MacBe RX014 User manual

RX014
User Manual
© NL 2017

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CONTENTS
Contents................................................................................................................................................. 2
Preface................................................................................................................................................... 4
Document Purpose and Scope ................................................................................................................. 5
Programmers information ........................................................................................................................ 5
Installation ............................................................................................................................................. 5
Abbreviations.......................................................................................................................................... 6
1. Main window....................................................................................................................................... 8
1.1. RECEIVER Control...................................................................................................................... 9
1.2. Indicators................................................................................................................................ 10
2. Detector window ........................................................................................................................... 12
3. Scanner window............................................................................................................................ 13
4. RF + AF window ........................................................................................................................... 18
5. RDS window ................................................................................................................................. 19
5.1. System ...................................................................................................................................... 19
5.2. Logging ..................................................................................................................................... 25
5.3. Statistics .................................................................................................................................... 31
5.4. Basic....................................................................................................................................... 33
5.5. EON........................................................................................................................................ 37
5.6. TMC........................................................................................................................................ 39
5.6.1. System Information ....................................................................................................... 39
5.6.2. Tuning formation ........................................................................................................... 40
5.6.3. Message Information ..................................................................................................... 41
5.7 EAS......................................................................................................................................... 43
5.7.1 System ............................................................................................................................. 43
5.7.2. Identity, AF & GEO ........................................................................................................ 44
5.7.3. Message and timing ....................................................................................................... 45
6. Additional ..................................................................................................................................... 46

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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1. RX014 GUI on Startup. .............................................................................................................. 8
Figure 2. Display when the RX014 is tuned to a station that is transmitting RDS data. ................................. 8
Figure 3. The Detector Window .............................................................................................................. 12
Figure 4. The Scanner Window .............................................................................................................. 13
Figure 5 The Scanner Alternative Frequency display ............................................................................... 13
Figure 6. Alternative Frequency Display with RDS after scan .................................................................... 14
Figure 7. Fast Scan and Scan Display ..................................................................................................... 16
Figure 8. Fast Scan Display .................................................................................................................... 16
Figure 9. Live Update Scan with Alternative Frequency Display ................................................................ 17
Figure 10. RF+AF Events Display ........................................................................................................... 18
Figure 11. RF+AF Events With AF Display .............................................................................................. 18
Figure 12. The RDS Window .................................................................................................................. 19
Figure 13. The Debug Window ......................................................... Fout! Bladwijzer niet gedefinieerd.
Figure 14. The Logging Window ............................................................................................................. 25
Figure 15. The RDS Block Error codes and RX014 Error Color legend. ....................................................... 25
Figure 16. The Statistics Window ........................................................................................................... 31
Figure 17. The Basic Window ................................................................................................................. 33
Figure 18. The EON Window .................................................................................................................. 37
Figure 19. The TMC System Information Window .................................................................................... 39
Figure 20. The TMC Tuning Information Window .................................................................................... 40
Figure 21. The TMC Tuning Information Window with Mapped AFs .......................................................... 40
Figure 22. The TMC Message Information Window. ................................................................................. 41
Figure 23. The EAS Group 3A & System Window ..................................................................................... 43
Figure 24. The EAS Indentify, AF & GEO Window .................................................................................... 44
Figure 25. The EAS Messages & timing Window ...................................................................................... 45

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PREFACE
Thank you for purchasing the RX014 FM R(B)DS receiver/decoder/monitor.
The RX014 will give you the opportunity to do detailed investigations on reception conditions by observing
and logging detectors for RSSI, USN and Multi-path.
The RX014’s small form factor and included accessories are ideally suited for checking the coverage area of
a transmitter in the field; included in the package is a rod antenna with magnetic base, which attaches to
the roof of your vehicle, making it easy and convenient to log the reception conditions to your laptop or
notebook.
At the same time also all R(B)DS and RDS2 data can be viewed in great detail and recorded while actual
statistics and quality are shown. The RX014 data recording feature is particularly useful for later playback
and investigation in the laboratory.
I make continuous improvements to the RX014 Control Program and updates are available from the
download page on the web-site www.RX014.com
As always, updates and new Control Program versions are free for products developed and manufactured by
MacBe bv.
This manual refers to firmware and GUI versions 1.9 and later. The latest GUI can always be downloaded
from the site (www.RX014.com) and should you require a firmware update, just drop me an e-mail and I’ll
send you a special program with instructions to update your unit.
I hope you will enjoy using your RX014 as much as I did designing it.
Joop Beunders
MacBe bv NL
www.MacBe.nl
www.RX014.com

