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Locked G8JCFSDR Build 280 Released
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Hi The G8JCFSDR Build 280 is available for download from . Build 280 is a minor improvement on Build 274, so if you are not experiencing any problems, there is no great benefit from installing build 280. The need for build 280 has arisen because some users are having problems uploading the .hex firmware into the Arduino Uno which controls the Elektor SDR Shield. Build 280 includes extra components which should eliminate this problem, specifically :- 1)??? libusb0.dll is now included into the ArduinoCode directory which should enable averdude.exe to function even when the Arduino IDE isn't installed. 2)??? The graphical utility XLoader is now installed along with the G8JCFSDR under the G8JCFSDR Start Menu entry so that one can manually upload the .hex firmware to the Arduino Uno. Some cosmetic changes have also been made to the G8JCFSDR Start Menu entries :- 1)??? Added Display QuickStartGuide shortcut 2)??? Added Display Readme shortcut 3)??? Added Display G8JCFSDR logfile 4)??? Tidied up G8JCFSDR Trace mode shortcut 5)??? Added a shortcut to instructions of how to control the G8JCFSDR from the keyboard - I use these to tune the SDR with a Griffin Powermate 6)?? Added a shortcut to make it very easy to send G8JCF and email using the http://g8jcf.uk website The G8JCFSDR when currently run in Trace mode, stores the Logfile in 'c:\temp', which is somewhat untidy. Build 280, now uses the user specific environment variable %TEMP% for the directory of where to store the Logfile. Other changes:- 1)??? I discovered that Hamlib support has been broken for a long time because of a missing .DLL file, which I have now rectified - does anybody use Hamlib ? 2)??? The addition of two new receiver interfaces, both of which are unusable by anyone else except myself. If you have a DRT1 and want to use it under Windows with a USB interface, then contact me becauise I do have code for an Arduino Uno which carries out the USB to bit-banging the lines into a DRT1, ie the interface from the PC to the Arduino is a very simple line oriented ASCII protocol, eg f 198000<RETURN>, and the Uno does the work of calculating the DDS register values and then sending them into the DDS chip. In the "good 'ol days"? with real serial ports on PCs, this work was all done inside the PC and then bit banged out on the TX, DTR, & DTE lines, but that doesn't work with most USB<->Serial adapters (just too slow). Finally, Yahoo is shutting down its Yahoo GROUPS service on December 14th 2019, with no more user content allowed to be uploaded after Monday, October 21st, so we will have to migrate to another group site. I have setup a G8JCFSDR group over at GROUPS.IO. Unfortunately to automatically migrate all users and content from Yahoo Groups to Groups.io would cost me USD 220, so [email protected] will start off very sparse, but I would encourage all existing users of G8JCFSDR at Yahoo Groups to sign up for [email protected] please. 73s Peter - GM8JCF |
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Hi Peter,
Good job. I'm using an ElektorSDRShield v2. I confirm that G8JCFSDR now uploads fine firmware, the displayed version is 1.2. I've a problem with "Calibrate". I use another Arduino 16MHz to simulate a "strong signal". I know it's not true 16'000'000Hz but it's of no importance for the calibration test. To find the right matching with the Soundcard Frequency Scope (align the strong peak precisely on 16'000'000Hz), I need to select 15'997'345Hz. To permanently calibrate it, I must select 15'998'345Hz (about 1kHz above). Why? Jean-Marc |
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Hi Jean-Marc
Using the Spectrum Scope in Frequency mode, ie spectrum analyser, is NOT usable for frequency calibration. I'm sorry but I don't understand what U are trying to do using another Arduiuno. The best way to do frequency calibration of the SDR shield is as described on page 26 and page? 27 section 21 onwards. In particular. From the Calibration Help - click the Help button on the Calibration window - here is the calibration procedure To Calibrate the SI5351 Oscilator proceed as follows 1)???? Tune in to a strong well known SW AM broadcast station or better still use an accurate calibrated signal source such as a signal generator set to 10.000000 MHz. In Europe, there is a time standard station on 9996 KHz which is usually quite strong, in North America, WWV may be of use 2)???? Select LSB demodulation mode - you will probably hear a beat frequency??????? 3)???? Ensure that the Low Freq cutoff of the filter is set to 0Hz 4)???? In the Scope source down at the bottom of the main window ? ? ??? Select AF Out, then in the Scope pane select Time 5) ??? You should see a sinewave albeit with noise. 6)???? Click the Config button, Select General tab, Select Elektor SDR Shield 7)???? Click the Calibrate button ??????? The Elektor SDR Shield Calibrate window will pop up ??????? The Official Frequency box will show the chosen signal's ??????? frequency as tuned by you ??????? Initially the Actual Frequency box will show the same value 8)???? Now using the main 7 Segment frequency display, adjust the ??????? receiver frequency until you obtain Zero beat - in the scope ??????? display you should see a longer and longer sinewave as you ??????? approach zero beat - you will also hear the tone go more bassy/lower frequency ??????? flip between LSB and USB several times to verify that you have ??????? reached Zero Beat 9)???? Now click the Apply button 10)?? Set the scope controls back to Frequency, and source to Pre Demod ??????? The main receiver frequency display will change back to the ??????? Official Frequency of the AM broadcast station ??????? but this time the carrier of the broadcast station ??????? should be on 12KHz line and there should be no Beat frequency 11)?? If you have achieved Zero Beat, click Done 12)?? If you need to try again, Click Reset and repeat the procedure above ??????? If you have an accurate signal source, eg Signal Generator ??????? even better ! Set the generator for 10MHz and carry out the procedure ??????? It's tempting to use MW stations, but I've had limited success ??????? I can get to about 15Hz, but not much better, whereas with a 10MHz ??????? source, a true 0Hz Zero Beat is easily achievable ??????? Once you have applied the Calibration factor, the frequencies used ??????? are stored, and will be used to automatically re-calibrate the SDR shield ??????? each time the G8JCFSDR is started ??????? You can of course repeat the calibration procedure whenever you wish Hopefully, by following the procedure above you will be able to calibrate your SDR shield to within one or two Hz accuracy - depending on the accuracy of the signal source U have used - major SW Broadcast stations usually have very accurate frequency control, very often well under 1Hz 73 Peter - GM8JCF |
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