TComms64P copyright 2018 /..../ 2025 by Steven G. Steltzer
ATTENTION: Version 04.03.25 changes the default installation directory to work around an
installer issue. (I'm not paying $90 to give this program away) After you have installed and ran it the first time you can go to the old directory and copy the old .ini file into the new directory to avoid having to reenter all your memories.
ATTENTION : K3NG FIRMWARE DEFINES REQUIRED FOR RUNNING IN WINKEY EMULATION MODE.
#define FEATURE_WINKEY_EMULATION
#define OPTION_PRIMARY_SERIAL_PORT_DEFAULT_WINKEY_EMULATION
#define OPTION_WINKEY_STRICT_HOST_OPEN // require an admin host open Winkey command before doing any other commands
#define OPTION_WINKEY_2_SUPPORT // comment out to revert to Winkey version 1 emulation
#define OPTION_WINKEY_INTERRUPTS_MEMORY_REPEAT
Ignore Goody's comment and define this one anyway. I set the baud up to 9600 in the initialization. We don't want our I/O throttled down at very high speeds.
#define OPTION_WINKEY_UCXLOG_9600_BAUD // use this only with UCXLog configured for Winkey 9600 baud mode
#define OPTION_WINKEY_2_HOST_CLOSE_NO_SERIAL_PORT_RESET
#define OPTION_WINKEY_IGNORE_LOWERCASE
CommsPracticeFile.txt now contains an article written by Tom Alderman, W4BQF.
Please note concerning his comments on decoders : I agree they can be a help PRACTICING
to increase your speed. (Send buffer and Send File essentially do the same) I do not recommend using decoders in QSO's. It is too easy to fall into the trap of just reading instead of actually copying.
KNOWN BUGS
#1 Some installations / configurations of Windows 10 (and now 11) install the .ini file in
users/appdata/roaming or some oddball place like that. If you get an
error on saving the memory info, create a directory named "TC64MT"
directly under C:\ and move the install file into that directory and then
run it again.
#2 If you attempt to use the Send File feature the first time the program is
run, it won't find the file and generates an error. Just exit and restart
and it works fine.
7_27_20 MAJOR CHANGE.
Goody fixed the random hesitation problem back in April 2020. I finally got around to changing the I/O engine to reflect that. The program now continually reads the keyer echo and writes the output to the top window. The screen write now perfectly matches the sending, no matter the extra word space setting. Makes it a better tool for increasing your speed using send file or send buffer. This is now a multi-threaded program. I am not sure the 64 bit version will run on an old single core processor machine.
THE REST OF THE CHANGE LOG IS NOW AT THE BOTTOM. You should read through them, contains key additions etc.
INTRODUCTION
The goal of every CW operator should be to send perfect code, no matter what the speed
is. If your typing skills are up to the task, this program will send perfect code up
to at least 85 wpm.
This program is a Windows GUI replacement for console / terminal programs like PuTTy
and older software like CWType and uses the CLI interface for the K3NG keyer. The Winkey is a completely different implementation and does not use a CLI. This program is designed primarily
for QRQ operating to eliminate the hesitations on keystrokes introduced by some common terminal programs at high speeds and provide all the conviencences for ragchewing with a group of friends.
NOTE: This no longer applies to the MT version.
When I started writing this program, the K3NG keyer had a random hesitation at high
speeds, using either the paddle or the CLI (Command Line Interface). I designed the
I/O process to keep those hesitations to a minimum. Now that problem is finally fixed,
(4/2019) however it would require a complete redesign of the entire I/O engine to change
one of the major compromises, and that is not reading the keyer echo. Consequently the
deletion of the sent character from the input buffer is an approximation and is not
linked exactly to the keyers output. The program timing is set to keep the data sent
to the keyer just ahead of the actual sending, so the keyer itself controls the timing of the sent characters.
INSTALLATION
Run the .Exe file you downloaded. I am not paying for a security license for software I'm giving away, so Winblows is going to balk at that lack. Override and tell it to run it anyway.
Enter your call in the first window. That will bring up the memory editor with your call already entered in the proper places.
