com port sharing

[G4MKR]

This is a radio question! Does anyone have experience of using several PC programs to control a radio (CAT) at the same time? It looks like I need some com port sharing software to allow N1MM logger and CW Skimmer to both control a rig, but what software? Has anyone done this?

[K5END]

Excellent question.

This can be tricky.

To use a single com port on one pc to do this would be difficult.

To answer your question fairly, I have done something similar to what you are asking with other gear, including digital radios, but have not done it with a ham transceiver.

First of all, I assume you are using one PC that is running more than one program? To use a single com port on the PC, the com port will show as occupied by an application when you try to use a second application on the same com port. You will very likely need external port sharing devices and some sharing software.

It may also depend on the type of data controlling the rig, and it will depend largely on which rig you are using. It might work for an ICOM-7000, but not for a Yaesu FT-450, for example.

That is all I can say that I know for sure. I would be interested in how it works out an what hams who have actually done this will tell.

[NO9E]

A software splitter would do it. See http://www.eterlogic.com/Products.VSPE.html
If your radio is K3, there is software splitter by N8LP as well.

Ignacy, NO9E

[K0BG]

Larry's correct when he says it can get tricky. For example, Icom's CI-V port is a shared port, as all of the hardware connected to it are in parallel. This works well in spite of an occasional data collision. However, some software packages hog the port settings in an effort to speed throughput. Unless the apps package in question reverts the radio back to its standby condition, all sorts of maladies occur. You just have to work through them with due diligence.

Alan, KØBG
www.k0bg.com

[N1DVJ]

Hmm, if you're into programming, you could do it yourself, but it's not trivial.

Write a program that can sit 'live' on the PC in question.  Have that program create and manage several 'virtual com ports' and the one physical com port to your radio.

Then have each of the programs that need to talk to the radio grab a virtual com port.  It sends data to the virtural port, and then the program you wrote just receives that data and sends it on to the physical port.  It then routes the respond data to the virtual port.  

If written correctly, each program would think it's got exclusive use of the radio.  

The hard part it is to 'manage' the ports routing to the radio port.  You might have to put some smarts into the router so that it knows what to expect based on what came through.  Thatway it can handle overlapping requests, knowing when it has to 'hold up' on one port while another finishes up.

[W9OY]

I use DDUTIL for the traffic management

http://k5fr.com/ddutilwiki/index.php?title=Main_Page

It was written for the Flex radios but it might do the trick for you.  For virtual com ports

http://k5fr.com/ddutilwiki/index.php?title=VSP_Manager

73  W9OY

[K2QPN]

I have a microKeyer by microHam. It has a USB connection for the keyer and rig control. The software can create 2 pseudo serial ports for rig control. I run 2 instances of Logger32 - each can control the rig. One instance is for normal operation and the other is for QRP operation.
Works for me.

73, Bob K2QPN