more study will be at the top of the list.
Another important function of the Receiving Game is its remembering
weightings corresponding to the characters missed during the game. The
Weighting option in all menus can be used to select the HISTORY weighting
option. Selecting HISTORY weighting will allow the student to repeat
troublesome characters requiring practice.
NOTE: Resequencing and historical weighting occur only if the receiving game
goes to completion, i.e. the ESC key is NOT used to terminate early.
After the student is comfortable with single letters, but early in his
training, the group size should be set to 2 (and later 3 and higher), so
memory (copying behind the text) can start to be developed. This can not be
over emphasized. Skills in copying depend very much on getting confidence in
copying longer sequences.
R. Receiving Game Page 12
Mix sessions between the Receiving Game and Proficiency testing to develop
the ability to write characters as well as input them on the keyboard. When
the Receiving Game becomes too easy try switching to the Endurance Trials to
get practice in copying long character sequences without an error. Students
can adjust the mix of sessions to match free time and the pace of learning.
You should make an effort to spend at least 30 minutes every other day
practicing. With only a little effort Morse code skills will come easily.
E. Endurance Trials Page 13
╔═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ ║
║ ║
║ ENDURANCE TRIALS ║
║ ║
║ Select: ║
║ S. Starting speed 5 WPM ║
║ C. Character speed 18 WPM ║
║ ║
║ W. Weighting Random ║
║ T. Transmit Characters ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ AR * SK + BT = ║
║Select options, press ENTER to start trials or ESC to return to main menu ║
╚═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
Figure 4. Endurance Trials Menu
E. Endurance Trials Page 14
The Endurance trials send characters or words continuously at the selected
speeds until the student errors. The (S)tarting, and (C)haracter speeds can
be set before each session. Code is sent as continuous characters or in
groups of random length. Use the (T)ransmit key to select the mode desired.
The (W)eight key selects the desired weighting. Use the ENTER key to start
the session. A complete session is fifteen trials but it can be ended at any
time by pressing ESC.
Each trial displays the number of characters received correctly. At the end
of a trial the LAST FIVE characters sent just before an error are displayed.
The character in reverse video in the middle of the screen is the expected
correct one that caused the trial to stop. During an Endurance trial the
reason for an error is often not the last character sent, but one of those
proceeding the error. A character that causes the student to pause and think
can be the real reason for an error even if it is correctly copied. So much
time passes trying to recall a problem character that even a simple one
following will be missed. Examining the characters preceding the error will
give the student information about the characters requiring more work.
The computer displays the incorrect response in reverse video in the last
column (either the character input or the phrase TIMED OUT indicating a
failure to respond within the time allowed.) The expected character is also
shown in reverse video. By comparing the reverse video columns and examining
preceding characters, the student can determine the reason for the error.
For every 20 correct inputs, Morse Academy increases the sending speed by 1
WPM so the student is made to advance. This challenge helps develop skills.
Don't be concerned with the mistakes made when using the Endurance session.
They are a natural part of learning.
A candidate for an FCC Amateur Radio license can copy one minute of code
without error as an alternative to passing a quiz on the contents of a Morse
transmission (70% is required) . This game will help you perfect the skills
to do that. To pass in this way a candidate would have to copy:
5 WPM - 25 characters
13 WPM - 65 characters
20 wpm - 100 characters
Prosigns, punctuation, and numbers count as two characters when you sit the
real examination. You have an advantage when copying the english text of a
QSO sytle examination. Before submitting your test paper, you can go over
the text and correct obvious errors from context, e.g. TSE RIG to THE RIG;
CLEVLAND, O5IO to CLEVELAND, OHIO.
P. Proficiency Session Page 15
╔═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ ║
║ ║
║ PROFICIENCY SESSION ║
║ ║
║ Select: ║
║ S. Start speed 5 WPM ║
║ F. Finish speed 8 WPM ║
║ C. Character speed 18 WPM ║
║ ║
║ D. Duration 3.0 Minutes ║
║ G. Group size Random ║
║ W. Weighting Random ║
║ ║
║ U. Use file (Off) ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ AR * SK + BT = ║
║ Select options, press ENTER to start, or ESC to return to main menu ║
╚═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
Figure 5. Proficiency Session Menu
P. Proficiency Session Page 16
The Proficiency session sends character groups at selected speeds. This type
of practice simulates actual text transmissions, but with random characters
grouped into "words". The start and finish code speeds can be set
independently. This allows the student to start at a comfortable code speed
and have the computer automatically increase speed during the session.
The (S)tart key sets the starting average speed of sending, the (F)inish key
the final average speed, and the (C)haracter key the character speed. The
character speed can not be set to a value smaller than the start or finish
speeds. If the character speed is set greater than the average sending
speed, the timing between characters is adjusted, as needed, to maintain the
desired average speed. The current average text speed, and elapsed time are
constantly displayed during the session.
The (D)uration key selects the length of the session. It can be set from 0.1
to 9.9 minutes. If the start and finish speeds are different, the session
duration is divided into equal periods (number of periods is Finish-Start+1)
and the average code speed is increased by 1 WPM after each period.
By depressing the (G)roup key, the character groupings into "words" can be
set to either a random length (up 9 characters) or the group size desired.