The memory editor will come up automatically the first time the program is run. Example : Enter K3NG de WF3T (or k3ng de wf3t) in a memory. Enter the caption you want for that memory button in the box to the right of that memory. IE : K3NG. And so on for every memory you want to use. The tab key will take you to the next box. Memories 1 and 2 are hard coded to QRL? and CQ. Your call will be in memories 7 and 8. You can change memory contents later by clicking on "Settings" in the top left corner. If Enable Memory Send
is checked on the memory editor form, when a memory send is invoked, either by a mouse
click or function key, that call is now posted in the His Call box and you don't have
to remember which function key is associated with that memory to send an "over". Just
hit the End key. DO NOT ENABLE this feature if you have anything in any memory caption
other than a call sign. End key initiates the send the same as if you had entered the
call manually in the His Call box. You can still change the call in the His Call box
at any time afterward.
RUNNING THE PROGRAM
Click on which keyer you want to use, select the port from the drop down list, and
click "Open Port". The parameters for the K3NG and W5UXH keyers are hard coded to the
default 115,200 8N1, and for the Winkey, 9600 8N2. If you are using a K3NG keyer in
Winkey emulation mode, you must choose Winkey for the keyer. It will take a second or
so for the keyer to initialize, the K3NG keyer will show the settings in a large
popup window.
The ID timer is started when you open the port. It will turn red at the 9 minute mark
and at 10 minutes and every minute thereafter will blink briefly until reset by one of
the following methods : hit the tilde key, click on the memory button that has the
caption (de “yourcall”), by typing your call while sending, or by clicking on the ID
Timer button if you want to reset it without transmitting your call.
W5UXH iCW KEYER
The only settings that the program can control are speed up and down. There is no
provision in Chucks software to change any other settings via the USB port. that will
have to be done via a connected PS2 keyboard. Speaking of keyer settings, unless you
need to compensate for a slow switching transciever, there should be no reason to
change settings from the standard weight / compensation values using any keyer.
With the W5UXH keyer the initial program speed is set to 60. So when you open the port the speed of the program and the keyer speed may not be synched. Do not use the arrow keys to synch. Type the speed the keyer is set to in the speed box instead. Otherwise it will change the both the program and the keyer and the speed will still not be synchronized. You can alleviate having to do that if you save the keyers startup speed to 60 (Shift Scroll Lock on the connected PS2)
MODES
The program will start in Send Now mode. The first character typed into the input
window will be sent to the keyer immediately. Following characters go into a
correctable type ahead buffer, and are sent to the keyer at a rate (depends on speed)
that will keep just ahead of the keyer's sending. If you can type faster than your
sending speed, you can correct errors before they are sent to the keyer.
Send Buffer mode : will not send anything until you hit enter. QRQ hint : entering "de yourcall r r " or something similar will give you a head start on staying ahead of the sending. It takes practice to learn to ignore what you are hearing and concentrate on what you want to say. I recommend turning the sidetone down to where you can just barely hear it. The importance of this technique increases as speeds go up. 60 wpm and up requires copying by the word or syllable. Stuttering, broken up code makes that difficult.
Send File mode : CommsPracticeFile.txt is the file the program will send using the
Send File function. It is read into memory all at once and limited to 54kb to avoid
any timing glitches by the system reading the hard drive. You can edit that file and
put anything you want in there up to 54kb, but I would highly recommend removing all
the punctuation other than commas and periods, since it not only screws up your copy
by sending rarely heard / used prosigns, but sometimes causes a Winkey to malfunction.
StripBaby on SourceForge is a utility to do that.
SPEED
THIS IS FOR THE MT (Multi-Threaded)VERSION:
Program reads the keyer speed after opening the port and for the Winkey monitors the speed pot continually. Changing the speed pot will change the program speed.
THIS IS FOR THE OLD NT VERSION:
Here's one of the major compromises. The program does not poll the keyer for anything
other than the settings when the Check Settings button or speed when Check Speed is
clicked. So the program does not read the keyer speed continually. The very first time
the program is run, there is no speed showing in the Set Speed box. Once you set a
speed in the box, then the program will track it and save the last speed used to the
.ini file on exit. Here's the rub : if you use the keyer with another program,
ie: N1MM plus, N3FJP etc. and change the speed then the next time the program is run
the speed shown will not be correct until you open the port. Also if you change the
speed with the command / pot knob, the speed shown will not be correct until you click
on Check Settings or Check Speed. There are enough ways to quickly change the speed,
you should not have to use the pot unless you use the keyer in standalone mode with no
program running. See below.
