Correct, you can use the same RS-232 port for both rig control and CW keying. BTW, this is because the rig uses the TX and RX lines of the port, and CW keying uses the DTR pin. Physically, you need a Y connector like this:
http://www.hosenose.com/...mp;PrimaryCatID=46&
There is nothing special about this cable -- if you can find one locally with the one female and two males, it will work.
As for how to set this up: LOGic 9's under-the-hood serial implementation is quite different than LOGic 8. LOGic 8 (and most other software for that matter) talks directly to the serial port. LOGic 9 has an intermediate library that it talks to. So if you want to use the TX and RX lines for the rig, DTR for the keyer, and RTS for something else, the library will open the port once, but let the different parts of LOGic share this connection.
It all sounds quite complicated, but setup is actually quite simple. Tell the rig to use COM 4, and the CW keyer to use COM 4 DTR, and you are done. I have pasted the relevant part of LOGic 9's Help below.
Let me know if any other questions.
73,
Dennis WN4AZY
Using RS-232 Serial Ports
Starting with version 9, LOGic features RS-232 serial port sharing. For instance, you may use a free DTR or RTS line on any serial port used by any other device by simply configuring the two devices to the same port.
Limited port sharing was possible in previous versions of LOGic, but it was more complicated and less flexible. Icom radios, by default, all used the same port. If you wanted to put a second Icom on its own port, you would have to use a different radio driver. You could share CW keying with a radio port by selecting SHARE WITH RADIO 1 or whatever in the CW keyer port selection. However, you could not share a port between a rotor and CW keyer.
In LOGic 9, you merely assign devices to ports -- you don't have to do anything differently to share a port. If you have your radio on COM8 and want to use COM8 DTR for CW keying, simply select COM8 for the radio, setting it up in LOGic as usual. Then set up the keyer, specifying COM8 and DTR, as usual. An inexpensive Y cable handles the physical connections.
Potentially any port may be shared with anything. For example, PTT keying may be done using a free DTR or RTS line on a port being used by a radio, rotor, or WinKeyer. Icom radios may share ports, and the port used by the new FT-2000/5000/9000 rotor interface must be shared with the radio.
Note that LOGic's port-sharing only works for compatible devices. For example, you can't share a port with a Kenwood and Yaesu radio. It simply is not possible to do this due to hardware limitations. LOGic usually prevents you from trying to set up impossible sharing scenarios. For example, when you set up a Kenwood radio, LOGic knows to reserve the TX and RX lines and not let anything else use them (you can still use the DTR line for keying, or the RTS line also, provided it is not used to power the W1GEE Kenwood level converter). However, the FT-5000 allows sharing the port so that the rotor interfaced to the FT-5000 may be controlled. So there is nothing in LOGic's setup to prevent you from frying to share the TX/RX lines between an FT-5000 and an Icom.
When sharing the TX/RX lines between devices, the baud rate and stop bits of all devices must be set identically.
Clicking Tools/Advanced/Serial Port Status on LOGic's menu bar displays serial port status.
You can see which ports are installed in your computer, any errors that would prevent you from using the port, and if in use by LOGic, a description of what is using it, and the port settings used. In this example, COM1 is in use by another program or LOGic legacy interface (see below). COM5 is not usable because of a system error (this cryptic error message results because COM5 is a Fax).
COM 8 is used by an IC 736. It is using the TX and RX lines (we know this because the baud rate column is filled in), and also using RTS. Exclusive is not checked, meaning that other compatible radios could also be set up to use the TX/RX lines and RTS on COM8.
COM8 is also in use by the CW Keyer. The keyer is using the DTR line. Exclusive is checked, meaning that no other device can be configured to use the DTR line.
There is a button to show serial port status in the Keyer, Winkeyer, and Radio/Rotor setup screens (toos/setup/misc ham setup). All radio and rotor ports are closed when in the Radio/Rotor setup screen. You may use the button to see what ports are installed in the system and which are used by other software, but it does not reflect your port selection for radios and rotors, as the radio/rotor ports are not opened until you close this form. To see the status of serial ports with all devices operating, click Tools/Advanced/Serial Port Status.
Note that you must only share serial port resources with compatible devices. For example, we could configure another Icom radio on COM8. The icom would have to be using the same CI/V bus as the IC-736, and would have to be configured to the same baud rate. LOGic would not let you share the DTR line with the CW Keyer, because the Keyer needs exclusive access to the line used for keying. However, LOGic would not prevent you from trying to configure an FT-5000 to use COM8. The FT-5000 permits port sharing so that a rotor attached to the rig may be used. However, this setup obviously would not work.
Port sharing has necessitated a rewrite of all radio and rotor interfaces. The old interfaces will be available until we get all of the interfaces rewritten. However, they do not support port sharing. The show up in the driver selection dropdown menu with a (legacy)) notation. Legacy drivers only support COM1 through COM16. Com ports used by legacy interfaces will show Unavailable: Access to the port 'COMn' is denied. (already open) in the port status display.
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