EXAMPLE
CONFIGURATION #1: Remoting a Kenwood TS480
This picture only includes
the software used to support this example, your computers can continue to run
other programs, since the software used for the remoting requires very little
of the computer processing power.
The I.R.T. is installed both on the Host and Client computer and
configured using the setup menu on each machine to reflect both its role (host,
client) and the configuration of both the real and virtual COM ports used to
connect the real equipment to the computer (real COM ports) and the software to the remoting
infrastructure (virtual COM ports)
Note that the hexagonal
yellow boxes represent software that you will see executing (in the Windows
task manager). The I.R.T. and
IP-Sound programs have been installed as part of the I.R.T. installation and
will be configured through the I.R.T. setup. The Kenwood control software for
the TS480 can be downloaded from the Kenwood site. While it is not the best program for real time operation of
the TS480, it is the best for certain functions, e.g. menu setup and change, IF
Shift control. I still prefer the built-in radio control interface for real
time radio control – more on that later.
On the client side, there is
only ONE piece of equipment, the TS480 front panel. It is attached to a serial
port or USB port of the client computer and the I.R.T. setup configured to
reflect that COM port within the
software. The I.R.T. will allow up
to three programs to interface with the radio (at the far end). This
interfacing is achieved by attaching the programs to ÔvirtualÕ COM ports on the
client, so that they will function through the network connection provided
through the I.R.T. Note that most existing
ham radio control programs want to immediately talk to a radio upon startup, so
even if the Kenwood software is attached to the virtual COM port at the correct
baud rate, you will get an error if the entire connection through the Internet
is not established, since it is not able to ping the radio. (Remember they have
been designed to assume that the radio is DIRECTLY attached to a ÔlocalÕ real
serial COM connection and thus they usually are unhappy when they cannot immediately
establish the connection. So before you enable the Kenwood software, please
establish the connection between the client and host I.R.T. by hitting the
CONNECT button. Since the radio at
the host end is hardwired to the computer, it will immediately be visible at
the client software, when the Internet connection is established.
The I.R.T. is capable of
recognizing that the front panel has been turned on with its power switch and
will automatically establish a connection to the radio. Thus a true panel
operation is provided, i.e. radio and sound on when you depress the panel power
on button and off when you shut it down.
One additional item should
be noted and will also be covered more extensively later. We must pay heed to the gods of
Internet security. Most folks use routers these days and the I.R.T. Host
requires that ports 3001-3009 be port forwarded by the host router directly to the host computer or no connection
will be established between the client and host. These port numbers can be re-designated,
if desired. Also for the sound to work port 4444 must be forwarded BOTH on the
host side and the client side. If port forwarding is going to be a problem for
you on the client side (and it a pain for me), then I will later (setup section
of this document) describe alternatives, for different VoIP software, e.g.
Skype and and/or ÒVirtual Private NetworkingÓ (VPN) software, e.g. Hamachi, that
would provide the tunneling through both client-side and host-side routers and
allow remote connectivity from almost any location.