CHANGING SPEED
There are several ways to change speeds.
1. Enter new speed in the Set Speed box, hit enter.
2. Page Up or Page Down will increase or decrease by 20 wpm for quick QRS from QRQ
speeds. (Not with W5UXH keyer)
3. Number pad Plus key = up 10, Minus = down 10. (Not with W5UXH keyer)
4. Right arrow = up 5, Left Arrow = down 5.
4. Up arrow = up 1, Down Arrow = down 1.
5. New with version 06_03_19 : click on up or down arrow beside speed box.
6. < : Speed down by 20 WHEN AHEAD OF THE BUFFER See 9_29_20 below.
7. > : Speed up by 20 WHEN AHEAD OF THE BUFFER See 9_29_20 below.
KEY ASSIGNMENTS:
See above for speed change keys
Esc : Aborts sending and puts program back into Send Now mode.
Home : Puts the program into Send Buffer mode.
End : Over - If enabled sends the call in the His Call box plus "de yourcall k".
Tilde : Sends "de yourcall" and resets the ID timer.
Enter : Sends contents of the input window to the keyer in Send Buffer mode.
Hyphen: For all you chicken clucking CFO's out there sends the Chicken Scratch.
Equals: Sends the BT prosign.
Left square bracket [ AS (genuine Winkey).
Right square bracket ] KN (genuine Winkey).
Pause: First hit pauses a buffer send and puts program into Send Now mode. You can send a reply to a question or ask "QRX" or whatever. Next hit resumes where sending left off.
KEYER SETTINGS
There are now menu choices for setting the word spacing with the K3NG, sending other CLI commands, and setting the weight or compensation for a genuine Winkey.
*********************************************************************************************
CHANGE LOG
04.03.25 As will be the case with every update now, installation directory is changed.
Also changed allowable Winkey speeds to 20 to 70.
03.31.25 Changed default installation directory to C:\TC64MT_5. Reduced window height and added scroll bars to GetSettings.
03.24.25 Additional error trapping for Winkeys.
11.26.24 Optimized K3NG GetSettings.
11.20.24 Some code refactoring for efficiency. Fixed wrong port error handling.
11.12.24 Rebuild to check false Windows Defender virus alert.
11.09.24 Removed scaling feature, was not working on all screen sizes.
10.25.24 Fixed His Call feature not working with a Winkeyer.
04.22.24
More timing changes to fix the K3NG in native mode sending a memory immediately upon opening
the port when the last speed used was below 30 wpm.
02.07.24
Another OpenPort timing change.
02.05.24
Change in Scratch using the K3NG keyer. Another OpenPort timing tweak.
01.29.24
Window position is now "sticky". IE: starts at same screen location as it was when exited.
01.26.24
Another OpenPort timing change.
01.20.24 Minor timing changes opening ports.
11.30.23
< and > no longer send pro signs. They will still increase or decrease the speed by 20 but only when typed in the buffer ahead of the sending. Or in SendBuffer mode.
10.26.23
Small timing improvements.
10.11.23
Minor "under the hood" changes / improvements.
09.20.23 Changed Winkey range to 20..70 to fix pot "wandering" up and down 1 from
set speed therefor glitching the sending.
08.24.23
Changed W5UXH init speed to 60 and fixed timing glitched with the 07.28.23 update that fixed the other 2 keyers.
Gotta love the law of unintended consequences in programming :-) (Or government for that matter)
08.10.23
Hitting Escape while Paused sets entry box text back to red / black.
07.31.23
Remapping for Winkey prosigns. Chicken scratch key is now the Hyphen.
Equals (=) is prosign BT (also works with K3NG in native mode)
Left square bracket [ is AS.
Right square bracket ] is KN. (W9AC)
The brackets may work with a K3NG in Winkey mode if you have the Winkey extended prosign option defined. I have not tested.
07.30.23
Minor housekeeping changes.
07.28.23
Timing improvements at speeds over 60. Fixed not being able to open com ports higher than 9.
07.24.23
Various improvements in the Pause/Resume feature and fixed Winkey bug.
