How to Remove and Install the FLEX-5000A Top and Side Panels

May 1, 2010, 8:48 am

≫ Next: What PC operating system is compatible with my SDR hardware and PowerSDR?

How to Remove and Install the FLEX-5000A Top and Side Panels

System Dependencies
Minimum PowerSDR Version:	N/A
Applicable Hardware:	FLEX-5000

Content provided by: FlexRadio Systems Engineering

WARNING: Remove the power cable from the FLEX-5000A before attempting this procedure.

Required Tools:

T-20 Torx driver
#1 Phillips screwdriver
Small flat blade screwdriver

Removing the Side Panels
The side panels of the FLEX-5000A are not secured with screws. They are attached with a friction fastener are are easily pried off with a minimal amount of effort.

Step 1. If you look closely at the side rails, you will notice little indentations in them. This is to allow you to remove the side panels. See figure 1 below

Figure 1 - Side Panel showing access indention

Step 2. Using the flat blade of a very small screwdriver insert it into the side indention. See Figure 2 below

Figure 2 - Inserting a screwdriver into the side panel indention

Step 3. GENTLY pry the side panel away from the side the FLEX-5000A. See Figure 3 below.

Figure 3 - Removing the side panel.

Step 4. Repeat the procedure for the other side. Both side panels must be removed in order to remove the top and/or bottom panels

Removing the Top Cover
The top cover is fastened to the radio using four (4) Torx screws and is lifted off with you hands.

Step 1. Remove the four (4) screws fastening the top cover to the chassis using the T-20 Torx driver. There are two (2) on each side. See Figure 4 below. The yellow circle indicates where the retaining screws are located.

Figure 4 - Location of the Torx retraining screws.

Step 2. Using your hands, place your thumbs on the dark gray side support pieces and using your fingers grip the lip of the panel and flex it out slightly, while lifting up. You may need to push down with your thumbs for added assistance. Once it ‘pops’ loose, do the same to the other side. Refer to figures 5a and 5b below

Figure 5a - Side View

Figure 5b - Front View

Removing the Bottom Cover and Fan Plate
The bottom cover is removed in the same manner as the top cover, but below the bottom cover is the Fan Plate. The fan plate must be removed to gain access to the bottom of the FLEX-5000A

Step1 . Turn the FLEX-5000A and place it upside down on your workspace.

Step 2. Remove the four (4) screws fastening the bottom cover to the chassis using the T-20 Torx driver. There are two (2) on each side.

Step 3. Using your hands, place your thumbs on the dark gray side support pieces and using your fingers grip the lip of the panel and flex it out slightly, while lifting up. You may need to push down with your thumbs for added assistance. Once it ‘pops’ loose, do the same to the other side.

Step 4. Using the #2 Phillips screwdriver, remove the (4) Sheet Metal screws and washers holding the fan plate in place. Do NOT remove the four (4) Phillips screws closest to the fan. See figure 6 below. Note the retaining screw locations designated by the yellow circles.

Figure 6 - Location of the Fan plate retaining screws

Step 5. Once the fan plate retaining screws are removed, lift the fan plate up, from either side of the FLEX-5000A just enough for you to reach in and GENTLY wiggle the fan connector from side to side while lifting up to remove it. See Figures 7a and 7b below.

Figure 7a - Lifting one side of the Fan Plate to expose the fan power cable

Figure 7b - Location of the fan power connector on the TRX board

Installing the Top Cover
Step 1. Locate the TOP cover. Orient it so that the vent holes are at the back of the FLEX-5000A. Carefully align it with the four corner pieces, and gently press down. You should hear it snap into place. You will know it is seated correctly if it is level with the four corner pieces. See Figures 8a and 8b below

Figure 8a - Positioning the top cover on the FLEX-5000A

Figure 8b - Properly installed top cover. Note the corner alignment.

Step 2. Next, re-install the four (4) Torx screws to secure the top cover to the FLEX-500A.

Installing the Fan Plate and Bottom Cover
When re-installing the bottom cover, the fan must be connected and the fan plate has to be installed first. It is very important that the fan power cable be re-installed correctly to prevent the FLEX-5000A from over heating during normal operation.

Step 1. Set one side of the fan plate along the side of the FLEX-5000A with the fan power cord at the back of the transceiver. (See Figure 7a) The power connector is keyed, so it will only go on one way. If you look at the connector, you’ll notice it has two vertical ribs on one side. Install the connector so that the white plastic piece, on the transceiver board, and the side of the fan with the ribs go together.

WARNING: There is a similar connector on the TRX board labeled "COM1" that can easily be confused with the fan power connector. In Figure 9 below the COM1 connector is in the foreground, oriented parallel with the side of the FLEX-5000A and circled in red.

Figure 9 - Location of the fan power connector with the COM1 connector in the foreground.

Step 2. Re-install the four (4) sheet metal screws, you removed initially, to secure the Fan plate assembly. Refer to Figure 6 above. DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN THE SCREWS OR YOU MAY STRIP THE THREADS OF THE SCREWS.

Installing the Side Panels
The side panels install easily and require no tools.

Step 1. Align the side panels on the side of the FLEX-5000A and gently press inward until they snap in. Excessive force is not required.

This KB article may reference additional files that are available on the FlexRadio Systems web site Downloads page. Please use the URL(s) below to download the referenced materials.

An Adobe Acrobat Reader may be required to open the file.You can download Adobe Acrobat from here.

KB Source Document(s):

None Referenced

↧

What PC operating system is compatible with my SDR hardware and PowerSDR?

May 3, 2010, 12:38 am

≫ Next: Interfacing and Configuring W2IHY equipment with the FLEX-5000

≪ Previous: How to Remove and Install the FLEX-5000A Top and Side Panels

What PC operating system is compatible with my SDR hardware and PowerSDR?

System Dependencies
Minimum PowerSDR Version:	N/A
Applicable Hardware:	All FlexRadio Systems' SDRs

Content provided by: FlexRadio Systems Engineering

Each FlexRadio Systems software defined radio has hardware/driver dependencies that are unique to the operating system running on the PC which is connected to the hardware. In addition, there are unique requirements placed on PowerSDR (the software) itself based on the operating system it is running under.

There is a FlexRadio PowerSDR™ Operating System Compatibility web page that contain a compatibility matrix showing what hardware along with which version of the operating system being used is compatible and supported by FlexRadio Systems. It is not recommended to try and use unsupported configurations.

KB Source Document(s):

None Referenced

↧

Interfacing and Configuring W2IHY equipment with the FLEX-5000

May 6, 2010, 11:50 pm

≫ Next: Setting Up PowerSDR with a DDUtil and BobSMeter

≪ Previous: What PC operating system is compatible with my SDR hardware and PowerSDR?

Interfacing and Configuring W2IHY equipment with the FLEX-5000

System Dependencies
Minimum PowerSDR Version:	1.18.6
Applicable Hardware:	FLEX-5000

Content provided by: Dave, WO2X

NOTE: This article assumes that you have the FLEX-5000 operational and has been verified as working properly.

Audio Interface between the FLEX-5000 and the EQplus.
In this configuration, a microphone is connected to the 8-Band EQ. The 8-Band EQ is connected to the EQplus and the EQplus is connected to the Balanced Line In connector on the back of the FLEX-5000.

[Mic] -->[8-Band EQ]-->[EQplus]-->[FLEX-5000 Balanced Line In]

Please refer to the 8-Band EQ documentation for connecting it to a microphone and the EQplus.