Type zero to select a random length or 1 to 9 for the desired number.
Code transmission is started with the ENTER key. It ends with the
transmission of the Prosign AR (End of Transmission) after the selected
duration expires. The student can copy the text on paper and compare the
results displayed at the end of the session, or he can copy along on the
keyboard and have the computer display it at the end of the session.
If keyboard input is used, Morse Academy compares the student's copy with the
computer generated text, and shows differences in reverse video. Missing
characters in the student's copy are shown as a "~". The texts are displayed
on pairs of lines with the student's copy below the computer's. The compared
text can be printed (use the F10 key) with blank lines inserted after each
pair to allow easier manual comparison. Screen reverse video (the
differences) is shown by printing a character "-" underneath each line pair.
The (U)se file key allows the student to select a stored file for
transmission rather than generating random code. If selected, the list of
files is displayed and input of the desired file's name requested. The
cursor keys can be used to select the file to be loaded by positioning the
reverse video block over the file name and pressing ENTER to select it.
Starting the session with the ENTER key will cause the file's text to be
sent. If one of Morse Academy's generated test is selected, a 10 question
fill-in-the-blank test and key can be printed out from the (G)enerate test
session. (See the Generation session information for more details).
P. Proficiency Session Page 17
For the (U)se file option, if the student inputs his copy via the keyboard
(rather than copying on paper), Morse Academy gives an opportunity at the end
of transmission to correct the text before comparing it with the file's text.
This is what a student could do during an actual examination and allows a
chance to practice. The copy input by the student during transmission is
displayed on the screen, and a prompt invites the student to edit the text.
The active editing keys are the same used with the keyboard program:
BACKSPACE, the cursor control keys UP ARROW, DOWN ARROW, RIGHT ARROW, LEFT
ARROW, HOME, END, PAGE UP, and PAGE DOWN. The DELETE key functions to remove
a character. The INSERT key toggles between insert and overlay modes. The
insert state is shown in the upper right hand corner of the screen during
editing. Editing is ended by pressing the ENTER key causing a comparison of
the student's input text (as corrected) and the contents of the file.
Note that neither the (U)se nor (T)ext file name is remembered between
sessions. It is always "Off" at the start of a Proficiency session.
The Proficiency session can be stopped at any time by pushing the ESC key.
Parameters can then be changed and the session restarted or ESC can be pushed
a second time to return to the main menu.
M. Morse Keyboard Tutor Page 18
╔═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ ║
║ ║
║ MORSE KEYBOARD TUTOR ║
║ ║
║ Select: █ ║
║ C. Character speed 18 ║
║ ║
║ W. Weighting Random ║
║ D. Display text After ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ Select options, press ENTER to start, or ESC to return to main menu ║
╚═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
Figure 6. Morse Keyboard Tutor Menu
M. Morse Keyboard Tutor Page 19
The Morse Keyboard Tutor allows a student to practice his keyboard skills by
having the computer send single characters and wait until he responds on the
keyboard. If correct, the next character is sent immediately. If not a
short low tone is sounded and the character is re-transmitted. During this
session the student should make an effort NOT TO LOOK at the keyboard. Use
of a blindfold while a bit extreme, is recommended. Morse Tutor will help
develop typing skills in combination with copying code, but only if an effort
is made not to watch the keyboard.
The (C)haracter speed key selects the individual character transmission
speed, and the (W)eight key the character weighting. The (D)isplay option
allows selection of the transmitted text either "Before" it is sent or
"After". If the "Before" option is selected, the character is displayed for
the time required to send a space between words before transmitting the
character. Errors are displayed using reverse video. The display can be
disabled during transmission by setting this option to "Off".
The session starts after pressing the ENTER key and can be ended at any time
by pressing ESC.
At the end of the session, the text sent is displayed and a summary of the
student's reaction time in pressing the key for each character is given in
milliseconds (thousandths of a second). By practicing keyboard skills the
student can improve reaction time and improve performance in other sessions.
K. Keyboard Program Page 20
╔═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
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║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ AR * SK + BT = ║
║F1 HELP F2 SEND F3 5 WPM F4 18 WPM F5 CLS F6 LOAD F7 SAVE F8 DEL F9 STAT ║
║ EDIT mode keys active; Use keys F2-F9 or ESC to return to main menu ║
╚═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
Figure 7. Keyboard Program Menu
K. Keyboard Program Page 21
The keyboard session allows actual text to be prepared and sent for practice.
It is possible to edit, save and reload text to and from diskette or hard
disk. The function keys F2 thru F9 select program options.
F2 will toggle the keyboard between EDIT and SEND states. In SEND state the
text on the screen will be sent in Morse code. Once the last character is
sent (marked by the small square character at the end of the text),
transmission ends. At any time during transmission of the code, pressing F2
causes sending to be suspended, and the EDIT state entered. If the Prosigns
option (in the Options menu) is "On", whenever the program enters the Edit
state it sends the Prosign AS (wait) to show suspension of code transmission.
The cursor position displayed is the next letter to be sent. Pressing F2
again returns to the SEND state and causes code transmission to resume where
it left off.
As a memory aid for the operator, line 23 is used to display the keys to send
the Morse Prosigns. For example " AR * " means that the Prosign AR is sent
using the "*" key on the keyboard.
