Recent RS-918SSB User manual

RS-918SSB HF SDR Transceiver
FEBRUARY 15, 2018

Table of Contents
mcHF UI Element Naming Convention........................................................................................ 4
mcHF Basic Screen Layout .............................................................................................................. 4
LCD Touchscreen Functions ........................................................................................................... 5
Key Press Map ................................................................................................................................... 8
UHSDR Quick Operating Guide ................................................................................................... 17
Menu Entries Explained ........................................................................................................................ 19
How to Operate the Menu ................................................................................................................... 19
Menu Overview (Automatically Generated) .................................................................................... 19
uhsdr firmware v.. - UI Menu Overview ................................................................................................. 20
Standard Menu (MENU_BASE) ............................................................................................................ 20
Configuration Menu (MENU_CONF) ................................................................................................... 26
Display Menu (MENU_DISPLAY) ........................................................................................................ 45
CW Mode Settings (MENU_CW) .......................................................................................................... 49
Filter Selection (MENU_FILTER) ........................................................................................................ 51
PA Configuration (MENU_POW) .......................................................................................................... 53
System Info (MENU_SYSINFO) ............................................................................................................ 63
Debug/Exper. Settings (MENU_DEBUG) ............................................................................................ 65
Essential Calibration and Setup Steps ............................................................................................... 67
Touchscreen Setup ............................................................................................................................. 67
SWR/Power Meter Reverse/Forward Orientation ...................................................................... 67
PA Power Calibration ......................................................................................................................... 68
Basic BIAS Adjustment for mcHF RF Board (up to version 0.6) .......................................... 68
TX: RF Power Adjustment ............................................................................................................. 69
TX: FM And Digital Modes ........................................................................................................... 71
IQ Calibration ...................................................................................................................................... 71
TX IQ Adjustments [Valid from 1.5.2] ....................................................................................... 71
RX IQ Adjustments [Valid from 1.5.2] ....................................................................................... 73
SWR/Power Meter Calibration ........................................................................................................ 74
Calibrate Zero Power Offset ........................................................................................................ 75
Calibrate Power Coupling ............................................................................................................. 75

Frequency Calibration ....................................................................................................................... 76
TX calibration approach [from firmware 1.5.8] ...................................................................... 76
RX calibration approach [from firmware 1.5.8] ...................................................................... 76
CW TUNE HELPER ............................................................................................................................... 78
how to use it .................................................................................................................................... 78
How does the frequency snap mode work? ................................................................................. 78
Details for programmers .................................................................................................................. 80
WDSP AGC ........................................................................................................................................ 82
AGC WDSP switch ........................................................................................................................... 83
AGC WDSP Mode ............................................................................................................................ 84
AGC threshold ................................................................................................................................. 84
AGC WDSP Slope ............................................................................................................................ 84
AGC Hang enable ............................................................................................................................ 85
AGC Hang threshold ...................................................................................................................... 85
Fixed gain ......................................................................................................................................... 85
AGC Attack ....................................................................................................................................... 86
FreeDV (Rx & Tx) ................................................................................................................................ 87
How to operate ............................................................................................................................... 87
Theory ............................................................................................................................................... 87
RTTY (RX & TX) ................................................................................................................................... 88
How to operate ............................................................................................................................... 88
RTTY TX (Experimental) ................................................................................................................ 89
Theory ............................................................................................................................................... 89
CW Decoder ......................................................................................................................................... 90
Adjustments ..................................................................................................................................... 91
Theory ............................................................................................................................................... 92
PSK ......................................................................................................................................................... 93
Keyer functionality ............................................................................................................................. 94
How to operate ............................................................................................................................... 94
Future improvements .................................................................................................................... 94
Resources .............................................................................................................................................. 94

Provided functionalities .................................................................................................................... 96
Enabling/Disabling USB CAT/AUDIO............................................................................................. 97
Programs known to work ................................................................................................................. 97
Programs for controlling the rig ................................................................................................. 97
Programs used to receive/transmit digital modes ................................................................. 97
Programs used to receive/transmit CW .................................................................................... 98
SDR Programs for use with IQ Data ........................................................................................... 98
Installation on Windows XP - 8.1 ................................................................................................... 99
Windows Vista and newer ............................................................................................................ 99
Windows XP ..................................................................................................................................... 99
FAQ......................................................................................................................................................... 99
I can see the Speaker/Microphone device but no sound is coming from/going to the
mcHF. I have used an experimental firmware with USB Audio before. .......................... 100
When I start transmitting using CAT, TX LED goes on for a very short time and then
goes off. .......................................................................................................................................... 100
Linux: I can see the /dev/ttyACM0 device, but it still does not work with the programs
like fldigi. ........................................................................................................................................ 100
When I use CW-L and CAT, every frequency change via CAT switches to CW-U. Why?
.......................................................................................................................................................... 101
WSJT-X sound does not work with Ubuntu/Xenial 16.04, - (fldigi works well) ........... 101
McHF driver & Windows 8 64bit .............................................................................................. 101
Product Description: ........................................................................................................................ 103