It is preferred to connect the output of the EQplus to the balanced audio input on the back of the FLEX-5000 since the output from the EQplus is itself balanced.

Julius, W2IHY can sell you the interface cable for connecting the FLEX-5000 to the EQplus or you can make one with the following pinout:

You need a 5 pin DIN plus a 1/4” TRS plug. Use shielded high quality audio cable.

W2IHY EQ Plus to balanced audio in cable wiring:
DIN pin 1 to 1/4" TRS tip
DIN pin 2 to 1/4" TRS ring
DIN pin 5 to 1/4" TRS shell

Setting Up the W2IHY 8-Band EQ
These settings were used with an ElectroVoice RE-27 and are recommendations for a starting point. Once you are on the air you will need to make adjustments to the EQ to best match your voice, microphone type and operating preferences.

Adjust the 8band EQ and EQ Plus as follows:

8 Band EQ Settings
50 Hz	+8
100 Hz	+4
200 Hz	-6
400 Hz	0
800 Hz	0
1600 Hz	0
2400 Hz	+4
3200 Hz	+8

Other Settings:

Noise Gate off
Mic impedance 600 Ohms (on bottom)
Turn switch on right to ON position to enable EQ.

Use a good pair of full range headphones and plug into the monitor connector on 8-Band EQ to adjust the mic gain setting. Once that is complete, you can adjust the individual EQ frequency settings. Remember, if you make drastic changes to the EQ frequency settings, you may need to re-adjust the mic gain settings.

Turn monitor volume knob up Turn MIC IN fully counterclockwise.
Adjust MIC IN (on bottom) when speaking to the point where the RED LED above the EQ on/off switch just starts to blink.
Then turn the MIC IN counterclockwise to reduce mic input level until the RED LED never blinks on voice peaks. Blinking of the LED indicates audio clipping.

Setting Up the W2IHY EQplus
Set the following on the EQplus:

Equalizer Switch: on
Bass EQ: first line clockwise from 12 o'clock (approx 1:30 pm)
Treble EQ: first line clockwise from 12 o'clock (approx 1:30 pm)
Mic impedance: 600
Mic power: off
Gain: 9:00 position
Comp: 8:30 position
Delay: 10:00 position
Level: 1:00position
Effects: off
DE Level: see adjustment information below
Expander: leave off for initial settings, then turn on when you adjust DE Level
Output level. Leave at the 1:00 position for now.

Setting Up PowerSDR
There are several places in PowerSDR that need to be configured to properly use outboard audio hardware no matter what the hardware is. Below is a summary of the tasks to be completed for this step.

Select the proper the Audio Input and set the Audio Input Gain
Set the DSP Buffer setting for Phone Operation
Create a TX Profile specifically for this microphone/outboard hardware setup

Configuring the PowerSDR Mixer

Start the PowerSDR application.
From the PowerSDR menu bar, select the MIXER option.
Check the Bal Line In input and adjust the slider as shown below.

Configuring PowerSDR Settings

From the PowerSDR menu bar, select the SETUP option.

General->Hardware Config Tab
Change the Process Priority to Above Normal

Refer to the example below.

DSP->Option Tab
Change the Phone RX and TX DSP buffers to 4096 (or the max value available)

This will create the sharpest Phone TX and RX filter shapes. If you want a "softer" TX audio sound, select a smaller Phone TX buffer size.

Refer to the example below.

Transmit Tab
Change the Transmit Filter high cut to 3050 Hz and the low cut to 50 Hz. This will create a 3.0 KHz transmit filter

After this setting is changed, click on the SAVE button and enter in a new TX Profile name for this profile, such as "W2IHY EQplus". This will create a new profile and not change the default TX Profile.

Refer to the example below.

Final PowerSDR Mic Gain and EQplus Settings
PowerSDR Settings:

Set the PowerSDR to SSB on an amateur frequency you are authorized to transmit on.
Put the FLEX-5000 TX Meter on MIC.
Set Drive slider on PowerSDR software to 0 so you do not transmit over the air.
Key radio and talk into the mic. Adjust output on the EQ Plus until the TX MIC meter on the Power SDR shows -5 dB on voice peaks. Do not exceed 0 dB.
Save the TX Profile again once you have completed the settings so that the Mic Gain parameter is properly stored.

W2IHY EQplus Settings:

Turn the Downward Expander switch on.
Plug headphones into the FLEX-5000 and click the MON button on PowerSDR to activate the TX monitor.
Key radio and adjust W2IHY EQplus DE LEVEL clockwise until background audio mutes. Do not adjust too far or the audio will get choppy.

That's it! This should get you close. Now you can tweak to get the settings that are right for your voice. The RE-27 matches up VERY well with the W2IHY equipment.

Remember to turn up Drive back to desired level.

This should get you on the air. Again,once you are on the air you will probably want to customize the settings to your personal preference.

KB Source Document(s):

None Referenced

↧

Setting Up PowerSDR with a DDUtil and BobSMeter

May 8, 2010, 12:20 am

≫ Next: FLEX-5000 HRFIO-34 EEPROM Updater (Assy:34)

≪ Previous: Interfacing and Configuring W2IHY equipment with the FLEX-5000

Setting Up PowerSDR with a DDUtil and BobSMeter

System Dependencies
Minimum PowerSDR Version:	1.18.6
Applicable Hardware:	N/A

Content provided by: Dave, WO2X

BobSmeter-Flex, is a "free floating" graphical representation of an analog style S-meter for PowerSDR. It uses PowerSDR CAT commands to poll the receiver's signal strength and display it.

PowerSDR can be configured to operate with BobSMeter and other CAT enabled programs using DDUtil by K5FR.

This article covers the software configuration to allow PowerSDR to communicate to DDUtil and BobSMeter.

Step 1.) Install VSP Manager
For more information on VSPmanager, refer to the following KB article Virtual Serial Port Driver (VSPmanager)
Download VSPmanager at:http://k5fr.com/ddutilwiki/index.php?title=VSP_Manager

Open VSPManager by clicking start/VSPManager.

Make sure PowerSDR is closed (and close DDUtil if already installed)
On the right side set End 1 of the virtual com port pair to COM11 and End 2 (the other end of the virtual com port pair) to COM12 (if these com ports are available on your PC - you can choose any com port paring you like). This virtual com port pair will connect PowerSDR's CAT port to DDUtil
Click create pair. You should hear the new hardware confirmation tones if you have Windows Sounds enabled and speakers connected to an enabled sound card in your PC.
Now create another pair COM13 and COM14 using the steps above that will be used for the BobSMeter connection.
Then click options/refresh display. Expand Virtual ports and you should see COM11 and COM12.

See the example below.

Step 2.) Configure PowerSDR's CAT port

Click on PowerSDR to start program
From the PowerSDR Menu Bar, select Setup
From the Setup screen, select the CAT tab
Configure CAT control as per the following screen shot for the baud rate, parity, data and stop bits.
Under ID as: select PowerSDR.
Once you change the settings click on Enable CAT check box
Click Apply and exit

See the example below.

Step 3.) Download and Install DDUtil
Download DDUtil from http://k5fr.com/ddutilwiki/index.php?title=Main_Page and install it.

Next, launch DDUtil and set the port tab as per this screen shot.

See the example below.

