Flex Radio PowerSDR to CI-V Interface
This interface is used to control the frequency on my Icom IC-910H using the PowerSDR software. PowerSDR uses Kenwood CAT commands which is the first thing, I need to translate them to Icom CI-V ones and PowerSDR has no idea what frequency my IC-910H is on, it only monitors the IF output on 10.850MHz which doesn't change with respect to the IC-910H frequency.
It is also not quite so simple as that! As PowerSDR is used to monitor the 10.850MHz IF from the IC-910H and has no idea what frequency my IC-910H is on when I select a signal from the PowerSDR waterfall I can't just send the correct frequency to the IC-910H. I need to calculate the offset of that signal from the centre of the IF, read the IC-910H frequency and apply the offset to it and then command the IC-910H to this new frequency.
An example is: if I'm monitoring 144.300MHz on my IC-910H and in PowerSDR see a signal 10KHz up and select it, this will be 10.860MHz on PowerSDR, then my interface would receive a Kenwood style CAT command of the new frequency from PowerSDR of 10.860MHz but this is no good for the Icom. The steps I need to take are I calculate in the PIC that 10.860MHz is 10KHz higher than the IF centre, I then read the curerent IC-910H frequency, 144.300MHz (in this example) and apply the 10KHz to it which makes it 144.310MHz. I then over CI-V I send 144.310MHz to VFO-B on the IC-910H and at the same time 10.850MHz to PowerSDR on the serial interface. Before I write to the IC-910H I first normalise VFO-A and VFO-B making them the same (144.300MHz in this example) before writing to VFO-B as this allows me to come back to the original frequency just by pressing the VFO button. I also need to send 10.850MHz to PowerSDR so it resets to monitor the center of the IF otherwise if it stayed on 10.860MHz after I moved the IC-910H to 144.310MHz then PowerSDR would be actually monitoring 10KHz higher which would be 144.320MHz in reality.
If you goto my Icom IC-910H IF mod page you will see details of how to modify the Icom IC-910H radio to tap into the 10.850MHz main band IF. The only issue I have is my tap point is after the 10.850MHz filter so is limited in bandwidth to about 15MHz either side of the IC-910H centre frerquency. See the filter shape below.
It is also not quite so simple as that! As PowerSDR is used to monitor the 10.850MHz IF from the IC-910H and has no idea what frequency my IC-910H is on when I select a signal from the PowerSDR waterfall I can't just send the correct frequency to the IC-910H. I need to calculate the offset of that signal from the centre of the IF, read the IC-910H frequency and apply the offset to it and then command the IC-910H to this new frequency.
An example is: if I'm monitoring 144.300MHz on my IC-910H and in PowerSDR see a signal 10KHz up and select it, this will be 10.860MHz on PowerSDR, then my interface would receive a Kenwood style CAT command of the new frequency from PowerSDR of 10.860MHz but this is no good for the Icom. The steps I need to take are I calculate in the PIC that 10.860MHz is 10KHz higher than the IF centre, I then read the curerent IC-910H frequency, 144.300MHz (in this example) and apply the 10KHz to it which makes it 144.310MHz. I then over CI-V I send 144.310MHz to VFO-B on the IC-910H and at the same time 10.850MHz to PowerSDR on the serial interface. Before I write to the IC-910H I first normalise VFO-A and VFO-B making them the same (144.300MHz in this example) before writing to VFO-B as this allows me to come back to the original frequency just by pressing the VFO button. I also need to send 10.850MHz to PowerSDR so it resets to monitor the center of the IF otherwise if it stayed on 10.860MHz after I moved the IC-910H to 144.310MHz then PowerSDR would be actually monitoring 10KHz higher which would be 144.320MHz in reality.
If you goto my Icom IC-910H IF mod page you will see details of how to modify the Icom IC-910H radio to tap into the 10.850MHz main band IF. The only issue I have is my tap point is after the 10.850MHz filter so is limited in bandwidth to about 15MHz either side of the IC-910H centre frerquency. See the filter shape below.
Modes of Operation
I've designed the circuit to have 2 modes of operation, Track and Spot. In Track mode the interface follows the frequency changes in PowerSDR and updates the Icom IC-910H in realtime much as you so as you tune through the band. Spot mode though is much more useful if you are using it contest style to monitor and watch for stations nearby you haven't yet worked. In Spot mode the interface indicates a new frequency has been selected in PowerSDR but doesn't load the new frequency into the IC-910H until the 'Send Spot' button is pressed. This means the main operator could be calling CQ while a second operator finds a station to work, then you as the main operator can decide when to press the button and go work him, in between CQ's for example. When the 'Send Spot' button is pressed the interface normalizes VFO-A and VFO-B, i.e. makes both of them both equal the current operating frequency then sends the new frequency to VFO-B in IC-910H which also selects it, this allows the main operator to work the new station before pressing the VFO button on the IC-910H to return to VFO-A and the original operating frequency to carry on calling CQ.
Demo Video
Here are some demo videos of the interface in action.
Downloads
v1.0 Files
Flex2CI-V PIC Code (BAS) | |
File Size: | 5 kb |
File Type: | bas |
Schematic to follow...