FlexControl - can you use 2 controls at the same time?

Al_NN4ZZ

FlexControl - can you use 2 controls at the same time? For example: can one knob be controlled by SmartSDR for RIT and one be controlled by DDUtil for the slice frequency? Anyone tried this? Regards, Al / NN4ZZ

Stu Phillips - K6TU

Al, This should work without a problem. I don't know the algorithm by which SSDR scans for a FlexControl so you would have to experiment with which FlexControl to assign to DDUtil. The FlexControl looks like a serial com port to Windows and so there is no restriction on two of them coexisting. Stu K6TU

Ken - NM9P

Interesting idea. I never would have thought of that. On the other hand... I wish someone would design an interface via the API that would let me program my Hercules DJ2 board for various functions. Now that would be really slick...

Al_NN4ZZ

Stu, Thanks for the info. Regards, Al / NN4ZZ

Greg

Yes...I have been doing this since day one. I have one FlexControl connected to the computer running ssdr and the other connected to the stand alone computer running DDUtil. Works great. 73 Greg

Al_NN4ZZ

Greg, Thanks for info, good to hear they work together without conflict. My idea is to connect both to the same computer. One assigned to ssdr and the other to ddutil. It sounds like that should work also per Stu. Will have to see how the port assignments shake out and whether it matters on the order that the programs (ssdr and ddutil) are started. Have you ever tried to run them both on one computer? Regards, Al / NN4ZZ

Greg

Sorry Al but I have only tried it using different computers since I run DDUtil on the touch computer for ease of use of the macro buttons.

Tim - W4TME

The capability to access multiple FlexControls by a single instance of SmartSDR does not exist in the software.

Stu Phillips - K6TU

True - but see above... One FlexControl connected to SSDR, the other to DDUtil... Stu K6TU

Greg

Yes that but there are ways to get around it using edition.

Al_NN4ZZ

My second FlexControl arrives tomorrow and I''ll test it out. One on Ddutil One on Smartsdr. Regards, Al / NN4ZZ

Greg

**** auto correct Ddutil

Al_NN4ZZ

UPDATE. The new FlexControl knob arrived today. I plugged it in and it works fine, I didn't have to do anything except "enable" Flex Control in the 6700. This is on the GENERAL tab of the RADIO SETTINGS screen. The original knob is on com 16 and selected by DDUtil. The 6700 found the new one that was available on com 17. With the SmartSDR knob it's easy to tell when RIT or XIT is engaged (the mode / toggle leds come on). See picture below. The disadvantage of using 1 knob controlled by SmartSDR (with the current software) is you could bump the slice frequency when toggling between tuning and RIT / XIT. You also don't have all of the macros and other features that DDUtil provides like variable tuning rate. Two knobs is probably overkill and not for everyone. Eventually I expect SmartSDR will implement more capability for the FlexControl knob and I may not need/want 2 of them. On the other hand it seems to be working nicely to have 2 controls. And there are other ways to use 2 knobs, you could tune slice A with one and B with the other, etc. Regards, Al / NN4ZZ The knob on the right is controlled by SmartSDR and currently RIT is enabled. You can tell by the MODE led being on. And if you can see the RIT button in BLUE.