DRIVE slider

[bi...@palomar.pl]

Hi,

I'm almost done building my TRX. Power output 10 W (RD06HHF and 2 x RD16HHF MOS FET type transistors), LPF and BPF filters, Arduino Nano & PCA9555 controller board. Front panel and VFO tuning made using PCB board extracted from USB Macropad Custom Keyboard (programmable mini keyboard) + 3D printed elements. Solid metal case (steel and aluminum).

Overall I'm very happy with my new transceiver really (thanks to the authors of the Radioberry project!) but I've one small issue. I don't understand how the DRIVE slider works. Please look at the chart. TX output voltage (Vp-p) as a function of the DRIVE slider setting. 50 ohm load. PA Calibrate at 38.8. "Tune use drive" checked.

Questions:
Why when setting DRIVE = 0 the Vpp value is not close to 0 but 2.6Vp-p?
Why do these weird "break points" occur in the graph?

How to make it so that:
DRIVE = 0 then Vp-p = 0  (or at least close to 0)
DRIVE = 100 then Vp-p = Umax
where Umax depends on PA Calibrate setting

If I increase PA Calibrate the graph becomes more linear, but at the same time it flattens out. At PA Calibrate = 100 it starts and ends at about 2.6Vp-p (moving DRIVE is then irrelevant).

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of you

SQ1RES

Jarek

[Wim Gmail]

Hi Karel.

First of all happy days.

A very nice transceiver you have made. Looks professional. I get one answer it won't work. I have the same problem on my transceiver. TX and PA don't work. I have made at last a own pindiode system to control power. For now I am happy with my power control. I don't use TX any more

I have ask also on this forum why TX won't work. No satisfied answer.

So try to make a pindiode TX control.

Wim

See QRZ for my project.

PE1PWR

73

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Op 24 dec 2024, om 03:31, "bi...@palomar.pl" <bi...@palomar.pl> schreef:

[pa3gsb]

Hi Jarek,

Very nice setup. Congrats with your achievement.

This problem is analyzed and solved sometime ago. See the excell and the power output versus slider setting.

But it can be that it has not be updated to the github repo (not checked) ; it was used 1 or 2 lines of gateware code... 

Just 2 lines to change in the gateware code.

ad9866ctrl.v:

  initarray[16] = {1'b0,8'h84}; // Address 0x10, Select TX gain
  initarray[17] = {1'b0,8'h00}; // Address 0x11, Select TX gain

Besides the gateware update also Christoph https://github.com/dl1ycf/pihpsdr  did made a mod to make the output lineair..with drive at 0 there is no output (not completely sure) .

Hope this helps,

73 Johan

PA3GSB

Op dinsdag 24 december 2024 om 03:31:53 UTC+1 schreef bi...@palomar.pl:

[Yado-san]

Hi All,

I will add the URL to the post I did before. Hope this helps you!

I have made a document on how to compile gateware.
  -> https://groups.google.com/g/radioberry/c/cOJO7nmkuWg/m/MVCrhTF6BAAJ

Also an rbf file I recompiled below,
  https://github.com/hish8612/Radioberry-2.x/tree/master/SBC/rpi-4/releases/dev/CL025/radioberry.rbf or /Cl016/radioberry.rbf

And, you can see the PA calibration in piHPSDR Manual.
 -> https://github.com/dl1ycf/pihpsdr/releases/download/current/piHPSDR-Manual.pdf
    see. 8.2 The PA Menu

73, Yado-san jg1twp

2024年12月24日火曜日 19:06:12 UTC+9 pa3gsb:

[bi...@palomar.pl]

Thank you, my friends for this valuable information. Gateware code mod - that's it! I feel a bit embarrassed that I didn't find this earlier in the forum posts - I'm sorry. I must have used the inappropriate keywords.
Wim. I saw your qrz.com page and I have to admit that your builds (with Radioberry and Red Pitaya) make an incredible impression on me. Great job. Congratulations!
Vy 73, Jarek SQ1RES

[Wim PE1PWR]

Thanks Jaren.

I like also thanks Johan and Yado-san and many others for keeping up the software.

