Elecraft KXPA100 User Manual
Elecraft KXPA100 Amplifier
Serial Command Reference
Revised 02/27/2014 firmware revision 01.18
Elecraft KXPA100 Amplifier Serial Command Reference .............................................................................. 1
Serial port overview ...................................................................................................................................... 3
Command Format ..................................................................................................................................... 3
Using KXPA Utility to Test Commands ...................................................................................................... 4
Commands and responses ............................................................................................................................ 5
; (Null, GET only) ....................................................................................................................................... 5
^AD (Dynamic attenuator reason, GET only) ............................................................................................ 5
^AE (Antenna Enable, GET and SET) ......................................................................................................... 6
^AN (ATU Select Antenna, GET and SET) .................................................................................................. 6
^AT (Enable/Disable Attenuator, GET and SET) ........................................................................................ 7
^BN (Band Number, GET and SET) ............................................................................................................ 8
^BRP (PC DATA RS-232 Serial I/O Speed, GET and SET) ............................................................................ 9
^BRX (Transceiver RS-232 Serial I/O Speed, GET and SET) ....................................................................... 9
^BY (ATU Bypass, GET and SET) ................................................................................................................ 9
^CR (ATU Select Capacitors, GET and SET) .............................................................................................. 10
^DM (ATU Display Frequency Memory, GET only) ................................................................................. 11
^EC (Erase Configuration, SET only) ........................................................................................................ 11
^EM (ATU Erase Frequency Memory, SET only) ..................................................................................... 12
^F (Frequency Count, GET only) .............................................................................................................. 12
^FE (Cancel ATU Full Search Tune, SET only, with ^FE response) ........................................................... 12
^FL (Fault, GET and SET) .......................................................................................................................... 13
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^FT (ATU Full Search Tune, SET only, with ^FE response) ...................................................................... 15
^I (Identify, GET only) .............................................................................................................................. 15
^LR (ATU Select Inductors, GET and SET) ................................................................................................ 16
^MD (ATU Mode, GET and SET) .............................................................................................................. 17
^MT (ATU Memory Recall Tune, SET only) ............................................................................................. 17
^OP (Operate / Standby, GET and SET) ................................................................................................... 18
^PC (PA Drain Current, GET only) ........................................................................................................... 18
^PD (Power Dissipation, GET only) ......................................................................................................... 18
^PF (Forward Power, GET only) .............................................................................................................. 18
^PI (Input Power, GET only) .................................................................................................................... 18
^PV (Reflected (reverse) Power, GET only) ............................................................................................. 19
^RS (Reset, SET only) ............................................................................................................................... 19
^RV (Firmware Revision, GET only) ......................................................................................................... 19
^SI (ATU Side Relay, GET and SET) .......................................................................................................... 20
^SM (ATU Save Memory, SET only) ........................................................................................................ 21
^SN (Serial Number, GET only) ............................................................................................................... 21
^SV (Supply Voltage, GET only) ............................................................................................................... 21
^SW (SWR, GET only) .............................................................................................................................. 21
^TM (Temperature, GET only) ................................................................................................................ 21
^TP (Tune Poll, GET only) ........................................................................................................................ 22
^TU (ATU Installed, GET only) ................................................................................................................. 22
^XI (Transceiver Interface select, GET and SET) ...................................................................................... 23
^XP (Transceiver Polling, GET only) ........................................................................................................ 24
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Serial port overview
Commands are sent to the KXPA100 via its “PC DATA” serial port. Use 4800, 9600, 19200, or 38400 bit/s,
8 bit characters, one stop bit and no parity. There is no hardware flow control. The KXPA Utility
discovers the KXPA100’s PC DATA serial port speed by sending a pair of null commands (;;) at each of the
supported speeds and selects the speed that results in responses. You can change the KXPA100’s PC
DATA serial port speed with the Baud Rate (^BRP) command.
Command Format
All commands and almost all responses use the printable ASCII character set (some KX3 responses such
as DS and IC contain unprintable characters).
Commands sent to the KXPA100 are either GET or SET.
GET commands are used to get information from the KXPA100; the information is returned in a
RESPONSE message.
SET commands are used to change the KXPA100’s internal state or to initiate an action. SET commands
do not generally generate a RESPONSE. SET can be followed by a GET to verify the SET.
KXPA100 commands generally start with a caret (^). This is done to distinguish KXPA100 commands from
KX3 commands.
A Host PC may be connected to the 3.5 mm TRS connector PC RS-232 serial port (using a KXUSB, KXSER,
or equivalent). The other KXPA100 serial port (included in the 8-conductor RJ-45 connector) may be
connected to a KX3 transceiver. The KXPA100 forwards KX3 commands (generally commands that do
not begin with “^”) to the “downstream” KX3.
Each serial command is terminated with a semicolon character. For example, to query the current
software revision, send “^RV;” (send ^, R, V, and semicolon).
