Click here for help using Windows and Device Manager to identify virtual comports (PDF).
Click here for latest USB drivers and USB installation guides.
DigiMaster
PRO DATA interface HELP.
ALWAYS
ENSURE THAT YOUR INTERFACE IS PLUGGED IN
AND TURNED ON BEFORE STARTING YOUR SOFTWARE.
REAR
Connections
Internal
layout
HELP.
Yes, it's a sophisticated interface and there are more ways to get
things configured wrong than there are ways to get things configured
right but it's not difficult, once you have done it... Some people have
problems configuring a DATA interface and software, some have problems
configuring a CAT interface and software, To configure BOTH at the same
time, using two virtual comports can be confusing, especially if your
new to CAT and to DATA and new to the software as well. The rewards
are more than worthwhile, stick with it and treat each section [CAT
and DATA] as separate things that need configuring separately and configure
each independently of the other, one step at a time.
Have
you turned off and back on the interface without restarting your software
?
Turn off the interface, reboot PC, turn on the interface and wait for
the USB ack sound and red green led toggle, restart your software.
Always
check ALL plugs and sockets are firmly inserted, remove them and replug
them and check that they are inserted into the correct sockets.
They 3.5mm jack sockets are designed to be a tight "snap"
fit, the 3.5mmjack plugs won't work work loose easily but they can.
Check for damaged plugs, (particularly those 8 pin mini din CAT plugs
as used on Yaesu's, If you have bent a pin you can often straighten
them) this may have happened if you have not followed the instructions
carefully and have been struggling to get things working.
Don't
forget, your radio may need to be in a specific DATA mode, for example
the FT187 857 and 897 need to be in DIG mode that has been set to be
USR - USB.
And, if your using a "UN01" DATA cable, your radio packet
data baudrate should be set to 1220 baud (this is vital on the 706mk2g).
This selects the appropriate pin for input of DATA, (1200 and 9600 use
different pins and expect different levels, it does not affect any actual
"speed").
Ensure that any "Digital gain" is turned up high enough and
that your power output setting is also high enough to register power
out. You can set power level high and reduce drive to get 5 or 10 watts
and get a better output signal than setting power to 10 watts then driving
to 10 watts.
Sticks
in TX (DATA and / or CW) and other intermittent problems.
Too much RF in the shack ? Reduce power to a minimum then gradually
increase to determine when problem arises.
Try moving cables around and check your VSWR.
Remember, DATA modes are "high duty" modes and are really
qrp modes.
Some
use just 1 watt, 5w to 10w is normal. Because of the high duty cycle,
running above 25w or so is going to make your 100w PA hot.
TX
but no data transmission.
Have you got sound from your PC ?
Have you configured your software to use your soundcard ?
Is the 3.5mm jack (green marker) plugged into your soundcard output
?
Is the DATA lead correctly seated at the interface and at the radio
?
Decoding
but its garbage.
Your software will try to decode anything it hears, if there is no signal
or there is interference or there is a bad signal it may still try to
decode the noise that is heard, which may as a result actually be, "garbage".
Are you using your software squelch ? Do you want to use your software
squelch ?
Are you on the correct frequency on the band for the mode you are using
? For example 14.070 is PSK....
Are you trying to decode RTTY (or some other mode) when your software
is set for PSK ?
For example 14.080 is RTTY and you won't be successful in decoding RTTY
if your software is set for PSK.
Are you simply trying to decode the wrong mode ? Wrong mode, wrong place
on the band ?
Received signal does not sound the same as usual ?
You may be listening in the wrong part of the band for the mode your
using or someone else may be transmitting the wrong mode for the part
of the band your listening to...
No
waterfall.
Have you configured your soundcard to use your soundcard ?
Have you got the RX lead plugged into the soundcard input ?
Is the DATA lead correctly seated at the interface and at the radio
?
Are the audio leads correctly seated at the interface ?
No
TX or RX and no PTT
Is the DATA lead correctly seated at the interface and at the radio
?
Have you identified and correctly configured the virtual comport ?
Have you turned off and back on the interface without restarting your
software ?
Turn off the interface, reboot PC, turn on the interface and wait for
the USB ack sound and red green led toggle, restart your software.
CW
not working correctly.