06.14.23
Pause key will pause a buffer send. Second push will resume.
05.04.23
Fixed multiple error messages if device not found on the chosen com port. If extra word spacing
was set to 4, was saving as 0. Fixed.
03_05_23
Fixed random extra space being inserted after "e"s and "t"s at 70 wpm and up.
Added checkbox to turn ID timer off for iCW / Sonobus.
12_17_21
Fixed ID timer turning green when End key used in Blue/White color mode and timing tweak for
the W5UXH keyer screen writes. That keyer echos chars when they are sent to the keyer, not when
the keyer actually sends them out of the keyers internal buffer. So screen writes do not exactly match the sending.
09_02_21
Fixed bug using F10 key caused by Windows Snipping tool.
08_31_21
Mapped the hyphen key to send prosign BT (K3OS).
08_29_21
Increased the max amount of extra word spacing to 4 dits. Fixed a problem with SendFile not writing to the screen broken in 3/18 revision.
04_06_21
Additional error trapping for speed out of range, increased wait time for initial response from a genuine Winkeyer, more code optimizations.
03_18_21
Fixed FileSend not resuming where left off. More code optimization.
03_13_21
Code cleanup, more error trapping for the W5UXH keyer.
03_02_21
Timing improvement for Send File funtion.
02_25_21
Minor cosmetic changes, code optimizations, additional error trapping.
02_12_21
Error trap for trying to open a port without a keyer chosen. Several other "under the hood" improvements.
02_02_21
Fixed problem when cancelling a CLI command, fixed timing of initial K3NG show settings to after the ini file settings are uploaded.
01_31_21
Efficiency improvement when using a K3NG keyer. Now uses significantly less CPU resources.
01_28_21
Selecting Winkey now brings up a menu to chose between a genuine K1EL Winkey or a K3NG running
in Winkey emulation mode. If you run a K3NG in emulation mode you may have to go into whichever version of keyer_features_and_options you use for your hardware and define the UCXlog 9600 baud option.
01_24_21
A major change back to the multi - threaded version. This version TC64MT SHOULD run on Win10 64 bit machines. If it doesn't run for you, the older version TC64NT is still on SourceForge.
More Winkey additions / revisions. If you are using a microHam Winkey, and maybe any other that
uses virtual port software, you may need to use that port software to set the minimum speed to
20 and the maximum speed to 80 in order for the speed shown in TC64MT to be correct. Also check the box "Allow logger control" in the MicroHam virtual port program. The program will set standalone Winkeys, including the WKMini, to the proper values. Since the WKMini has no speed pot for the program to read, the program sets the initial startup speed to 60 when a WKMini is detected.
Added menu choices for setting the weight and compensation for Winkeys.
01_13_21
Winkey changes. If you are using a K3NG in Winkey emulation mode you may need to play around with these defines in the keyer features and options file :
#define OPTION_WINKEY_STRICT_HOST_OPEN
#define OPTION_WINKEY_2_SUPPORT
#define OPTION_WINKEY_2_HOST_CLOSE_NO_SERIAL_PORT_RESET
One of my keyers is no problem, my Funtronics FK-11 has some issues in Winkey emulation mode.
Added Always on Top menu choice and check button. Will keep TComms64 on top of other windows when running logging, internet browsers etc. simultaneously.
12_17_20
Major revision in the input method, additional memories, other fixes.
11_01_20
A few minor fixes.
10_23_20
Fixes for Check Settings and Stop Send.
9_29_20
In Send Buffer mode added limited support for embedded speed changes a la N1MM+ but I have limited it to a 20 wpm change. ie: "I worked < HS5HSH > last night" will drop the speed by 20 wpm and raise it back up after whatever is inside the brackets is sent. Also works with the K3NG, but make sure you put a space before and after the first bracket or you may lose a character.
Also I am dropping support for the 32 bit version and removing it from SourceForge. If you're still running Win7 on single core processor, pry some of that moldy money out of your pocket and get a new PC :-) Speaking of money, I have countless hours into developing this program over the
past 2 years. If you like it and use it, a donation would sure be appreciated. My address on
QRZ is good and a personal check or money order would be greatly appreciated.
