Disign For Control Board

[WA2EUJ]

Happy New Year!

I'm working on a control/display board that will help integrate RFPowerTools boards into a complete amplifier. Now is the time to offer some input if there's anything that I've missed that should be included.

Here are the current features:

Control Board:

• 100 X 125mm (~3"X5"), 4 layer board
•  Accepts an Arduino Mega controller (plug-in)
• Connects to the 7-band LPF board, T/R Dirco board, and bias control for the amp board
• Connections for the ATU (future), Adafruit INA196 breakout for V and I monitoring
• Fully protected PTT input
  
• Connections for COR and Frequency sensor (future)
• Connections for a I2C peripheral (oled display, other sensors)
• Connection for a LM35 temperature sensor
  
• TTL serial ports (true and inverted)
• DB9 with strapable pins for transceiver connections and 12V, 2A for xcvr power.
• Will support KX2/KX3, FT-817, Elad and any SDR with CAT control
• USB port for firmware development, control and remote metering
  

It's mostly finished and ready for fab, I'll hold it a couple days while I work on the matching display board in case anyone has questions or suggestions. The current schematic is attached.

The display board will accommodate either 16X2 character LCD, 2.8" color touch screen LCD or discrete LED bargraphs (not all at the same time). It will have a bi-color LED for RX/TX indication and a few pushbuttong for control.

[rentwist]

Hi Jim,

Happy New Year!

I have a couple questions/possible inputs.

1. Will the DB9 provide the ability to control the amp (ALA HR-50)?  Reason I ask is that I have a Hermes Lite 2 Plus which can control an HR-50.  Taka-san, JI1UDD and I made the "Plus" companion board which amongst other things adds HR-50 control to the transceiver.

2. Math problem on board size, assume the metric is correct?  That would be ~4" x ~5" rather than 3" x 5".  I immediately thought (before I studied the dimensions a bit more) it would be nice/neat if the board could match the 7 band LPF board outline for stacking within an enclosure.  Is 75mm x 100mm too small to have any real hope for?  That's 50mm x 100mm less board area so perhaps it is.  Just trying to think ahead to packaging considerations.

Thanks for this, I was hedging a bit on my build of the three board set, this fourth is just what I was hoping for!

73,

Robert, WA2T

[WA2EUJ]

Hi Robert,

The DB-9 has the power and ground pins fixed but the others can be strapped any way you like. My idea is that you could make it match the HR50 and then used all of the dongles we've already developed for the various transceivers. You could also use it as a 'man-in-the-middle' on the USB port and use the amp for USB rig control as well.

I tried to make it 100X100mm but there just isn't enough room. I will but mounting holes such that you can stack LPF board on top of the controller.

Jim.

[rentwist]

Thanks Jim.

If 100mm x 100mm would not work, 100mm x 75mm is right out!  In light of this, holes on the controller board for stacking the LPF board sounds like a great idea.

73,

Robert, WA2T

[rentwist]

Here's another input:

If the DB9 strapping/accommodations do not already have this, add the ability to add a pullup to 5V on TXD (pin 2).  On the Hermes Lite 2 Plus we use an open drain 2N7002 to drive the HR-50 TXD.  In this arrangement, a 10K pullup to 5V is needed.

73,

Robert, WA2T

[Lou Scalpati]

Hi are there any alpha/beta boards available

[WA2EUJ]

Hi Lou,

Send me you address jim (at) RFPowerTools (dot) com and I'll send you a set.

73,

Jim WA2EUJ

[Colin Larsen]

Hi Jim

Did this ever come to fruition? I'm embarking on such a project now and there's no sense in reinventing the wheel as such

Many thanks

Colin

ZL2FL

[jcve...@gmail.com]

Hi Colin,

Sorry, I've been working on other projects.

Jim.