Two separate digirig with two separate issues Audio and PTT

SM0TGY · February 23, 2024, 10:07am

As I wrote in a separate thread

I have some issues.

I have two digirigs, one for 12V RS232 and one for 5v TTL, i will call them 5v and 12v going forward.

Trying to get connected between my Windows 10 machine and a Yaesu FT-8100R, i have two separate issues.
PTT TX switching and audio in to the computer

I was worried that my switching back and forth between the two digirig had the computer confused as to the identities, so I have uninstalled both and reinstalled, with numerous computer reboots inbetween.
They now have separate com ports and audio device names, for a while they had separate comports but the same audio device name, this triggered my uninstalling and reinstalling.

I use WSJT-X for main troubleshooting as suggested in a youtube video. It gives consistent results. Some of my problems were related to Direwolf and PinPoint APRS, but with WSJT-X I have the least amount of problems, but not 100% OK.

With 12vdigirig I have audio behaving as expected in WSJT-X. I have a green bar at the bottom left corner with audio input level. I can move that bar higher and lower by adjusting the windows sound settings. With 5v digirig I do not have the green bar. The waterfall looks “empty” and if I adjust the sound settings in windows, I get a green bar momentarily, which goes back to 0dB as soon as I stop manipulating it.

In this screenshot you see the difference between 12v top and bottom and 5v in the middle. 12v is running at the time of the screenshot and the green dB bar is seen:

When I disconnect the 5v digirig from one usb cable and connects it to another usb cable in the computer, where digirig12v was previously connected, the audio devices change name to 12v digirig. The bahaviour remains “flawed” as 5v digirig with 5v digirig names. This is getting very confusing.
COM port follows the device, not the usb cable, as expected.

PTT is working in WSJT-X for 5v digirig but not for 12v digirig.

I seem to be having issues with hardware, cable and/or digirig(s). Please help in directing me for further troubleshooting.

Thanks

Tobias

webmonkey · February 24, 2024, 3:40pm

i have a pc with 3 audio/cat ‘devices’ plugged in all the time.

so there are 3 different ‘names’ for audio and 3 different comports

in wsjt-x i must change each time i want to use a different interface.
that’s quickly achieved by using different ‘configurations’ in wsjt-x
(clone a config and rename it identifying each ‘sound card and comport pair’

NEXT
each soundcard will have a separate entry in sound control panel.
each soundcard must have their audio levels setup.

i’m sorry if i’ve suggested things you already know about.

my ‘home qth’ pc allows wsjt-x to switch between an icom ic-736 and an ic-821h and a knock off uSDX2plus. each radio with their own ‘configuration’ in wsjt-x

good luck
kb0wlf

K0TX · February 24, 2024, 5:26pm

Tobias,
Yes, with multiple interfaces connected it can get confusing. Something working right with one unit while not working with the other can be just be the matter of software configuration referring to one device and not finding the same device when interfaces are swapped around.

If you need help sorting this out let’s start with the screenshots of the device manager showing COM ports and control panel showing playback and recording devices while both interfaces connected at the same time.

If you plan on swapping things around or using interfaces concurrently, you’ll probably have better results if you connect same interfaces to the same USB ports every time. Windows will likely be able to distinguish between the COM ports, but the audio codecs* will appear the same.

(*) In previous year Digirig transitioned from end-of-life CM108AH to current CM108B which identify to the system with different descriptors: “USB PnP Sound Device” and “USB audio device” respectively. There was also a slight adjustment in the input sensitivity.

(**) Not like it matters in this case, but TTL level used in Digirig is 3.3V

SM0TGY · February 26, 2024, 2:12pm

I believe one of the two DigiRigs (the one I have called 5V but should call 33V) has a faulty radio-Computer circuit

I have tried both DigiRigs, one at a time on a fresh installed windows on a different computer. I can get both to work OK with regards to PTT keying, one is on COM3 and one on COM4

I can get audio into wsjt-x and also to the computer speakers using DigiRig12V, but DigiRig 33 is silent.

The name I defined for DigiRig12V stays when I swap it out for Digirig 33, even though the COM port number change. Is this significant?

Same USB-port and same USB cable is used for both Digirigs

Thanks

Tobias

K0TX · February 27, 2024, 1:21am

Yes, that sounds normal. Computer can distinguish the serial port chips on different Digirigs, but the audio codec looks the same.

After swapping out the devices try toggling the “listen” checkbox by doing uncheck, apply, check apply in the recording device properties. Sometimes the setting needs to be refreshed when device is plugged into USB.

PM me for the RMA if the issue with the audio input is confirmed.