# CH32-CW-Keyboard ## User Manual
### A tiny device that turns a USB keyboard into a Morse code keyer **3.5mm audio jack outputs straight-key keying signal. Connect to radio CW KEY with a standard audio cable.**
**Firmware Version: 1.1.9** **Designed by DeVolt Elec**
Table of Contents
| Chapter | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Quick Start |
| 2 | Main Screen |
| 3 | Two Working Modes |
| 4 | Button Operations |
| 5 | Main Menu |
| 6 | Morse Settings |
| 7 | Button Function Settings |
| 8 | Repeat Sending |
| 9 | Saved Messages |
| 10 | Training Mode |
| 11 | Keyboard Layout |
| 12 | Version Page |
| 13 | Factory Reset |
| Appendix | Supported Characters |
1. Quick Start
Hardware Interfaces
| Port | Type | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| USBC | USB Type-C receptacle | Connect 5V power for supply or Li-ion battery charging |
| USBA | USB Type-A receptacle | Connect a standard USB keyboard (HID keyboard) |
| 3.5mm | 3.5mm audio jack | Outputs straight-key keying signal, connect to radio CW KEY jack |
What You Need
- One CH32-CW-Keyboard board (buzzer built-in)
- One standard USB keyboard (wired HID)
- 5V USB power or 3.7V Li-ion battery
- (Optional) 3.5mm male-to-male audio cable to connect device to radio KEY jack
Three Steps
- Plug a USB keyboard into the device’s USB Host (USBA) port.
- Power the device (USBC or battery). The OLED lights up with a welcome screen.
- Type on the USB keyboard — the built-in buzzer sounds Morse code, while the 3.5mm jack outputs the keying signal!
💡 Tip: The keying signal is always output on the 3.5mm jack. Beeper ON/OFF only controls the built-in buzzer.
🔑 Shortcuts:
Ctrl+Mmenu |Ctrl+Ttraining |Ctrl+Rrepeat |Escstop repeat
2. Main Screen
The main screen after boot — this is where you’ll spend most of your time.
| Status bar icon | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ♫ | Built-in buzzer ON |
| ✕♫ (muted) | Buzzer OFF (keying signal still active) |
| ▓▓▓ | Battery icon (EEPROM only) |
| ▲ | Caps Lock ON |
| 4.0V | Battery voltage (EEPROM only) |
| MsgLen:0 | Characters typed so far |
The 3.5mm jack always outputs a straight-key keying signal (active low). Connect to radio CW KEY with a standard audio cable. The built-in buzzer provides local monitoring and can be toggled in the menu.
Global Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Function |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+M | Open/close main menu |
| Ctrl+T | Open/close training menu (EEPROM only) |
| Ctrl+R | Start repeat sending |
| Esc | Stop repeat (when active) |
These shortcuts work on the main screen and in menus — the fastest way to operate.
3. Two Working Modes
The device has two sending modes. Press Ctrl+M → Mode to switch.
Mode 0 — Immediate (DIR)
Type and send instantly.
┌──────────────────────────────────┐
│ Keyboard: H → E → L → L → O │
│ Hear: .... . .-.. ... │
│ │
│ Screen: 4 lines × 14 chars │
│ Sending char ▐highlighted▐ │
└──────────────────────────────────┘Best for: Live QSO, daily practice, type-as-you-go.
Mode 1 — Buffer (BUF)
Compose first, send with one key. Like texting.
┌──────────────┬──────────────┐
│ Input/Edit │ Sending │ ← Split by vertical line
│ │ │
│ CQ CQ CQ │ CQ CQ CQ │
│ DE BG7WG │ DE BG7WG │
│ K_ │ K │
│ │ │
└──────────────┴──────────────┘
4 lines × 7 chars each side
Edit freely, then press Enter to send everything at once.Best for: Contest macros, CQ calls, messages needing editing.
4. Button Operations
Global Shortcuts (Recommended)
The fastest way to operate — press key combos directly on the main screen:
| Shortcut | Function |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+M | Open/close main menu |
| Ctrl+T | Open/close training menu |
| Ctrl+R | Start repeat sending |
| Esc | Stop repeat (when active) |
Hardware Buttons
KEY1 (PB13) KEY2 (PB14)
┌──────┐ ┌──────┐
│ BT1 │ │ BT2 │
└──────┘ └──────┘
Short press (<0.8s) → custom function Short press (<0.8s) → custom function
Long press (≥0.8s) → force open menu Long press (≥0.8s) → (reserved)Default: KEY1 short = OPEN MENU, KEY2 short = MODE SW. Configurable in menu → Btn Func.
