TS 590 PSK / Digital Setup and USB Malfunction / Solution

TS-590SG PSK Setup

These are notes on setting up digital ops on the TS590  using USB for audio data, PTT and CAT control from a PC.  Single USB cable provides both CAT control and Audio in and out.   The audio over USB is provided by a very slick device driver (Silicon Labs CP210x USB to UART Bridge (COM3)).  When the USB computer link is working it works beautifully but I soon encountered a gremlin with the USB link dropping while transmitting.  This problem was finally corrected by replacing the USB cable.

SETUP 

1. Set ALC level (see below)
2. DM780 Setup (Fig 3)  : PTT …..: Ham Radio Deluxe, Input …: Microphone – USB Audio CODEC , Output ..: Speakers3- USB Audio CODEC
3. Dell: HDSDR Second receiver: on the laptop with DRV (ant) engaged. USB cable connected
4. Dell: Figure 1: USB Connection: 9600 BAUD : set with Device manager Figure 1.
5. TS590: USB – menu 70 : select “rEAr” for “source of send PTT”  to activate USB port – this setting took a while to discover.
6. TS590:  Freq/mode,  DATA,  NR off, PROC off, AGF -F, USB cable connected

Set ALC for Digital to Zero Indication 

• Switch in dummy load / AT off
• Radio: Set Power to 100W
• Radio: Set meter to ALC monitor
• PC: Key PSK to transmit
• PC: Set ALC with DM780 Soundcard control for zero ALC indication (Figure 4)

Set transmit Power 

1. Radio: power control on the TS590 with audio output fixed.  Allows granular power control below maximum.
2. PC: Soundcard control on DM780
3. At or near maximum power the transmit power responds to small increases in audio output from the computer.

Figure 1:  PC – Device Manager USB Port set to 9600 Baud

Figure 2. PC volume control set to around 50%

Figure 3. DM780 Soundcard set for USB Audio CODEC
20dB Transmit attenuation

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 4. Set the audio output of PC from DM780  Soundcard control

    

 

 

 

 

 

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Problem: USB Drops While Transmitting Malfunction:  Feb 2015

HRD Timeout error when transmitter is keyed – occurs with Digital transmission and  by keying the mic 40M SSB phone.  Can occur the instant transmitter is keyed or some seconds afterward.  There was a second effect that silenced USB audio out from the computer. I wouldn’t be surprised by other effects.

I’m not the only guy to experience this.  KG6RGX fixed his problem by replacing an unshielded USB cable with a shielded one with ferrites molded in – see picture below – something like this.  I replaced a pretty good looking 6′ shielded cable (E129760) with two ferrites molded in with another nearly identical looking 6′ shielded cable with ferrites  (Foxcomm).  My cable is not gold plated. Also rerouted the cable.  The Tripp Lite below or maybe it’s 3′ version, available from Amazon worked for kg6rgx.

See below for  a trip down the rabbit hole.

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Figure 5. HRD Program – Timeout Error

Failure Process

1. Key transmitter, one second later …
2. Transmission Stops.   DM780 or FLDIGI freezes.
3. Radio stuck in transmit (no power out because audio is cut off with USB dead)
4. To turn off transmitter, press the SEND button.
5. DM780 is frozen – must be killed
6. HRD displays the error condition — Figure 5  – Timeout .
7. Another related problem is where the CAT works but the audio out from the computer is dead – no output.

Observations:
Adding ferrites on USB cable do nothing.  (to a cable that already has two ferrites molded in)
Randomly responds to reduction in power,
At other times there is clear correlation with power.

Changing COAX jumper from radio to Bird wattmeter did seem to affect occurrence but does not prevent malfunction.
Some randomness  when problem recurs.
affected by band — 40m seems more susceptible than 20 or 10m.
Does not occur with dummy load.
Reducing baud rate to 9600 seemed to have an effect but the problem came back
Try rerouting the cable – I did not really try this.
Switching out USB cable for another very similar looking cable AND rerouting cable fixed the problem  2/20/15  

 

~ by marksun on February 12, 2015.