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DOCUMENT PURPOSE AND SCOPE
In this document the capabilities of the RX014 and the functionality of the Control Program are described.
To get the most benefit from your RX014, I recommend you read through the specifications of the RDS
system which is described in the document “IEC 62106 ed2:2009” and the RBDS specification in document
“US NRSC-4-B”. In June 2016 the RDS specification is updated and now also includes the RDS2 system.
Both documents are included on the installation disk.
The RBDS Specification can also be freely downloaded from the following:
http://nrscstandards.org/standards%20accept/standards-download%20NRSC-4-B.asp
Unfortunately the RDS specification is still not freely available, but can be obtained via the following:
http://webstore.iec.ch
Some PTY codes of the RBDS system were modified in 2011 and more information on these changes can be
found on:
http://www.radioworld.com/article/new-program-codes-for-rbds-hd/273648
PROGRAMMERS INFORMATION
Since the product communicates with the PC using an HID interface, it is possible to capture the data
directly using additional programs. Also, experienced software developers can write applications to control
an RX014 using its API. All details related to this functionality are described in a separate document called
RX014-API, freely available from the www.RX014.com web site.
INSTALLATION
Before starting, please check the contents of the RX014 package. On the box and inside is a listing of
everything that comes with your RX014 purchase. If your package is not complete, please let me know
immediately via email to in[email protected]
The actual installation is simple and straightforward.
Plug the RX014 unit into a free USB slot. If needed, you can use the USB extension cable which is also
supplied in the package.
Microsoft Windows® will recognize a new HID device and “install” it, which might take a few seconds. No
drivers are required! During that time you can attach the antenna or use the supplied coax cable to connect
the RX014 to your existing antenna system using one of the supplied adapters.
On the memory stick is a setup file which should be run to install the RX014 GUI on your hard drive. An icon
named RX014 will be created. Click on that icon to start the RX014 GUI.

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ABBREVIATIONS
Abbreviation
Meaning
GUI
Graphical User Interface ( = the Control Program)
CRC
Cyclic Redundancy Check
NMEA
National Marine Electronics Association
RSSI
Received Signal Strength Indication
USN
Ultra Sonic Noise
WAM
Wide band AM or Multi-path
IF
Intermediate Frequency
EAS
Emergency Alert System
EWS
Emergency Warning System
R(B)DS
Radio (Broadcast) Data System
RDS2
Improved version of the R(B)DS system, where 3 additional carriers are
inserted into the multiplex
AF
Alternative Frequency
PI
Programme Identification
PTY
Programme TYpe
PS
Programme Service name
LPS
Long Program Service name
RT
Radio Text
eRT
enhanced Radio Text using the UTF-8 coding system
RT+& eRT+
(enhanced) Radio Text Plus: tagging system for radio text
TP
Traffic Programme
TA
Traffic Announcement
ODA
Open Data Application
ECC
Extended Country Code
EON
Enhanced Other Networks
MAF
Mapped Alternative Frequency
TMC
Traffic Message Channel

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LTN
Location Table Number
TISA
Traveler Information Services Association
FIPS
Federal Information Processing Standard

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1. MAIN WINDOW
When you click the RX014 icon on your desktop, the main window of the Control Program will appear and
will look like in the figure below, when no antenna is connected or station is received:
-
When tuned to a station which transmits RDS2, the upper section of the window may look like:
In this figure streams 0..2 are receiving and decoding R(B)DS data.
Figure 2A.
Display when the RX014 is tuned to a station that is transmitting RDS data.
Figure 1. RX014 GUI on Startup.
PI Code
Traffic Announcement
Traffic program
Time
Date
User presets
PS name
Tuning bar
Radio Text
Stereo indicator
Window Selectors
Volume Control
and
Tuning Buttons
RDS Presence
PTY Code
Figure 2B.
Display when the RX014 is tuned to a station that is transmitting RDS2 data.

