WSE Control cable pinout

[Stan W1LE]

Hello Leif, and the Net:

I am trying to verify the WSE control cable from the PC
(25 pin D shell female @ the PC) to the WSE boxes ( DB9 male on the WSE).

The RX2500 only needs DC power, no control from parallel possible
The RX10700 box needs DC power and parallel control: Raw_Select_F,
Data, Status, and Clock
The RX70 box needs DC power and parallel control: Raw_Select_F,
Data, Status, and Clock
RX144 box needs DC power and parallel control:
Raw_Select-F, Data, Status, and Clock
RXHFA box needs DC power and parallel control: Raw_Select_F,
Raw_Select_A, Data, Status, and Clock

What pin on the DB25 is Clock ? #1
What pin is Raw_Select_A ?
What pin is Raw_Select_F ?
What pin is Data ?
What pin is Status ?

Is there a definitive drawing for this WSE control/power cable ?
I could find details about the WSE connector pin outs, but not this cable.
The nomenclature is also a gray area, to me, compared to the 1284-A IEEE
standard

How should grounds(returns) be handled, all bonded to the computer
chassis and the WSE chassis ?

Thanks Stan, W1LE

The Parallel DB25 (female) on the PC is defined as:

Pin Compatibility mode Nibble mode Byte mode EPP mode ECP mode
1 nStrobe HostClk HostClk nWrite HostClk
2 Data 1 Data 1 Data 1 AD1 Data 1
3 Data 2 Data 2 Data 2 AD2 Data 2
4 Data 3 Data 3 Data 3 AD3 Data 3
5 Data 4 Data 4 Data 4 AD4 Data 4
6 Data 5 Data 5 Data 5 AD5 Data 5
7 Data 6 Data 6 Data 6 AD6 Data 6
8 Data 7 Data 7 Data 7 AD7 Data 7
9 Data 8 Data 8 Data 8 AD8 Data8
10 nAck PtrClk PtrClk Intr PeriphClk
11 Busy PtrBusy PtrBusy nWait PeriphAck
12 PError AckDataReq AckDataReq User defined 1 nAckReverse
13 Select Xflag Xflag User defined 3 Xflag
14 nAutoFd HostBusy HostBusy nDStrb HostAck
15 nFault nDataAvail nDataAvail User defined 2 nPeriphRequest
16 nInit nInit nInt nInt nReverseRequest
17 nSelectIn 1284 Active 1284 Active nAStrb 1284 Active
18 (nStrobe)ground return -- -- -- --
19 (Data 1 and 2)ground return -- -- -- --
20 (Data 3 and 4)ground return -- -- -- --
21 (Data 5 and 6)ground return -- -- -- --
22 (Data 7 and 8)ground return -- -- -- --
23 Pins 11 and 15 ground return -- -- -- --
24 Pins 10, 12, and 13 ground return -- -- -- --
25 Pins 14, 16, and 17 ground return -- -- -- --

[Leif Asbrink]

Hello Stan,

> I am trying to verify the WSE control cable from the PC
> (25 pin D shell female @ the PC) to the WSE boxes ( DB9 male on the WSE).
>
> The RX2500 only needs DC power, no control from parallel possible

Yes.

> The RX10700 box needs DC power and parallel control: Raw_Select_F,
> Data, Status, and Clock
> The RX70 box needs DC power and parallel control: Raw_Select_F,
> Data, Status, and Clock
> RX144 box needs DC power and parallel control:
> Raw_Select-F, Data, Status, and Clock
> RXHFA box needs DC power and parallel control: Raw_Select_F,
> Raw_Select_A, Data, Status, and Clock

"Raw_Select_F" are different lines for each box

> What pin on the DB25 is Clock ? #1
> What pin is Raw_Select_A ?
> What pin is Raw_Select_F ?
> What pin is Data ?
> What pin is Status ?

There is a table at the bottom of this page:
http://www.sm5bsz.com/linuxdsp/wse_select.htm
There are five select pins, two for RXHFA, one for each one
of the other units (except for RX2500 which han none)

> Is there a definitive drawing for this WSE control/power cable ?
> I could find details about the WSE connector pin outs, but not this cable.
> The nomenclature is also a gray area, to me, compared to the 1284-A IEEE
> standard

It is all described here.
http://www.sm5bsz.com/linuxdsp/wse_select.htm

The Linrad hardware control has no similarity with the 1284-A IEEE
standard. Linrad uses the parallel port as a bus to control up to
256 hardware devices at a low data rate. Intended for tx control,
different antennas, power amplifier on/off etc. Maybe antenna rotor
and other things. The WSE interface is driven by DC levels and works
with wires having low pass filters on them.

> How should grounds(returns) be handled, all bonded to the computer
> chassis and the WSE chassis ?

The computer chassis is connected to the RX2500 chassis via the Delta 44
cable. The other WSE units are connected via the screen of the coaxial
cables.

The PC parallel port is sensitive to static electricity (and also to
over-voltages) that could occur if any d-dub is inserted without having
a ground connection made first. It may be a good idea to use an extra
wire to connect the chassis of all the units to each other and to the
chassis of the PC computer. Not needed, just a precaution against user
errors.

The power supply should have a floating output so it becomes grounded
through the WSE units and the PC. If you connect the power supply
zero to the mains ground through the mains cable of the power supply
you create a ground loop. Most probably that would not give any
problem, but if it is a switchpower supply the risk that you see
QRM from it would increase.

73

Leif / SM5BSZ

[Stan W1LE]

Hello Leif,

Thanks for the details.
Where I wandered off was trying to equate the 1284 parallel pinout names
to the WSE control usage.
And I did not bump into the reference on your website till after lunch
today.

Now I can explain to others, my interconnect matrix for control from the
parallel port to the WSE boxes.

Thanks Stan, W1LE Cape Cod FN41sr