|
 CTR-Bridge allows
up to five
CTR programs and other compatible programs to
simultaneously control your radio using your TCP/IP or Wi-Fi network.
CTR-Bridge creates a data bridge where each program connected to the
bridge can send and receive data to the COM port. The programs are unaware that
other programs are using the same port. Changes made to the radio settings
(tuning, mode, etc) appear as user changes to each program.
CTR-Bridge is open to other programs for registered
users. Only
CTR programs can connect to unregistered versions. To
use this port server other programs must be able to connect to a generic port
server. No user names or passwords are required. Security is provided by the
need for the connecting program to understand radio protocol of the connected
radio.
Since Microsoft
ActiveSync provides TCP/IP connectivity automatically for all Pocket PC's, if you already control your radio with a PC program, you're ready to
try controlling your radio from both your Pocket PC and PC across your network!
To use this feature, simply
download and install
CTR-Bridge on your PC. Once installed,
run the program and set the Com Port parameters. Click the Bridge
checkbox then set the Connection Status to
Listen. Once in Listen mode you can minimize the
CTR-Bridge on your PC.
 To connect to
CTR-Bridge simply set the IP address on your program to the
Host IP Adrs and the IP Port to the Host IP Port shown on
CTR-Bridge.
Once a connection is established the Rmt IP Adrs will shown the address
of the connecting site. The number in the label (1 in this example) shows the
number of connections made to the bridge. To view all addresses connected, click
the down arrow on the list box.
Once all remote connections are disconnected the bridge goes back to Listen
mode. You can force all connections off-line by selecting Off-line in the
Connection Status list box.
Selecting RTS or DTR will force these pins active on the COM port
while on-line.
Selecting Control RTS as PTT allows you to use the Hardware PTT
option in the Comm...PTT Options menu in
CTR-Remote and CTR-PC. When you click the PTT
button in the program RTS will be forced active on the COM port
selected in CTR-Bridge and the checkbox will turn
red. There is a watchdog timer on this feature that will automatically unkey the
radio should you lose the network connection.
NOTE: The PTT watchdog timer does not work with the
Software PTT.
Selecting Com Port active in Listen Mode allows you to keep the COM port
active while the bridge is in Listen mode. The main purpose for this
feature is to keep the Icom PCR1000 receiver enable after the connection is
disconnected.
Connecting
 On your CTR
program, set the TCP/IP Host Address
(under the
Comm...Com Port/Host Adrs menu) to the Host Address displayed in
CTR-Bridge.
Set the TCP/IP Host Port (under the Comm...Baud/Host Port menu)
to the Host IP Port displayed in CTR-Bridge then click the On-Line
checkbox in CTR-Remote or
CTR-Rcvr, or the On-Line button in CTR-PC or CTR-PCRcvr.
NOTE: You can set the Host IP Port number to any number above 1024 in
case port 50000 is in use on your PC. They just have to match in both programs.
You can enter host names instead of IP addresses. Click on the keyboard icon
to enable the keyboard to enter alpha characters.
If
the connection is successful, CTR-Bridge will automatically go to On-line
mode and the On-line checkbox or button in the program will turn red.
Once on-line, the IP address of the remote PC/PPC connecting to the server will
be displayed.
Icom PCR1000 Users
If you are planning to use CTR-Bridge with
CTR-Rcvr or
CTR-PCRcvr and you Icom PCR1000
receiver, please note the following:
- CTR-Bridge will not work with any other
PCR1000 program. This is because PC based
programs automatically ramp up the baud rate from 9600 to 38.4 kbaud when
connecting. The command to ramp up will reset the radio's baud rate but not
CTR-Bridge and your program will fail to connect.
- Set the serial port on CTR-Bridge to 9600 baud, 8 bits, no parity, 2 stop
bits
- To keep your PCR1000 running after you disconnect, check the Com Port active in Listen Mode checkbox. This
will keep RTS active so the radio doesn't automatically turn off when you go
off-line with the control program.
|
