DXTelnet with CT
Last modified on 01 Dec 2002

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Fabrizio IK4VYX
gdiantonio@racine.ra.it

DXTelnet latest version can be downloaded from:

    http://www.qsl.net/wd4ngb/telnet.htm

There are 4 different ways to link DXTelnet to CT This link can bring a lot of new power to CT.

  1. DXTelnet running on a Windows PC, CT running on a DOS PC the two PCs linked via null modem cable. This solution requires 1 free serial port on each PC This solution is recommended for best performance of CT.
  2. DXTelnet running on a Windows PC, CT running in a DOS shell on the same PC. The two applications linked via null modem cable. This solution requires 2 free serial ports on the same PC
  3. DXTelnet running on a Windows PC, CT running in a DOS shell, on the same PC. The two applications linked via COM port sharing. This solution requires only 1 free serial port and a special dummy connector to be plugged in the shared port. Drawbacks: This method will not work under Win NT or Win 2000. This method is one way (DXTelnet > CT)
  4. DXTelnet running on a Windows PC, CT running on a DOS PC the two PCs linked via Ethernet link. This solution requires no serial ports. DXTelnet generates UDP (User datagram protocol) TCP/IP packets captured by K1TTT's NETTSR utility, running together with CT on the second PC.

  1. Let's suppose that: PC1 is the DXTelnet PC. It has one free COM port, for example COM2 PC2 is the CT PC. It has one free COM port, for example COM1

The null modem cable must be plugged from PC1 (COM2) to PC2 (COM1) Then we suppose that: you configured CT to use a TNC on COM1 with 9600,N,8,1 serial data settings.

Start DXTelnet, press ESC to hide the site list. Now click the upper "Configuration" menu then the "Aux COM" menu item.

  • Check the bottom "Enable COM Port" check box (Mark it).
  • COM port number -------> 2 (this is for what we supposed for example)
  • COM port settings -----> 9600,N,8,1 (this is for what we supposed for example)
  • Command escape string --> +++
  • Use Log port -----------> UNCHECKED (Not enabled)
  • Input Only -------------> UNCHECKED
  • Hardware Handshake -----> UNCHECKED
  • Xon/Xoff Handshake -----> UNCHECKED
  • Enable COM Port -------> CHECKED (Marked)

Now click the "Save" button. Quit and restart DXTelnet connecting to any site. If all is correct, you should receive the internet traffic into CT, that is: DXTelnet behaves as a virtual Internet TNC for CT. Also, what you type from CT goes to the Internet session.

  1. See Item #1 The only difference is: COM1 and COM2 supposed free above, are on the same PC. CT runs in a DOS shell so its performance may be reduced.

  2. If you have just one free serial port, it's still possible to get the spots from DXTelnet into CT, by sharing that port with a special, original method.

First you need a dummy connector with some bridged pins, this connector to be plugged into the shared port (no TNC can be connected while doing this). The bridged pins are:

  • 2-3, 4-6-8 for DB9 connectors
  • 2-3, 5-6-20 for DB25 connectors

Plug the dummy connector into the shared port. In this case a TSR program, named DXT2LOG.EXE is also required. The TSR is included in the DXTelnet package, into the C:\DXTELNET folder.

The TSR must be started immediately before CT, from a DOS shell under Win. Before starting the TSR, edit the DXT2LOG.INI file to adjust the parameters to your situation; each parameter in that file is explained and commented out. The first parameter is the port Hex address; the standard addresses are summarized in a comment line, for each standard port; the second parameter is the exchange file path; the exchange file is the one created by DXTelnet and upgraded with the received spots its name is fixed to "spots.txt" while the path must be a valid entry (any existing directory) and must match with the path declared in DXTelnet link configuration (see below);.

Example: if you have set the C:\MYLOG\ directory in the link section of DXTelnet, you will have to set the second parameter in DXT2LOG.INI to the same value: C:\MYLOG\ The last parameter is the poll interval in tick units: there are 18 ticks in each second. Example: to poll every 2 seconds set it to 36. Right after the TSR, you will have to start CT, from the SAME DOS shell.

Step By Step procedure. Plug the above described dummy connector into a free serial port, that we suppose to be COM1. Create a new folder called C:\MYLOG\

Now start DXTelnet, choose "Configuration", "Links" checkmark the "Enable Link" box. Set the "DXHUNTER or external log path" to C:\MYLOG\ save, quit and restart DXTelnet. Edit the DXT2LOG.INI text file and set the COM port address to the proper value In our example, the HEX address of COM1 is &H3F8 Set the exchange file path to C:\MYLOG\

Start a DOS window, then the DXT2LOG.EXE TSR and finally CT, from the same DOS window where you started the TSR; after executing, the TSR terminates and stays resident, thus allowing to start other programs at the same DOS command prompt; Configure CT to interface to a TNC on COM1. Keep CT running on FOREGROUND. If all is OK, the DX spots received by DXTelnet will appear into CT's terminal window; the only requirement is about 85 Kb of free conventional RAM: the amount of memory used by the DXT2LOG TSR.

Note: The DXT2LOG TSR which came with previous versions of DXTelnet had a bug. Latest DXTelnet version (4.91) has fixed it. DXTelnet latest version can be downloaded from: http://www.qsl.net/wd4ngb/telnet.htm

  1. The utility which generates the UDP frames is udpsend contained into C:\DXTELNET\UDPSEND
    A .TXT file named UDPSEND.TXT explains its usage in details.

All the above described methods (except method 4) will work not only with CT but also with any other DOS based application supporting a TNC. Method 3 changes for Windows based applications. See DXTelnet online help for details.


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