TONE_Encoder by Gabriel, F6DQM

TONE_Encoder was originally written to test the settings of my SIMPLEX repeater software but it can obviously be used for any activity that requires generating audio tones.

Installing :
Install in a directory where TONE_Encoder is allowed to write and to read its exit configuration.
Preferably, run the program as administrator but this is not mandatory if the program is installed in a directory which is not protected by Windows.
If SIMPLEX is installed in the computer, it is possible to install TONE_Encoder in the SIMPLEX directory. In that case, SIMPLEX will try open TONE_Encoder when testing its configuration.
When opening the program, it is set to play a programmable audio tone (TONE and the relevant editable frequency).

Editable frequency :
The format of the frequency must be entered in the english format with a period as decimal separator. Using a comma as decimal separator will be refused and the field will be blanked. Any other non-numeric value will be refused. For example, 1234.5 is correct, 1234,5 is NOT correct.
Any correct frequency value will be played when depressing the button TONE.
To stop the tone, click STOP or any other button.

Tone length :
The tone length is adjustable with the relevant up/down component in the upper right corner of the main window.
It can be set from 100 milliseconds to 2 seconds by steps of 100 milliseconds.
If set to zero, the tone is played continuously. Click STOP or any other button to stop it.
This applies to any type of tone (DTMF, CTCSS, 1750 etc).

Spacing between tones :
This spacing automatically generates an adjustable pause between 2 successive tones.
The duration of this spacing is set with the Up/Down component in the upper right corner of the main window between 0 and 2000 milliseconds.
This spacing is necessary for testing SIMPLEX which is not designed to detect contiguous DTMF tones.
Please note that when manually generating tones this spacing is added to the duration of the tone itself and any action to generate a new tone during this spacing will be ignored by Tone_Encoder.

1750 :
This 1750 button generates a preset 1750Hz tone. This tone is sometimes used to open ham repeaters.

DTMF :
The blue numeric keypad on the left side of the main window allows to generate the 16 DTMF dual-tones.
Just under this pad, a blue field displays the DTMF characters that have been generated. This field can be cleared either by selecting it with the mouse and pressing the "Back" key of the keyboard, or by clicking the menu DTMF Sequence/Clear last sequence, or by pressing the combination "Ctrl X" on the keyboard.
If this field has the focus, it is possible to use the keyboard to play these DTMF characters instead of the DTMF pad.
If the marker is not blinking inside this blue field, just click inside it. This will be the case when opening the program.
When a DTMF tone is played by clicking the DTMF pad, the focus will automatically go to this blue field.
Please note that playing any other type of tone than a DTMF tone will put the focus outside this field.
Then you will have to click again in the field if you want to play DTMF tones from your keybaord.

CTCSS :
The CTCSS panel allows to play the 50 preset CTCSS tones.
They are sub-audible tones which are transmitted along with the speech portion of a repeater transmission.
They allows more than one repeater to use the same radio frequency without causing undue interference to another repeater.
This means that they are continuous tones as far as they are mixed to the speech portion of a transmission.
If you like to test this CTCSS tones in real repeater conditions, please set the tone length to zero.
Click STOP or any button to stop it.

Volume :
The volume setting applies to both channels, left and right simultaneously.
The chekboxes in the bottom allow to use only one of the two channels. By default both channels are enable.

START button :
The START button replays the last generated tone unless when opening the program where it will play the editable tone (= TONE button).
The START button switches to STOP button during playing.
Please note that it is not posssible to play a tone until the previous one is ended or stopped.
For example, if you use your keyboard to send DTMF tones, typing characters while a tone is being played will be ignored.
Wait for the end of playing before typing a new character.

SEQUENCE button :
The "Sequence" button plays a sequence of DTMF tones.
Its functions are slightly different depending on the program configuration.
- A right click on the button opens the DTMF sequence management panel (same function as the DTMF Sequence/Play a preset DTMF sequence menu).
- If the DTMF sequence management panel is open, a left click on the "Sequence" button plays the sequence selected in the panel if it is not empty. If no sequence is selected or if the selected sequence is empty, Tone_Encoder tries to play the previous sequence (blue field under the DTMF keyboard) if it is not empty.
- If the DTMF sequence management panel is closed (by default, the CTCSS tones panel is visible), a left click on the "Sequence" button plays the last sequence played if it is not empty (same function as the DTMF sequence/Replay the last sequence menu). If empty, Tone_Encoder looks to see if a preset DTMF sequence is selected and tries to play it.
The "Sequence" button becomes a button for canceling the DTMF sequence during play.

Corrective factor :
This setting is to take into account an imprecise frequency generation of your sound card.
Modern computers are quite accurate but it may happen that some old sound cards will generate sine waves whose frequencies are not so accurate.
Move the up/down setting to correct this default.

Any other suggestion or bug report may be sent to :
f6dqm(at)free(dot)fr

Best 73's from Gabriel F6DQM