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1.1. RECEIVER CONTROL
Tuning
Tuning to a station may be accomplished in several ways:
1. Use the mouse to hover over the tune bar. A small balloon will show the exact frequency where the
receiver will tune to when the left mouse button is pressed.
2. Click on the large frequency indicator in the center of the screen. A calculator style window will pop
up and you may enter a valid frequency manually. Valid means between the upper and lower limit of the
tuning range.
3. Use the up and down buttons to step in grid steps through the band.
NOTE: When clicking with the right mouse button, tuning will be using steps of 10 kHz. The frequency
display will turn red as a warning that tuning in OFF grid.
4. To let the receiver find the previous or next station that meet your requirements (see Chapter 3),
use the left and right buttons.
5. When a specific frequency has been stored, you can select it by clicking on the button. The indicator
above will light up as confirmation showing the tuned frequency (In Figure 2, 88.2 MHz is displayed).
Presets
Up to 8 frequencies may be stored for easy later retrieval using the 8 preset keys. Initially the indicator
above the keys will show the numbers 1..8 as in the Figure 1. This means that no frequency is stored and a
mouse click on such a key will have no effect.
When you want to store a frequency in a preset, click and hold down the mouse button over the preset
button (the key turns yellow) and then release when indicator shows the tuned frequency and the key color
returns to black.
A confirmation tone will be heard.
Volume
The audio level may be changed by sliding the volume control (right next to the tuning buttons) up
and down. By clicking on the word volume below the slide bar, the function may be toggled to
mute the RX014 headphone output without affecting the volume level setting.
This completes the tour of the general control of the RX014. I expect the RX014 often will be used in a
vehicle, so mouse control is not always easy. Therefore, several functions may also be controlled via the
keyboard.
Keyboard control
Volume
Function key F1 to decrease the volume level
Function key F2 to increase the volume level
Mute
TAB key toggles the mute function
Step UP
UP arrow key
Step DOWN
DOWN arrow key
Search UP
RIGHT arrow key
Search DOWN
LEFT arrow key
Manual entry
The SPACE bar will invoke the calculator type entry.
Station Presets
Press number key 1 through 8 on the main keyboard (not the keypad)

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1.2. INDICATORS
Indicator Bar
When tuned to a station broadcasting in stereo (yes, there are still operators who only use mono)
the top left indicator will light up.
When also R(B)DS data is received, the indicator will light up to indicate “something” is being
broadcast.
The part that is supposed never to change in an R(B)DS data stream is the so called PI code, which is the
next indicator (short for Programme Identification). This is a unique code identifying the actual
programme that is being listened to. In Europe this code is widely used for the “Keep Tuned” feature; in the
USA the code is translated into the call sign of the station. Further details can be found in the RDS and RBDS
specifications.
Some stations give more or less regularly traffic information. They can indicate that in the R(B)DS data
stream by setting the TP flag (Traffic Programme).
When an actual traffic message goes on air also the TA flag may be set (Traffic Announcement). Many
consumer radios will react to the presence of both flags by increasing the volume level temporarily to make
sure the listener will get the message. Should he be listening to another source (CD, USB stick, …) many
consumer receivers will then activate the receiver as source for the duration of the announcement. This is
either a fine feature or annoyance depending on your point of view.
The next important item is the Programme TYpe indicator: 30 different types of programmes
can be signal led with this PTY indicator, like Pop Music, Classics, Sport, News, and so on. Some consumer
radios have the option to set a specific PTY code in the search algorithm, so the radio will only stop at
stations which match that PTY code.
Unfortunately not all operators are using this very valuable option.
Most operators also send the time and date information on the R(B)DS data stream.
Unfortunately however, the values cannot always be trusted. According to the specifications the time and
date information should not only be correct but also sent once per minute ON the minute so receivers may
apply an exact synchronization.
The goal is to send the time, date, and time zone, so wherever you take the radio, it will always show the
correct time and date.
In the left middle center of the window, the Programme Service name (PS) is shown. This is an 8 character
identity of R(B)DS intended to make stations more recognizable. Unfortunately, lots of operators sell this
bandwidth to put very short advertisements on air, and the original intent of the PS feature vanishes.
Nowadays however, most consumer radios have larger displays and the introduction of RT+ (see Radio Text
below) has increased the ability to advertise on the FM radio display.
When the RX014 is tuned to a station which broadcasts RDS and RDS2 data, the indicator bar will change to:
showing in this case that all 4 streams (0..3) are receiving data.