Step 4.) Download and install the BobSMeter from Woodbox Radio

Download the BobSMeter from: http://www.woodboxradio.com/download/BobSmeter-Flex_v1.zip

Unzip the file to a folder on your PC and open the ConfigSmeter-Flex.txt with notepad.
Change the ComCat1 line (second line down) to ComCat1=COM14
Save the ConfigSmeter-Flex.txt file and close notepad.
Start PowerSDR
Start DDUtil
Launch the BobSmeterFlex.exe to start the BobSMeter.

You can position the S-meter on top of PowerSDR and it will remain in the foreground, even when PowerSDR is in focus.

Here's a screen shot of my radio with the BobSMeter running.

↧

FLEX-5000 HRFIO-34 EEPROM Updater (Assy:34)

May 18, 2010, 11:09 pm

≫ Next: How to Report Software Bugs for FlexRadio Systems' Products

≪ Previous: Setting Up PowerSDR with a DDUtil and BobSMeter

FLEX-5000 HRFIO-34 EEPROM Updater (Assy:34)

System Dependencies
Minimum PowerSDR Version:	N/A
Applicable Hardware:	FLEX-5000

Content provided by: FlexRadio Systems Engineering

This utility is used to update a FLEX-5000 EEPROM with the new assembly number and revision for newly user installed HRFIO-34 boards.

WARNING: DO *NOT* RUN THIS UPDATER IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A HRFIO-34 BOARD INSTALLED. IT CAN DAMAGE YOUR RADIO AND VOID THE WARRANTY.

KB Source Document(s):

HRFIO EEPROM Updater (34B)

↧

How to Report Software Bugs for FlexRadio Systems' Products

May 26, 2010, 11:58 pm

≫ Next: Using Alternate Databases with PowerSDR 2.x

≪ Previous: FLEX-5000 HRFIO-34 EEPROM Updater (Assy:34)

How to Report Software Bugs for FlexRadio Systems' Products

System Dependencies
Minimum PowerSDR Version:	N/A
Applicable Hardware:	N/A

Content provided by: FlexRadio Systems Information Management Team

FlexRadio Systems' software products are dynamic and continuously being updated. Since they are always changing, there are bound to be bugs in the software. The bugs, once identified, need to be entered into the Bug Tracker so that development can address them.

The Bug Tracker is a web based application that records the bug information and allows people to comment or blog on a particular bug report. Reports are automatically sent via e-mail to the software development team and are placed in a queue for investigation and resolution if the report is actually a software bug.

Sending bug reports to the Reflector will only result in a delay getting the bug addressed since it is not in the queue to be addressed.

When reporting a bug, please include the following:

The version of software you are using including SVN number if applicable.
Your PC setup
Your sound card (SDR-1000 users only)
A detailed description of the bug.
A step-by-step description of how to reproduce the bug
Any other pertinent information

In order to add a bug to the Bug Tracker you need to belogged on to the FlexRadio Systems Support site.

Enter into theSupport Site (http://support.flex-radio.com/Home.aspx)and click on Login at the top right hand side of thepage. Alternately you can access it directly from this URL (http://support.flex-radio.com/login.aspx).

Ifyou do not have a logon ID then click the New Registration button. Enter the required data and clickon the Submit button. If you have signed up for the Reflector,you need to un-check the box that says sign me up for the Reflector.

KB Source Document(s):

NoneReferenced

↧

Using Alternate Databases with PowerSDR 2.x

May 27, 2010, 7:42 pm

≫ Next: PowerSDR v2.0 TX Audio Chain Block Diagram

≪ Previous: How to Report Software Bugs for FlexRadio Systems' Products

Using Alternate Databases with PowerSDR 2.x

System Dependencies
Minimum PowerSDR Version:	2.0.0
Applicable Hardware:	Any SDR hardware

Content provided by: FlexRadio Systems Engineering

Beginning with PowerSDR v2.0.0, all operational and user specific data, which includes the PowerSDR database, is no longer stored in the application folder found under ..\Program Files\.., but is kept in a user specific profile location specifically designed for data that changes during the operation of the application. The absolute path of the application data folder location and whether or not it is a hidden folder or not unfortunately changes depending on what Windows operating system you are using. Fortunately, Windows had made concessions in this regard and uses an environment variable to map the different paths to the application data folder location. This Windows environment variable is %APPDATA%. You can use this environment variable to display the path even if the folders are hidden.

To view the absolute path of the %APPDATA% environment variable and all of the other defined environment variables, just issue the set command from the Windows Run applet (WinKey + R), Windows Search box or a command window.

How to Select a Different Alternate Path for PowerSDR User Data
For each unique version of PowerSDR 2.x that is installed, there is a specific user application data folder for each version. While there is not a method for selecting a particular database to use when starting or initializing PowerSDR, there is a run-time argument or option that can be used when running the PowerSDR.exe executable that will direct it to use an alternate path for the application data folder location. This will allow you to keep separate PowerSDR databases and other files needed to operate the radio for different operating configurations or provide the ability to run multiple instances of PowerSDR on your PC at one time using a common application folder.

The run-time argument is: -datapath:[path]

Where [path] is the full path (without the brackets) to the folder that contains the user specific data for that version of PowerSDR. If the absolute path has any spaces in it, which is usually the case, then you must put double quotes ("path") around the path.

Also, there is no space between the ":" and the path statement.

The easiest way to create an alternate user data location is to make a copy of the current default user data folder (and it's sub folders) and use this as a template for defining an alternate user data folder. In the example below, an alternate user data folder will be created on a Win7 PC for PowerSDR version 2.0.0.

Step 1. - Determine the current location of the default user data folder for PowerSDR

In the Win7 Search or Run box, enter (without the quotes) "%APPDATA%\FlexRadio Systems\". Once you enter this string, a listing of all the sub-folders will appear.
Select the sub-folder path that contains the PowerSDR v2.0.0 folder (%APPDATA%\FlexRadio Systems\PowerSDR v2.0.0) and hit the <ENTER> key or click on OK to show the File Display dialog box.

Step 2. - Create an alternate data path folder

Create a new alternate user data folder in any location you choose as long as you have full user level rights to access that folder. For this example, the folder will be called "PowerSDR v2.0.0 FLEX-1500"

NOTE: This folder must exist before executing the next step or you will receive an error

Step 3. - Start up PowerSDR using the -datapath:[path] run-time argument

There are several different ways to pass the run-time argument to PowerSDR 2.x when starting the application. You can create an application shortcut or start PowerSDR from the Run box or Command window. One other way is to create a small batch file to start the application. In the example below, a small batch file is used for starting PowerSDR showing the syntax of the -datapath:[path] run-time argument.

===== [ start of batch file ]=====
@echo off
REM - clear the screen of any junk
cls

REM - add some informational text...
echo.
echo Starting the FLEX-1500...

REM - change to the C: drive to make sure you are on the correct hard drive partition
C:

REM - change directory to where the PowerSDR executable is located
cd C:\Program Files\FlexRadio Systems\PowerSDR v2.0.0

REM - add some more informational text...
echo The FLEX-1500 and PowerSDR are Initializing...

REM - run PowerSDR with the -datapath run-time argument
powersdr.exe -datapath:"%appdata%\FlexRadio Systems\PowerSDR v2.0.0 FLEX-1500"

:END
===== [ end of batch file ]=====

When PowerSDR starts up it will use the database in this path location and will subsequently write any files to this path, such as wave files you create while using PowerSDR.

