Sticky: Post (tr)uSDX questions for the developers (Manuel DL2MAN and Guido PE1NNZ) in here

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BrendonHills
 

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Re: Sticky: Post (tr)uSDX questions for the developers (Manuel DL2MAN and Guido PE1NNZ) in here

Post by BrendonHills »

HI Manuel / Guido,

Posted again, as the original was missed, and then I sign-posted you to the wrong date! I would appreciate your thoughts and comments on the below when you have time please. Thanks.

ORIGINAL POST DATED 23 March.....

I am continuing to enjoy my rig and have just improved the audio significantly by replacing the U9 op-amp with the specified device (we were using LM833 due to availability.)

However, my request is in relation to CW. Although the specced op-amp has improved the audio significantly and reduced artefacts, I wonder if there is more that can be done with the CW filters in software? They don't seem to cut off properly, and even with the 200Hz filter enabled, it is still possible to discern the same single CW transmission across almost 1.5kHz of band. This can make operating on a busy night or at the weekend very difficult. Also I wonder if some sort of zero-beat indication can be built in?

Keep up the good work and I am pleased to se you now have a few official kit distributors.

Best 73,

Daimon. G4USI
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DL2MAN
 

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Re: CW filtering and Zero Beat Indicator.

Post by DL2MAN »

BrendonHills wrote: 23 Mar 2022, 20:39 I wonder if there is more that can be done with the CW filters in software? They don't seem to cut off properly, and even with the 200Hz filter enabled, it is still possible to discern the same single CW transmission across almost 1.5kHz of band. This can make operating on a busy night or at the weekend very difficult. Also I wonder if some sort of zero-beat indication can be built in?
OK, here comes the reply:
I don´t think, the Filters can be improved, and in my opinion for this type of Radio, the Filters are perfect. I am (We are) very satisfied with them, and they even do a great job in comparison with my IC705.
If you´re looking for commercial type high end performance, maybe a low budget Entry Level Homebrew Kit is the wrong place to look for it. Just keep in mind what (tr)uSDX is.... There are physical limitations in an 8bit uC, even though Guido has extended the limits very far out.

Zero Beat Indication could probably be done, but we´d need to sacrifice other stuff. Since we did not even manage to put in all, we wanted yet (Like SWR/PWR Measurement on SSB and ultimatively: Active PA Protection), I do not want to give you any hope, that Zero Beat Indicator will happen.

And as add on to both questions: Remember: We´re talking about an 8 bit processor with very low Memory that´s doing ALL it does already....

73 Manuel; DL2MAN
KS4L
 

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Re: Sticky: Post (tr)uSDX questions for the developers (Manuel DL2MAN and Guido PE1NNZ) in here

Post by KS4L »

Sorry if this has already been addressed, but on the RF board schematic, R1, R2, R3, and R4 are shown as 100, but on my US group-buy board, they are all 1000. Is 1000 correct?
tnx es 73,
Randy, KS4L
AC9YY
 

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Re: Sticky: Post (tr)uSDX questions for the developers (Manuel DL2MAN and Guido PE1NNZ) in here

Post by AC9YY »

KS4L wrote: 21 Apr 2022, 18:05 Sorry if this has already been addressed, but on the RF board schematic, R1, R2, R3, and R4 are shown as 100, but on my US group-buy board, they are all 1000. Is 1000 correct?
tnx es 73,
Randy, KS4L
The schematic and BOM both show 100 ohms, so 1000 sure seems wrong.
s57l
 

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Re: Sticky: Post (tr)uSDX questions for the developers (Manuel DL2MAN and Guido PE1NNZ) in here

Post by s57l »

100 is 10 and 0 zeros so 10ohms, 1000 is 1%, so 100 and 0 zeros.
If it was 1000, that is 1k, it would be 102 or 1001.
KS4L
 

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Re: Sticky: Post (tr)uSDX questions for the developers (Manuel DL2MAN and Guido PE1NNZ) in here

Post by KS4L »

Thanks, S57I! I should have checked the SMD labeling codes! Looks like 1000 means 100 ohms.

https://www.utmel.com/tools/smd-resisto ... ator?id=33

73,
Randy, KS4L
VA7RGM
 

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Re: Sticky: Post (tr)uSDX questions for the developers (Manuel DL2MAN and Guido PE1NNZ) in here

Post by VA7RGM »

I have a problem with my build (kit from Sunny) With 12v - 2a power I am only getting .1 watt on all 5 bands with 9% efficiency, this after tweaking the notch filters using a NanoVNA. Receive is fine and SWR to my dummy load is 1:1.

