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ELE C R A F T KR C 2
BA N D D E C O D E R a n d C O N T R O L L E R
Accessibility Upgrade and Operating Instructions
Revision A, March 4, 2004. Copyright © 2004, Elecraft; All Rights Reserved
Introduction
The KRC2 Accessibility Upgrade adds the capability of Morse code announcement of K2
functions. Along with this function, the KRC2 is configured to control K2 functions using KRC2
button combinations.
The upgrade kit adds two parts to the KRC2 circuit board, and replaces the KRC2’s
microcontroller.
If your KRC2 is not yet assembled, make the following changes to the Owner’s manual:
On page 13 of the KRC2 Assembly and operations Manual, between the first and second steps,
insert the two instructions from page 2 of these instructions for installing R5 and SP1. Use the test
procedures from these instructions for testing and initial power-up of the KRC2.
Firmware Requirements
The KRC2 Accessibility Configuration will work with any K2 or K2/100 transceiver with K2
main microcontroller firmware revision 2.01 or later and either the KIO2 or KPA100 options. In
order to use the KDSP2 support functions, the K2 is required to use firmware revision 2.04 or
later.
Upgrade Kit Parts List
The table below lists all parts in the kit. Typical markings on capacitors, as well as resistor
and RF choke color codes, are shown in parentheses.
Ref.
Description
Part No.
Qty
R5
Trimmer Potentiometer, 5K (“502”)
E520009
1
SP1
Miniature Piezo Speaker
E980064
1U1IC, programmed microcontroller, PIC16F877A-I/P
E610019
1
MISC
KRC2 Accessibility Upgrade Instructions
E740071
1
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Assembly
Disconnect all cables, including power sources, from the KRC2. Remove the two Philips
screws from the bottom cover and remove the bottom cover. CAUTION: Touch an unpainted,
grounded metal surface frequently while handling PC boards and ICs.
Remove the two flat-head Philips screws holding the “2D” fastener at the end of the case
opposite the DB9 connectors, and remove the “2D” fastener.
Remove the Philips screw and washer that holds the PCB to the case. This screw is located
near the end of the PC board opposite the DB9 connectors.
Remove the four male-female hex standoffs that hold the DB9 connectors to the case.
Remove the PCB assembly from the case.
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The side of the board with IC U1 is the bottom; the opposite side is the top.
Install the 5K trimmer potentiometer, R5, on the bottom side of the PCB. After soldering the
three leads, adjust the pot to its full clockwise position. R5 is used for setting the volume of the
CW tones from the speaker.
Install the piezo speaker, SP1, on the top side of the PCB. The speaker mounting posts must
be mounted flush against the PCB to give proper clearance for the case bottom.
Carefully remove the old microprocessor, U1 using a small screwdriver to pry it gently out of
its socket at both ends. Store U1 in a safe place as a backup.
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Before handling U1, touch an unpainted, grounded metal surface.
Carefully straighten the pins on the microcontroller, U1 (PIC16F877A). The two rows of pins
must be parallel to each other, with no pins bent. See Figure 4 of the KRC2 Assembly and
Operations Manual.
Orient the notched or dimpled end of the IC with the notched end of its component outline
on the PCB, then press the microcontroller into its socket
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Case Assembly
Re-install the PCB into the case top following the procedure on page 14 of the KRC2
Assembly and Operations Manual. Use the hardware you previously removed when
disassembling the KRC2.
KRC2 Test Procedure
The KRC2 should be powered from its DC barrel jack using a +12 volt supply for its initial
power-up. No other connections should be made to the unit.
Connect the power source to the unit. After a short delay while the KRC2 performs
diagnostics, the front-panel LED should turn on to its dim level. If this does not happen, turn
power off to the unit and refer to the troubleshooting section.
Driver Relay Test: You will need a DC voltmeter for this procedure. Connect the BLACK lead
(common) to the ground jumper located near J1 on the KRC2. The RED lead should be used to
measure the voltage on each terminal of J6, J7, J8 and J9. Be sure to check the voltage at the side
connector of each terminal. The initial readings should be 0 volts on each terminal.
The Tap/Hold Rule: Each of the pushbutton switches on the top of the KRC2 has two functions,
one activated by a TAP (short press) and the other activated by a HOLD (long press, about 1/2
second). To highlight this in the text, we use two different typographical styles to identify
switches: T AP and H OLD . Shift functions require a key to be held, then a second key to be
pressed. These are indicated by HOL D TA P .