KB Source Document(s):

None Referenced

↧

PowerSDR v2.0 TX Audio Chain Block Diagram

June 7, 2010, 4:50 am

≫ Next: Microsoft .Net 1.1 Installation

≪ Previous: Using Alternate Databases with PowerSDR 2.x

PowerSDR v2.0 TX Audio Chain Block Diagram

System Dependencies
Minimum PowerSDR Version:	2.X.0
Applicable Hardware:	N/A

Content provided by: FlexRadio Systems Engineering

Below is a downloadable PDF version of the PowerSDR v2.x TX Audio Chain block diagram.

KB Source Document(s):

PowerSDR v2.x TX Audio Chain Block Diagram

↧

Microsoft .Net 1.1 Installation

June 22, 2010, 10:24 am

≫ Next: How to Manually Uninstall and Reinstall the FLEX-1500 Device Driver

≪ Previous: PowerSDR v2.0 TX Audio Chain Block Diagram

Microsoft .Net 1.1 Framework Installation

System Dependencies
Minimum PowerSDR Version:	All 1.x versions
Applicable Hardware:	N/A

Content provided by: FlexRadio Systems Engineering

The Microsoft .Net 1.1 framework is required for running PowerSDR 1.x. It can be downloaded from the FlexRadio web site using the URL below.

KB Source Document(s):

Microsoft .NET 1.1 Framework

↧

How to Manually Uninstall and Reinstall the FLEX-1500 Device Driver

June 25, 2010, 2:57 am

≫ Next: How to Verify the FLEX-1500 USB Driver is Properly Loaded

≪ Previous: Microsoft .Net 1.1 Installation

How to Manually Uninstall and Reinstall the FLEX-1500 Device Driver

System Dependencies
Minimum PowerSDR Version:	N/A
Applicable Hardware:	FLEX-1500

Content provided by: FlexRadio Systems Engineering

Under rare circumstances where the FLEX-1500 device driver did not load properly, as determined by validating the installation using the KB article "How to Verify the FLEX-1500 USB Driver is Properly Loaded", you can manually unload and reload the drivers without having to unload PowerSDR. The following procedures will provide a step-by-step guide for repairing a failed driver install.

Complete Uninstall / Reinstall of the FLEX-1500 Driver

Step 1. - Power off the FLEX-1500
Turn off the power to the FLEX-1500

Step 2. - Locate the FLEX-1500 Driver Install folder.
The FLEX-1500 driver install folders are located with the PowerSDR 2.x.x application folder. There are separate driver folders for the 32 and 64-bit versions of the driver. Make sure you select the proper folder for the type of operating system you are running.

For Windows XP, the default location for the installation of PowerSDR is:
c:\Program Files\FlexRadio Systems\PowerSDR v2.x.x
For Vista and Windows 7, the default location for the installation of PowerSDR is:
c:\Program Files (x86)\FlexRadio Systems\PowerSDR v2.x.x

Using Windows Explorer or any of the alternate methods Windows provides to view and execute files, navigate to the appropriate FLEX-1500 driver folder.

Step 3. - Manually Uninstall the FLEX-1500 driver
Locate the batch file uninstall.bat in the appropriate FLEX-1500 driver folder. If you are running Vista or Win7, Right click on the file name and choose "Run As administrator." If you are running Windows XP, make sure you are logged in with full administrator rights as there is no Run As option for batch files.

You will see a Windows Command window (aka "DOS box") displayed momentarily while the driver is uninstalled.

Step 4. - Manually Install the FLEX-1500 driver
Locate the batch file wd_install.bat in the appropriate FLEX-1500 driver folder. If you are running Vista or Win7, Right click on the file name and choose "Run As administrator." If you are running Windows XP, make sure you are logged in with full administrator rights as there is no Run As option for batch files.

You will see a Windows Command window (aka "DOS box") displayed while the driver is being installed. It can take up to a minute or two to complete the driver installation. Wait until the Command window closes before proceeding.

Step 5. - Verify the driver installation
Validate the FLEX-1500 driver installation using the KB article "How to Verify the FLEX-1500 USB Driver is Properly Loaded"

KB Source Document(s):

None Referenced

↧

How to Verify the FLEX-1500 USB Driver is Properly Loaded

June 25, 2010, 2:58 am

≫ Next: How to Setup Virtual Audio Cable (VAC) 4.0x with PowerSDR

≪ Previous: How to Manually Uninstall and Reinstall the FLEX-1500 Device Driver

How to Verify the FLEX-1500 USB Driver is Properly Loaded

System Dependencies
Minimum PowerSDR Version:	N/A
Applicable Hardware:	FLEX-1500

Content provided by: FlexRadio Systems Engineering

The FLEX-1500 utilizes a USB driver for communicating with your PC. There are two functional components of this driver; the USB Kernel mode component and the hardware specific component. These are automatically installed using the PowerSDR 2.x Installer program.

You can verify that both driver components have been properly installed by checking for them in the Windows Device Manager.

Use the procedure below to verify that your FlexRadio USB driver for the FLEX-1500 is properly installed.

NOTE: In this example Windows XP is the operating system. The process is the same for Vista and Win7, except some of the screens and the location of the icons may be different.

Before starting this procedure, make sure the FLEX-1500 is connected to the PC and powered up.

Step 1. Click on the START button in the lower left hand corner of your screen. Move your cursor to My Computer and right click your mouse to display the My Computer sub-menu. If using the classic view, right click your mouse on the My Computer icon on the desktop.

Step 2. Move your cursor to the Properties option and right click your mouse to display the System Properties dialog box.

Step 3. Once the System Properties dialog box is displayed right click your mouse on the Hardware tab to display the System Properties Hardware Option screen.

Step 4. Left click your mouse on the Device Manager button to display the Device Manager dialog box.

Step 5. Look for the hardware category FlexRadio. If this subcategory is not displayed the FlexRadio USB driver has not been installed. If the hardware category FlexRadio is present, expand it by clicking on the [+] to the left of it.

Step 6. As noted in the picture above taken from an XP Device Manager screen, there are two components listed under the FlexRadio hardware category.

FLEX-1500 Software Defined Radio

FlexRadio USB Kernel Driver

The FLEX-1500 Software Defined Radio driver is the low level driver that is responsible for low-latency radio control and with a properly installed driver, will always be displayed even if the FLEX-1500 is not attached and powered up. The FlexRadio USB Kernel Driver is the high level device specific portion of the low-latency radio control driver. Both of these drivers work together to provide hardware control of the radio from the PC.

If both of these driver components are displayed, then the driver is installed correctly and the FLEX-1500 is properly communicating with the PC.

If the FLEX-1500 Software Defined Radio and the FlexRadio USB Kernel Driver entries are not displayed, then the FLEX-1500 driver did not load properly and will have to be reloaded.

If the FlexRadio USB Kernel Driver component is not displayed, then either the FLEX-1500 is not connected to the PC, it is not powered up or there is another issue preventing the radio hardware from communicating with the PC. Check the USB connections and the power on state of the radio. You also may have to connect the FLEX-1500 to a different USB port.

Audio Driver Validation

When verifying the driver installation there is one additional driver that needs to be verified. It is the audio device driver that is enumerated with a properly installed FLEX-1500.

The FLEX-1500 will be displayed as an audio device under the Sound, video and game controllers category. Depending on the version of Windows you are using, the device name is enumerated differently. In the example above under Windows XP, the FLEX-1500 shows up as a USB Audio Device. Under Vista and Windows 7, it is enumerated as a FLEX-1500. See an example of a Win7 Device Manager below.