7/23/20
W5UXH keyer is now included in the keyer echo read. However, his keyers echo the character as soon as it is recieved by the keyer, not when it is sent. So the screen write may get ahead of the actual sending.
Fixed minor problem with the end key appending a random char to the end of the call in the His Call box.
VERSION 7_20_20 MAJOR CHANGE for the K3NG keyer.
Goody fixed the random hesitation problem back in April 2020. I finally got around to changing the I/O engine to reflect that. The program now continually reads the keyer echo and writes the output to the top window. The screen write now perfectly matches the sending, no matter the extra word space setting. Makes it a better tool for increasing your speed using send file or send buffer.
7/2/20
Fixed word space editor saving new value even when cancelled.
6/25/20
Under the hood improvements to make the code run more efficiently, a trap for number pad plus and minus keys (speed up or down by 10) to keep + or - from showing up in the send window and a slight adjustment to the screen write timing when extra word spaces are added.
6/10/20
Trapped the Fn+F2 and Fn+F3 key combinations so you can adjust the PC speaker volume without sending a prosign to the keyer.
05/08/20
Minor performance enhancements.
04/22/20
Fixed double screen write on a memory send. Increased the amount of time the program waits after opening a port. May have been a problem on slower systems.
04/16/20
Fixed problem with Send File screen write introduced several versions back.
04/15/20
Minor screen write / buffer delete improvements. There are now 2 versions, TC64PSetup is a 64 bit specific version.
04/11/20
Open Port will now work with any port assignment, not just the first 12.
04/07/20
Changed error handling routine when a wrong port is opened.
04/06/20
Reduced size of the Show Settings message. No longer shows K3NG keyer memory contents.
Another minor adjustment for the screen flash problem.
4/01/20
More changes regarding the screen flashes.
3/30/20
Scroll bars are gone again :-) They introduced an annoying flash once past a certain
amount of characters in the screen buffer. K3NG Check Settings now brings up a message
window so you can see all the settings.
03/25/20
Added the scroll bars back in. Minor timing adjustments to the send window delete /
sent window write.
03/22/20
Changed the screen write to lower case when using a Winkey. Minor performance
enhancements.
03/11/20
Send Buffer now writes to the sent window as each char is being sent instead of all at
once on hitting enter. Nicer when you are using that feature to increase your copy
speed. You can easily check when you miss a word. Hitting escape while in Send Buffer
mode even before hitting enter now puts the program back into Send Now mode.
03/01/20
Added speed control for the W5UXH keyer. Disabled the =/+ key for sending the chicken
scratch while there is anything in the buffer.
02/19/20
Up,Down,Left and Right arrow keys will not change the speed while in send buffer mode
until Enter is hit.
02/09/20
Very minor timing change. The program no longer sets the K3NG word space to 8 on
startup, but to 7, the standard setting. Additional word spacing is set in the Word
Space menu as before.
01/08/20
Fixed random miss of user's call ID for resetting the 10 minute timer.
11/26/19
Fixed Winkey crash if CapLock was accidentally turned on. Improvement in Check Settings
for the K3NG.
10/23/19
Fixed Send File timing broken on last timing adjustment.
10/15/19
Increased buffer size, changed default word spacing for the K3NG keyer to 8. At speeds
of 65 and up, 9 was a tad too much.
10/10/19
Minor timing adjustment.
10/7/19
Minor bug fix.
9/26/19
Color choice is now saved in the ini file. Minor bug fixes.
9/24/19
Added menu item to change memo window colors.
9/22/19
After hitting enter in Send Buffer mode, mode automatically returns to send now. Fixed
intermittant problem with Winkey speed read on startup.
9/13/19
Improvement of the handling of the input buffer when a memory send is added and a few
other minor tweaks.
9/11/19
Memory send is now appended to the input buffer if buffer is not empty. (NJ1T)
Fixed Winkey sending the question mark immediately even if buffer was not empty. Minor
timing change in input buffer delete.
9/9/19
Fixed problem with input buffer delete not matching sending speed on startup. Backspace
now also corrects text in the main window. And the big change, backspace now works
with the K3NG in native mode.
9/5/19
Major change in the input method. The input window is now a backspace / erasable FIFO
buffer. At this point though, the backspace only actually works with a Winkey or the
K3NG in Winkey emulation mode. Still working on it.....
