User`s Manual
Contents
1. 4 This is especially true if a future firmware version will use a different data structure in the EEPROM If a simple bug fix is released you may reprogram the Flash only and keep the EEPROM data Doc v 20110313 17 IK1ZYW Frequency Reader for FT 817 transverter Assembling 5V GND 330n 100n 78L05 to FT817 ACC if 10k UP Enter 10k 5 V ON OFF Seen as looking towards the FT 817 back LCD 16x2 based on Hitachi HD44780 ATmega48 88 168 1 XTAL is 11 0592 MHz FT8x7 LCD XVRTR v101105 All rights reserved ic Paolo Cravero IK1ZYW 5Y 100R LCD backlight Illustration 1 schematic diagram and wiring to ACC port Currently there is no physical PCB available for this circuit Anyway the circuit is so simple that it can be assembled on veroboard perfboard There are also no strict ground requirements Do use a socket for the microcontroller IC so that you can re program it one day Or easily replace it in case of unexpected destructive conditions Pay attention to LCD display pinout and wire it accordingly Refer to the pin name table below before soldering Use short connections but don t go crazy with them a 5x5cm board holds all these parts just right Parts list is as follows Quantity Part Name Quantity Part Name 1 ATmega168 PU 2 22pF 1 28 pin DIL socket 1 330nF 1 11 0592 MHz XTAL 1 100nF 1 78L05 1 MiniDin8 plug 1 HD44780 based 12. Frequency Reader firmware is not sending dangerous data to the radio the communication protocol does not use any form of checksum Therefore a mis interpretation by the radio can cause unexpected results from a CPU crash needing a power off on cycle to a complete wipe of all EEPROM data including configuration software calibration alignment and memories You are strongly encouraged to record at least all 76 soft calibration settings plus any other information stored in your radio before using this circuit The 13 8Vcc line on the ACC port of FT 817 is connected to the power supply through a 10 ohm 1 16W resistor It is not fused Damage to the radio will occur if this line gets shorted Moreover the voltage on ACC port is always present including when internal batteries are installed and the radio powered off don t forget to switch off your Frequency Reader or unplug it when not in use If you feel uncomfortable in using this line please use a separate 9V battery to power the Frequency Reader Otherwise use heatshrink pipes for each pin on homemade plugs No responsibility is taken for data loss or any damage to your equipment All trademarks belong to respective owners Yaesu Atmel Icom Microchip 1 Software calibration settings are unique to every single device If their values get lost you need to send your radio back to Yaesu for re alignment These settings are accessed by pressing keys A B C simultaneously and t
3. either for the backlight only or the whole frequency reader like a 9V PP3 battery and compute a proper series resistor Also DO NOT replace the 78L05 with the more powerful 7805 unless you are using an external power source for the whole frequency reader Doc v 20110313 19 IK1ZYW Frequency Reader for FT 817 transverter Connections It is strongly advised to connect the Frequency Reader to the transceiver when no power is supplied to the radio including internal batteries unless you have installed an on off switch Remember that whenever a DC source is connected to the FT817 including the internal battery pack there will be voltage present on the ACC port therefore the display circuit will draw current if left connected To LCD have found that two 6 way pin headers or a 16 way full row produce a clean and sturdy connection between the keypad and the circuit This way the circuit remains partially hidden under the LCD therefore reducing the global footprint of the Frequency Reader To FT 817 Depending on your choice of powering the keypad through the ACC port or an external battery you need a cable with four or three wires respectively suggest using a shielded cable with three or two wires respectively Use a 4 way PCB connector to easily remove the connecting cable from the circuit Alternatively you can mount a 4 way panel socket and use a matching plug on one cable end Towards the FT 817 cable end you nee