↧

How to Setup Virtual Audio Cable (VAC) 4.0x with PowerSDR

June 26, 2010, 12:22 am

≫ Next: How to Revert the Win7 1394ohci.sys to the Legacy Driver

≪ Previous: How to Verify the FLEX-1500 USB Driver is Properly Loaded

How to Setup Virtual Audio Cable (VAC) 4.0x with PowerSDR

System Dependencies
Minimum PowerSDR Version:	1.6.0
Applicable Hardware:	All transceivers

Content provided by: FlexRadio Systems Engineering & Tim W4TME

Virtual Audio Cable (VAC) is a third-party software program that allows the rerouting and the emulation of a sound card in software rather than having to use a second sound card for audio analysis or use with digital mode programs such as MixW and WSJT. There are some significant advantages to using VAC over a second sound card.

The entire audio stream is maintained in the digital domain - there is no multiple conversions of the signal from digital to analog and from analog to digital.
There are no external cables to degrade the sound quality or possibly pick up RFI.
A computer PCI, Firewire or USB slot is not used.

VAC version 4.0x is an upgraded version from 3.12. Some of the new enhancements are:

1..20 milliseconds per interrupt.
Almost any of fixed point PCM audio formats (200..1000000 samples per second, 8..32 bits per sample, 1..8 channels). Floating point formats are not supported.
Almost no sound latency with maximal interrupt frequency.
Signal mixing (with saturation) between output port clients.
PCM format conversion between clients on either end of the VAC cable.
Volume control features.
WDM/KS Audio technology native for Windows 2k/XP/2k3.

PowerSDR version 1.6.0 (and above) has native support for VAC when using the DRM or DIGIx modes. This allows the user to setup and control the audio parameters of VAC directly from the PowerSDR console.

VAC is written and maintained by Eugene Muzychenko. You can get information from the VAC Home Page.

Configuring VAC 4.0x

Note: The program's developer, Eugene has introduced a problem in his version control. His software which is labeled 4.08 on his web site comes up as 4.8 in the program's About menu. So do not be led astray. Also, screens change significantly from sub-release to sub release, so the ones shown may not be exactly what is the most current. This article has screen shots from the 4.08/4.8 version of VAC

There are several steps involved in getting VAC installed and working properly with PowerSDR. Below is a summary of the steps required.

1. Obtain and install VAC 4.0x on the same computer that is running PowerSDR
2. Configure VAC "cables"
3. Configure PowerSDR to utilize VAC

Step 1. Install VAC 4.0x as per the installation directions. If VAC was previously loaded, you must first uninstall all versions before installing a new version of VAC 4.0x

Step 2. Once installed, set up a pair of VAC audio "cables" for use with PowerSDR by opening the VAC Control Panel.

Figure 1 - VAC Console

Step 3. By default only one audio cable is defined. You will need to create two cables by changing the driver parameters to 2 cables then click SET and Restart. Highlight the appropriate cable and change the values to match the figure above. In the "Ms per int" box enter a value between 1 and 20 ms. The lower the value, the smaller the VAC audio buffer. In the example above, 7 ms was selected. Depending on your computer setup you may have to adjust this value to prevent the audio from dropping out or "popping".

You can choose two different Stream limit formats; cable format and cable range. Since PowerSDR defines both audio cables' format when VAC support is enabled, using the Cable Format is recommended. If you decide to use the Cable Range stream format, one thing to consider, when a format conversion occurs, it takes significant CPU resources and it may noticeably slow your applications causing audio drops outs. Therefore using Cable Format as the stream format may help with audio drop outs. In the example above, I am using Cable Range because it provides the most flexibility and does not adversely affect the performance of PowerSDR on the computer I am using.

After completing all of the necessary changes, click on Set for each cable when completed.

NOTE: Repeat these changes for the second audio cable as well.

NOTE: Do NOT check the Volume Control box in the VAC control panel. This enables the Windows Mixer and can cause unpredictable results.

Step 4. Start up PowerSDR version 1.6.0 (or higher). Click Setup on the Menu Bar. The PowerSDR Setup program is displayed. See example below.

Figure 2 - PowerSDR Setup (default page)

Step 5. Click on the Audio tab and then click on the VAC tab.

Figure 3 - VAC Setup

Step 6. In the "Virtual Audio Cable Setup" section, set the "Driver" to MME using the drop down box (other driver options, such as Windows WDM-KS are supported but may work depending on the sound card application being used. For this article, MME is used because it is the most compatible. Once you have VAC working, you can experiment with the other drivers. Their advantage is that they have less inherent latency for audio transfer). In the "Input" drop down box, select Virtual Cable 1. In the "Output" drop down box, select Virtual Cable 2. In the "Auto Enable" section, select this option if you want VAC to automatically engage when any of the digital modes (DIGIx or DRM) are selected on the PowerSDR console. This is the preferred setting. In the "Buffer Size" section, select a buffer size from the drop down box. Depending on your computer setup you may have to adjust this value to prevent the audio from dropping out or "popping". In the "Sample Rate" section, select a higher sampling rate from the drop down box option that exceeds the sampling rate of the sound card program you are using. Using a sampling rate of 48K provides the best audio quality and produces the fewest drop outs.

Troubleshooting Technique: In some cases the sound card program can not handle format down conversion very well resulting in no or poor audio processing. If this is the case, change the Sample rate to exactly match that of the sound card program you are using.

If the soundcard program uses a stereo mode, such as DReaM, then select the Stereo option in the "Mono/Stereo" section. And finally, the "Gain (dB)" section is the place where you adjust the AF gain of the VAC cable. Since the Volume Control was not checked on the VAC Control Panel (step #3) the Windows Mixer is not available for VAC cables. Use only the adjustments in PowerSDR to increase or decrease the volume (AF gain) going to and from the sound card application.

NOTE: Always start PowerSDR with VAC enabled before starting the sound card program so that PowerSDR can define the VAC cable format

Setp 7. To check to see if VAC is properly working, Select a digital mode in PowerSDR and make sure the radio is "On" and not in "Stand By" mode. The Open the VAC Control panel and you should see the audio cables active.

Figure 4 - VAC Control Panel

As displayed above, the VAC channels are active, but only for PowerSDR. If you look at Cable 1, you will see that the number of "Pb streams" is 0 (zero) and the "Rc streams" for Cable 2 is also 0. VAC 4.0x automatically sets up both ends of the audio cable even if the client (sound card) program is not configured or even running.

Step 8. When setting up VAC with two audio programs, the audio output of one program uses the same audio cable as the input of the other. Conversely, the audio input of the first program uses the same audio cable as the output of the other.

In your sound card program's setup for which sound card you are using, you will need to set the sound card input to "Virtual Cable 2" and the output to "Virtual Cable 1". Below is an example of how MixW is configured. Note that the sampling rate does not match what was setup in PowerSDR - This asymmetric configuration seems to provide the best audio quality and the fewest audio drop outs.

Figure 5 - MixW Sound Device Settings

Step 9. After you have the sound card program's audio input and output set, you should start observing audio either by hearing it or watching it on a spectrum display such as a waterfall. You can verify the VAC channel for the client program is active by looking at the VAC control panel.

Figure 6 - VAC Control Panel with MixW receiving

Notice that the value in the RcStream for Cable 2 has changed for a 0 (zero) to a 1 (one). This indicates that cable 2, which is the input for MixW is actively receiving audio from PowerSDR.