Without them for me it was not possible to makes the Radioberry a succes. 

I will give it a go to makes TX drive working.

Must say that I like my manual tx drive solution. It's works from zero to max. 

Next project is a Radioberry server like Flex radio. 

Kind regards

Wim

PE1PWR 

73

Op dinsdag 24 december 2024 om 13:00:39 UTC+1 schreef bi...@palomar.pl:

[bi...@palomar.pl]

Hi Wim, Johan and Yado-san,

I didn't think it would be so easy. I just copied the radioberry.rbf (that file from Yado-san) to /lib/firmware and now everything is OK. Thanks again,
... but I'm very curious about your solution Wim with pin diodes though. Are there any published any more details?

Vy73 SQ1RES

Jarek

[Wim PE1PWR]

hi Jarek.

This is my solution for ATT RF with pindiodes.

https://www.electronics-notes.com/articles/radio/rf-attenuators/pin-diode-variable-voltage-controlled-attenuator.php

Its easy to make and works great.

Wim

PE1PWR

73.

Op donderdag 26 december 2024 om 13:40:48 UTC+1 schreef bi...@palomar.pl:

[bi...@palomar.pl]

Thank you, Wim. That's excellent and really simple solution. It is very good that "this design provides an acceptable match to 50Ω over a wide range of attenuation levels". Can you also tell us what the power range of resistors you used and what is your input power? Could also say a few words about your L1 coil and C1..C5 capacitors you used  I would be grateful? Anyway, it's a great idea and I'm sure I'll use it somewhere in the future. Thanks again.

Vy73

Jarek

SQ1RES

[Wim Gmail]

Hi Jarek

I use 1/4 watt resistors. Even smd can handle it. It's only used for Radioberry out to pre amp.

Don't use more as 100 mw.

Wim

PE1PWR

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Op 28 dec 2024, om 12:22, "bi...@palomar.pl" <bi...@palomar.pl> schreef:

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[Wim PE1PWR]

I have  install te latest Pihpsdr 64 bits software. 

Glad TXdrive works now and PA. Next problem i am facing now is to get my controller working .

I am missing my VFO controller. Its written in 32 bits Bullseye OS.

I hope some of you know a solution to get the controller with Pico board working. 

Wim

PE1PWR 

73

Op zaterdag 28 december 2024 om 12:48:09 UTC+1 schreef Wim Gmail:

[VU3TLD]

Hi all,
I have copied radioberry.rbf compiled by Yado-san from https://github.com/hish8612/Radioberry-2.x/tree/master/SBC/rpi-4/releases/dev/CL025/radioberry.rbf
and pasted into folder.        /lib/firmware, but no change in power output by varying drive slider (output is only 0dBm). With old radioberry.rbf file  it was almost 12dBm again without much change with  drive slider variation. What may be the problem, simply copying the radioberry.rbf file may not work ?

Regards
VU3GTLD

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/radioberry/f7aad94b-c416-4299-9136-3285fa0fe1f3n%40googlegroups.com.

[Wim Gmail]

Hi M8.

Pihpsdr is responsible for the TX drive.

Not the Radioberry driver program.

I use pihpsdr from DL1YCF. This version works fine for bullseye and bookworm.

Wim

PE1PWR

73s

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Op 18 jan 2025, om 15:16, VU3TLD <vu3...@gmail.com> schreef:

[Yado-san]

Hi  Deepu VU3TLD,

Since you are familiar with RB2, this reply may not be helpful, but I am sending just in case.

The main reason why the output does not change with the drive slider is that the “Tune use drive” is unchecked.

Output is only 0dBm of new rbf(73.4), 12dBm of old rbf(73.3).
So drive fixed around 3...

Yado-san, jg1twp

2025年1月19日日曜日 0:36:13 UTC+9 Wim Gmail:

[VU3TLD]

Hi Yado-san,

Thankyou, that helped me. I was unaware of that option in the menu. Now op power is varying from -2dBm to 17dBm as slider moves from 0 to 100

Regards,

VU3TLD 

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/radioberry/0ee45496-61d6-4c3e-ab04-26390f6e0d17n%40googlegroups.com.