The program MUST be in the EDIT state to use the F3 thru F9 program options.
NOTE - the default mode is EDIT mode; you can only enter SEND mode by
pressing F2 when in EDIT mode.
F3 allows the average speed of transmission to be set in words in minute.
F4 allows the character speed of code transmitted to be set in words per
minute. If the speed selected is faster (it can't be slower) than the
average code speed, delays are inserted between characters to cause the
effective transmission speed to be equal to the average speed selected by F3.
At the end of the message, the elapsed time is displayed on line 22 along
with an equivalent characters count (numerics, punctuation, and prosigns
count as two characters). This information is used to compute and display
the effective sending speed, i.e. WPM=10*(Count)/(Seconds).
F5 clears the screen to allow the start of input of new text.
F6 allows the loading of previously saved text. Pushing the key displays a
complete list of all saved files, and provides a prompt at the top of the
screen requesting the name of the file to be loaded. If the file is
available, the screen is cleared and the stored text displayed.
F7 allows the saving of screen text for later recall. If overwriting of a
previously saved file is requested, the operator is given the opportunity to
confirm that overwriting is desired.
F8 allows files to be deleted from the directory. The DOS file name
wildcards * and ? can be used to delete groups of files. Deleting a .KB file
will automatically cause the corresponding .TST and .KEY files to be deleted.
K. Keyboard Program Page 22
F9 displays character statistics and estimated time for the text displayed.
If you wish to add your own ASCII files, just copy them to the your MA
discette in the same sub-directory with the other .KB files, making sure that
each file has an extension of ".KB". Morse Academy will automatically add
them to its directory at the start of execution.
In EDIT state the following editing keys are active:
UP - cursor up one line DOWN - cursor down one line
PAGE UP - cursor to previous line PAGE DN - cursor to next line
LEFT - cursor left one character RIGHT - cursor right one character
HOME - cursor to home position END - cursor to end of text
The ENTER key inserts an end of line symbol (small triangle) at the cursor
position and erases the remainder of the line.
The INSERT key toggles the keyboard mode between INS (insert) and OVR
(overlay) states. The state is displayed on the right of line 24 of the
screen. In OVR state input from the keyboard replaces text on the screen. In
INS mode it is inserted into the text and the screen text scrolled to the
right to allow space for the inserted character.
It is possible to embed in the text, information about the average speed of
code to be sent and the character speed to be used during the transmission.
This is done by preceding the text with a string of the form "<ww:cc>", where
ww is the average sending speed, and cc is the character speed. For example
"<5:18>" causes the text to be sent at 5 WPM, but with a character speed of
18 WPM.
ESC ends the keyboard session and returns to the main menu.
G. Generation Session Page 23
╔═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ Current generation parameter values ║
║ ║
║ Exam class Novice General Extra ║
║ Element No. 1A 1B 1C ║
║ ║
║ File Prefix 92-1A- 92-1B- 92-1C- ║
║ First test 01 01 01 ║
║ Last test 20 20 20 ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ Select:█ ║
║ 1. Group 1 default file element names (5 tests of each type) ║
║ 2. Group 2 default file class names (10 tests of each type) ║
║ 3. Group 3 default file year-element names (15 tests of each type) ║
║ ║
║ C. Clear all file name and test number selections ║
║ E. Edit file names and test numbers (screen parameters only) ║
║ P. Print all tests and keys (1 copy of each) ║
║ S. Select one test for printing ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ Press ENTER to start test generation, or ESC to return to main menu ║
╚═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
Figure 8. Generation menu
G. Generation Session Page 24
This session is used to generate files in the form of an QSO similar to the
actual required FCC test. Three separate files are produced for each test
generated: (1) a .KB file for direct use by the (P)roficiency or (K)eyboard
sessions to send the test, (2) an ASCII .TST file for the written fill-in-
the-blanks examination, and (3) an ASCII .KEY file for the key to be used in
grading the examination. The ASCII files can be printed using this session
or directly using DOS commands.
To simplify test generation three default groups are provided to generate
tests with canned file names and numbers. Type 1, 2 or 3 to select the
default naming:
Group Novice General Extra
_____ ____________________ _____________________ __________________
1 1A-01 thru 1A-15 1B-01 thru 1B-15 1C-01 thru 1C-15
2 NOVICE0 thru NOVICE9 GENERAL0 thru GENERAL9 EXTRA0 thru EXTRA9
3 92-1A-01 thru 92-1A-20 92-1B-01 thru 92-1B-20 92-1C-01 thru 92-1C-20
Pressing the (C)lear key cause all file names and numbers to be cleared.
The (E)dit key allows arbitrary file names and sequence numbers to be created
for all classes of examinations. The cursor keys, the DELETE, and BACKSPACE
key can be used for editing. The TAB or ENTER keys end editing for the
current key. Pressing ESC terminates editing and adjusts the selections for
a maximum name length of 8 characters (prefix plus number).
Pressing ENTER starts test generation. The process is rather complex and
can take many seconds for each test. If the files names are the same as a
previous generation, those tests will be overwritten and lost. DOS commands
can be used to save those files and/or change their names. Generation can be
terminated at any time by pressing ESC. The tests already generated will be
saved.
