Ensemble RXTX 03_Local Oscillator

Install SMT Components

Soldering the Si570 must be carefully done Many builders have encountered problems and, in most cases, they are attributable to improper soldering of the Si570 to the (rather tight) pads. Pay special attention to pads for pins 7 and 8, which are quite narrow. These tend to be the biggest source of soldering problems (e.e., solder bridges).

Check	Designation	Component	Marking	Category	Orientation	Notes
❏	U03	Si570 Programmable Oscillator	SiLabs 570	I2C		Take ESD precautions
❏	C55	0.01 uF	(smt)	SMT 1206
❏	C50	0.1 uF	(smt) black stripe	SMT 1206
❏	C51	0.1 uF	(smt) black stripe	SMT 1206
❏	C52	0.1 uF	(smt) black stripe	SMT 1206
❏	C76	0.1 uF	(smt) black stripe	SMT 1206		Added 4/4/10

Install USB Control Components

Check	Designation	Component	Marking	Category	Orientation	Notes
❏	D1	BZX55C3V3 3.3V zener diode	BZX55C	Axial
❏	D2	BZX55C3V3 3.3V zener diode	BZX55C	Axial
❏	Q01	2N3906 PNP transistor	2N3906	TO-92
❏	SO01	socket, machine, 8 pin		Socket		For ATTin7 85
❏	U01	ATtiny 85-20 PU w/V15.12 Firmware	AVR ATTINY85-20PU	DIP 8		Take ESD precautions Mount in socket SO01
❏	C03	0.01 uF	103	Ceramic
❏	R01	68 1/6W 5%	bl-gry-blk-gld	1/6W	N-S
❏	R02	68 1/6W 5%	bl-gry-blk-gld	1/6W	N-S
❏	R07	68 1/6W 5%	bl-gry-blk-gld	1/6W	E-W
❏	R11	475 1/4W 1%	y-v-grn-bl-br	1/4W	W-E
❏	R05	2.2k 1/6W 5%	red-red-red-gld	1/6W	E-W
❏	R09	2.2k 1/6W 5%	red-red-red-gld	1/6W	N-S
❏	R10	2.2k 1/6W 5%	red-red-red-gld	1/6W	N-S
❏	R03	4.7k 1/6W 5%	yel-vio-red-gld	1/6W	W-E
❏	R04	4.7k 1/6W 5%	yel-vio-red-gld	1/6W	W-E
❏	R08	4.7k 1/6W 5%	yel-vio-red-gld	1/6W	flat-vert
❏	R06	1 M 1/6W 5%	brn-blk-grn-gld	1/6W	E-W

Install Coupling Transformer

Wind and Install the transformer (T1) that couples the Si570 output across the galvanic "border" to the Dividers stage. This requires winding a bifilar (2-wire) length onto a binocular transformer. See the notes at WB5RVZ Transformer Winding Instructions if you are unfamiliar with winding binocular transformers, and refer to the diagram below.

You should take two 5" strands of #30 wire and twist them together ("bifilar") so you get around 3 twists to the inch. Using the resultant bifilar strand, thread it through the binocular core for two turns. Remember a turn is a trip that:
(1) starts at a particular hole
(2) goes into that hole and out of the other end
(3) goes into the hole nthat is across from the hole out of which it just exited, and
(4) Comes out of the hole at the opposite end and across from the original entry hole.
Do that series twice with the twisted pair and you have a transformer with two windings (each winding corresponding to one of the two twisted single wires).
Each winding (primary and secondary) is two turns. Since the windings are identical in length and number of turns, you can arbitratily pick either one as the primary, with the remaining winding serving as the secondary winding.
(Hint: use an ohmmeter (or other continuity checker) to identify which wire-ends go together to make the ends of a winding.

Check	Designation	Component	Marking	Category	Orientation	Notes
❏	T1	2T Bifilar #30 (5") on BN-43-2402		Xfrmr
❏	R12	2.2k 1/6W 5%	red-red-red-gld	1/6W	N-S

Install Remaining Topside Components

U4 is oriented with the dot lined up with the barrel of R11 (i.e., the dot is toward the bottom of the board, closest to the left hand edge

Check	Designation	Component	Marking	Category	Orientation	Notes
❏	J2	3.5mm stereo jack - PCB mount (rt-angle)		Jack-RA
❏	U04	LTV-817 Opto-Isolator	LTV 817	DIP-4		Take ESD precautions

Download and Install Software and Drivers

In order to test (and later, operate, your rig, you must download and install required software (SDR programs and Dynamic Link Libraries, along with hardware drivers. The actual steps and programs may vary, depending upon your computer's windows operating system version (XP, Vista, or Windows 7) and architecture CPU/memory (32 bit or 64 bit).

The following links are provided and, as of 7/8/2010, are current:

^*Note on installing PE0-FKO's USB Drivers: Fred's website has an excellent step-by-step guide to instaling the USB driver.

Install Driver

The correct procedure is to download the driver and put it in a suitable folder, then plug in the USB lead, Windows should detect new hardware has been found and you need to manually point it to the folder containing the drive. It should then install correctly. Certainly does on Win2000 and XP. On Vista or Windows 7, there used to be some issues with driver signing. There have been messages on the forum describing methods of working around these issues. One such solution is addressed in the author's MOBO4.3 builders notes.

LibUSB - "Unknown Device" Error

Others have experienced the dreaded "Unknown Device" problem upon plugging in the USB cable after having installed the LibUsb driver. This "unknown device" problem (and a remedy for those who are using Logitech cordless mouse) are discussed in message #45071 on the Yahoo Softrock40 Group

Another valueable resource for troubleshooting the "unknown device" error is Alan's webpageInstalling the ATTiny45/85_USB Controller

Install/Run CFGSR ("ConFiGureSoftRock")

Once the driver is installed, if you run 'CFGSR' that will either automatically 'open' the firmware, or if not, you need to go to the 'USB' tab and select it from the list displayed in the bottom box. Which way depends on if you have 'CFGSR' set up to auto connect on program start or not.

Disable ABPF

it is essential before any functional tests are carried out, as soon as you have the PC talking to the Ensemble using the USB interface is to use 'CFGSR' and go to the 'ABPF' tab and remove the check from the 'Enable Filter (ABPF) box. You must then unplug and reconnect the USB lead in order to reinitialise the AVR chip so it has the PTT and CW key functions enabled. If you do not do this, the AVR chip is supplied with the defaults set for use with the v9.0 RX and BPF module, so will catch a lot of people out, in the same way as the USB to I2C interface has.

Test Paddles

In 'CFGSR' if you select the 'Test' tab, and check the 'Repeat' box, there are three LEDs at the bottom of the screen that display the status of the PTT, CW1 and CW2 lines. You can exercise the CW1 and CW2 key inputs and you will see the LEDs change.

For further discussions of the software side of SDR and soundcard issues, see Alan G4ZFQ's pages.

Test Local Oscillator

You can use 'CFGSR' to exercise the Si570 using the 'Tune' tab that makes it into a 'VFO'. Just a case of setting the frequency, and the Si570 should output a signal at 4 times the frequency displayed on the main display on the screen. The 'Test' tab can also be used to look at all the various Si570 registers etc, but probably unnecessary as if you can hear or measure the Si570 output frequency, you know it is working.

PSDR Issues

There is a lively discussion of the issues in setting up Power SDR (various versions) for the Softrocks at the thread for Message #47707 in the Softrock40 reflector. WB5RVZ has also posted some guidelines in setting up PSDR for the Vista (and supposedly, Win 7) environment..