Using a CW Paddle with WinWarbler
de Rich VE3KI
If your transceiver has separate paddle and straight-key inputs, you can setup a CW Keying connection from your computer to the straight-key input, plug your paddle into the paddle input, and use the transceiver's internal keyer for paddle-sent CW. The CW keying speeds from the two inputs will be independent. If both inputs are keyed at the same time, what happens will depend on the firmware in the transceiver.
If you have an external iambic keyer, you can use a Y-connector to connect it to the transceiver's straight-key input in parallel with the CW Keying connection from your computer. The CW keying speeds from the two inputs will be independent. The key closures from the two inputs will be combined so if you hit the paddle while the computer is sending, you may create a garbled mess. If a computer-sent message is in progress, either wait for it to finish or terminate it by clicking WinWarbler's Abort button (or striking the Esc key) before sending with your paddle.
If your transceiver can be directed via CAT command to send CW and you are controlling the transceiver from Commander, set the Keying panel on WinWarbler's Configuration window to Xcvr Ctrl App, and connect an external paddle or keyer directly to the transceiver. The CW keying speeds from the two inputs may be the same if you are using the transceiver's internal keyer, but they will be independent if you use an external keyer. If you touch the paddle while CW is being sent from the computer, what happens will depend on the firmware in the transceiver.
If you have a K1EL Winkeyer or WKUSB, you can simultaneously use its paddle and (serial or USB) computer inputs. The keyboard and paddle inputs are integrated; the keyboard CW speed and paddle-input CW speed are the same, and touching the paddle aborts the computer keying to allow you to hand-send CW.
Setting up CW, Phone, PSK, and RTTY Operation