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NUE-PSK Digital Modem
A digital modem for PSK31 and RTTY field use ... without a PC!
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NUE-PSK Digital Modem
A digital modem for PSK31 and RTTY field use ... without a PC! |
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ARTICLES OF INTEREST Hardware Mods for kit builders Hardware Mods for modem owners Installing and Using the USB Card Using "Upload / Download Config" ICD2
Programming Cable PHOTO GALLERY
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Featured in QST for March 2008 (download
article)
Updating Service Available
Available Accessories: NUE-PSK Digital Modem An easy and portable way to get on the air with PSK-31 and RTTY ... no computer required! The NUE-PSK is a small 7" x 4" x 1" standalone, battery-operated digital modem using a graphic display for transmit and receive text data, as well as for showing band spectrum and tuning. Just plug in a standard PS2 keyboard and connect to an SSB-capable transceiver like the FT-817 or the PSK-xx transceivers from Small Wonder Labs, and you'll have an effective digital mode station that goes absolutely anywhere. The NUE-PSK modem is an "open" design, with published hardware details and software source code. What this means is that over time many others can contribute to the modem's capabilities and modes of operation. Already we have a "USB add-on option" that allows one to record the QSO to a USB stick for archival or EmComm use. Further, the modem has the ability to be "field upgraded" by using a serial port (or USB thumb drive) to load new versions of the modem software. Just download the latest-and-greatest modem software from this website and send it to the modem over the serial port. It's the modem that keeps on growing ... new modes, new features, new add-on accessories!
Order Page
USB
Add-On Card MODEM NEWS
News
...
> NUE-PSK Modem Overview ... Here's an updated PowerPoint slide deck that overviews the PSK fundamentals and design highlights of the NUE-PSK Digital Modem. Great for using at the next gathering of your radio club! > Master Flash Files ... We've created a zip file containing a collection of useful files for modem owners using the Flash drive with their USB card option. When downloaded and unzipped onto your thumb drive, you'll have all the latest manuals and software loads for conveniently using your modem. See the README.TXT file in the zip collection for details. > Summary of recommended hardware mods ... Just a couple mods to the modem pcb are recommended for optimum performance. Easy to do and provides better immunity to external RFI and internal EMI. > Update Service for Modems ... Need some help updating the software in your modem? Or even in making the recommended hardware mods on your modem or USB board? Here's an easy and inexpensive way that we can help you out! See the Order Page for details. > Latest software release: v2.33c ... Supports Config Upload & Download (save, edit, restore macros) and PSK31 performance improvements. See Release Notes for all details.
Latest
Modem Software: Version 2.33c ...
So be sure to load the
latest software into your modem, and be
sure to check out the full set of latest documents in the Technical
Resources section below: Release Notes, Command Reference Guide,
Source Code, Operator's Manual and the USB Card Manual. Technical Resources
Overview The NUE-PSK is a standalone, battery-operated digital modem using a Microchip dsPIC33F microcontroller. The project uses a single graphic display showing transmit and receive text data, band spectrum, and tuning indication. When coupled with an SSB-capable transceiver and a standard PS2 keyboard, the NUE-PSK Digital Modem forms an effective, compact, and portable station for working the digial modes on the amateur bands.
Specifications > Standalone, half-duplex modulator/demodulator for amateur radio digital mode communications > Handheld unit ... no PC required > Menus select operating modes, Squelch Thresh, PGA Gain, CW ID > 128 x 64 pixel graphic LCD displays audio signal spectrum 500 Hz to 2.5 kHz (with backlight) > Tx and Rx buffers and menu system displayed in lower half of LCD using four 20-character lines of text > Tune controls modem position along audio spectrum > Modes currently supported: BPSK31, QPSK, QPSK reversed > External keyboard jack: 6-pin mini-DIN, PS2-compatible > Standard PS2-style or dual-mode USB/PS2 keyboard (user-supplied) provides text input for Tx entry, command/mode selection and modem frequency adjustment > Connection to SSB transceiver: 8-pin mini-DIN (audio in, audio out, PTT, power) > Powered by two internal 9V batteries (not included) or an externally-applied supply via 2.1mm coaxial jack > Power requirements: 9-18V DC. Current at 12V is 60 ma without backlight, 80mA with backlight. The current decreases as input voltage is increased. > Field reprogrammable to allow software updating in the field by the owner > Aluminum enclosure provides for rugged portable use while shielding transceiver from digital EMI > Enclosure dimensions: 7" x 4" x 1" > Single 3.75" x 5.25” pc board contains all components and connectors > Lightweight: < 1 lb with batteries. > Control for precise audio level control to transceiver
>
Cable assembly provided (plug and shielded cable)
for connection to the SSB transceiver
As illustrated below, a dsPIC33F is at the heart of the project design. This highly-integrated dsPIC33F device employs a powerful 16-bit architecture that seamlessly integrates the control features of a Microcontroller (MCU) with the computational capabilities of a Digital Signal Processor (DSP). The resulting functionality is ideal for applications that rely on high-speed, repetitive computations, as well as control … just perfect for the NUE-PSK Digital Modem. A complete description of the NUE-PSK Digital Modem design and operation is provided in our cover article in QEX for March-April 2008.