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Radio Text
Just below the indicator bar, space is reserved for the Radio Text (RT) information as shown below:
Originally RT was just a line of text with a maximum length of 64 characters. Since the introduction of RT+
however, the texts can be made much more meaningful as parts of the text can be tagged and given one of
64 identities, so receivers can show advertisements, artist name and song title, URLs, and so on.
In each line of text, two parts of the text can be tagged as shown below
Naturally, the RX014 R(B)DS decoder incorporates this RT+ technology.
The latest improvement is the use of enhanced Radio Text or eRT. In eRT characters are coded using the
UTF-8 coding scheme, which allows the presentation of text in all languages as shown below. Further details
can be found in the RDS specification of 2016.
Selector buttons
On the right side of the window are 4 selector buttons. Each of these buttons shows or hides its respective
window where more in-depth information is displayed.
When the RDS button is clicked, a new tabbed window will open where all RDS parameters
can be studied in great depth.
When the RF + AF button is clicked, a window will open where the RF parameters are
shown in a graphical form. Every 200ms (approximately) a sample of the RF conditions is
taken and shown in the graph. If Alternative Frequencies are present, AF update results
may be shown as well.
The scanner opens when clicking the Scanner button. A graph can be made of the full FM
landscape. Also a full RDS scan can be made, where for each station the PI and PS are
evaluated. Also the “live update” feature can be found in this window: A continuous
landscape updated every second!
Finally the detectors window opens after clicking the Detectors button. Each detector,
RSSI, USN, WAM, IF offset and modulation is shown in this window and also updates every
200ms. In this window, the user search preferences may be set.
In the following chapters, each of these windows is described in detail.

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2. DETECTOR WINDOW
Approximately every 200 ms an RF sample is taken by the RX014 firmware and sent to the GUI, which
displays it to you as shown in the figure below.
The data is not only shown in a bar graph style but
also in text for easier comprehension. The small,
vertical, 1 pixel wide lines inside the bars indicate the
RX014’s current search values that caused a scan to
stop at that station.
The USN and WAM indicators will hardly ever have a
constant value of 0; both have a very high sensitivity
so a low level indication can be caused by the modulation itself.
USN or Ultra Sonic Noise is usually caused by the presence or modulation of neighboring stations. Also co-
channel stations can cause high USN distortion. A co-channel station is a station transmitting on the exact
same frequency, but with another audio content.
WAM or Wide band AM but better known as Multi-path is caused by the effect that the antenna receives
signals from the same transmitter via more than one path, usually caused by reflections to buildings,
mountains, large water surfaces or even passing vehicles.
Offset is usually caused by modulation and does not harm the audio or RDS quality as long as it is below
the actual bandwidth value. Over-modulation and weak reception will create audible distortion. According to
internationally accepted specifications the modulation of an FM carrier should never exceed 75 kHz. Some
operators however have no qualms about going well over this value to create a “louder” audio level for the
user. The offset may also be slightly off without any modulation, due to tolerances in the transmitter and/or
the receiver, so 101.1 MHz is not exactly 101.1 MHz on both sides.
As long as this value is below 10..15 kHz there is no problem.
Bandwidth shows the actual and momentary value of the IF bandpass filter. Modulation of neighboring
stations can cause severe distortion if the bandpass filter always has the same width. The receiver in the
RX014 however has the ability to constantly adjust the bandwidth of this filter. The system is also known as
the PACS system, which is short for Precision Adjacent Channel System causing a variable bandwidth based
on the momentary reception conditions.
Because of the presence of this system it is possible to listen to weak stations even when they are close to a
strong station.
Modulation is an indication of the current modulation level. As this level shows the actual audio content it
is very hard to read and therefor a small vertical bar shows the “peak” value for a few seconds. When this
value often exceeds the 75 kHz limit, the operator is not working according to the standards and
specifications.
AGC is an indicator for the automatic gain control of the tuner. This control kicks in at very high RF levels
(>90 dBuV). Often this indicator might give an indication as to why reception f R(B)DS gets disturbed. The
range of this indicator runs from 0..42 dB in steps of 6 dB.
Search Criteria are shown on the right side of the window. The values there cause the RX014 to stop at a
station during a search. RSSI must be higher than the set value, USN and WAM should both be below the
set level and the offset should be within the set window.
To change these values, click on the number and a calculator style window pops up that allows you to
modify and save the value. These values are also saved in the non-volatile flash memory of the RX014.
Figure 3. The Detector Window