4. on add difference mode and the number of the currently selected LO location 1 to 9 3 With customization to the firmware it is possible to add output lines that switch in and out transverters Please contact IK1ZYW and state your wishes requirements Doc v 20110313 8 IK1ZYW Frequency Reader for FT 817 transverter Sample display showing 23cm 2m transverter with add mode with LO 1 Sample display showing 23cm 2m transverter with difference mode with LO 7 Sample display showing an error message when the RTX is switched off A communication delay error on the CAT port halts frequency reader operation for 5 seconds until another attempt is made Config mode The configuration mode is accessed at Frequency Reader power up keep the UP button pressed while the welcome message is displayed Release the UP button when Config mode appears on the Frequency Reader LCD Here you can modify 9 transverter local oscillator values that are saved in display s EEPROM so they are remembered after power off Press the UP button until you reach the desired LO location 1 to 9 The current value is shown on the lower line Press the ENTER button to begin to modify the value Now the cursor moves to the upper line and you have to enter all 10 digits of the LO value from 100 GHz to 100 Hz one by one The UP button increases the value cycling from O to 9 0 1 2 8 9 0 1 When you have reac
5. 1m cable 3 wires 2x16 LCD display shield with backlight Doc v 20110313 18 IK1ZYW Frequency Reader for FT 817 transverter Optional parts make your Frequency Reader easier to handle and give it a more professional look Quantity Part Name Quantity Part Name 1 DPST switch 1 16 way pin header female mount on main board 1 16 way pin header 1 4 way female male mount on LCD connector 1 4 way male 10cm Heat shrink 1mm connector for PCB pipe 1 Box plastic or metal You will also need some wire at least in two different colors a max 25 30W soldering iron and some solder Warnings LCD displays come in several flavors The diagram above has been drawn according to the most common pin out but double check your display pins layout with the way the Atmega48 88 168 expects them to be LCD pin name ATmega pin name ATmega pin number DB4 PORTB 4 18 DB5 PORTB 3 17 DB6 PORTB 2 16 DB7 PORTB 1 15 E PORTC 0 23 RS PORTC 2 25 You also need to pay attention to LCD s backlight Some displays have anode and cathode reversed so you better try it out before Also take careful care to measure the required backlight current because the FT817 ACC port cannot source more than 100mA Moreover 100mA continuous are the maximum limit for the 78L05 and it heats up alarmingly So if your LCD backlight is requiring more than 10 20mA use an external power source
6. IKI ZYW Frequency Reader for FT 817 ND and FT 857 FT 897 User s Manual for transverter users An IK1ZYW creation All rights reserved IK1ZYW Frequency Reader for FT 817 transverter Table of Contents What is TIA A A ARA AAA AE il 3 SPEAR ds 4 A A A E aie ica ain te Mac Madea Sak ce 5 AS O ATA 6 TEN iS A A EAS 7 EOI SS A A dia 8 Nor e e e e 8 o E E E At See 9 Difference mod s irienn ire i i ai aea e o or OaE a AE A a Ta EEA ATS 10 COSA A cece et pais AA A A AA AAA baa a E hae 12 SU dae ate fl Res s calada o 13 Techiicalspecific tions E 14 POU TE SING CGD E E E T A E E T E 15 Microcontroller CHOICE aristides ri idos 16 Microcontroller pro AI A A A A A NA A 17 A EEA ca Aa teinlecataben t des cate A EEE E E 18 Wal OS a A E A AA A a 19 COMES te diras 20 A O ee Rae 20 To A RA ES 20 For FT 857 F T 8977 OS cap daeey T EE A EAEE E T 21 Doc v 20110313 2 IK1ZYW Frequency Reader for FT 817 transverter What is it The IK1ZYW Frequency Reader for FT 817 is a wired device meant to repeat part of the display content far away from the radio The firmware has then been modified to do some math and show the output frequency to simplify life to microwave transverter users All operations occur through two pushbuttons with feedback on the 2 16 LCD display This device is based on an Atmel ATmega168 or ATmega48 ATmega88 ATmega328 microcontroller and a HD44780 2x16 LCD display Power supply can be taken fro
7. d a MiniDin8 plug Soldering into these requires a steady hand some level of magnification and a thin iron tip Get hold of some heatshrink pipe to protect your joints afterwards Check with an ohm meter for shorts between pins before using the cable Good luck and remember am not responsible for your faults There are commercially available cables with MiniDin8 plugs namely for an old Apple computer application Sun SPARC stations keyboards also used them but some plug modification is required These cables offer the safety and ruggedness of a molded plug Doc v 20110313 20 IK1ZYW Frequency Reader for FT 817 transverter For FT 857 FT 897 Owners have been informed that FT 857 and FT 897 have a built in function that does the transverter math Since do not own these transceivers all could do is read their instruction manuals These settings are at Menu mode 089 090 and 091 The manual states that these values can be set Available Values 00 000 00 9999 999 00 kHz think this means from O Hz to 9 99999900 GHz because Yaesu used the both as thousands and decimal separator So if you own an 857 897 you will not need this Frequency Reader as long as your transverter works below 10 GHz and you don t need difference mode Moreover even if they allow two different values to be set you have to enter the settings menu to switch between them Doc v 20110313 21
8. etting is retained in Frequency Reader EEPROM so that it will be remembered and used after powering off and on the display circuit If no change is made during Frequency Reader power up no message is shown Instead you will be told if it is or during normal operation mode see above Please note that this is a global setting so it is applied to all 9 LO values Please note that when you are operating a difference mode transverter your SSB mode is reversed but the Frequency Reader DOES NOT take it into account it will show the radio mode not the effective mode on the transverter output Doc v 20110313 11 IK1ZYW Frequency Reader for FT 817 transverter Customizing Since every microwave user probably has her his own habits it is possible to request some customization of the Frequency Reader firmware up to the extent of available program memory Send me a detailed description of your needs or request at ik1zyw yahoo com mention reader in the subject line Sample customizations already tested automatic LO switch depending on the IF band VHF UHF transverter toggle output depending on the LO value selected automatic VFO A B setup to work with two transverters Doc v 20110313 12 IK1ZYW Frequency Reader for FT 817 transverter Support This Frequency Reader contains a microprocessor that runs software Even if all efforts have been made to produce a stable software it can still conta
9. g resolution is 10 Hz which remains unchanged but 10 Hz digit will not be updated on the Frequency Reader It is possible to set a difference mode so that the Frequency Reader circuit computes and displays LO VFO instead of LO VFO At Frequency Reader power up the display shows the welcome banner for 2 seconds Normal mode If no UP key is pressed during the welcome message which lasts two seconds the Frequency Reader enters normal operation mode using LO 1 value During normal operation the currently selected frequency and mode on the FT 817 are read through the CAT port and added to deducted from the selected transverter local oscillator value Everything is rounded to 100 Hz even if the FT 817 tuning resolution is 10 Hz which remains unchanged but 10 Hz digit will not be updated on the Frequency Reader The Reader update frequency is about 400 ms A press on the UP button changes the selected LO value cycling through the 9 locations programmed using the config mode This change is applied only to the LO value used by the Frequency Reader and not to the radio and or transverter A press on the ENTER button sends the VFO swap command to FT 817 No other change is applied to the selected LO value and no feedback is given through the display The display shows the transverter output frequency on the upper line The lower line contains the mode as read from the RTX the symbol or depending
10. hed the desired digit value press ENTER to move to the next position Each position always starts with 0 and not with the current value When you press ENTER after setting the 100 Hz value the inserted number is stored at the currently selected LO position shown on both lines and a confirmation message is shown on the upper line To leave the configuration mode you need to power off the display You can use these 9 locations to store LO values for 9 different transverters or 9 values of Doc v 20110313 9 IK1ZYW Frequency Reader for FT 817 transverter one drifting LO You don t need to set all of them just set the first if you have only one transverter An example set 10 224 123 600 Hz for 10 GHz to 144 MHz at 3 location 1 Power up the display keeping UP pressed gt content of location 1 is shown press UP gt content of location 2 is shown press UP gt content of location 3 is shown press ENTER gt the cursor goes on G of GHzMHzkHzooo string showing 0 press ENTER gt you are now on 10 GHz value 0 press UP once to reach 1 press ENTER gt you are now on 1 GHz value 0 VD NAAR WN press ENTER gt you are now on 100 MHz value 0 9 press UP twice to reach 2 10 press ENTER gt you are now on 10 MHz value 0 11 press UP twice to reach 2 12 press ENTER gt you are now on 1 MHz value 0 13 press UP four t
11. hen powering up the radio Copy them all to paper and store it in a safe place Feel free to make several copies of your backup 2 This safery procedure should be undertaken even when using a CAT computer cable and a computer control software The danger is not in this circuit but in the potential misinterpretation of data by the FT817 Doc v 20110313 5 IK1ZYW Frequency Reader for FT 817 transverter Quick start While it is worth reading this document to the end understand you might want to start using your Frequency Reader as soon as possible Follow the following steps in order to get started Steps 1 to 4 can be done before your Frequency Reader is built or in your possession 1 Do NOT connect the Frequency Reader to the radio YET 2 Turn on your FT 817 long press the F button navigate to 14 CAT RATE using the SEL rotary switch and set it to 9600 baud Long press F again to store this setting 3 Turn off the transceiver 4 Optional but strongly recommended Record the soft calibration settings that are exclusive for your piece of equipment Keep A B and C buttons pressed while turning on the FT 817 Browse through all setting using SEL rotary switch and record on paper their value Make copies of the paper and put them in the safe Turn off the FT 817 as usual 5 Remove ALL power sources including the internal battery if your circuit does not carry an on off switch 6 Connect the display cab
12. imes to reach 4 14 press ENTER gt you are now on 100 kHz value 0 15 press UP once to reach 1 16 press ENTER gt you are now on 10 kHz value 0 17 press UP twice to reach 2 18 press ENTER gt you are now on 1 kHz value 0 19 press UP three times to reach 3 20 press ENTER gt you are now on 100 Hz value 0 21 press UP six times to reach 6 22 press ENTER gt the value gets stored at location 3 Tip If you only need to show remotely what is shown on the actual display without a transverter set the LO value to 0000000000 Hz 10 times zero Difference mode In difference mode the Frequency Reader circuit computes and displays LO VFO instead of LO VFO This happens when your transverter LO is higher than its output frequency To toggle between difference and add mode keep the ENTER button pressed during Doc v 20110313 10 IK1ZYW Frequency Reader for FT 817 transverter Frequency Reader power up not in Config mode On the first line you will see a confirmation message OUT LO VFO or OUT LO VFO for two seconds Release the ENTER button as soon as you see the confirmation message and the Frequency Reader will proceed to Normal operation mode Sample display confirming that difference mode has been acquired Sample display confirming that sum mode has been acquired The difference mode s
13. in bugs Fortunately the microprocessor chip can be reprogrammed some thousand times with a simple hardware that connects to a computer parallel port Updates to public firmware versions might be released in the future and announced on the IK1ZYW FT 817 Accessories home page URL http spazioinwind libero it ik1zyw hardware keypad index html If you encounter an unexpected or undocumented behavior in your circuit please contact me at ik1zyw yahoo com mention reader in the subject line If you are not equipped to program your own chip can send a preprogrammed item at live costs offer subject to hardware and time availability Feel free to add any amount of gratification for the research amp development work done Contact information as shown above Please also consider joining the keypad reader reflector mailing list at Yahoo Groups http groups yahoo com group 817keypad Doc v 20110313 13 IK1ZYW Frequency Reader for FT 817 transverter Technical specifications Core microprocessor Clock frequency Power supply Current Communication protocol Communication speed Doc v 20110313 Atmel ATmega168 20PU 11 0592 MHz 8 to 30 V DC internally converted to 5V T B D Serial at OV 5V levels Yaesu CAT 9600 baud 8N2 14 IK1ZYW Frequency Reader for FT 817 transverter Troubleshooting Problem Possible solution The reader does not react when transmitting The frequency reader circu
14. it is not designed to be RFI proof The radiofrequency generated when transmitting close to it may interfere microprocessor and or display input output lines or the serial data cable The frequency reader has drained the internal battery Whenever a DC source is connected to the FT817 including the internal battery pack there will be voltage present on the ACC port therefore the circuit will draw current if left plugged Do not store away the FT817 with the frequency reader attached if you have internal batteries installed unless your circiut has an on off switch The display shows an upper line full of symbols and nothing happens This effect means that there is proper voltage entering the circuit and the LCD display is powered up However the microprocessor is not responding or not communicating with the LCD Try pressing the microprocessor into the socket and re apply power Check there is the 11 0592 MHz clock signal on a nearby HF receiver or oscilloscope Make sure that microcontroller fuses have been properly set most common solution Doc v 20110313 15 IK1ZYW Frequency Reader for FT 817 transverter Microcontroller choice Even though the development platform uses an ATmega168 the current firmware size can fit in a ATmega48 chip ATmega48 88 168 and 328 are pin to pin compatible but carry a different memory size You may try to use the provided firmware for mega168 into another chip or c