Based on all of the information I have obtained I think I have narrowed down the problem to one or more bad BS170's.

My question is, instead of soldering new BS170 into the rf board can I install sockets. In my research some have used sockets successfully and others state that these introduce unwanted inductance and/or capacitance.

I would appreciate any comments or suggestions you may have.

Thanks
Bob
VA7RGM
BrendonHills
 

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Re: CW filtering and Zero Beat Indicator.

Post by BrendonHills »

DL2MAN wrote: 20 Apr 2022, 22:49
BrendonHills wrote: 23 Mar 2022, 20:39 I wonder if there is more that can be done with the CW filters in software? They don't seem to cut off properly, and even with the 200Hz filter enabled, it is still possible to discern the same single CW transmission across almost 1.5kHz of band. This can make operating on a busy night or at the weekend very difficult. Also I wonder if some sort of zero-beat indication can be built in?
OK, here comes the reply:
I don´t think, the Filters can be improved, and in my opinion for this type of Radio, the Filters are perfect. I am (We are) very satisfied with them, and they even do a great job in comparison with my IC705.
If you´re looking for commercial type high end performance, maybe a low budget Entry Level Homebrew Kit is the wrong place to look for it. Just keep in mind what (tr)uSDX is.... There are physical limitations in an 8bit uC, even though Guido has extended the limits very far out.

Zero Beat Indication could probably be done, but we´d need to sacrifice other stuff. Since we did not even manage to put in all, we wanted yet (Like SWR/PWR Measurement on SSB and ultimatively: Active PA Protection), I do not want to give you any hope, that Zero Beat Indicator will happen.

And as add on to both questions: Remember: We´re talking about an 8 bit processor with very low Memory that´s doing ALL it does already....

73 Manuel; DL2MAN
Hi Manuel and thanks for the response. Please don't think of my comments as intended to be critical, it was just a genuine open question to seek to improve the performance of the rig further. You have both done a great job, and one I am certainly not capable of.

I am not expecting performance on CW like that I get from my other commercial rigs. Actually, in my own mind I was hoping for CW filtering, perhaps akin to, the QCX for example, but I realise you are asking the processor to do much more than just CW. I guess circuitry similar to the HiPerMite would do it, but room and complexity / additional cost factors then come into play, | guess. As it is, I personally find the radio unusable on CW on a busy band, but it remains very good on SSB where I find the filtering very good indeed. I think in my personal case I will just accept that for me this is a SSB only rig, and a good one at that. Once again thanks for all your efforts for the radio community and keep up the good work. You have done a great job.

Best 73

Daimon. G4USI
DL2MAN
 

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Re: CW filtering and Zero Beat Indicator.

Post by DL2MAN »

BrendonHills wrote: 27 Apr 2022, 08:10
I am not expecting performance on CW like that I get from my other commercial rigs. Actually, in my own mind I was hoping for CW filtering, perhaps akin to, the QCX for example,

(...)

I personally find the radio unusable on CW on a busy band,(...)

Daimon. G4USI
Hello Daimon,

The (tr)uSDX Filters are far better compared to QCX. If this is not the case, something seems wrong with your radio. Maybe I or Q is not working, or one of the FST3253 Pins is not soldered right and you have no Sideband Suppression.

I´ve used the Radio in several contests, and I had no issues at all.

So maybe start a new thread and link us a Video of the behavior you dislike, and especially in comparison to the Analog RC CW Filter of the QCX. Then we can see if your (tr)uSDX is working normally or not. From your description it seems not working normal, as I find especially CW Filters even outperform my IC705´s Filters.

73 Manuel; DL2MAN
KS4L
 

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Re: Sticky: Post (tr)uSDX questions for the developers (Manuel DL2MAN and Guido PE1NNZ) in here

Post by KS4L »

A friend of mine bought an assembled version from the approved supplier. He has found that he hears about an S5 signal on all bands from a 1KW AM broadcast station about a mile from his QTH. Is that to be expected or is there something wrong with his radio? He can also hear ham radio signals under the AM QRM, so the radio seems to receive fine otherwise.