USB Keyboard Shortcuts
| Key | Function |
|---|---|
| Enter | Send (Mode 0) / Start send (Mode 1) / Confirm |
| Backspace | Delete one character |
| Esc | Exit menu / Clear buffer / Stop repeat |
| Caps Lock | Toggle case (▲ icon) |
| ↑ ↓ | Navigate menu |
| ← → | Adjust values in menu |
| 0–9 | Jump to menu item / Enter numbers |
| F1–F12 | Load saved message 1–12 |
| Shift+F1–F12 | Save current text to slot |
| Ctrl+M | Open/close main menu |
| Ctrl+T | Open/close training menu |
| Ctrl+R | Start repeat sending |
| Esc | Stop repeat (when active) |
5. Main Menu
Press Ctrl+M or long-press KEY1 to enter. ↑↓ to move, Enter to confirm, Esc to exit.
┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ Mode BUF │ ← Current value
│ ▐beeper OFF ▐ │ ← Highlighted = selected
│ Morse Cfg │
│ Btn Func │
│ Repeat │ Menu scrolls, max 5 visible
│ Keyboard QWERTY │
│ Version │
│ RESET │
│ SAVE&EXIT │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘| # | Menu item | Press Enter to… |
|---|---|---|
| Mode | Toggle DIR(Immediate) / BUF(Buffer) | |
| beeper | Toggle built-in buzzer ON/OFF (does not affect 3.5mm keying output) | |
| Morse Cfg | Enter Morse code settings submenu | |
| Btn Func | Enter button function settings submenu | |
| Repeat | Enter repeat sending settings submenu | |
| Keyboard | Switch QWERTY / AZERTY | |
| Version | Show version info | |
| RESET | Factory reset (confirmation required) | |
| SAVE&EXIT | Save settings and exit |
⚠️ Training mode is NOT in the main menu. Use Ctrl+T to open it.
6. Morse Settings
Menu → Morse Cfg to enter.
┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ ▐Word Split Short ▐ │ ← Word spacing
│ │
│ Cut Num OFF │ ← Shortened numbers
│ │
│ BACK │ ← Back
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘Word Split
Controls the pause length between words.
| Option | Multiple vs dot | Feel |
|---|---|---|
| Short | 7× | Fast, for QSO |
| Mid | 10× | Moderate |
| Long | 14× | Slow, for practice |
Cut Num
Standard Morse digits are 5 elements each — long. Cut Num uses fewer elements per digit to speed up numbers.
| Scheme | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OFF(Standard) | −−−−− | ·−−−− | ··−−− | ···−− | ····− | ····· | −···· | −−··· | −−−·· | −−−−· |
| Mod A | − | ·− | ··− | ···− | ····− | ····· | −···· | −−··· | −·· | −· |
| Mod B | − | ·− | ··− | ···− | ····− | · | −···· | −··· | −·· | −· |
| Mod C | − | ·− | ··− | ·−− | ···− | ··· | −··· | −−· | −·· | −· |
Cut Num only affects digits 0-9. Letters and punctuation are unaffected.
7. Button Function Settings
Menu → Btn Func to enter.
┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ ▐BT1 FUN OPEN MENU ▐ │ ← KEY1 short-press function
│ │
│ BT2 FUN MODE SW │ ← KEY2 short-press function
│ │
│ BACK │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘Each button can be assigned one of three functions:
| Function | Effect |
|---|---|
| BEEPER SW | Short press toggles built-in buzzer ON/OFF |
| MODE SW | Short press toggles DIR/BUF mode |
| OPEN MENU | Short press opens main menu |
Note: Regardless of KEY1’s short-press setting, long-pressing KEY1 always opens the main menu.
8. Repeat Sending
Have the device repeatedly send the same text, like a beacon.
Menu → Repeat to configure.
┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ RPT COUNT │
│ 003_ │ ← How many times (000=INF)
│ │
│ RPT INTER │
│ 5s │ ← Interval
│ │
│ BACK │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘| Parameter | Default | Range | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| RPT COUNT | 3 | 1–999; 0=infinite(INF) | How many times |
| RPT INTER | 5s | 1–999s | Interval between sends |
Start & Stop
Press
Ctrl+Rto start repeat, pressEscto stop.
[1] Set count & interval [2] Type text on main [3] Ctrl+R to start loop
┌──────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐
│RPT COUNT 3│ │ CQ CQ CQ │ │R1/3 5s │ ← Status bar
│RPT INTER 5│──────▶ │ DE BG7WG │─────▶ │ CQ CQ CQ │
└──────────┘ │ K │ │ DE BG7WG │
└──────────────┘ │ K │
└──────────────┘
Press Esc to stop.How it works:
- Type the text to repeat on the main screen.
- Press
Ctrl+R: the current input is saved and sent repeatedly at the configured interval. - The status bar shows
R1/3 5smeaning “Round 1 of 3, countdown 5 seconds”. - Press
Escto stop.
9. Saved Messages
12 slots, each stores a message. Accessed directly via F1–F12 keys — no menu needed.
Operation
Load:
Press F1~F12 → message from that slot auto-loads and sends (Mode 0)
Press F1~F12 → message from that slot auto-loads into editor (Mode 1)
Save:
Type text on main → press Shift+F1~Shift+F12 → save to that slot Slot mapping:
┌────────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐
│ Slot │ 1 │ 2 │ 3 │ 4 │ 5 │ 6 │ 7 │ 8 │ 9 │ 10 │ 11 │ 12 │
├────────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
│ Load │ F1 │ F2 │ F3 │ F4 │ F5 │ F6 │ F7 │ F8 │ F9 │F10 │F11 │F12 │
├────────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
│ Save │S-F1│S-F2│S-F3│S-F4│S-F5│S-F6│S-F7│S-F8│S-F9│S-F10│S-F11│S-F12│
└────────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘
S-F1 = Shift+F1| Version | Max per slot |
|---|---|
| EEPROM | ~2KB (2044 bytes) |
| Flash | 508 bytes |
💡 Suggested use:
F1 = CQ call, F2 = Callsign, F3 = Signal report,
F4 = Name/QTH, F5 = 73 closing …
10. Training Mode
⚠️ Training mode is only available in the EEPROM version.
🔑 Press Ctrl+T to open the training menu. Training is separate from the main menu.
Training Main Menu
Press Ctrl+T to enter.
┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ METHOD KOCH │ ← Training method
│ LESSON 1 │ ← Current lesson
│ ▐SETTING ▐ │ ← Enter settings
│ START │ ← Start training
│ EXIT │ ← Exit
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘Three Methods
| Method | Description |
|---|---|
| KOCH | Adds 1 new letter per lesson in frequency order. Lesson 1 = K, M. Standard ham radio training. |
| SEQU | Sequential A→B→C… then 0→1→2… after letters. |
| FREE | Free mode: all A–Z and 0–9 randomized. No lesson progression. |
Koch Lesson Character Sequence
Characters ordered by radio usage frequency. Lesson N covers the first N+1 characters.
Lesson New char Cumulative pool
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
1 K M K M
2 U K M U
3 R K M U R
4 E K M U R E
5 S K M U R E S
6 N K M U R E S N
7 A K M U R E S N A
8 P K M U R E S N A P
9 T K M U R E S N A P T
10 L K M U R E S N A P T L
11 W ... + W
12 I ... + I
13 . (period) ... + .
14 J ... + J
15 Z ... + Z
16 = ... + =
17 F ... + F
18 O ... + O
19 Y ... + Y
20 , (comma) ... + ,
21 V ... + V
22 G ... + G
23 5 ... + 5
24 / ... + /
25 Q ... + Q
26 9 ... + 9
27 2 ... + 2
28 H ... + H
29 3 ... + 3
30 8 ... + 8
31 B ... + B
32 ? (question mark) ... + ?
33 4 ... + 4
34 7 ... + 7
35 C ... + C
36 1 ... + 1
37 D ... + D
38 6 ... + 6
39 0 ... + 0
40 X K M U R E S N A P T L W I . J Z
= F O Y , V G 5 / Q 9 2 H 3 8
B ? 4 7 C 1 D 6 0 X (40 total)💡 Tip: Start from Lesson 1 and ensure >90% accuracy before moving to the next lesson.
Sequential Lesson Character Sequence
In alphabetical order A→Z, then digits 0→9. Lesson N covers the first N+1 characters.
Lesson New char Cumulative pool
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
1 A B A B
2 C A B C
3 D A B C D
4 E A B C D E
5 F A B C D E F
6 G A B C D E F G
7 H ... + H
8 I ... + I
9 J ... + J
10 K ... + K
11 L ... + L
12 M ... + M
13 N ... + N
14 O ... + O
15 P ... + P
16 Q ... + Q
17 R ... + R
18 S ... + S
19 T ... + T
20 U ... + U
21 V ... + V
22 W ... + W
23 X ... + X
24 Y ... + Y
25 Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M
N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
26 0 ... + 0
27 1 ... + 1
28 2 ... + 2
29 3 ... + 3
30 4 ... + 4
31 5 ... + 5
32 6 ... + 6
33 7 ... + 7
34 8 ... + 8
35 9 A–Z + 0–9 (36 total)Sequential has a maximum of 35 lessons (26 letters + 10 digits).
Training Settings (Koch/Sequential)
┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ ▐CHAR/GRP 5 ▐ │ ← Chars per group (0=RAND)
│ WPM 20 │ ← Training speed
│ GAP 1 │ ← Spaces between groups
│ TIME 2min │ ← Duration 1-5 min
│ BACK │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘
Free mode only: WPM, TIME, BACK.Training Flow
Settings done ──▶ READY ──▶ RUNNING ──▶ SCORING
1s ready Morse plays Compare & score
User types input
Status bar: Method Lesson WPM
Bottom: "Playing..." or "Done Ent=finish"Scoring Screen
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Score: 18/20 90% Esc=exit │
├──────────────┬───────────────────────────────┤
│ Your input │ Correct answer │
│ │ │
│ ▐K▐M R E ▐S▐│ K M ▐U▐R E ▐A▐ │ ← Box=error
│ N A P T L │ N A P T L │
│ W I . J Z │ W I . J Z │
│ = F O Y , │ = F O Y , │
└──────────────┴───────────────────────────────┘
↑↓ Scroll for more11. Keyboard Layout
Menu → Keyboard to toggle. Press Enter to switch between QWERTY and AZERTY.
QWERTY AZERTY
┌─────────────────┐ ┌─────────────────┐
│ Q W E R T Y ... │ │ A Z E R T Y ... │
│ A S D F G H ... │ │ Q S D F G H ... │
│ Z X C V B N ... │ │ W X C V B N ... │
└─────────────────┘ └─────────────────┘Choose AZERTY if using an AZERTY keyboard.
12. Version Page
Menu → Version to view.
┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ VERSION │
│ │
│ v1.1.9 │ ← Firmware version
│ │
│ BG6VSK Provided to │ ← (Custom version)
│ BG7WG │
│ │
│ Press ENT Back │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘
Generic version only shows: VERSION + version number.13. Factory Reset
Menu → RESET to enter. Confirmation required.
┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ WARING │
│ │
│ ALL SET WILL BE RESET │ ← All settings will be cleared
│ │
│ Press ENT For Sure │ ← Enter = Confirm
│ Press ESC For Back │ ← Esc = Cancel
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘After reset, these defaults are restored:
| Item | Default |
|---|---|
| Mode | DIR (Immediate) |
| Beeper | OFF |
| WPM | 20 |
| Word Split | Short (7×) |
| Cut Num | OFF |
| KEY1 function | OPEN MENU |
| KEY2 function | MODE SW |
| Keyboard | QWERTY |
| Repeat Count | 3 |
| Repeat Interval | 5s |
| 12 saved messages | All cleared |
Appendix: Supported Characters
54 characters, full ITU Morse coverage.
Letters: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
Digits: 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Punctuation:
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╚══════╝╚══════╝╚══════╝ ╚═════╝**CH32-CW-Keyboard v1.1.9** Based on CH32V203 RISC-V MCU GPL v3 Open Source License
**Happy CW ! 73 !** > 📦 Project Home: [README.md](./README.md)