Holding
F3
should cause the KRC2 to announce a Morse ‘I’ from the speaker, and brighten
the LED. Now tap
F1
to change the driven band terminal. The KRC2 should emit a CW ‘D’. Only
the 60m source terminal should indicate 12 volts. The LED should be alternating between dim and
bright.
Holding F3 and tapping
F1
again should cause the 10m source terminal to indicate 12 volts,
and all others to remain off.
Continue this procedure, Holding F3 and tapping
F1
until all HF source terminals have been
checked.
This completes checkout of the KRC2. Continue to the Final Assembly section on page 16 of the
KRC2 Assembly and Operations Manual.
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KRC2 Accessibility Configuration Operation
The KRC2 with the Accessibility Configuration gives the K2 a Morse code voice to announce its
status and operational characteristics. The KRC2 may be set up to automatically announce changes
in the K2’s settings, including the announcement of the operating frequency whenever it changes.
The user may control the amount of chatter generated by the KRC2 by setting it to one of four
‘verbosity’ levels. The lowest level requires the user to press the KRC2’s keys in order to
announce K2 information, while the highest sends out Morse text whenever almost any parameter
changes on the K2, including the frequency. Additional button combinations allow the user to
control K2 operations and also those of the KRC2 itself.
Accessibility Configuration Key Behavior
There are four buttons in a row on the top of the KRC2, labeled, from left to right, F1, F2, F3 and
F4. In the accessibility configuration, the F1-F4 buttons have the following TAP, HOL D and
HOL D TA P (shift) functions:
F 1 Announce the kilohertz portion of the current K2 frequency.
F 2 Announce the K2 LCD display text.
F 3 Announce the K2 S-Meter level.
F 4 Place K2 in direct frequency entry mode.
F 1 Holding this button will cause a Morse ‘I’ to be announced and the KRC2 to enter
shift-1 condition. Tapping a button will then cause one of the functions listed below
to be performed.
F 1 Announce the megahertz portion of the current K2 frequency.
F 2 Toggle Fine RIT mode.
F 3 Announce RIT status.
F 4 Announce XIT status.
Holding F 1 instead of tapping a key will again announce a Morse ‘I’, but will cancel
the shift-1 condition.
F 2 Holding this button will cause a Morse ‘I’ to be announced and the KRC2 to enter
shift-2 condition. Tapping a button will then cause one of the functions listed below
to be performed.
F 1 Announce AGC status.
F 2 Toggle RxAnt on/off.
F 3 Toggle KDSP2 Noise Reduction on/off.
F 4 Toggle KDSP2 noise Threshold on/off (USB/LSB modes only).
Holding F 2 instead of tapping a key will again announce a Morse ‘I’, but will cancel
the shift-2 condition.
The KDSP2 control functions require the K2 to have firmware version 2.04 or higher and the
KDSP2 to have control firmware version 3.10 or higher.
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F 3 Holding this button will cause a Morse ‘I’ to be announced and the KRC2 to enter
shift-3 condition. Tapping a button will then cause one of the functions listed below
to be performed.
F 1 Decrease KRC2 selected antenna terminal.
F 2 Increase KRC2 selected antenna terminal.
F 3 Announce current KRC2 antenna selection.
F 4 Announce KRC2 firmware version.
Holding F 3 instead of tapping a key will again announce a Morse ‘I’, but will cancel
the shift-3 condition.
F 4 Holding this button will cause a Morse ‘I’ to be announced and the KRC2 to enter
shift-4 condition. Tapping a button will then cause one of the functions listed below
to be performed.
F 1 Decrease KRC2 CW announcement speed by about 3 wpm.
F 2 Increase KRC2 CW announcement speed by about 3 wpm.
F 3 Increase CW tone frequency (500Hz, 600 Hz, 750 Hz, 1000 Hz).
F 4 Increase Announcement verbosity level.
Holding F 4 instead of tapping a key will again announce a Morse ‘I’, but will cancel
the shift-4 condition.
