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

• at startup

  • if RTTY mode is selected and the RTTY operation of this modem is enabled

  • if CW mode is selected and keying via the external modem is specified

• when the external modem is enabled for RTTY operation

• when a new external modem model is selected

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: