Sounds good Casey.
You are welcome to anythig I have that may help. I still check either email addys.
@ Skip, The X would be well served with a uC based control head w/FPP. For my X9000 interface I was looking at a MiniMega on a homebrew daughter board mounted above the uC/EEPROMs that has the addy/data busses brought up to it. Replace the 2816 with a xx64 NVRAM, link this sub assy to a NRF24L01 (I like the protocol, robust but simple and low level operation configurable). (or your favorite remote base controller).
I agree, the buss sharing issue could be a problem. An array of data selection gates to switch the busses as needed is one solution but increases parts count and complexity. The Hitachi has a pin? that *may* let the Mega " pause" it for a few cycles to access the EEPROM. I've not tried it, the pin is tied high and is going to be a bit of trouble to isolate. Status---TBD.
The head end is a mated NRF24L01 linked to another MinMega with Touch/LCD capabilities. Multimodes, multiPL, scan, zones (in non trunked speak, that would be banks...lol)? I suspect any version of an RF link would have to be "brought out" of the radio case to work very far.
I had considered adapting my ideas to the X platform but it hasnt made "the list"....yet.
The X9000 head is "smart" (not idiotphone smart) and speaks SB9600 with the radio drawer (and other SB9600 accesories). Much of it's function would be a lot of work to replicate and replace, The main failing for the X9000 is no FPP. That could be a feature that runs "outside" of the radio's normal operation used for programming as needed only.
@RFI-EMI-GUY
The 128 and 256 mode RSS is squirrely on a good day. They required different FW and the byte per mode is different due to the addition of scanning >64 modes. That moves EVERYTHING in the codeplug layout. Even on my NEC 386-20 the RSS was buggy.
As for best RSS the last release (R8.01?) is the most stable, runs on a pentium class uP (booted to real, DOS, ie MS 6.22 , not a cmd window or DOSbox), but OEM version has no OOB support. I did locate some of the locations to rectify that so it is functional for HAM.
I agree the X9000 CH could use a makeover, and having to give consideration to program it separately is a pain, or at least another module of the project of consider.
For low band antenna resonance concerns, a hardware hack. The bit that selects the noise blanker is available. Disconnect it from the NB circuitry and use that bit to control an antenna switch.
Set all 10m modes to NB on, all 6m to NB off...... It would have to be a PIN switch for scanning. A mechanical relay would never keep up...lol
