External Modem Command Files

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WinWarbler determines what commands to send to an external modem via command files present in the Modems subfolder. Each command file present in this folder is presented as a choice in the model panel on the Configuration window's External Modem tab. WinWarbler opens and reads a command file

By convention, a command file is named model.txt, where model represents the name of the modem -- e.g. KAM.txt or PK232.txt. Files in WinWarbler's Modems subfolder having an extension other than .txt will not appear as a choice in the model panel.

When selected in the model panel, the file Xcvr Ctrl App.txt configures WinWarbler to display decoded RTTY characters conveyed by Commander in the external RTTY receive pane, and convey RTTY characters transmitted while the external RTTY receive pane is active to Commander for transmission. 

When selected in the model panel, the file External.txt configures WinWarbler to display decoded RTTY characters received via DDE messages.

A command file contains one or more commands separated by newline characters; you can create or edit command files using a text editor like Notepad or EMACS; if you use an word processor like Microsoft Word, be sure to save as "text only with line breaks", or WinWarbler will be unable to parse the command file.

The basic command syntax is

CommandName = CommandString

CommandString is a sequence of ASCII characters sent to the RTTY modem to accomplish a function denoted by CommandName. To facilitate the inclusion of control characters, the sequence <N> within a CommandString, will be replaced by a single byte of value N; N must be 0 or greater, and 255 or smaller. <3>, for example, would be replaced by Ctrl-C. 

The baud and shift commands include appended arguments.

baud45=<3>rbaud 45<13>

for example, specifies the command to set a PK232 to 45 baud, and

    shift850=<3>X<3>mark 2125<13>space 2975<13>RTTY<13>

specifies the command to set a KAM to an 850 hz shift. Each baud  command contained within a command file creates a choice in the speed panel on the Configuration window's External Modem tab, and each shift command creates a choice in the shift panel on the Configuration window's External Modem tab.

The cwwpm command also includes an appended 2-digit argument.

CWwpm05=<3>1

sets a KAM's CW speed to 5 words per minute; note that leading zero needed in order to meet the 2-digit requirement.

WinWarbler defines the following commands:

CommandName Function
InitCmd initialize the modem
TermCmd place the modem in command mode and enable character echo
RTTYCmd place the modem in RTTY mode (initial commands)
RTTYCmdDelay if > 0, then send the RTTYDelayedCmd in specified number of milliseconds (max 5000)
RTTYDelayedCmd secondary command required to place modem in RTTY mode after the specified delay (not executed if RTTYCmdDelay is 0 or unspecified)
XmitCmd direct the modem to begin transmitting
RcvCmd direct the modem to stop transmitting after all untransmitted characters have been sent
AbortCmd direct the modem to stop transmitting immediately
CmdCmd place the modem in command mode
IDCmd direct the modem to transmit a station identification in CW
TXRevOnCmd direct the modem to transmit in reverse RTTY
TXRevOffCmd direct the modem to transmit in normal RTTY
RXRevOnCmd direct the modem to receive in reverse RTTY
RXRevOffCmd direct the modem to receive in normal RTTY
USOSOnCmd direct the modem to enter Letters mode after receiving a space character
USOSOffCmd direct the modem to not enter Letters mode after receiving a space character
baudN direct the modem to set its transmission rate to N baud, where N is a RTTY baud rate supported by the modem,
shiftN direct the modem to set its shift to N baud, where N is a RTTY shift supported by the modem
CWCmd place the modem in CW mode (initial commands)
CWCmdDelay if > 0, then send the CWDelayedCmd in specified number of milliseconds (max 5000)
CWDelayedCmd secondary command required to place modem in CW mode after the specified delay (not executed if CWCmdDelay is 0 or unspecified)
CWLockCmd direct the modem to lock the current CW speed
CWUnlockCmd direct the modem to unlock the current CW speed
CWwpmN direct the modem to set its transmission rate to N words per minute, where N is a 2-digit CW speed supported by the modem
CWInitialXmitCRLF defines the number of CR-LF pairs that precede actual CW transmission (assumed to be 0 if command not present)
TypeAhead
  • N if the modem ignores characters to be transmitted before the modem has been commanded to transmit
  • Y if the modem remembers characters to be transmitted before the modem has been commanded to transmit and automatically transmits them immediately after the modem has been commanded to transmit

If no TypeAhead  is specified, Y is assumed.

ExternalRcv
  • N displays characters received from the external modem serial port
  • Y displays characters received via DDE messages

If no ExternalRcv  is specified, N is assumed.