Input commands and their responses are fixed length, and leading zeros are required on input and are
not suppressed on output. The command parser expects a command terminator (a semicolon) in
exactly the position indicated in this reference. Don’t embed spaces or omit leading zeros.
Generally, after sending a GET command, wait for the corresponding RESPONSE before sending more
commands. The KXPA100 has a limited input command buffer. You may safely “stack up” at least 64
bytes of commands without risk of overrun. If you wish to send a very long sequence of SET commands,
break them up with an intervening GET (such as the null command ; or ^RV;) that returns a RESPONSE,
and wait for those responses. Flow control is done at the application level.
Several commands require installation of an optional KXAT100 Antenna Tuner to be meaningful. For
example, you may set the ATU Capacitors with the ^CR command. If no Antenna Tuner is installed, the
microcontroller’s ports are set and may be read, but there are no ATU relays connected to these
microcontroller I/O ports.
3
Using KXPA Utility to Test Commands
The Command Tester tab of the KXPA Utility can be used to try individual commands. Try typing “^RV;”
in the input area. The command and its response are shown on the output area.
4
Commands and responses
^AD; response
Reason
^ADD;
Dissipated power limit was reached
^ADF;
Forward power limit was reached
^ADI;
Input power limit was reached
^ADJ;
JA Mobile power limit was reached
^ADN;
The attenuator has not been deployed by
firmware since the last power on
^ADV;
Reverse (reflected) power limit was reached
; (Null, GET only)
GET format: ;
RESPONSE format: ;
KXPA100 firmware echoes a semicolon. The KXPA Utility sends two semicolons to determine the PC
DATA serial port speed during a connection sequence.
This command is not forwarded to the KX3.
^AD (Dynamic attenuator reason, GET only)
GET format: ^AD;
RESPONSE format: ^ADx;
Returns a character indicating the reason the attenuator was most recently deployed by firmware:
5
^AE (Antenna Enable, GET and SET)
1
Only ANT1 is enabled, ANT2 is disabled
2
Only ANT2 is enabled , ANT1 is disabled
3
ANT1 and ANT2 are both enabled. This is the default value.
Antenna Enable is used to enable or disable each of the KXPA100 antenna connectors, by band. This may
be used to prevent accidental switching to an unconnected antenna.
GET format (single band): ^AEbb; where bb is the Band Number 00 through 10 (see BN; command).
SET/RESPONSE format (single band): ^AEbbn; where bb is the Band Number 00 through 10 and n is a
digit from 1 through 3 indicating which antenna connectors are enabled:
GET format (all bands): ^AEA;
SET/RESPONSE format (all bands): ^AEAnnnnnnnnnnn; where nnnnnnnnnnn has one digit for each of
11 bands, 160 through 10 meters.
Abbreviated SET format to set all bands to the same value: ^AEAn;
For example, ^AEA1; has the same result as entering ^AEA11111111111; or
^AE001;^AE011;^AE021;AE031;AE041;AE051;AE061;AE071;AE081;AE091;AE101;
AE is meaningful only if the optional KXAT100 Antenna Tuner is installed.
AE was added in firmware version 01.18.
^AN (ATU Select Antenna, GET and SET)
GET format: ^AN;
SET/RESPONSE format: ^AN1; ^AN2;
It may take a few tens of milliseconds after issuing an ^ANx setter before the relays are changed.
The SET form of this command is ignored while transmitting or tuning, or the antenna is disabled (see
AE).
Set form AN0; is interpreted as “advance to next antenna”, equivalent to HOLD of the ANT button.
This command is meaningful only if the optional KXAT100 Antenna Tuner is installed.
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^AT (Enable/Disable Attenuator, GET and SET)
GET format: ^AT;
SET/RESPONSE format: ^AT0; (disabled) or ^AT1; (enabled). The response ^AT2; is returned if the
attenuator is engaged by the back panel switch.
Energizes (^AT1;) or releases (^AT0;) the attenuator relay, K203. If the back panel 3 dB ATTEN switch is
ON, the ^AT setter has no effect.
It may take a few tens of milliseconds after issuing an ^AT setter before the relay is changed.
Firmware enables the attenuator as needed to protect the amplifier, and may release it after a period
without transmission.
7
^BN (Band Number, GET and SET)
bb
Band
00
160 meters
01
80 meters
02
60 meters
03
40 meters
04
30 meters
05
20 meters
06
17 meters
07
15 meters
08
12 meters
09
10 meters
10
6 meters
GET format: ^BN;
SET/RESPONSE format: ^BNbb; where bb is 00 to 10. A leading zero may not be omitted.
^BNbb; may be used to select the Band Number when receiving.
The amplifier changes the Band Number from the transmit frequency counter.
If you know the frequency, it is better to band switch with the ^MT command, because ^MT also sets
ATU settings memorized for that frequency.
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