The F 3 F 1 and F 3 F 2 functions change the output terminal for the relay drivers up or down in
single band increments. When the highest band is selected, the next F 3 F 2 sequence will cause
the drivers to go to the 160m setting. Conversely, when the lowest band is selected, the next usage
of the F 3 F 2 function causes the drivers to go to the highest band. The band map follows the
values indicated in Table 5 of the KRC2 Assembly and Operations Manual, which places the 60m
band above the 10m band. Thus the sequence will be:
…12m<->10m<->60m<->160m<->80m<->40m… While the selected driver is different from the
current band indicated by the transceiver, the green LED will flash between dim and bright states.
The XVT drivers do not participate in the sequence, and when the transceiver selects a transverter
these buttons will not change the driver selection.
KRC2 Accessibility Configuration Jumper Settings
The KRC2’s W1-W8 jumpers should be set for K2 operation. Thus W1, W2 and W3 should be
removed in order to allow the K2’s AuxBus to indicate band settings to the KRC2. These jumpers
may also be set for Serial Port Mode, which disables AuxBus processing in the KRC2. This
setting may be preferred since AuxBus processing tends to disturb the timing of the KRC2’s
Morse code characters. With this setting, the KRC2 will automatically set the antenna selector
outputs based on serial port frequency information.
The W6 jumper should also be installed for normal use to enable the K2 to automatically report
changes. If the K2/KRC2 is used with a computer, you may want to remove this jumper since the
automatic status messages may interfere with the operation of software on the computer.
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Determination of the proper setting of this jumper when used with third-party software is left to
the user to determine.
The following chart summarizes the functions for each key.
ConditionF1F2F3F4
Tap
Announce KHz of
frequency
Announce LCD
text
Announce S-
Meter Value
Set K2 for Direct
Frequency Entry
Hold
Set shift-1
Set shift-2
Set shift-3
Set shift-4
Shift-1
Announce MHz
of Frequency
Toggle Fine RIT
Announce RIT
Status
Announce XIT
Status
Shift-2
Cycle AGC
Switch Rx Ant
KDSP2 NR
On/Off
KDSP2 NT
On/Off
Shift-3
Decrement KRC2
Antenna Selection
Increment KRC2
Antenna
Selection
Announce KRC2
Antenna
Selection
Announce KRC2
Version
Shift-4
Decrease Morse
Announce Speed
Increase Morse
Announce Speed
Increment Morse
Tone Frequency
Increase
Verbosity Level
KRC2 Accessibility Configuration Event Operations
The KRC2 operates by listening for information from the K2 over the serial port or from the keys,
then performing some operation. The incoming information creates an event, which causes an
operation to be executed. There are four levels of event detection that may be set by the user. In
the accessibility configuration, these are used to set the amount of information announced by the
KRC2. Thus at level 1, only information requested by the KRC2 is announced. At level 2, this
information is extended to include button and knob changes from the KRC2, but does not include
frequency QSY changes within a single band. The third and fourth levels add this information,
with minimal identification information added at level 3, and full identifiers used at level 4. The
listing below shows, for each level, the events that the accessibility configuration recognizes and
the action taken.
Status information for on/off parameters is announced with an ‘F’ for Off, and an ‘N’ for On.
Normal Morse numeric characters are used in values, except for the 0, which is shortened to an
extra long ‘dah’. The letter ‘R’ is replaces a decimal point or period.