73,
Randy, KS4L
AC9YY
 

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Re: Sticky: Post (tr)uSDX questions for the developers (Manuel DL2MAN and Guido PE1NNZ) in here

Post by AC9YY »

KS4L wrote: 27 Apr 2022, 16:18 A friend of mine bought an assembled version from the approved supplier. He has found that he hears about an S5 signal on all bands from a 1KW AM broadcast station about a mile from his QTH. Is that to be expected or is there something wrong with his radio? He can also hear ham radio signals under the AM QRM, so the radio seems to receive fine otherwise.

73,
Randy, KS4L
Yes, this is not surprising. I have 4 rigs and 2 of them need a BCI filter because I have a 50KW AM broadcast station 3 miles away from me.
AC9YY
 

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Re: Sticky: Post (tr)uSDX questions for the developers (Manuel DL2MAN and Guido PE1NNZ) in here

Post by AC9YY »

That is what I use for QRP rigs.
msax
 

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Re: Sticky: Post (tr)uSDX questions for the developers (Manuel DL2MAN and Guido PE1NNZ) in here

Post by msax »

Hello, Guido and Manuel.
I do have a few questions, or perhaps better put, recommendations, about firmware customization. Given that we can download firmware with the callsign baked in, could you please consider adding options for:
  • Ref frequency - it would be nice to avoid resetting it to 27000000 by accident if configuration reset occurs. I've done that resetting by accident several times already :D
  • LPF configuration - If we assume that the majority of (tr)usdx owners will use one RF board per transceiver, it makes no sense to set this configuration every time on configuration reset if the board is not LO type. Perhaps this could be a viable solution for kits produced and sold in Japan, for example, to comply with regulations (no 60m band allowed)
Without taking into account the time and effort required to make such options available, the only disadvantage I can see is an increase in questions about those options, but a simple FAQ on the firmware page should answer 99 percent of them.
Thank you for your time and consideration. 73
73 de Marko, 9A6PAF
CT7ARQ
 

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Re: Sticky: Post (tr)uSDX questions for the developers (Manuel DL2MAN and Guido PE1NNZ) in here

Post by CT7ARQ »

Here is a good question i copy from (tr) usdx Facebook group.

" Just a thought, with people talking about the difficulty in reading the blue oled display in bright sunlight is there nothing in the oled's library that can be programmed to display a negative image, I've done this on Arduino projects before. It might draw more current as there are more oled lit up. Just a thought, programming is not my forte."

Could this be done?
"There are three sorts of people: those who are alive, those who are dead, and those who are at sea"
pe1nnz
 

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Re: Sticky: Post (tr)uSDX questions for the developers (Manuel DL2MAN and Guido PE1NNZ) in here

Post by pe1nnz »

Hi CT7ARQ,

Yes, a negative OLED image was implemented but did not make it in the final firmware as it did not help much in improving contrast and it looked rather ugly.

Guido
JohnK1JD
 

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Re: Sticky: Post (tr)uSDX questions for the developers (Manuel DL2MAN and Guido PE1NNZ) in here

Post by JohnK1JD »

My radio arrived a few days ago, and I’m new to this forum. After a few minutes with the radio using a LiPo 3S for power and my station antennas, the receiver on CW is a disappointment because of many spurious signals. The spurs tune in the opposite direction as actual signals on the bands. I heard these spurs initially with no antenna connected and figured that band noise would be greater, but this is not the case. I would like to know if this behavior is normal or if this particular radio isn’t working properly. I can provide an audio recording if that helps.
73,
John K1JD
Santa Fe, NM
pe1nnz
 

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Re: Sticky: Post (tr)uSDX questions for the developers (Manuel DL2MAN and Guido PE1NNZ) in here

Post by pe1nnz »

Hi John,

No opposite sideband rejection and image rejection is generally be about 50dB, so it's not expected what you are seeing.

You can test opposite side band rejection by listening to a strong USB signal and then switching to LSB, the signal level should degrade about 50dB. The same for tuning over the band with a strong signal in the band; images should be well attenuated.

Reasons for worse opposite side band rejection could be various:
- tolerance differences in the components of around the FST3253 and opamps;
- not working I or Q channel (one of the opamps sections or si5351 or fst3253 mixer)
- problems in the biasing of one of the opamps or ADC.
- impedance matching problem in the low pass filter for the frequency where the issue occur.
yo3ggx
 

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Re: Sticky: Post (tr)uSDX questions for the developers (Manuel DL2MAN and Guido PE1NNZ) in here

Post by yo3ggx »

Hello.