Note: The Pb Stream value for VAC audio cable 1 is still 0 (zero). This will not change to a one (1) until you are transmitting using the sound card program and MixW is sending audio through that cable.

Figure 7 - VAC Control Panel with MixW Transmitting

Step 10. At this point you have completed the set up of VAC 4.0x with a sound card program.

KB Source Document(s):

NoneReferenced

↧

How to Revert the Win7 1394ohci.sys to the Legacy Driver

June 29, 2010, 6:26 am

≫ Next: Location of PowerSDR 2.0 Databases

≪ Previous: How to Setup Virtual Audio Cable (VAC) 4.0x with PowerSDR

How to Revert the Win7 1394ohci.sys to the Legacy Driver

System Dependencies
Minimum PowerSDR Version:	N/A
Applicable Hardware:	N/A

Content provided by: FlexRadio Systems Engineering

The following instructions describe how to revert to the Vista or legacy 1394 Host controller bus driver. This driver is provided for backwards compatibility for Firewire device drivers that are not compliant with the new Windows 7 1394ohci.sys driver architecture.

Step 1. Opening the Windows 7 Device Manager

Click on the Start button. Now, type devmgmt.msc in the box with the text "Search Programs and Files" and press the <Enter> key. This will open the Device Manager.

Step 2. Expand the IEEE 1394 Bus host controllers object so you can see the installed 1349 host controllers

Step 3. To do this, locate the Firewire (1394) controller in the Device Manager tree that you will be using with your FLEX-x000 software defined radio, right click it, and select Update Driver Software.... This will open the Update Driver Software window.

Step 4. Now, select the Browse my computer for driver software (Locate and install driver software manually.) option. This will advance you to the next window where you will be prompted to browse for driver software on your computer. Read ahead, because you will not be doing any browsing.

Step 5. Now, beneath the browsing option select Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer (This list will show installed driver software compatible with the device, and all driver software in the same category as the device.). This will advance you to the next window where you will be prompted to select the device driver you want to install for this hardware.

Step 6. Now, select the 1394 OHCI Compliant Host controller with the word Legacy appended to it and then click Next. This will advance you to the next window where the driver will be installed.

Step 7. When the installation is complete you will advance to the final window where you are informed that Windows has successfully updated your driver software.

KB Source Document(s):

None Referenced

↧

Location of PowerSDR 2.0 Databases

July 17, 2010, 9:14 am

≫ Next: FLEX-1500 DC Power Interface

≪ Previous: How to Revert the Win7 1394ohci.sys to the Legacy Driver

Location of PowerSDR 2.0 Databases

System Dependencies
Minimum PowerSDR Version:	2.0.0
Applicable Hardware:	All SDR hardware

Content provided by: FlexRadio Systems Engineering

Beginning with PowerSDR v2.0.0, all operational and user specific data, which includes the PowerSDR database among other files, is no longer stored in the application folder found under ..\Program Files\.., but is kept in a user specific profile location specifically designed for data that changes during the normal operation of the application. This was a mandated change from Microsoft for Window Vista and Win7 because the ..\Program Files\.. location on the file system is now considered protected. The only time files should be written to the Program Files protected location is when the application is actually being installed. All subsequent files that are changed, deleted or created after the application has been installed must be placed in non-protected areas of the file system. The non-protected area where PowerSDR v2.0 stores this information is a location know as the user's "appdata" folder (this is not the actual folder name). The data is located here because these are files that normally should be be manipulated by the user or can be easily deleted or moved, which would cause PowerSDR not to function properly. Under the "appdata' folder, is a sub-folder called "FlexRadio Systems" that contains individual folders for version specific PowerSDR data as well as a global PowerSDR data folder that is used by all versions of PowerSDR v2.0

The absolute path of the application data folder location and whether or not it is a hidden folder or not unfortunately changes depending on what Windows operating system you are using. Fortunately, Windows had made concessions in this regard and uses an environment variable to map the different paths to the application data folder location. This Windows environment variable is %APPDATA%. You can use this environment variable to display the path even if the folders are hidden. To view the absolute path of the %APPDATA% environment variable and all of the other defined environment variables, just issue the "set" command from the Windows Run applet (WinKey + R), Windows Search box or a command window.

Below are the absolute paths of the %APPDATA% environment variable. (assuming that the C: driver is the drive/partition where the operating system was installed. The [user_id] is the logon ID you used for logging on to Windows.

XP: C:\Documents and Settings\[user_id]\Application Data
Vista: C:\Users\[user_id]\AppData\Roaming\
Win7: C:\Users\[user_id]\AppData\Roaming\

Below is the default directory structure for a PowerSDR 2.0.0 installation using the %APPDATA% environment variable.

%APPDATA%\FlexRadio Systems\PowerSDR
%APPDATA%\FlexRadio Systems\PowerSDR\Skins
%APPDATA%\FlexRadio Systems\PowerSDR\Skins\[skins_folders]
%APPDATA%\FlexRadio Systems\PowerSDR v2.0.0 (this is where the PowerSDR database is located)
%APPDATA%\FlexRadio Systems\PowerSDR v2.0.0\Backup

How to Navigate to or Find the PowerSDR User Data Using the %APPDATA% Environment Variable
It is easy to locate the APPDATA folder and subsequently the FlexRadio Systems application folder that contains the user's PowerSDR data

In the XP, Win7 or Vista Run or Search box, enter (without the quotes) "%APPDATA%\FlexRadio Systems\". Once you enter this string, a listing of all the sub-folders will appear.
Select the sub-folder path that contains the PowerSDR v2.0.0 folder (%APPDATA%\FlexRadio Systems\PowerSDR v2.0.0) and hit the <ENTER> key or click on OK to show the File Display dialog box.

KB Source Document(s):

None Referenced

↧

FLEX-1500 DC Power Interface

July 22, 2010, 12:21 am

≫ Next: How to Update the FLEX-5000/3000 Firmware

≪ Previous: Location of PowerSDR 2.0 Databases

FLEX-1500 DC Power Interface

System Dependencies
Minimum PowerSDR Version:	N/A
Applicable Hardware:	FLEX-1500

Content provided by: FlexRadio Systems Engineering

The FLEX-1500 utilizes a coaxial type power jack. The center pin measures 2.5 mm and the outer diameter is 5.5 mm. The center pin is positive (+) and the outer jacket is negative (-)

It uses a coaxial power connector like the one shown to the right.

A power cable, terminated with the proper connector, is supplied with the FLEX-1500, but if you would like to make additional power cables, the appropriate connectors can be purchased from the following companies listed below

Switchcraft # 760
Mouser part number 502-760

↧

How to Update the FLEX-5000/3000 Firmware

July 23, 2010, 8:15 pm

≫ Next: How to Determine the FLEX-xx00 Firmware Version

≪ Previous: FLEX-1500 DC Power Interface

How to Update the FLEX-5000/3000 Firmware

System Dependencies
Minimum PowerSDR Version:	Firmware dependent - v2.0.0.0 and higher
Applicable Hardware:	FLEX-5000 & FLEX-3000

Content provided by: FlexRadio Systems Engineering

This is a step-by-step guide for manually upgrading or "flashing" the FLEX-5000 or FLEX-3000 firmware using the FLEX Firewire Control panel with Firewire driver version 3.5.0.7171 or above. This method of upgrading the firmware is used for firmware versions 2.0.0.0 and above.