The (K)eyboard program has a delete command (F8) which allows DOS wildcard
symbols * and ?. Groups of tests can be deleted using these symbols, e.g.
using the file name 1C* will delete all Extra class examinations (from
default group 1); the file name 92-1C-1? will delete the files 92-1C-10 thru
92-1C-19 (from default group 3).
The (P)rint key causes all tests and keys to be printed. These are the ASCII
text .TST and .KEY file extensions associated the .KB files. The .KB file is
intended for use by Morse Academy to send the code and is not printed. These
ASCII files can also be printed using the DOS PRINT command.
The (S)elect key allows the printing of a single test. After selection of
the test to be printed, the operator can select the number of copies of the
test and key to be printed.
W. Weighting Selection Page 25
╔═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ ║
║ ║
║ Select: ║
║ 17% │ W. Weighting of characters: Text ║
║ R │ ║
║ e 15% │ ║
║ l │ ║
║ a 14% │ ║
║ t │ ║
║ i 12% │ ║
║ v │ ▄ ║
║ e 10% │ █ ║
║ │ █ ║
║ w 9% │ █▄▄▄ ║
║ e │ ████▄▄▄▄ ║
║ i 7% │ ████████ ║
║ g │ ████████ ║
║ h 5% │ ████████ ║
║ t │ ████████▄▄▄ ║
║ i 4% │ ███████████ ║
║ n │ ███████████ ║
║ g 2% │ ███████████ ║
║ └ ███████████▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ ║
║ EANRIOSTDHM*+,./0123456789=?BCFGJKLPQUVWXYZ ║
║ Select options or press ESC to return to main menu ║
╚═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
Figure 9. Weighting Selection Menu
W. Weighting Selection Page 26
The Weighting selections session allows the graphical display of characters
by frequency of occurrence for the selected weighting. It also permits the
student or instructor to set his own weightings to emphasize particular
characters within the text sent.
The (W)eight key selects different frequency patterns of sending of
characters and displays the result graphically. The graphical display is
useful in helping the student visualize the effect of weighting on the
frequency of transmission.
Weightings allow the student to control repetition percentages of characters
to stress those that require more practice. Each time the key is pressed one
of following four options is successively selected and graphically displayed:
Random - the character weight will be random (each character having
the same probability of being sent).
Text - the character weight approximates that of english text
with the vowels occurring more frequently. (This will cause
the average speed to increase since these characters are
short in Morse code.)
History - the characters missed during the last complete Receive Game
will be sent more frequently.
Student's - the character weight set by the student will be used to
control the frequency of selection.
When the Student's option is selected, three additional functions are
provided to allow setting character weightings. These are:
(I)nitialize - sets character weightings equal so all characters have an
equal chance of being selected, i.e. random selection.
(+) - requests the input of characters whose weightings are to be
increased.
(-) - requests the input of characters whose weightings are to be
decreased.
The algorithm used to select weightings assumes the selected characters will
be sent 67% of the time while the others being learned will occupy 33%. If
only one character is selected it will be sent very frequently - two-thirds
of time! If six characters are chosen then each will be sent 11% of the time
and the remaining letters will be sent 33% of the time.
Weightings are displayed graphically so the student has a pictorial
representation. The characters being learned are displayed as a bar graph
showing the frequency of selection vertically by character horizontally.
ESC can be pressed while in (W)eighting edit mode to return to the sub-menu
and again to return to the main menu.
V. View Previous Session Page 27
╔═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ ║
║ ║
║ VIEW LAST SESSION ║
║ ║
║ Select: ║
║ R. Receiving game ║
║ E. Endurance game ║
║ P. Proficiency session ║
║ M. Morse keyboard tutor ║
║ ║
║ L. Logging off ║
║ ║
║ D. Delete all log's ║
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║ Select previous session to be viewed or ESC to return to main menu ║
╚═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
Figure 10. View Last Session Menu
V. View Previous Session Page 28
Morse Academy remembers the text and statistics generated for the last
(R)eceiving game, (E)durance, (P)roficiency, and (M)orse keyboard tutor
sessions. The View menu allows the student to recall these previous sessions
of computer generated code for review or printing.
Note that the total history log is cumulative and use over a long period will
take up a lot of disk storage (even more critical for discette only systems).
Periodically you should use the File commands in the Option menu to copy the
historical log to a discette (for review by your instructor) and/or to clear
it. If you know DOS commands you can do this directly by operating on the
files LOG-α.VW, where α is R, E, P or M for the respective sessions.
The (L)ogging option allows the student to disable all logging, to select
logging for the last session only, or to save each session in a cumulative
log. Press "L" to cycle thru the three options.
The (D)elete option deletes ALL log history. Prior to executing this command
Morse Academy will ask for confirmation of the command. Press ENTER to
delete the log's, or ESC to cancel the command.
You can press the F10 key at any time to print the screen contents and save
it for later review.
Pressing ESC at any time will cause Morse Academy to return to the main menu.