Congratulation for the very nice little transceiver. I'm Dan (YO3GGX), the developer of Pocket RxTx Android application. I intend to fully support (tr)uSDX in the new version 4 I'm working on.
There is any documentation available for the CAT protocol implemented in the transceiver firmware?
I have one fully functional (tr)uSDX that I can use to test.

Thank you.
73 Dan YO3GGX
pe1nnz
 

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Re: Sticky: Post (tr)uSDX questions for the developers (Manuel DL2MAN and Guido PE1NNZ) in here

Post by pe1nnz »

Hi Dan,

Thanks for congrats and reaching out to us.

It would indeed be great to have Pocket RxTx support for the (tr)uSDX.
The (tr)uSDX is loosly implementing the TS480 CAT protocol [1]; make sure to keep DTR stable (as it is used for resetting the rig during programming). RTS is used for keying the rig in CW. The list of currently supported cmds is [2].

We are having a development firmware that also is capable of streaming audio over the same CAT connection, a special CAT command is used to enable it and to make distinction between the other CAT commands. In this way Pocket RxTx could make the receiver audio audible via the phone speaker and use this for showing a waterfall and/or doing some digital modes decoding (is Pocket RxTx supporting digit modes?). Also audio streaming for TX is coming.

Please reach out in private to my personal email: pe1nnz (at) amsat.org and we can work together if you like.

73, Guido

[1] https://www.kenwood.com/i/products/info ... 480_pc.pdf

[2] FA, FAx, IF, ID, PS, AI, AI0, MD, MDx, RX, TXx, AG0, XT1, RT1, RC, FL0, RS, VXx, UKx, UD, UAx, US
yo3ggx
 

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Re: Sticky: Post (tr)uSDX questions for the developers (Manuel DL2MAN and Guido PE1NNZ) in here

Post by yo3ggx »

Hello Guido,

Is great that audio is now supported over USB, as Pocket RxTx v4 has now support for audio in all modes (direct control, server and client). You will be able to operate tr(u)SDX with a smartphone and a Bluetooth headset. As keying over RTS is possible too, CW transmission with some predefined macros will be possible too. Currently I have to learn how to update the firmware to the development one, for the most up-to-date features. The issue i that when I power up the transceiver, I do not get version number as explained in the documentation.

Pocket RxTx does not support DIGI modes yet. You are talking about digimodes waterfall or the SDR waterfall?

I will contact you directly. I'm really interested to implement full support for this little radio.

73 Dan YO3GGX
yo3ggx
 

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Re: Sticky: Post (tr)uSDX questions for the developers (Manuel DL2MAN and Guido PE1NNZ) in here

Post by yo3ggx »

Hello Guido,

Tried to contact you by email, but as no answer, I will write here.

I have now firmware v2.00i, I suppose the latest beta.
The following commands are now working with Pocket RxTx v4b5 (not yet released):
FA (both SET and READ)
MD - both SET and READ are working
RX, TX - through the PTT button
IF (TS480 protocol is not followed exactly, spaces are replaced with 00.). Works only in Rx, so you cannot get PTT status. RIT offset is not returned.
AI - only READ. What AI0 is supposing to do? Auto Info OFF? Is not anyway OFF all the time?
ID (return TS480, why not (tr)uSDX?)

Now what is not working:
AG - does nothing, on both SET and READ. What is supposed to do as it refers to audio level?
XT, RT, RC, VX - does nothing
RS, FL,UK,UD,UA,US - not in the TS480 commands list, so more info is needed

Any advice?

Thank you.

73 Dan YO3GGX
my callsign @ gmail-dot-com
John
 

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Re: Sticky: Post (tr)uSDX questions for the developers (Manuel DL2MAN and Guido PE1NNZ) in here

Post by John »

I saw a posting in the forum about an upgraded schematic for the radios having been created, and since when I was troubleshooting the rig after assembly I found I had some trouble reading the one that's presently available I would like to know if the licensing problems have been resolved so I can get a copy, and not have to redraw my own. I can do it, but rather than redraw schematics I'd much prefer to spend my time building a magnetic loop for the rig, as I'm surrounded by electrical noise at my QTH. Thanks.
DL2MAN
 

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Re: Sticky: Post (tr)uSDX questions for the developers (Manuel DL2MAN and Guido PE1NNZ) in here

Post by DL2MAN »

The Original Schematic was in violation of the CC-BY ND license.

Now everything is settled and published here:
viewtopic.php?t=513

73 Manuel; DL2MAN
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