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3. SCANNER WINDOW
The scanner options are very powerful tools to graph the FM landscape. The screenshot below is taken at
my home in Belgium using the supplied antenna which was placed at a height of 3 meters in an area with
lots of trees near the Dutch border.
After pressing the scan
button a graph is
generated in about 10
seconds. The RX014 will
step through the band in
100 kHz steps and take an
RSSI sample at each step,
resulting in an image
similar to the one at left.
As can be seen, a lot of
stations are present and
shown as rather narrow
“needles”. This is due to
the PACS system, which
constantly adapts itself to the conditions found.
In fact in this picture, 28 valid stations are present which comply with RSSI >= 30 dBuV and USN and WAM
both <= 15%.
The red vertical needle shows the tuned position (88.2 MHz).
As this is a Dutch national transmitter, it also transmits the Alternative Frequencies, which can be displayed
by checking the Show AFs button. When the station has been tuned for a while, the picture will look like:
The white vertical bars are on the AF frequencies and appear after the AF has been checked at least one
time. Please note that this display shows only AFs related to the station’s audio programming; Alternative
Frequencies for TMC and other data services are not shown in this display. These data services can be
discovered using the tools within the RDS window (see Chapter 5- RDS Window).
When the “Show AF’s” button is disabled , it means the function first needs to be enabled in the
RX014 firmware (see Chapter 5- RDS Window).
Being a national transmitter in the Netherlands means the program can be received in the entire country,
and although The Netherlands are not very big, it cannot be accomplished by just one large transmitter.
Therefor 13 AFs are present in the RDS AF list giving the frequencies of all 13 transmitters which broadcast
Figure 5 The Scanner Alternative Frequency display
Figure 4. The Scanner Window

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this same program. A car radio will check at intervals all 13 AFs and when one looks to yield a better quality,
(based on RSSI, USN and WAM readings) the radio will switch to that frequency. Before staying there it will
look at the PI code as both PI codes should match exactly. When a match is found the radio will stay on the
new frequency and checking continues.
The first time a PI code is being checked the mute will be activated because it also could be a different
station altogether and the listener would all of a sudden hear a different program. When the PI code is
verified, subsequent switches will be made without activating the mute function. Different PI codes on
frequencies from the AF list are often found in border areas.
When the Check RDS after scan checkbox is checked before activating the scan, the RX014 will check at
all positions where the search criteria match, the PI code and the Programme Service name, both with a
time-out. The PI code should be present within 1 second and the PS within 5 seconds. Both time-out periods
are shown in a little horizontal bar above the checkbox (Red for PI check and Black for PS check). With a
“busy” landscape this might take a while, but the result could be as shown below:
The PS is validated before being shown in the table. The RX014 decoder wants to receive 2 identical PS
readings before providing it to the GUI. While waiting, every received character is shown but at the end the
entry could be blank again---this often happens with stations which are using the PS as advertising or
information medium.
When completely done, you may scroll through the list using the track bar on the right or the scroll wheel on
your mouse.
When you hit the Summary button you will get a list sorted on PI code as shown on the picture
on the next page.
Pressing the Copy button will copy the contents to the clipboard so it can be pasted into Word
or so.
Figure 6. Alternative Frequency Display with RDS after scan

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Below is the result of the copy action:
You will notice that the scan button caption changes to “ABORT” when the RDS features are being checked.
As may be expected, the evaluation can be stopped at any time while reading RDS data by clicking “ABORT”.