O. Option Selections Page 29
╔═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ Options: █ ║
║ R. Reset ALL parameters to default ║
║ P. Prosign cues in Morse: Off ║
║ ║
║ S. Select character sequence ║
║ E. Edit character sequence ║
║ ║
║ C. Color selections ║
║ T. Tone generator selection ║
║ A. Adjustment for PC clock ║
║ ║
║ Character sequence 0: Student's Personal Set ║
║ ┌───────────────────────────────────────────┐ ║
║ │AERN*TIOSDHCUY.LMPGF,WB=J/KQXVZ?+1234567890│ ║
║ └───────────────────────────────────────────┘ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ Select options or press ESC to return to main menu ║
╚═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
Figure 11. Option Selection Menu
O. Option Selections Page 30
The (O)ptions session allows the student or instructor to tailor parameters
to make the sessions more effective. The default options supplied with Morse
Academy are thought to be best for a new student so it is not necessary to
use this session. But as students progress they may wish to learn about the
options available, so they can adjust the program to their needs.
The (R)eset key causes Morse Academy to set all parameters to their default
values for a new student. Prior to execution, confirmation is requested.
The (P)rosign Cues option allows the generation or suppression of Morse
Prosigns automatically generated by Morse Academy to cue operation of the
program.
By setting this option "On", the student can be introduced to the use of
Morse prosign cues in a context that helps learning. For example MA will
send K (go ahead) whenever the main menu is entered, BK (break) and BT
(pause) during display of the HELP menus, and AR (end of transmission) or SK
(final transmission) at the end of testing sessions. To allow easy
identification the Prosigns are sent with a note 100 Hz higher than the code
transmission. If it causes confusion to newer students, it may be preferable
to suppress all Prosign usage. This can be done by setting the option to
"Off".
The context options are:
- returning to the main menu causes sending the Morse letter "K" (Go ahead).
- entering HELP using the F1 function key or exiting it is cued by the
Prosign "BK" (Break).
- Help continuation cued by the Prosign "=" (double dash, meaning pause).
- the suspension of sending of text during the Keyboard session (toggled
with F2) is cued by the Prosign AS (wait).
- the completion of the Receiving game, Endurance and Proficiency sessions,
and the Morse Keyboard tutor sessions are marked by the Prosign AR (End of
Transmission).
- incorrect input or an input requiring confirmation causes "?" to be sent.
The (S)elect Character Sequence key allows the character set to be selected
from those provided with the program. Repeatedly pressing this key will
select from four different sets. The set number currently selected is
displayed just above the box containing the sequence. The sequences are:
- Sequence "0" is your personal sequence that can be edited as you desire.
- Sequence "1" is the ARRL recommended sequence.
- Sequence "2" is the Morse Academy recommended sequence.
- Sequence "3" is the complete Morse Academy code set, including the
special European characters rarely heard on the U.S. amateur bands.
O. Option Selections Page 31
When ESC is pressed, the character set being displayed will be copied to set
"0" (your personal set). Be careful to select the set you want before ending
this sub-session or you may have to reedit your personal set.
The (E)dit Character Sequence menu allows you to change the character
sequence.
The active edit keys are:
HOME - sets the cursor to the beginning of the character string
END - sets the cursor to the end of the character string
LEFT - the cursor LEFT arrow key moves left one position
RIGHT - the cursor RIGHT arrow key moves right one position
If any character (contained in the string) is typed, it will first be sent in
Morse to confirm the selection, and then inserted into the string at the
position of the cursor with the remaining characters being re-sequenced as
required. This allows the character string to be set in any desired order.
When you are finished editing and the sequence of the string is acceptable,
press ESC to return to the sub-session menu and again to return to the main
menu. The edited sequence will then be permanently stored in your Personal
Sequence "0".
The (C)olor option allows setting colors for displaying Morse Academy's
menus. Depending on your PC's display controller, up to any of 16 colors can
be assigned to the characters, background, or the prompt line (bottom on the
screen). The program will not allow the same value for characters and
background since the text would not be visible.
The (A)djust option allows compensation for any inaccuracy in the PC's
internal clock, which controls the code speed accuracy. It provides a means
to increase or decrease an adjustment factor for the code speed. For the
best results, use of a highly accurate external timepiece is recommended.
The word PARIS sent 5, 10 or more times, can be timed to determine the
accuracy of your PC corrected by the clock adjustment factor. Sub-menu
options to adjust the clock are:
() Increase sending speed (S) Sending speed input
() Decrease sending speed (C) Character speed input
(T) Transmit PARIS five time
At completion of sending the PARIS message with the (T)ransmit key, a short
high pitch (1800 Hz) note is sounded. This can be used to signal completion
when doing timing with an external timepiece.
O. Option Selections Page 32
The (T)one generator selection option allows you to choose from four
different sound generators - the PC's internal sound generator, Morse
Academy's external tone generator, an Adlib compatible music synthesizer card
(which includes the SoundBlaster series), or the Disney Sound Source adapter.
Others may be added upon request from users. One of these is selected by
typing the letter A through E shown in front of the description of the
supported sound generator's.
Selecting one of the generator's displays a sub-menu with options to control
the tones generated. The active keys are:
(+) Increase the tone 10 Hz (V) Selects session initiated
(-) Decrease the tone 10 Hz random variable tones
(D) Reset tone to 730 Hz (ranges ± two 10 Hz deviations)
(S) Sounds the current tone (F) Frequency differentiation
(V)ariable tone selection can be used to have each session to start with a
randomly selected tone, only slightly different from the current setting.
