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How to use Wintest and CW skimmer together ? Configuration used :
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It is assumed that :
- Perseus software and driver have been installed and working. They are available here.
- CW Skimmer software available here is installed and working
- Win-test is installed
- the CAT port for the transceiver is known and working.
Configuring Skimmer
Copy the following files found in the Perseus installation folder into the CW-Skimmer installation folder :
perseus48k24v31.sbs – Nominal Sample Rate: 48 kHz.
perseus96k24v31.sbs – Nominal Sample Rate: 96 kHz.
perseus192k24v31.sbs – Nominal Sample Rate: 192 kHz.
perseususb.dll
In the Skimmer "View/Settings-Radio" menu, "Hardware type" folder, check "Perseus" and "192 kHz".
In the Skimmer "View/Settings-Network" folder, check "Enable Telnet server" and set port to 7300 and the "Allow SKIMMER commands".
You can then setup the band portions Skimmer will decode. My own configuration :
If necessary, band edges can be modified in the file \Users\xx\AppData\Roaming\Afreet\Reference\BandPlan.ini
CWskimmer configuration folder
I had to search for this folder where the bandplan.ini and MASTER.DATA and other data files are stored :
C:\Users\user_name\AppData\Roaming\Afreet\Reference
Getting spots from Skimmer
WinTest uses wtDxTelnet to interface with DXClusters, and so with CW Skimmer server. A different session of wtDxTelnet must run for each remote cluster. So, one for CW skimmer and one for a DXcluster.
Each wtDXTelnet session uses a different ini file. The default ini file is wtDXTelnet.ini and is normaly located in C:\ProgramData\Win-Test\cfg
So, make a copy of this file and rename it to your convenience, for example wtDXTelnetSkimmer.ini.
Then, create a new shortcut with a target using the -i parameter like this :
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Win-Test\wtDxTelnet.exe" -i wtDxTelnetSkimmer.ini
Launch wtDXTelnet with this new shortcut and modifiy in "Options/DXCluster properties" :
In "Options/Win-Test network properties", for a single computer that hosts WinTest and Skimmer :
For more infos on these configurations, follow this link.
Wintest needs to communicate with your transceiver as usual and duplicate the CAT commands to Perseus.
Setup a Radio in the "Options/Configure interfaces" menu. For example : (click to enlarge)
If the wtDXcluster has been configured as shown above (CW Skimmer send to radio1), any frequency change in Win-Test will change the frequency in CW-Skimmer.
After all these settings, you should be ready to work Win-Test and seeing the DXcluster spots been fed by your local Skimmer and any other DXluster if a second wtDXTelnet session has been opened.
If you need another software to use the Perseus receiver, the following informations could be of interest.
Setting up Perseus to work with another woftware
The Perseus receiver is using a virtual COM port to communicate with a CAT software. By default it is COM10.
First, we need to check what default virtual COM port Perseus is using.. We can do this (and change it if necessary) though the Perseus "Software settings" available by clicking on the blue icon on top left.
It is wise to check which COM ports are already in use on your computer to avoid any conflict and future headaches !
PLEASE NOTE that if OmniRIG has been opened once, it stays active in background and is holding the COM ports used in his setup. It does NOT close itself or releases the COM ports ! Even worse, many software are using OmniRIG and this can be overseen ! Check the running tasks.
Then, we need a virtual COM port to talk to the Perseus receiver. For that, we will use the virtual com port driver com0com, that I use in other projects as well. Other software are possible, like VSPE, VSPM, etc...
Create a pair if ports COM10 and COM11 (if they are free on your computer), by default com0com is bridging these 2 ports. Other configurations are possible, depending of your needs.
Read the "Sharing COM port" in this article for more infos about the use of com0com..
If everything is OK, in the bottom right corner of Perseus software, you should see VCom ON. The Perseus receiver is now ready to communicate with a CAT software.
Now, if we need to communicate with Perseus, we will use COM11.
For example, as soon as CW-Skimmer is launched, it opens a Omni-Rig session that is not visible, running as a task.
If we need to setup CW-Skimmer to be able to talk to the Perseus. Launch Omni-Rig and set at least RIG1 as follow. Only the Port setting is important, the others are not taken in account.
BEWARE that in RIG2, you don't set a COM port that maybe used by any other software. I learned it the hard way !
Useful links :
https://www.df8ry.de/htmlen/csvub/%F0%9F%93%BBperseus.htm
https://code.google.com/archive/p/powersdr-iq/downloads