Have you configured your radio to use a standard, straight key ?
Have you identified and are you using the correct comport ?
Have you configured your software to use the DTR line of comport[x]
?
Does the LED appear to toggle correctly ? (configure your radios key).
Have you
turned off and back on the interface without restarting your software
?
Turn off the interface, reboot PC, turn on the interface and wait for
the USB ack sound and red green led toggle, restart your software.
Just
one long tone or incorrect tone while trying to TX DATA or CW.
Unplug CW lead at interface and at radio several times to ensure that
the CW plug is correctly and fully seated.
Virtual comport missconfigured ? identify and configure your comports.
Software incorrectly configured ?
RTS = PTT correct.
DTR = CW correct.
ALL other combinations are wrong and will produce the wrong results.
RTS = PTT and CW is wrong.
DTR = PTT and CW is wrong.
Unplug CW lead and problem disappears - can only be incorrect configuration.
No
CAT connection.
Have you configured your radio ?
Have you configured your software to match the settings on your radio
?
If you have a multi purpose CAT socket (817 857 897 etc) have you configured
the radio to use it as a CAT socket ?
Have you used the radio menu to confirm baudrate and (Icom) CIV address
?
Have you tried a full reset on the radio ?
Have you plugged the CAT into the correct socket on the radio ?
Have you damaged the CAT lead (esp 8 pin din plugs on FT100, 817, 857,
897) ?
Have you got the Icom lead the correct way round ? stereo jack to the
interface, mono jack to the radio.
Have you swapped USB ports ? Windows may have renumbered your virtual
comports.
Have you swapped PC's ? see above.
Have you downloaded and run the loopback test with and without the special
3.5mm loopback jack (see help above for more details).
Have you turned off and back on the interface without restarting your
software ?
Turn off the interface, reboot PC, turn on the interface and wait for
the USB ack sound and red green led toggle, restart your software.
TESTING
THE INTERFACE.
If for any reason you wish to test the interface, you can download and
run the "loopback" test program.
Run it with the interface off and it will tell you what comports can
be seen by Windows.
REMEMBER, if you swap the interface between USB ports on your
PC, Windows may reassign the virtual comport numbers, if it does so,
then your software's configuration will need changing to reflect this.
The virtual comports provided by Windows will almost certainly be different
on a different PC.
Notice that every time you turn the interface on Windows tests the USB
interface by toggling the LED, you may also hear a small "click"
from the interfaces PTT relay at each toggle. You may need to listen
very carefully and you may not always hear it.
Disconnect
all cables from the interface except the USB cable.
Run the loopback test with the interface on and it will then provide
you with the 2 new virtual comports provided by the interface.
It will also toggle the Green / Red LED as comport [x] is tested. The
LED will not toggle when testing comport [x+1].
If the interface is on and only the DATA cable is plugged into the radio
(and the radio is set for DATA mode - important on some radios) when
the test is run it will also toggle the green led to red and put the
radio into TX proving the interface's PTT is functioning.
If the interface is on and only the CW cable is plugged into the radio
(and the radio is set for CW mode with CW key correctly configured on
the radio) when the test is run it will also toggle the green led to
red and put the radio into TX proving the interface's CW is functioning.
To test the CAT section of the interface, disconnect all cables to the
radio and insert a modified 3.5mm jack (with tip and ring connections
connected together, leaving the gnd shaft of the 3.5mm jack unconnected)
into the CAT socket on the interface and run the loopback test with
the interface on. It should report that comport[x+1] is a CAT cable.
If
the above tests work then any problems you may be experiencing are most
likely simply down to configuration errors.
Some people have problems configuring a DATA interface and software,
some have problems configuring a CAT interface and software, To configure
BOTH at the same time, using virtual comports can be confusing, especially
if your new to CAT and to DATA and new to the software as well. The
rewards are more than worthwhile, stick with it and treat each section
[CAT and DATA] as separate things that need configuring separately and
configure each independently of the other, one step at a time.
Click here for help using Windows and Device Manager to identify virtual comports (PDF).
Click here for latest USB drivers and USB installation guides.
ALWAYS
ENSURE THAT YOUR INTERFACE IS PLUGGED IN
AND TURNED ON BEFORE STARTING YOUR SOFTWARE.