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When the “Valid only” button is highlighted, the RX014 will only check stations that fully match the search
criteria on RSSI, USN, WAM and Offset. When not highlighted only RSSI and Offset are evaluated before
reading RDS data. This button will be enabled after checking the “Check RDS after scan” option.
Clicking on an entry or clicking inside the graph area will change the tuned frequency. Although a change of
frequency usually means a complete reset of all RDS data, the table and scan will not be cleared as they are
related to the entire FM landscape and not just to one frequency. The entries for PI code and PS name will
be updated when tuned to that station in both the List as in the XXL picture (see at the end of this chapter).
When clicking the fast scan button, the RX014 takes a snapshot of the entire FM landscape in about
1 second. It will increment using 100kHz steps through the band and uses a different, somewhat less
accurate algorithm to collect the RF data. This algorithm is called “AF update” and is also used when the AF
update function is activated (see Chapter 4RF + AF Window).
The combined picture will then look like that in the figure below:
As can be seen clearly the
“needles” in the red graph
are just about everywhere
a little “higher” and “wider”
in comparison with the
green graph. This due to
effect that the AF update
algorithm uses a fixed
bandwidth.
A solitary fast scan could look like the figure below:
Clearly less resolution, but
still useful for getting a
clear picture of the entire
landscape in a very short
time.
When the “Live update” function is selected, the graph color changes to yellow and every second a new scan
is made, like below:
Figure 7. Fast Scan and Scan Display
Figure 8. Fast Scan Display

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The “Show AFs” function
has also been activated in
this picture to show the
actual usefulness when
you drive around in an
area where AF switches
occur frequently. While
driving you will see which
AFs are bound to be
chosen shortly.
Safety First: Needless to say that when you are doing this kind of testing, it needs to be
performed by at least 2 persons:
One person driving and one person checking!
The clear button opens a new window where you can select what you want to be cleared, or you may
cancel the clear operation.
After making your selection by checking or un-checking the individual checkboxes
(which speak for themselves I guess) you can either click OK or
Cancel
Your checkbox selections are recalled the next time you click the clear button.
As an convenient shortcut, clicking the clear button with the right mouse
button will clear the display without showing the clear options dialog box.
When the XXL button is pressed another, sizable window appears showing the scan results including PI
codes and PS names of all stations found during the scan
You may wonder why not all stations that rise above the search level are showing PI and PS codes. This is
due to the fact that the valid stations only function was activated during the scan. “Strong” stations could
easily be disturbed by USN and WAM which makes reading RDS impossible.
Figure 9. Live Update Scan with Alternative Frequency Display

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4. RF + AF WINDOW
The RF + AF window is extremely useful for road testing. Graphs are shown for RSSI, USN, WAM and RDS
quality. The RDS quality graph is updated at each new arriving RDS group every 87.6 ms. In contrast, the
other graphs are updated at the RX014 “usual” interval of about 200 ms. The graphs are less interesting for
stationary reception. The figure below shows the detector values at some search and step events.
When tuned to a station which has an AF list while AF update mechanism is activated, the figure below
shows the individual update processes that can be monitored.
The highlighted number in the # column indicates which
frequency is being checked/updated at that time.
The highlighted frequency in the Frequency column shows
the tuned frequency.
When you click and hold the mouse button over a frequency in
this column, the RX014 will temporarily switch to that
frequency and freeze the R(B)DS database; only the PI code
and PS are being read so you can make an instantaneous
status check.
When the mouse button is released, the previous frequency is
restored.
The next 3 columns show the last readings of the AF update
mechanism. The vertical red bar in the RSSI column marks the
actual RSSI value of the tuned frequency , so you can easily see
if there are signals available with a higher value for the RSSI.
Combining the readings of RSSI, USN and WAM columns is
the “magic trick” to create algorithms that seamlessly produce
good audio quality while switching between transmitters. In
Europe, this makes the difference between a good and a bad car radio.
When the RX014 AF update mechanism is activated samples are taken at irregular intervals from the AFs in
the AF list.
The sample procedure is the following: Tune to the AF, read the detectors, then tune back to the original
frequency. This procedure, often called an “inaudible update”, is performed within 6 ms. In general, it will
indeed be inaudible, but when broadcasting music with pure sine wave tones (violin, soprano singer, and the
like), one could hear a very little “dip”.
Figure 10. RF+AF Events Display
Figure 11. RF+AF Events With AF Display

