KCT-EC2

               KCT-Subset-Compatible Driver for EasyComm 2

Alpha Version 0.03
Copyright 1997-2002 Paul Williamson, KB5MU.
Document updated June 27, 2002.


The Kansas City Tracker defined a software interface to be used by 
application programs in accessing an antenna rotor controller. This 
interface is a DOS TSR which handles software interrupts, as defined in 
ftp://ftp.amsat.org/amsat/software/PC/rotor-control/drvsvc.doc. 
Applications such as InstantTrack use a small subset of this interface, as 
defined in ftp://ftp.amsat.org/amsat/software/PC/InstantTrack/intspec.txt.

Chris Jackson defined a command interface called EasyComm 2 to be used by 
applications running in host computers in accessing a smart (but not 
autonomous) antenna rotor controller via serial port, as defined in 
ftp://ftp.amsat.org/amsat/software/win32/wisp/easycomm.txt. Smart trackers 
such as the forthcoming TAPR EasyTrak implement this command set.

This program is an adapter, or interface, between the two standards. It is 
a DOS TSR that implements the KCT subset used by InstantTrack. Instead of 
directly controlling a rotor, it uses a serial port to send EasyComm 2 
formatted commands to an external standalone controller.


Installation
============

Just unpack the files into a convenient directory, preferably a directory 
on the DOS PATH.


Invocation
==========

Three steps are required:

1. Load the TSR, KCT-EC2.COM.
2. Configure the COM port you wish to use.
3. Run EC2START to activate the TSR and tell it which COM port to use.


Step 1: Load the TSR

Just run KCT-EC2.COM. This can be done from AUTOEXEC.BAT if you wish, or 
from any batch file you run ONCE per reboot. The program should not be run 
a second time unless you have removed it between runs (using a utility 
program you supply).

KCT-EC2


Step 2: Configure the COM port

If your COM port is a standard one, you can just use the DOS command 
"MODE", like this:

MODE COM1:9600,n,8,1

Choose the parameters that match the configuration of your EasyComm2 
controller, of course.

If your COM port is non-standard, use any program you have that can use 
that COM port. Just set it up the way you want it, and exit the program. 
This assumes that the program leaves the COM port configured the way it 
used it; most do.

Step 3: Activate the TSR

Run EC2START, and specify the COM port you wish to use on the command 
line. If your COM port is a standard one, you can run it like this:

EC2START COM1

or

EC2START COM2

If your COM port is non-standard, you can specify the hex I/O base address 
of the UART. It might look something like this:

EC2START 0A90

If you wish to temporarily disable the TSR, you can say:

EC2START OFF

or

EC2START STOP

Then you can reactivate it later using one of the above EC2START commands. 
While the TSR is temporarily disabled, it will respond to status queries 
as if the hardware were not responding.

You can also switch COM ports whenever you wish, by just running EC2START
again with the new COM port number.


Hardware Requirements
=====================

To make this program easier to get working, it DOES NOT USE INTERRUPTS. 
So, you don't have to worry about whether your non-standard COM port uses 
some non-standard interrupt or not. You also don't have to worry about 
whether your COM port shares an interrupt with some other COM port, which 
is usually a problem. Typically COM3 conflicts with COM1, and COM4 
conflicts with COM2, but not with this program. You can use COM3 or COM4 
with KCT-EC2 even while simultaneously using COM1 or COM2 for something 
else.

The catch is this: your COM port must have a 16550A type UART, or 
compatible. This is always the case on modern COM ports, but older 
machines may or may not be so equipped. If you don't have a UART with the 
16-byte FIFO provided by 16550A type UARTs, this program will not work.
Even after you run EC2START, the TSR will continue to report that the 
hardware is not responding.



Operating System Compatibility
==============================

The program works in DOS. It probably also works in full-screen mode of 
Windows 3.1, Windows 95, and Windows 98.

It probably does NOT work in Windows NT or Windows 2000, because it 
accesses I/O ports directly.



Software Interface
==================

This program adds a unique software interrupt call to the KCT standard:


Set Port

AH = 70h
DX = I/O base address of the 16550A UART to use

Output: None.


License
=======

This program is Copyright 2001 Paul Williamson, All Rights Reserved.
You may use this program freely for non-commercial purposes.

Source code will be released after completion of alpha testing.


Contact Info
============

Please send any comments or questions to the author at kb5mu@amsat.org.