Upgrading the firmware for your FLEX-x000 software defined radio is a two step process. First you must download the firmware files to your PC using the PowerSDR v2.x Integrated Installer (setup) package. When you run the PowerSDR v2.x Integrated Installer, it automatically installs the FLEX-x000 firmware binaries to your computer as part of the installation process without needing any user intervention.

Second, you must use the Firmware Loader applet that is in the FLEX Firewire Control Panel to actually program the flash memory in your SDR with the new firmware binary.

WARNING: You *must* have the FLEX Firewire driver v3.5.0.7171 or higher installed and operational before proceeding. Failure to meet this prerequisite will result in the failure of upgrading the firmware on your software defined radio.

NOTE: The instructions and screen shots used below are only representative examples of the screens you will see when upgrading your firmware in regards to file names and firmware version numbers. Please use the appropriate file and firmware version for your actual upgrade.

Upgrading the FLEX-5000/3000 With New Firmware

Step 1: Run thePowerSDR v2.x Integrated Installer program to install PowerSDR 2.x andall of the ancillary drivers and software needed to operate yoursoftware defined radio. If you already have the latest version of PowerSDR v2.x installed, re-executing this step is not necessary.

Step 2: Power up the FLEX-x000 and do NOT start PowerSDR.

Step 3: After the firmware binary files have been extracted to your computer, start the FLEX Firewire control panel in order to load of the firmware into the radio's flash memory.

NOTE: If you receive an error that Driver Error: Driver Access Error, make sure your FLEX-x000 SDR is powered on. If it is not powered on, power it on now, right click on the OK button. Restart the FLEX Firewire Control panel from the icon on your desktop. The FLEX Firewire Control Panel application should now start without any errors.

Step 4: Left click on the button labeled Firmware Loader as shown below.

Step 5: The Firmware Loader applet will be displayed in the Device Setting section of the FLEX Firewire Control Panel. Left click the "Show Details" check box which will show the currently loaded or "running info" firmware (older firmware may not have a version or APP number shown) in the Details section of the FLEX Firewire control panel. Then left click on the "Browse" button to select the firmware binary file to upload to your radio.

Step 6: Once you click on the Browse button, a Chose a new File dialog box will appear giving you the ability to select the firmware binary file (a file with the extension of ".bin"). Below are the locations of where you can find the firmware files that were extracted to your PC in Phase I above.

Depending on the Windows operating system you are using, you will have a new folder labeled FLEX Firmware created in the Documents (Vista and Win7) or My Documents folder. When you open this folder, you will see two folders; one for each FLEX-x000 software defined radio. Underneath each radio type folder is located the different firmware versions in a separate folder labeled with the firmware number. In those folder you will find a firmware binary with a file name like FLEX-5000_FW_2.0.0.3.bin which is the firmware file version 2.0.0.3 for the FLEX-5000 and the associated readme or release notes file for that firmware version.

Below is a sample of the directory structure for the FLEX Firmware folder. You will need to become familiar with the location of these files because you are going to have to select the firmware image (*.bin) from the appropriate folder for the firmware image writer (burner) to use.

..\FLEX Firmware

..\FLEX Firmware\FLEX-5000
..\FLEX Firmware\FLEX-5000\2.0.0.2
..\FLEX Firmware\FLEX-5000\2.0.0.3
..\FLEX Firmware\FLEX-5000\2.0.0.4

..\FLEX Firmware\FLEX-3000
..\FLEX Firmware\FLEX-3000\2.0.0.2
..\FLEX Firmware\FLEX-3000\2.0.0.3
..\FLEX Firmware\FLEX-3000\2.0.0.4

Using the Chose a new File dialog box, navigate to the appropriate radio type folder and then navigate down and open the firmware version folder. In the firmware version folder a single file will be displayed; this is the firmware binary file you need to select by highlighting it and left clicking the OPEN button. See the Windows XP example below for the FLEX-5000, firmware version 2.0.0.3

Step 7: Once you have selected the firmware binary, the Details section in the FLEX Firewire Control Panel will be updated with information on the file you selected, showing the new firmware version as the APP version. Note the Product version for both the running info and file info firmware binaries should be the same. If not, you selected a firmware binary from the incorrect radio family. The FLEX-5000 has a Product ID =1 and the FLEX-3000 has a product ID = 2. If this is the case, click on the BROWSE button and reselect the proper firmware version.

You are now ready to start the Firmware upload process. Left click on the UPLOAD button to begin.

Step 8: The flashing of the new firmware to your radio will begin by first uploading the binary into memory.

And then finish by creating the DICE sector and uploading the binary into flash memory.

When the firmware upgrade is complete the Firmware Progress... window will close.

Verifying a Successful Update of the FLEX-5000/3000 Firmware
The FLEX-5000/3000 must reset or reboot before the new firmware is initialized. The final step of the firmware upgrade process is to automatically issue a software reset of the FLEX-5000/3000. If this is successful, you will hear a relay click several seconds after the last screen of the firmware upgrade process is displayed.

WARNING: If you do not hear the relay click or have any doubt that the FLEX-5000/3000 did not reset, then manually shut off the power and restart the FLEX-5000/3000.

Accessing the Firmware Release Notes
The firmware release notes are contained in the same folder as the firmware binary files. Open the folder with Windows Explorer and double left click on the FLEX-x000_Firmware_ReadMe.txt to view the release notes and any other pertinent information about the firmware release.

KB Source Document(s):

None Referenced

↧

How to Determine the FLEX-xx00 Firmware Version

July 23, 2010, 9:22 pm

≫ Next: PowerSDR Source Code

≪ Previous: How to Update the FLEX-5000/3000 Firmware

How to Determine the FLEX-xx00 Firmware Version

System Dependencies
Minimum PowerSDR Version:	N/A
Applicable Hardware:	FLEX-5000, FLEX-3000 & FLEX-1500

Content provided by: FlexRadio Systems Engineering

The procedure below will enable you to determine the current firmware version running on a FLEX-5000 or FLEX-3000

Open PowerSDR.
Click on the SETUP option in the top menu bar to open the PowerSDR Setup application
Click on the General tab
Click on the Hardware Config tab

The current firmware version is shown in the middle of the screen at the top. In the example below, the firmware version is 0.0.4.5 for a FLEX-5000A. This screen will look slightly different for the different models of FlexRadio Systems SDRs.

KB Source Document(s):

NoneReferenced

↧

PowerSDR Source Code

July 24, 2010, 8:42 pm

≫ Next: How to Update the FLEX-1500 Firmware

≪ Previous: How to Determine the FLEX-xx00 Firmware Version

PowerSDR™ Source Code

System Dependencies
Minimum PowerSDR Version:	All versions
Applicable Hardware:	N/A

Content provided by: FlexRadio Systems Engineering

Most of FlexRadio Systems™ PowerSDR™ software is open source and is covered under GNU GPL. Anyone wishing to use the source code is free to do so as long as you adhere to the terms and conditions of the GPL agreement. If you plan to use the software source code for commercial purposes, of which you are free to do so, please be aware that the actual name "PowerSDR" (along with various other feature descriptions within the software) is a legally binding trademark of FlexRadio Systems and all trademarks and copyrights must be honored as well.