15. le to the rear ACC socket Be gentle and patient do not force it 7 Looking at the Frequency Reader LCD apply power to the radio and display circuit ie switch on the power supply and the on off switch if installed the LCD should show a row full of HHH the display welcome message and in a couple of seconds a Comm Error because the radio is off 8 Switch on your FT 817 and wait about 5 seconds 9 The Frequency Reader enters normal operation mode showing the sum of VFO LO 1 10 224 000 000 Hz 10 Enjoy Doc v 20110313 6 IK1ZYW Frequency Reader for FT 817 transverter Tested on This circuit has been developed on a FT817ND I Italian version with serial number SHOOxxxx The Frequency Reader firmware uses only CAT commands from the User s Manual Since the CAT protocol is the same for FT 817 FT 857 and FT 897 the Frequency Reader should work on all three models Doc v 20110313 7 IK1ZYW Frequency Reader for FT 817 transverter How it works This Frequency Reader is operated through two pushbuttons UP and ENTER There are two operation modes Config and Normal There are 9 available EEPROM locations to store transverter local oscillator values During normal operation the currently selected frequency and mode on the FT 817 are read through the CAT port and added to the selected transverter local oscillator value Everything is rounded to 100 Hz even if the FT 817 tunin
16. m the FT 817 ACC port so that only one wire is required to make the display work Key features based on ATmega48 88 168 chip clocked at 11 052 MHz 2 16 character display HD44780 9600 baud communication with FT 817 works with FT 817 FT 857 FT 897 and their D ND versions 2 buttons interaction config and normal operation modes 9 LO values stored in EEPROM survive poweroff LO value down to 100 Hz Output frequency ranges from 0 to 214 748 364 700 Hz that s 214 7 GHz VFO output frequency computed to 100 Hz resolution support for both Out LO IF and Out LO IF stored in EEPROM LO value selection by button press 1 gt 2 gt gt 8 gt 9 gt 1 gt VFO A B toggle on second button Doc v 20110313 3 IK1ZYW Frequency Reader for FT 817 transverter Special thanks This project has been made possible thanks to in chronological order e my Parents that bought me an experimenter s book when was 10 and supported me in my studies hobbies and choices e my high school electronics Teachers Bruno De Stefano and Elisabetta Cuniberti whose passion for the subject has furthermore marked my life e KA 7OEI that published an extensive guide to Yaesu s CAT protocol e my supporting Wife and curious Daughters that let me dedicate some night time to this idea and patiently tolerated the kitchen table invasion Doc v 20110313 4 IK1ZYW Frequency Reader for FT 817 transverter Disclaimer Important notice read twice Although the
17. ontact the author to get a custom compile for your device If acquiring a chip you are advised to buy at least an ATmega88 in order to have enough room for future developments like the Interactive Frequency Reader Doc v 20110313 16 IK1ZYW Frequency Reader for FT 817 transverter Microcontroller programming This Frequency Reader has been developed and programmed using a simple parallel programmer and avreal32 programming software With a brand new ATmega168 chip fuses need to be changed in order to work with the provided firmware Using avreal32 definitions fuses have to be set as follows 1 off OSCCAL 86 CKDIV 1 CKOUT 1 SUT CKSEL BLB1 w w FW N BLBO RSTDISBL 1 DWEN 1 WDTON 1 EESAVE 1 BODLEVEL 7 BOOTSZ 0 BOOTRST 1 Basically you need to set external clock above 8 MHz without internal divider Refer to ATmega168 Datasheet for further information The frequency reader firmware is composed of two files 1 the hex containing the program itself and goes in to the uC Flash memory 2 the eep containing valid and sample EEPROM data to get you started Both files have to be written into the chip and verified EEPROM default data from the eep is overwritten with user settings so be aware that further reprogrammings like a firmware update might cause data loss Please note that am not able to help with the programming process or debugging
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