Either 1, 3, or 5 different tones are chosen depending on the selected range
of 0, plus or minus 10 or 20 Hz. Each time the (V) key is depressed the
range advances. It is a good idea to use this option to get experience
copying code with different frequency tones. Remember when you take your
examination you may not have total control over the tone used by the
examiner.
(F)requency differentiation causes dashes to be sent at a frequency 20 Hz
lower than dots. This mode can help beginning students learn the difference
between characters, but we don't recommend using it too long. Your amateur
radio examination will not use this mode, so don't become dependent on it.
Frequency differentiation applies only the the Learning menu, Receiving game,
and the Endurance session. For all other menus it is set off. Even if it is
selected in the Receiving game or Endurance session, the differentiation is
reduced by 2 Hz for every 5 correct answers, allowing the student a slow way
to adjust to normal Morse code transmission.
If you have selected use of the Morse Academy external tone generator the
options to change the tone are not available (+, or -). For details on how
to construct an external tone generator for use with Morse Academy see
Appendix C, "Construction Notes for an External Tone Generator". For
information related to support of ADLIB compatible music synthesizer cards,
see Appendix D, "ADLIB Compatible Music Synthesizer Card Support". For
details on use of port keying, see Appendix E, "RS232/Parallel Port Keying
Interface".
The port addresses, and the function codes to select the different tones used
by the Morse Academy external tone generator are defined in the element PORT
on the program discette. The values in this file are important to the
correct operation of these tone generators. Care should be taken to
understand the meaning of each value before changes are made.
Appendix A - Amateur Radio Morse Abbreviations Page 33
MORSE CODE ABBREVIATIONS USED IN AMATEUR RADIO QSO's
After you have advanced to the point of being able to copy some QSO's
(message exchanges between two Amateur radio stations) you will find that
many of the words in the text copied are abbreviations. To help you in
learning to copy QSO's a list of commonly used abbreviations is printed
below.
ABT >ABOUT OPR >OPERATOR
ADDR >ADDRESS OT >OLD TIMER
AGN >AGAIN PSE >PLEASE
ANT >ANTENNA R >RECEIVED SOLID OR YES
BCI >BROADCAST INTERFERENCE RCVR >RECEIVER
BCNU >BE SEEING YOU RCVD >RECEIVED
BK >BREAK RFI >RADIO FREQUENCY INTERFERENCE
B4 >BEFORE RPT >REPEAT
CFM >CONFIRM RTTY >RADIO TELETYPE
CK >CHECK RX >RECEIVER
CL >CLOSING STATION SASE >SELF ADDRESSED STAMPED ENVELOPE
CPY >COPY SIG >SIGNAL
CQ >CALLING ANY STATION SKED >SCHEDULE
CUL >SEE YOU LATER SRI >SORRY
DLVD >DELIVERED SSB >SINGLE SIDE BAND
DN >DOWN SVC >SERVICE
DR >DEAR SWL >SHORTWAVE LISTENER
DX >DISTANCE TFC >TRAFFIC (MESSAGES)
ES >AND TFX >TRAFFIC (MESSAGES)
FB >FINE BUSINESS TKS >THANKS
FER >FOR TNX >THANKS
FREQ >FREQUENCY TU >THANK YOU
FRM >FROM TVI >TELEVISION INTERFERENCE
GA >GO AHEAD OR GOOD AFTERNOON TX >TRANSMITTER
GB >GOODBYE UR >YOUR
GE >GOOD EVENING URS >YOURS
GM >GOOD MORNING VY >VERY
GN >GOOD NIGHT VFO >VARIABLE FREQUENCY OSCILLATOR
GND >GROUND WKD >WORKED
HI HI>LAUGHING WKG >WORKING
HR >HERE WL >WILL
HV >HAVE WPM >WORD PER MINUTE
HW >HOW WRK >WORK
K >GO AHEAD WRKED>WORKED
LID >POOR OPERATOR WX >WEATHER
MSG >MESSAGE XCRV >TRANSCEIVER
NCS >NET CONTROL STATION XMTR >TRANSMITTER
NIL >NOTHING XTAL >CRYSTAL
NR >NUMBER XYL >WIFE
NW >NOW YL >YOUNG LADY
OB >OLD BOY Z >UNIVERSAL COORDINATED TIME (UTC)
OM >OLD MAN 73 >BEST REGARDS
OP >OPERATOR 88 >LOVE AND KISSES
Appendix B - Frequently used Q-Signals Page 34
Q-SIGNALS FREQUENTLY USED IN AMATEUR COMMUNICATIONS
The following "Q signals" are common in Amateur communications. The list is
far from exhaustive, but knowing just these few can increase the
understanding of exchanges between radio amateurs.
Code Meaning Example of usage
──── ───────────────────────── ───────────────────────────────
QRL ARE YOU BUSY? QRL?
(Is this frequency in use?)