Parts List for Homebrewers:
Download BOM as Excel Spreadsheet User Interface (2.33)
Keyboard Hot Keys
F1 to F7
Play Macros
Ctrl-Fn
Record Macros. Enter keystrokes. Ctrl-Z to conclude entry.
Alt-Fn
Delete Macro associated with Fn.
F8
Toggle TUNE mode on/off. Accessible only in RX or TX.
(Not in Setup, or Macro
Recording.)
Shft-F9
Turn on Beacon Mode. ‘BCN’ displayed.
Alt-F9
Turn off Beacon Mode.
F10
Toggle between RX and TX. (Not in Setup, or Macro Recording)
F11
Display “MyCall” from EEPROM.
F12
Toggle on/off a display of modem's current settings.
Ctrl-M
Record “MyCall” into EEPROM. Ctrl-Z to conclude entry.
Ctrl-T
Record “TheirCall” into RAM. Ctrl-Z to conclude entry.
Alt-M
Insert “MyCall” into a Macro.
Alt-T
Insert “TheirCall” into a Macro.
Ctrl-F
Save the current frequency into EEPROM so that it can be restored
at the next power-up.
Alt-F
Retrieve the saved freq and makes it the current freq.
Ctrl-Tab
Display the current frequency (audio)
Ctrl-A
Enable AFC
Alt-A
Disable AFC
PgUp
Increase input gain (PGA)
PgDn
Decrease input gain (PGA)
Ctrl-L
Clear the text area of the LCD
Ctrl-K
Clear the keyboard buffer. While receiving, keystrokes
are not displayed—this
allows clearing the buffer, so that
callsign may be entered, or
re-entered in case you think
that you have entered
the wrong callsign.
Ctrl-B
Clears the internal buffers
Ctrl-Q
Inserts a TX-OFF control character in the TX buffer, or Macro.
Ctrl-S
Insert a TX-ON control character in the TX buffer, or Macro
Ctrl-O
Toggles the display backlight on and off.
Ctrl-U Toggles REC mode on/off for recording text to USB drive. Ctrl-N Enter filename to be used for recording text to USB drive.
Ctrl-I
Enter free-form text to be recorded to USB drive.
Ctrl-R: Reverse the order of Mark and Space freqs in RTTY mode. (Useful for copying sender transmitting on opposite sideband.) Spectrum Cursor Tuning Rates Left: 1x: Left Arrow 2x: Down Arrow 5x: ALT+Left Arrow 10x: ALT+Down Arrow Right: 1x: Right Arrow 2x: Up Arrow 5x: ALT+Right Arrow 10x: ALT+Up Arrow
USB-Related Hot Keys:
Ctrl-U:
Toggle REC mode on/off. (REC displayed on right
edge of display.) REC mode is
aborted if no flash device
present in connector. If no USB
card detected, the modem’s
piezo is beeped after 5 seconds
and REC mode is aborted.
Ctrl-N:
Enter name for USB file to be recorded. Ctrl-Z to conclude entry.
Standard 8.3 file names accepted. (E.g., “FD2008-2.txt”)
Ctrl-I:
Insert text into recording file. Ctrl-Z to conclude entry. The USB
file must already be open
(Ctrl-U) for this to work. The recording
file remains open for
additional Rx or Tx text, until Ctrl-U pressed
again to close the recording
file.
Config Menu:
Mode:
BPSK, QPSK, QPSK/R, RTTY
Squelch Threshhold: 25, 50
CWID:
On, Off
PGA
Gain: x1, x5, x16, x32
Tune
Increment: Single, Double
Battery Voltage
TX Audio Level
Save Config
Beacon Mode PC Bootload Flash Bootload
Exit
1) Power up
modem (flash mem device not inserted)
2) Enter
filename for file to be recorded …
Ctrl-N
FieldDay.txt Ctrl-Z
3) Turn on
REC mode to begin recording
Ctrl-U
and see the USB LED blink fast.
4) Insert
block of free form text to Flash filename …
Ctrl-I
Field Day 2008 QSO recordings Ctrl-Z
5) Tune
around and find a station to call
6) Enter Tx
mode per usual (F10) to call. Entered text is
recorded to USB filename.
7) Enter Rx
mode per usual (F10) to receive. Receive
text is recorded to USB filename.
8) Insert
free form text to USB file …
Ctrl-I Time ending QSO is 2130
hrs. Ctrl-Z
9) Close USB
file recording session …
Ctrl-U
and see the USB LED stop blinking and go
solid on.
10) Remove
Flash memory device for remote viewing,
archival or printing.
Example Usage of Keyboard Hot Keys
1) Record
MyCall to EEPROM …
Ctrl-M n2apb Ctrl-Z
2) Record
CQ sequence into F1 macro …
Ctrl-F1 Ctrl-S cq cq cq de Alt-M Ctrl-Q Ctrl-Z
Play the macro by pressing F1 and see …
Tx
comes on, “cq cq cq de n2apb”, Tx turns off
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Copyright 2010 Midnight Design
Solutions, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Page last updated: Sept 1, 2010
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