TrxAVR_Picastar setup instructions - Configuring via USB

Hardware setup

Click Menu | Setup | Hardware config     The hardware configuration window appears.
It is shown below configured for EA320 graphics + touch panel + 25 key pad.
You heed to configure it for your hardware by selecting from the drop down lists.

Please note that the EA320 or equivalent display must be set to 8080 mode.
On the EA display, this invloves moving the 0R 1206 link from position J68 to position J80.

There was an earlier problem caused by selecting a colour TFT display in Hardware Settings, when
no TFT display was connected. Recurrent I2C wait states delayed DSP load to over 2 minutes
and USB communication was thereafter unreliable. (and you need USB to change hardware settings!!)
This problem no longer exists: If the first write to the Tft display fails, further comunication is abandonned
and DSP load and subsequent operation are normal (albeit wwith a screen display)

Finally click Save to TrxAVR.

Then restart TrxAVR ... your display and key pad should be active.
As stated above, the display may shown zero frequency because no Power-on slot data is yet loaded.

Setting your Star folder

In Hobcat, click Menu | Setup | Star Folder.
Your will see the window below with C:\TrxAVR selected by default.

Accept   C:\TrxAVR ... or change your Star folder is something different.

DSP parameter file

The default parameter file is USER2b2.XJP. The location of this file is specified in
XJP.INI which is located in your Star folder.

Hobcat provides an editor to change this filename entry in XJP.INI. The file must be preexisting.
Click Menu | Setup | Select DSP parameter file. The following window appears:

The file window shows all the files in your Star folder and defaults to User2b2.XJP.

DSP code and params to TrxAVR

Click Menu | Tools | DSP EEPROM loaders USB | Code and params to TrxAVR

The window shown below appears. Click  Proceed

Code and params should transfer in under 3 seconds.
Then you should have the window below showing matching checksum values and Params sent ok

Click Exit.

Click Menu | Tools | DSP EEPROM loaders USB | AD603 calibration to TrxAVR
The following window appears:

Click Send to TrxAVR.
Note that the AD603 calibration is sent to TrxAVR for use in the DSP monitor gain displays.
It has no other use in TrxAVR and so is not used with a character or 128x64 graphics display.

EEMEM data to TrxAVR

The ATmega2560's internal EEPROM contains:

• DDS clock frequency value
• LSB and USB offsets
• DSP parameters assigned to eight encoders and two pots.
• Fifteen Rx soft key function assignments
• Fifteen Tx soft key function assignments
• Touch panel calibration
• Memory, VFO and Band sticky slot data
• Display bright and dim levels and auto-dim seconds
• DDS44 CW mode (ie CWU or CWL)
• Software flywheel on/off
• Autodim on/off
• Parameter reset mode (DDS39)

This data is transferable to and from C:\TrxAVR\trxavreemem.ini

A default version of the file trxavreemem.ini was installed by HobcatSetup.exe.

Copy trxavreemem.ini from C:\Program files\hbradios\hobcat\trxavrcode to C:\TrxAVR.

Examine it if you wish by opening the file in Notepad. It contains default data based on Picastar's defaults.
You may wish to change some slot data.

In Hobcat, click Menu | Setup | Load/Save EEMEM. The following window appears

Click   Load to EEMEM. The following confirmation appears.
(The load is not error checked)  

Restart TrxAVR-Picastar
You should see the default power-on frequency, 3727000 on both VFOs.

DDS clock and offsets

There are three ways to set DDS clock and LSB and USB offsets.

Using DDS 33, 31 and 37.
You can set DDS clock frequency and LSB and USB offsets as directed in the
Picastar setup instructions, ie: using DDS[9]33,  DDS[9]31,  and DDS[9]37.

From Hobcat
Click   Menu | Setup | DDS Clock, Offsets.   The window below appeats:

You can adjust clock and offsets, The offsets move together and remain 2.7kHz apart.
Click  send   to send to TrxAVR-Picastar. Click  Save to save in trxavreemem.ini.

From TrxAVR_Picastar's configuration menu
- Offset setting operates as DDS31 and DD37 in signal generator mode.
- DDS clock setting does not switch to signal generator mode
    This allows you to calibrate to a received signal of accurate known frequency.

SWR meter calibration

TrxAVR-Picastar, on transmit, has a power meter which displays forward and reflected power and SWR.
Hobcat has a calibration facility for this power meter. This works via USB link.
Calibration profiles are stored in the PC and loaded via USB the TrxAVR-Picastar.

The final setup step is to perform this calibration.
Please return to the menu and access the SWR meter pages

TrxAVR-Picastar home page