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Level Event Operation
All Hold F1 Set Shift-1, Announce 'I'
All Hold F2 Set Shift-2, Announce 'I'
All Hold F3 Set Shift-3, Announce 'I'
All Hold F3 Set Shift-4, Announce 'I'
All Tap F1 Announce KHz portion of frequency
All Tap F2 Get and Announce LCD Text
All Tap F3 Get and Announce S-meter value
All Tap F4 Put K2 in direct Freq Entry mode, Announce 'F'
All Hold F1 & Tap F1 Announce MHz portion of frequency
All Hold F1 & Tap F2 Toggle K2 Fine RIT, Announce 'E'
All Hold F1 & Tap F3 Announce RIT status. If on, announce RIT offset
All Hold F1 & Tap F4 Announce XIT status. If on, announce XIT offset
All Hold F2 & Tap F1 Increment AGC in Off, fast, slow cycle - note fast indicated by '2',
slow indicated by '4'
All Hold F2 & Tap F2 Toggle K2 RxAnt, announce 'E'
All Hold F2 & Tap F3 Toggle KDSP2 NR, announce 'E'
All Hold F2 & Tap F4 Toggle KDSP2 NT, announce 'E'
All Hold F3 & Tap F1 Decrement KRC2 band selection, announce 'D'
All Hold F3 & Tap F2 Increment KRC2 band selection, announce 'U'
All Hold F3 & Tap F3 Announce KRC2 band selection
All Hold F3 & Tap F4 Announce KRC2 firmware version
All Hold F4 & Tap F1 Decrease KRC2 Morse speed, announce 'S'
All Hold F4 & Tap F2 Increase KRC2 Morse speed, announce 'S'
All Hold F4 & Tap F3 Increment KRC2 Morse tone frequency, announce 'T'
All Hold F4 & Tap F4 Increment KRC2 verbosity level, announce level
2 K2 Keyer Speed change Announce Keyer Speed
2 K2 Tx Power Change Announce 'P', Tx Power
2 K2 Band Change Announce Rx VFO, Band MHz, 'M'
2 K2 Mode Change Announce Mode
2 K2 AGC Change Announce 'G', AGC setting
2 KAT Antenna Change Announce 'AN', KAT antenna selection
2 K2 Attenuator Change Announce 'AT', Attenuator status
2 K2 AFIL Change Announce 'A', AFIL setting
2 K2 XFIL Filter Change Announce 'F', XFIL setting
2 K2 Noise Blanker Change Announce 'NB', Noise Blanker status
2 K2 NB Level Change Announce 'NT', NB Level setting
2 K2 Rx Preamp Change Announce 'PR', Preamp status
2 K2 RIT Change Announce 'R', RIT status
2 K2 XIT Change Announce 'X', XIT status
2 K2 Rx VFO Change Announce 'R', VFO identifier
2 K2 Tx VFO Change Announce 'T', VFO identifier
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Level Event Operation
3 K2 Keyer Speed change Announce Keyer Speed
3 K2 Tx Power Change Announce 'P', Tx Power
3 K2 Band Change Announce Rx VFO, Band MHz, 'M'
3 K2 Mode Change Announce Mode (one character only)
3 K2 AGC Change Announce 'G', AGC setting
3 KAT Antenna Change Announce 'AN', KAT antenna selection
3 K2 Attenuator Change Announce 'AT', Attenuator status
3 K2 AFIL Change Announce 'A', AFIL setting
3 K2 XFIL Filter Change Announce 'F', XFIL setting
3 K2 Noise Blanker Change Announce 'NB', Noise Blanker status
3 K2 NB Level Change Announce 'NT', NB Level setting
3 K2 Rx Preamp Change Announce 'PR', Preamp status
3 K2 RIT Change Announce 'R', RIT status
3 K2 XIT Change Announce 'X', XIT status
3 K2 RIT/XIT Offset Change Announce 'OF', Offset value
3 K2 Rx VFO Change Announce 'R', VFO identifier
3 K2 Tx VFO Change Announce 'T', VFO identifier
3 K2 VFO A QSY Announce 'A', VFOA KHz portion of frequency
3 K2 VFO B QSY Announce 'B', VFOA KHz portion of frequency
3 RxAnt Change Announce 'RX', RxAnt status
4 K2 Keyer Speed change Announce Keyer Speed
4 K2 Tx Power Change Announce 'P', Tx Power
4 K2 Band Change Announce Rx VFO, Band MHz, 'M'
4 K2 Mode Change Announce Mode (long format)
4 K2 AGC Change Announce 'G', AGC setting
4 KAT Antenna Change Announce 'AN', KAT antenna selection
4 K2 Attenuator Change Announce 'AT', Attenuator status
4 K2 AFIL Change Announce 'A', AFIL setting
4 K2 XFIL Filter Change Announce 'F', XFIL setting
4 K2 Noise Blanker Change Announce 'NB', Noise Blanker status
4 K2 NB Level Change Announce 'NT', NB Level setting
4 K2 Rx Preamp Change Announce 'PR', Preamp status
4 K2 RIT Change Announce 'R', RIT status
4 K2 XIT Change Announce 'X', XIT status
4 K2 RIT/XIT Offset Change Announce 'OF', Offset value
4 K2 Rx VFO Change Announce 'R', VFO identifier
4 K2 Tx VFO Change Announce 'T', VFO identifier
4 K2 VFO A QSY Announce 'A', VFOA KHz portion of frequency, 'K'
4 K2 VFO B QSY Announce 'B', VFOA KHz portion of frequency, 'K'
4 RxAnt Change Announce 'RX', RxAnt status
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