****9/3/19
Change in extra word spacing. Set Word Space now only effects Send Buffer and Send File.
I am now setting the K3NG keyer itself to add 2 extra dits to the word spacing. If that
is sufficient for you, leave extra word space in the program at zero. Otherwise, keep
in mind that anything set in the program is going to add to that original keyer spacing,
ie: set to 2 is actually going to add 4 dit spaces. Also, if you have added word
spacing in your Winkey setup, it will act the same as with the K3NG, it will be extra
dits on top of what you have set in your Winkey setup utility.
Fixed Winkey speed issue introduced in prior build. Also, now if you change the pot
while the program is running, clicking on Check Speed will set the program to match
the keyers speed pot.
8/28/19
Fixed issue when speed up / down keys were repeated too many times by mistake and the
speed went below 15 or above 99. A few minor tweaks to the timing.
8/2/19
Fixed minor bug where user call was not always detected to reset the ID timer when
sending your call by typing. Added a callsign entry window the first time the program
is run to avoid someone trying to run the program without entering their call in the
memory editor. (KA9ZAP)
7/28/19
Minor timing change. Exit button color change added.
7/17/19
Changed "Get WK Pot" button to a tune feature. Check Settings button still returns the
Winkey speed. Clicking on tune puts the radio into TX, clicking again returns to RX.
(NJ1T)
7/10/19
Mea Culpa : Going to blame this one on age. Forgot all about removing the debug info
from the final build before uploading. Exe file is now much smaller in size. Added some
additional error handling for reading the .ini file. This should handle updates without
requiring deleting the old .ini file and having to reenter all your memories.
7/02/19
Major change in the SendFile procedure. You can now have a text file up to 54kb and the
program will save the last position in the file. Clicking on SendFile now brings up a
menu with the choices "Start" ie: start sending from beginning of the file, "Resume",
start sending where you left off the previous time, or "Cancel". If you're running an
older PC with a slow hard drive, it may take a couple of seconds to load the file. With
my SSD, it's instantaneous.
6/26/19
Fixed issue with installer not setting the proper icon.
Fixed a problem where the memory button captions were not being updated when saving the
memory file on first run.
6/15/19
Added the capability for the user to set the word spacing. Clicking on settings now
brings up a sub menu. Setting is now consistant at all speeds, not just over 44 wpm.
(NJ1T)
6/3/19
Program is now contained in a Windows Installer.
Added up/down buttons to change speed with a mouse.
4/30/19
K3NG update : Goody has fixed the random hesitation problem with the K3NG keyer!
Download, compile, and install the latest push to GitHub. I have tested up to 65 wpm
with the features I would consider a "normal" user to have enabled and no problems so
far. However, if you regularly operate at 60 wpm and up, I'd still follow the
instructions below to insure instant response to keypresses.
04/23/19
Changed PageUp and PageDown to + 20 and - 20 instead of 10. Number pad + now equals up
10 and Number pad - now is down 10.
04/15/19
Added Right Arrow key = speed up 5, Left Arrow down 5. NumPad plus and minus = up or
down 10.
04/01/2019
As of today, the version number will be the date of the build and show in the top left
corner of the window. Since the main focus of this program is QRQ operating and
increasing one's speed by using Send Buffer and Send File for practice, I have
implemented a modified Farnsworth method. At speeds over 44 wpm I added 1.3 dit times
of extra word spacing. This is consistant across all the functions, including memory
send. (N1KW)
03/06/2019
If Enable Memory Send is checked on the memory editor form, when a memory send is
invoked, either by a mouse click or function key, that call is now posted in the His
Call box and you don't have to remember which function key is associated with that
memory to send an "over". Just hit the End key. DO NOT ENABLE this feature if you have
anything in any memory caption other than a call sign. End key initiates the send the
same as if you had entered the call manually in the His Call box. You can still change
the call in the box at any time afterward.
02/27/2019
Added a text box to enter the call of a station you are working. Once a call is entered
there, hitting the End key will send his call plus "de YourCall" plus K. (NJ1T)
Questions, comments, bug reports, and suggestions to the discussion list on
SourceForge or to wf3t@fastmail.com
Hope you enjoy, 73,
Steve, WF3T