QRM IS MY SIGNAL BEING INTERFERED WITH? UR RST IS 599 WITH QRM
(your signal is Readability 5,
Strength 9, and Tone 9 with
interference)
QRN ARE YOU TROUBLED BY STATIC? UR RST IS 579 WITH QRN
(your signal is Readability 5,
Strength 9, and Tone 9 with
static)
QRP SHALL I DECREASE TRANSMITTER POWER? I AM RUNNING QRP 5 WATTS
(I am running low power 5 watts)
QRS SHALL I SEND MORE SLOWLY? PSE QRS
(Please slow down)
QRT SHALL I STOP SENDING? I HAVE TO GO QRT NOW
(I have to stop now)
QRU HAVE YOU ANYTHING FOR ME? I AM QRU
(I have nothing more to say)
QRV ARE YOU READY? DO YOU QRV ON 20 MTRS?
(Do you operate on the 20 meter
band?)
QRX WHEN WILL YOU CALL AGAIN? PSE QRX
(Please standby until I call you
again)
QRZ WHO IS CALLING ME? QRZ?
(Who is calling me?)
QSB ARE MY SIGNALS FADING? UR 569 WITH QSB
(Your signal is Readability 5,
Strength 6, and Tone 9 with
fading - increasing and
decreasing of signal strength
during the transmission)
Appendix B - Frequently used Q-Signals Page 35
QSL CAN YOU ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIPT? PSE QSL VIA THE BURO
(Please send me your QSL card
by mail via the QSL bureau)
QSO CAN YOU COMMUNICATE WITH ... DIRECT? TNX FOR THE QSO
(Thanks for this radio contact)
QSP WILL YOU RELAY TO ... ? PSE QSP MY NEW CALL TO BILL
(Please tell bill that my new
call sign is ....)
QST GENERAL CALL TO ALL AMATEURS! QST QST QST
(General call preceding message
addressed to all Amateurs and
ARRL members. Also the name of
the monthly magazine published
by the ARRL for all Radio
Amateurs)
QSY SHALL I CHANGE FREQUENCY? PSE QSY UP 5 AND CALL ME
(Please increase your frequency
by 5 Kilohertz and call me)
QTH WHAT IS YOUR LOCATION? MY QTH IS LOS ANGELES
(The location of my station is
Los Angeles)
Appendix C - Construction Notes for an External Tone Generator Page 36
Operation of the Morse Academy designed external tone generator is controlled
with parameters on the first line in the file PORT. It contains five
numbers. The first value is the port used to control the Morse Academy tone
generator. The default setting 888 (378 Hex) is for LPT1, the standard
printer port. If your PC has additional printers, it can be set to other
ports by editing the ASCII file PORT.
<───Port Number───>
Printer Hex Decimal
─────── ─── ───────
LPT1 378 888
LPT2 278 632
LPT3 3BC 932
No testing has been done with communications ports, but logically keying
those ports would seem to be possible with the coding provided in Morse
Academy. Those hardware ports are:
<───Port Number───>
Serial Hex Decimal
────── ─── ───────
COM1 3F8 1016
COM2 2F8 760
The program is written to support sending four different tones needed for
the full support of Morse Academy sessions:
Frequency Purpose Hex Decimal
───────── ───────────────────────────────── ─── ───────
0 Hz Keyer off FF 255
300 Hz Low pitch long tone for error FE 254
730 Hz Keyer on FD 253
1800 Hz High pitch short tone for success FC 252
The choice of frequencies and function codes is arbitrary and can be changed
to accommodate other hardware implementations. These four values are stored
immediately after the port address in the element PORT in the Morse Academy
directory. They can be modified to support other hardware designs.
The author would prefer that any hardware built for Morse Academy support all
four frequencies so the full functionality of the program is preserved.
There are however many approaches to providing the necessary keying, and many
different possible uses. Although the author has not confirmed it, the
simplest circuit may be to drive a keyer or transceiver thru a diode directly
from the parallel port, e.g. connect the anode of the diode to the positive
side of the keyer, the cathode to pin 2 of the parallel port, and pin 25 to
the keyer ground. This works only with keyers that operate by closing a +5
volts to ground at less than 10 mA. To prevent excessive current flow a 100
ohm resistor in series with the diode is recommended.
Appendix C - Construction Notes for an External Tone Generator Page 37
SAMPLE CIRCUIT
To debug the program, a simple circuit was designed which fits onto a circuit
card about one inch square. Power was taken from the parallel port. This is
the reason that all function codes indicated above had the high bits set.
The top six bits were set to have their power output in parallel to drive the
circuit. Care must be taken in the design to not overload the PC's outputs.
Drawing excessive current will damage the port driver chip. The pin
assignments for the 25 pin parallel port are:
Pin Bit Output
─── ─── ─────────────
25 Ground
2 0 Function 0
3 1 Function 1
4 2 +5 volt power
5 3 +5 volt power
6 4 +5 volt power
7 5 +5 volt power
8 6 +5 volt power
9 7 +5 volt power
An alternative design could have used three master bits for tone selection
using only five power supply pin outputs. A note of caution on use of the
output pins as a power source. While the circuit can be designed to
represent "keyer off" as the absence of function bits, depending on the
circuit you may still want to select all power bits to insure a constant
voltage. Keying all bits may result in chirping.
The sample circuit uses a single sound manufactured by Radio Shack called a
LED flasher that almost meets the three-tone requirement of Morse Academy.