People are encouraged to experiment with the PowerSDR software and if you want to contribute your innovations to the maintained PowerSDR application, please contact FlexRadio Systems software development team for

Pre "PowerSDR" Source Code - SDRConsole
The very first version of software used by FlexRadio was called SDRConsole. It was written in VB and is for the early version of the initial SDR-1000.

This source code can be found on the FlexRadio Systems web site Downloads page. There is a single archive for the SDRConsole source code and it is very large (~15 MB) It can be downloaded here.

Early PowerSDR Source Code - all versions up to v1.4.5
All released versions of PowerSDR up to version v1.4.5 were maintained as archived downloads (zip files) on the FlexRadio Systems web site Downloads page. Just do a search for the keyword "source code" and all versions will be displayed.

PowerSDR - v1.6.0 and Above
Starting with PowerSDR v1.6.0, the source code for officially released versions PowerSDR can be obtained directly from FlexRadio Systems by e-mailing a request to gpl@flex-radio.com or contacting them directly.

KB Source Document(s):

None Referenced

↧

How to Update the FLEX-1500 Firmware

July 25, 2010, 5:01 am

≫ Next: FLEX-1500 and Mismatched Loads

≪ Previous: PowerSDR Source Code

How to Update the FLEX-1500 Firmware

System Dependencies
Minimum PowerSDR Version:	Firmware dependent - v2.0.0.0 and higher
Applicable Hardware:	FLEX-1500

Content provided by: FlexRadio Systems Engineering

This is a step-by-step guide for manually upgrading or "flashing" the FLEX-15000 firmware.

Upgrading the firmware for your FLEX-1500 software defined radio is a two step process. First you must download the firmware files to your PC using the PowerSDR v2.x Integrated Installer (setup) package. When you run the PowerSDR v2.x Integrated Installer, it automatically installs the FLEX-1500 firmware binaries to your computer as part of the installation process without needing any user intervention.

Second, you must use the FLEX-1500 Firmware Loader program that is installed with the firmware to actually program the flash memory in your FLEX-1500 SDR with the new firmware binary.

NOTE: The instructions and screen shots used below are only representative examples of the screens you will see when upgrading your firmware in regards to file names, serial numbers and firmware version numbers. Please use the appropriate file and firmware version for your actual upgrade.

Upgrading the FLEX-1500 With New Firmware

Step 1: Run the PowerSDR v2.x Integrated Installer program to install PowerSDR 2.x and all of the ancillary drivers and software needed to operate your software defined radio. If you already have the latest version of PowerSDR v2.x installed, re-executing this step is not necessary.

Step 2: Power up the FLEX-1500 and do NOT start PowerSDR.

Step 3: Locate the correct FLEX-1500 firmware and Firmware Updater on your computer. The FLEX-1500 firmware and Firmware Loader are installed in the same folder as PowerSDR v2.x application program. Since each different version of PowerSDR 2.x is installed in a unique folder using it's version number, make sure that you are access the latest version to get the latest version of fimware.

If you installed PowerSDR v2.x using the default paths, then you will find the application folder in the following locations.

For Windows XP, and 32-bit Vista and Win7:

C:\Program Files\FlexRadio Systems\PowerSDR v2.x.x (where x.x is the minor version revision numbers)

For 64-bit Windows Vista and Win7

C:\Program Files (x86)\FlexRadio Systems\PowerSDR v2.x.x (where x.x is the minor version revision numbers)

Using Windows Explorer or an equivalent method to display the contents of a folder or directory, find and open the latest version of the PowerSDR v2.x.x application folder.

When you list the contents of the PowerSDR v2.x.x application folder, you will find two additional folders labeled 1500 Driver32 and 1500 Driver64 respectively.

Depending on if you are using a 32 or 64-bit operating system, change directories to the appropriate 1500 DriverXX folder and list the contents.

Step 4: Start the FLEX 1500 Firmware Loader program. Located in the FLEX-1500 DriverXX folder is a program called FLEX-1500 Firmware Loader.exe This is the program that must be run to update the FLEX-1500 firmware.

If you are running Windows XP, then double left click on the program to execute it.

If you are running Windows Vista or Win7, you must run this program with elevated user rights of a system administrator. If you are logged on with a user account that has administrator level privileges, then double left click on the program to execute it.

Otherwise, right click on the FLEX-1500 Firmware Loader.exe file name to display options menu and select the option Run as Administrator. You will be prompted to enter in administrator level credentials (password) to execute the program. If you are not prompted, then your user ID you are logged on as already has administrator level privileges.

NOTE: Do not run any other programs found in the 1500 DriverXX folder unless instructed. Doing so can make your FLEX-1500 inoperable and will require a call to the FlexRadio Support department to rectify the situation.

Step 5: If the FLEX-1500 is properly communicating with the PC, the following screen will appear. Otherwise you will get a screen that says "No Hardware Found" before the FLEX-1500 Firmware Loader screen is displayed.

FLEX-1500 Firmware Loader.

Make a note of the information displayed at the bottom of the screen. This is the radio's serial number and the Current Revision which is the installed firmware version number (not the version being installed). In the example above, the FLEX-1500 serial number is 2410-0075 and the Current Revision is 0.1.7.4.

If this information is not displayed, then there is a problem with the FLEX-1500 USB driver properly communicating with the radio hardware. Do not continue executing this procedure! Contact the FlexRadio Support Department immediately to resolve the communication problem between the FLEX-1500 and PC hardware before continuing.

Step 6: If everything is working properly, left click on the Update button.

The Update button will turn RED while programming and updating. See the screen shot below

FLEX-1500 Firmware Loader updating the firmware

The Update button will turn yellow while the firmware installation is being verified.

Step 7: After the firmware installation has been successfully verified, you will be prompted to power cycle the FLEX-1500 in order for the firmware changes to take effect. See the screen shot below.

FLEX-1500 power cycle notification

Step 8: Left click on the OK button to acknowledge the power cycle request. The dialog box shown above will close.

Step 9: Close the FLEX-1500 Firmware Loader program by Left clicking the white X in the red box located at the top right hand corner of the program screen.

Step 10: Turn off the power to the FLEX-1500. Wait a few seconds and then power the FLEX-1500 back on. Your FLEX-1500 is now operational with the latest firmware.

Verifying a Successful Update of the FLEX-1500 Firmware
The FLEX-1500 must restart before the new firmware is initialized.

To verify the firmware version, you can check in the PowerSDR setup program (see KB article How to Determine the FLEX-xx00 Firmware Version) or you can execute steps 2 through 5 and note the installed firmware version in the bottom of the FLEX-1500 Firmware Loader screen.

Accessing the Firmware Release Notes
At this time, firmware release notes are not delivered with FLEX-1500 firmware updates.

KB Source Document(s):

None Referenced

↧

FLEX-1500 and Mismatched Loads

July 28, 2010, 9:41 am

≫ Next: MiniDeluxe - A lightweight CAT interface for HRD Components

≪ Previous: How to Update the FLEX-1500 Firmware

FLEX-1500 and Mismatched Loads

System Dependencies
Minimum PowerSDR Version:	N/A
Applicable Hardware:	FLEX-1500

Content provided by: FlexRadio Systems Engineering

The 5 watt PA in the FLEX-1500 can handle mismatch loads (complex impedance deviations from 50 ohms) without any concern. Since the output transistor is highly de-rated by design, folding back the RF power when the SWR exceeds 2.0:1 is not needed for protecting the FLEX-1500 5 watt PA.

KB Source Document(s):

None Referenced

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