Operating Manual
There is another project which provides operating manual on gitbook started by Marc,
EA3HZZ. You can access this project here. Contributors / collaborators are welcome as in
github, too :)
If not mentioned otherwise, the information below applies to the newest daily build. So
sometimes there may be some differences if you use older firmware releases.
mcHF UI Element Naming Convention
Please note, that in mcHF related context are also sometimes other names being used
for buttons. Names with starting with capital "S" are the names in the schematic and
found on the PCB. We do not use these here and do not recommend to use them
anywhere.
mcHF Basic Screen Layout

Filter Box
Shows the name of the currently selected RX (!) audio filter. Top line is the upper
frequency, lower line the characteristic parameter:
•BPF -> ~300 - upper frequency
•LPF -> 0 - upper frequency
•otherwise width (300/500 -> for narrow CW filters) or center frequency (for
narrow SSB filters) is shown
LCD Touchscreen Functions

Where
Short Press
Long Press
Whe
n
Comment
"<"
Waterfall/Scop
e bar
Waterfall/Scope
magnification
reduced
RX,
TX
Works
also in big
size mode
with no
bar shown
">"
Waterfall/Scop
e bar
Waterfall/Scope
magnification
increased
RX,
TX
Works
also in big
size mode
with no
bar shown
Left side
Waterfall/Scop
e bar
Toggle
Waterfall/Scope/Dua
l
Toggle
normal/big size
mode visual for
spectrum (i.e.
(no) title bar)
RX,
TX
Works
also in big
size mode
with no
bar shown
Lower part
Waterfall/Scop
e
Tune to the tapped
frequency
RX
Not if
tuning
frequency
is locked,
in AM and
SAM 5khz
grid is
used
Signal Meter
Show next
measurement
RX,
TX
AUD,
SWR, ALC
Frequency
display (three
least significant
digits)
Frequency set to KHz
Boundary
RX

Where
Short Press
Long Press
Whe
n
Comment
MODE Button
Label
Toggle Menu Mode
RX
Short
Press
Button F1
Audio Signal
Box
Next audio source
RX,
TX
See
Encoder 3
& M3
TX Power Box
Next TX power level
RX,
TX
Short
Press
Button G3
DSP Box
Restart Codec I2S
Stream
RX
Use if you
have "twin
peaks
syndrome
"
Left of Band
Name
Next lower band
RX
Right of Band
Name
Next higher band
RX
Tune Step Size
Box
Toggle Dynamic
Tuning
RX
Blue box -
> dynamic
tuning
active
Frequency ruler
Tune to the tapped
frequency
Set new
Scope/Waterfal
l size ratio
RX

Extra Touch Actions
You can get a preview how it looks if mcHF selects new bands provided by future
expansion PCBs if you touch "40" of S-Meter (rf-bands-mod) or "60" of S-Meter
(vhf/uhf-bands-mod) on touchscreen when you are in hardware-menu (touching
toggles pcb present or not "hard-coded").
Key Press Map
Based on the current active-devel firmware
Name of
Key(s)
When
Short Press
Long Press
Comment
Power
Dim LCD
Power On /
Save Config
and Power
down
Power +
BAND+
-
Power down
without saving
config
Power +
BAND-
LCD Auto
Blank! =
OFF
-
Toggles "Blank
LCD"
permanently
Power +
BAND-
Bootloader
DF8OE,
mcHF is
off
-
Update
firmware from
USB pendrive
See this page
BAND-
Next Lower
Band
-
BAND+
Next Higher
Band
-

Name of
Key(s)
When
Short Press
Long Press
Comment
M1
Select Encoder
1 Value
-
M2
No Menu
Select Encoder
2 Value
long press:
toggle
between Noise
Blanker & AGC
mode
M2
Menu
Mode
Select Encoder
2 Value (no
change via
Encoder 2
possible)
long press:
toggle
between Noise
Blanker & AGC
mode
M3
No Menu
Encoder 3 Value
Switch Line in
Channel
See below for
explanation
of line in
channel
labels
M3
Menu
Mode
Select Encoder
3 Value (no
change via
Encoder 3
possible)
Switch Line in
Channel
G1
Changes
(De)Modulation
Mode
Switches to
alternate
mode, see
below