The part is an eight pin LM3909 - Radio Shack part number 276-1705. Only
fourteen parts are required:
Part Qty Description
────── ─── ──────────────────────────────────────────
LM3909 1 LED Flasher Chip, Radio Shack P/N 276-1705
Socket 1 Eight pin IC socket
1N270 6 Germanium diode (or similar)
Resistor 1 ¼ watt 100 Ω
Resistor 1 ¼ watt 12,000 Ω
Capacitor 1 10 µf (electrolytic)
Capacitor 1 0.1 µf (mylar)
Connector 1 25 pin parallel port connector (male)
Connector 1 audio phone jack
Circuit board 1 about one inch square (length of 25 pin connector)
Appendix C - Construction Notes for an External Tone Generator Page 38
(from parallel port
25 pin connector) C 1 0.1 µf
┌────┤ ├───────────────┐
┌──────25 R 1 │ │ R 2
│ 12 kΩ │ ┌───────────────┐ │ 100 Ω
│ 2────/\/\/\────────┴───┤8 2├──┴──/\/\/\──┐ (to phone
│ 3───────────────┐ │ │ │ jack)
│ └──────┤1 3│N/C │
│ 4────├────┐ │ LM 3909 │ └─── -
│ ├───────────┤6 5├───────────────── +
│ 5────├────┤ │ │
│ │ ┌───┤4 7│N/C
│ 6────├────┤ │ └───────────────┘
│ │ │
│ 7────├────┤ │
│ │ │ Current drain is approx. 1 mA (max);
│ 8────├────┤ │ 12 kΩ resistor and 0.1 µf capacitor
│ │ │ set tone frequencies
│ 9────├────┤ + │
│ ─┴─ C 2 │
│ ─┬─12 µf │ (Ground)
└─────────────────┴───────┘
Sample Tone Generator Circuit.
The LM 3909 pins are numbered counterclockwise from 1 to 8 starting with pin
1 at the upper left hand corner, as shown below.
┌──────U──────┐
│1 8│
│2 7│
│3 6│
│4 5│
└─────────────┘
In testing this circuit on various computers if was found that the
tone frequencies are very sensitive to the parallel port output
voltage. This is especially true for battery powered laptops and
notebooks, where in some cases the tone off function actually
generated a low frequency tone. Adjustment of the circuit values R1
and or C1 may be necessary to generate the proper frequencies. As a
suggestion you might consider use of a variable resistor to be able to
adjust the circuit for your particular computer's parallel port
design. A different circuit design may be more appropriate to the
wide range of computers on the market. At this writing, design of an
new circuit is underway and will be released with version 5R1 of Morse
Academy.
Appendix D - ADLIB Compatible Music Synthesizer Card Support Page 39
ADLIB COMPATIBLE MUSIC SYNTHESIZER CARD SUPPORT
Morse Academy provides support for ADLIB compatible music synthesizer
cards. The (C)hange command in the (T)one submenu of the (O)ptions
menu allows selection a music synthesizer card.
The default I/O port address for ADLIB compatibles is 38xh. Morse
Academy uses this value as the default port address. Some
manufacturer's boards allow other port addresses so Morse Academy can
set the address to other values. Addresses in the range 20xh-28xh and
30xh thru 3Fxh are permitted. This covers beyond the range required
for music cards currently being marketed. For example the
SoundBlaster Pro card allows jumper selection of only two other
addresses 22xh or 24xh, in addition to the defacto ADLIB standard of
38x.
Morse Academy performs all necessary initialization of the music
synthesizer card. No other software or device driver is needed. Any
ADLIB compatible card is satisfactory to send good audio quality Morse
code.
Appendix E - RS232/Parallel Port Keying Page 40
RS232/PARALLEL PORT KEYING INTERFACE
Morse Academy supports RS232 and parallel port keying interfaces that
are commonly used by other programs, e.g. the K1EA Contest Logging
program. This interface is not the preferred one because it only
supports a single frequency. The audio feedback tones of 300 and
1800 Hz for MA's games is not available. Still the ability to
practice with the (P)roficiency session and generate examination
tapes makes it desirable to support these interfaces.
COM1 through COM4, LPT1, or LPT2 can be selected for keying in the
(O)ptions menu, when choosing the (T)one generator option E. The
keyed port address is displayed in Hexadecimal. Morse Academy
outputs a 1 to the port to close the key, e.g.
OUT {H3FC,1 (in BASIC)
mov AL,1 (in MASM)
mov DX, H3FC
out DX,AL
To open the key a zero is output to the port.
The pin outs for keying are:
RS232 Ports Pins 4 and 5 on a DB9 connector.
Pins 7 and 20 on a DB25 connector.
Minus nine (-9) volts indicates key open.
Plus nine (+9) volts indicates key closed.
(note voltages may vary from 6 to 12 volts,
depending on the PC manufacturer)
Parallel Ports Pins 1 and 17
Zero volts indicates key open.
Plus five (+5) indicates key closed.
(note voltages may vary, depending on the
PC manufacturer)
Direct connection of your PC to a transceiver is NOT recommended.
Isolation is required between the PC and the equipment being switched.
Interfaces such as that designed by Jim Talens (N3JT) are commercially
available. Write to Jim Talens (N3JT), P.O. Box 19346, Washington, DC
20036.