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5. RDS WINDOW
In the RDS window a collection of pages is available where most if not all received R(B)DS data is presented
in a easy to understand way.
Clicking the “RDS” button in the main window will open the window below:
On the top of the window you will find a number of buttons, each dealing with a specific part of the program.
I will describe each of these in detail in the following sections.
5.1. SYSTEM
In this window some general information is given and some “global” selections can be made.
The part at the top left is mainly intended for programmers
who wish to make their own GUI using the RX014 hardware.
The API describing the protocol and possibilities of the RX014
is freely available and also present on the installation memory
stick. When you can talk “HID” you can communicate or follow
the RX014 activities in great detail. Several parts of the
firmware may be disabled in order to give your own look and
feel to the RX014.
The green marker on the right shows the GUI is connected to an RX014 unit. When multiple units are
connected to your PC and you want to determine the RX014 the current GUI is controlling, just click the
Locate button and the RX014 connected to the current GUI will flash its red LED a couple of times times.
The RX014 continuously checks for new RDS data using a 40 ms timer. When a new valid
group is available, it is send to the host for further processing. Some primary decoding is
Figure 12. The RDS Window

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done inside the RX014, such as PI code and raw PS retrieval. Also an AF list is assembled (if present) which
is used for the AF update mechanism (if enabled).
Using the same 40 ms timer as the RDS reader, the status update runs at a slower pace
of about 200 ms. At every pass the RSSI, USN, WAM, IF offset and modulation values are
read and send to the host. Disabling this and the previous feature will stop the data stream to the host, but
control is still possible.
The scan and search functions generate a different output data stream than the Status
update. This function does not run on a timer but is a result of a user command.
This data package can be suspended by disabling this checkbox
When the Enable default checkbox is unchecked all control is disabled, not only reading
but also user commands. In this state the programmer can fully control the receiver chip
by sending and reading I2C commands which directly control the receiver chip.
Of course, the RX014 keeps listening to USB commands.
Every time a frequency preset is stored, the RX014 will generate a beep tone as
confirmation. Unchecking the Enable store beep checkbox disables the beep
completely and only visual feedback is shown on the GUI.
When a preset key is clicked (or the number key on the computer keyboard is pressed momentarily) the
preset will turn yellow and the frequency is changed.
When the user clicks and holds the mouse button on a preset (or presses and holds the keyboard number
key) after about 1 second the preset is stored in flash memory and the button color will revert back to black.
The stored preset frequency is shown in the caption above the preset key.
The communication protocol which is used for the communication between host and RX014 allows using a
CRC check in case long and potentially unreliable layers are used. By default the CRC check
mechanism is disabled in the RX014. When the CRC function is enabled both host and RX014
should check incoming packets and refuse them if the CRC code is not correct. The CRC code is the XOR
value (single byte) of all bytes in the packet, without the CRC byte itself.
At the right side of the System tab information regarding
hardware/firmware/software versions is displayed and a
clickable URL link is shown for emailing product comments and
suggestions to me. Clicking on the MacBe logo opens a web
browser and takes you to my MacBe home page.
Using an HID protocol means other programs can
communicate with an RX014 at the same time as the GUI.
Likewise, all commands issued by the RX014 can be captured
by other programs besides the GUI.
Replies to commands from the host are also sent to all connected RX014 receivers, but they can be directed
to a specific RX014 by assigning the host command a Unit number. Other programs can then see if a reply
is meant for them or not. The Unit number may be entered by clicking on the default number 1.
Any value between 1 and 64 is acceptable.
The RBDS checkbox modifies not only the RBDS data decoding/display but the receiver behavior