Reboot procedure to 'solve' the CW-timing issue

WØYVA

I want to 'reboot' my 6400M to temporarily 'fix' the CW timing issue (known). What is the procedure? In any case I don't want to lose all my settings and I don't want to return to factory defaults. Thanks!

KD0RC

Rebooting is just a matter of shutting it down, wait (2 minutes, I think...) then remove power. Wait a couple of minutes to be sure everything has truly shut down, then apply power and start it up.

The more robust thing to do is a factory reset. First you go to Profile Manager and export your profiles. From section 38 of the FLEX-6400M and FLEX-6600M User Guide v3.x manual:

FLEX-6400M / FLEX-6600M Reset Procedure

With the radio powered off, press and hold down the Power button until the Power LED blinks white, then release the Power button. Allow the radio to continue booting normally.

Once it is booted, re-import your profiles and you will be back where you were, but (hopefully) without the issue.

W7NGA

I press the big Green button, release and wait ... now, within the darkness, I press again.

WØYVA

Len, that did it, thanks. I'm sure I read that somewhere (HI) ... turn off/remove power for 2-3 min/restore power/turn on. This 'solves' the CW timing issue - we'll see for how long. Hope Flex fixes the issue soon.

73, Bob, WØYVA

Tim K9WX

Bob, what is the CW timing issue you refer to? Which version of SSDR are you using?

Tim K9WX

KD0RC

Excellent, I am glad that worked!

WØYVA

Tim, thanks for your response but I have now found out this CW "issue" is a known problem which can be temporarily solved by a reboot (turn off; remove power; etc). It appears Flex is working the issue. 73

W7NGA

As I previously mentioned, I see no need to do anything other than power off and power on again. This method has always fixed the issue and required no waiting or disabling power. This issue has a long history so I am not as confident that a fix is forthcoming. Let's hope so.

WØYVA

Thank you! I did power off AND remove power. Next time (and I'm sure there will be one) I'll do what you suggested and ONLY power off and on. That sure will be handier. HI. 73, Bob

skellam

As I only use the Flex 6400 for CW, it's frustrating to have this problem without any fix coming out or any fix on the horizon. I'm buying a winkeyer to help solve the problem, but I shouldn't have to.I don't to have to power cycle to fix a problem with the core functioning of the radio.

W7NGA

I'm buying a winkeyer to help solve the problem

This will not solve the problem. You will simply have to wait for Flex to identify and fix the problem or routinely reboot your 6400.

WØYVA

This issue should be at the top of the Flex list of items to 'fix!' It's a big deal when a transceiver can't be used on one of our major modes! Flex should also tell us if this timing issue is being actively worked. "We're working on it" may not be the same as it's getting current attention.

Steve W6SDM

I have been using mostly FT8 for the last few weeks as I have been experimenting with some software. So, I have been away from CW for a while and was unaware of the timing issue. Today, I went to make a CW QSO and my keying using my Begali paddle seemed like I was six beers into a twelve-pack. I went to CWX and used the buttons and had the same result. It wasn't until I got here that I realized it was a known issue and rebooted the rig to fix it.

This reminds me of the early Flex3000/PowerSDR days when there were all sorts of issues with CW. They got it fixed then and I am sure they will now.

Steve, W6SDM

Pat W5VY

I'm running 3.3.33 on my Flex 6700 and the CW timing/corruption defect is still with us. Testing this morning, I connected a LogiKit CMOS-4 Keyer to front panel Key jack and turned OFF Iambic keying. CW timing is fine using the keyer output . That seems to point to the basic keyer logic as the culprit. CW keyer functionality has been implemented with vacuum tubes (Hallicrafters TO Keyer), early RTL logic gates and specialty chips like the Curtis Keyer. Today, a simple PIC and a handful of parts will provide a full featured keyer. Diagnosing the issue as to what quirk triggers corruption of the CW keyer timing in FLEX 6XXX radios after they have been left on for 48 hours doesn't seem like it would be a huge challenge? Recruit some kid from a local Maker group to take a look at it.

Mike-VA3MW

@Pat W5VY

If you know any maker kids who do FPGA coding, they should send us a CV.

Mike

WØYVA

Sad ... as W5VY points out - this should be easy! It bothers me I have to use an external keyer (CMOS-4) to operate CW with my multi-thousand dollar xcvr! Bob, WØYVA

Geoff AB6BT

Why do you believe it should be easy?

If it was "easy" it would have been done by now.

Don't ya think???

Pat W5VY

@Mike-VA3MW
I was being a little flippant with that remark. In my shack I have the Signature F6700, PGXL, TGXL, Maestro (and a F1500). I love the performance of the combination. It just pains me that the F6700 can't reliably send properly formed CW characters. It's been years since I did any programming. Is the logic of reading CW paddle status periodically and generating the CW dot and dashes really done in FPGA software? I would think basic logic would generate the CW elements and the resultant CW stream would be an input to the FPGA signal generation process instead. Maybe SSDR is all just one big FPGA routine. I haven't put a scope on the output to make detailed measurements but it "sounds like" something is glitching the start/end of "dots". In a basic keyer the paddle status is read and if the dot paddle is closed that status is queued up to wait on the trigger from the clock to start the dot. The logic in the F6XXX/SSDR works fine for a couple of days then something starts interfering with clocking the dots (maybe dots and dashes) out. I believe this issue predates the development of the Winkey emulation feature so it probably isn't to blame. A strategically placed debug or two might shed some light on what is causing the change after two days of up time?