SODA POP source

This repository contains the source for the SODA POP by Steve Weber KD1JV, a single band QRP CW transceiver on a 3.6" square board.

The original code is copyright © Steven Weber KD1JV, additions and changes are copyright © PA5ET and VK3IL. This only goes for the SODA_POP directory. Everything is licensed under GPL v3, see the LICENSE file.

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• Operation
• Settings
• Optional features
• How to flash the firmware
• Changelog

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Operation

To a large extent, operation is as described in the manual. It can be described by the state machine below. A detailed description is given under the image. Dashed states and edges are optional features.

Startup

On startup, the band will be shown (e.g. bn.20). After a 1s delay, the rig will turn on.

Tuning

Use the rotary encoder to tune. Tuning can be done in steps of 50Hz, 200Hz, 1kHz and 10kHz. Rotate through these steps by pressing the rotary encoder. For all steps except 50Hz, the corresponding digit on the display will blink.

Direct Frequency Entry (DFE) can be used by holding the encoder button for 1s. It is only available when a paddle is connected. The display will read DFE. Key in the desired frequency. The current digit blinks. Save with the keyer switch or cancel with the RIT switch. When all four digits are entered, the new frequency is saved automatically. Abbreviations can be used for 0 (T) and 9 (N) and for all numbers when enabled (see under Optional features).

RIT

Pressing the RIT button turns RIT on. The display will show the RIT offset.

Message memory

Pressing the keyer switch allows you to send a message from memory. There are two messages, use either side of the paddle to send one. Use the RIT switch to cancel.

When a message is being transmitted, you can still use the RIT switch to cancel it. You can also enter beacon mode by pressing the keyer switch. In beacon mode, the message is repeated continuously with an adjustable delay in between (see BEACON_INTERVAL under Settings). During transmission, the keys are only checked between the transmitted characters, so you'll have to hold the buttons longer than normally.

To update the memory, hold the keyer switch for 5s. The display will say Entr.. Enter the message using the paddle. This is not possible with a straight key. The display will flash once after a character space is detected, and once again after a word space has been detected. To finish, press the keyer switch again. The message will be played back while the display reads St.? (from 'store'). After this, store the message with either side of the paddle. Pressing the RIT switch allows you to key in a message again; pressing the RIT switch once more returns to the default state.

The maximum message length is 64 by default (can be changed in settings.h). If you try to enter more characters, the error routine is enabled (see below).

Using OPT_MORE_MEMORIES, it is possible to use up to 10 messages, that can be selected using the rotary encoder. See under Optional features.

Preferences

Change the code speed by holding the keyer switch for 2s. The display will read CS.20, where 20 is the speed in WPM. Use the paddle or the rotary encoder to change, and save with the keyer switch.

Change the band by holding the RIT switch for 2s. The display will read bn.20, where 20 is the band. Save with the keyer switch. This is only possible when compiled with OPT_BAND_SELECT (see Optional features below).

Calibration

The calibration routine is explained in the manual. Hold the RIT switch for 5s to enter the calibration routine.

The display will read corr.. You can correct the Si5351 by connecting a frequency counter to TP3 and fixing it to 10MHz using the rotary encoder.

Move on with the keyer switch (the display will show the IF frequency). Adjust CT3 to peak the signal on TP2. Peak the IF LO frequency using the rotary encoder, peaking the signal on TP1 with a scope. If you changed this, go back to changing CT3 and repeat.

Move on with the keyer switch (the display will read bn.16) and set the band using the rotary encoder.

Move on with the keyer switch (the display will read P. rX) and peak the signal using CT1 and CT2. The adjustment can be sharp, especially on higher frequency bands.

Pressing the keyer switch will return to the default state.

Errors

When an error is detected, the display will read Err. and a alarm will be sounded. The only way to recover is to restart the rig.

Settings

There are several compile-time settings in settings.h. Change them before uploading the code to the chip.

• WPM_DEFAULT: the default key speed in WPM (20).

• KEY_MIN_SPEED: the minimum key speed in WPM (5). Lower speeds than 5 may damage the rig, because the on-time for dashes will be rather long.

• KEY_MAX_SPEED: the maximum key speed in WPM (30). Higher speeds than 30 are untested and may present timing issues.

• SIDETONE_FREQ: the frequency of the sidetone in Hz (600).

• MEMORY_LENGTH: the maximum length of messages in memory, including word spaces (64). Higher values than 255 are unsupported.

• MEMORY_EEPROM_START: the start address of the memory in EEPROM (16). Don't change this unless you know what you're doing.

• BEACON_INTERVAL: the number of dot times between two transmissions of a message in beacon mode. A dot time is 1.2s / WPM (e.g. a beacon interval of 15 means 1.5s on 10WPM).

• TUNING_STEPS: an array of tuning steps in mHz. These steps are rotated through with the encoder button.

• TUNING_STEP_DIGITS: which digit to blink when in a tuning step. An array of the same length as TUNING_STEPS. Values should be taken from BLINK_NONE, BLINK_0, _1, _2 and _3 (0 is the rightmost digit).

• There are several band plans. Define one of PLAN_IARU1, _IARU2, _IARU3, _VK. The exact boundary definitions are in bands.h.

• Change the default operating frequency of a band by defining e.g.

  #define DEFAULT_OP_FREQ_20 1405500000
  

Optional features

There are several features that can be added to the rig if you want to. This is done by adding and removing #define lines to settings.h.

• OPT_HIDE_LEADING_ZEROES: hide leading zeroes on frequency display.

• OPT_BAND_SELECT: change the band by pressing RIT for 2s.

• OPT_AUTO_BAND: auto-select bands using a PCA9536 PIO (thanks VK3IL).

• OPT_ERASE_EEPROM: erase the EEPROM by holding RIT for 8s.

• OPT_STORE_CW_SPEED: store the CW speed in EEPROM.

• OPT_DFE: direct frequency entry by holding the encoder button for 1s.

• OPT_DFE_OBSCURE_ABBREVIATIONS: adds number abbreviations to DFE according to the table below. Abbreviations for 0 (T) and 9 (N) are always enabled.

  Letter	Number
  A	1
  U	2
  W	3
  V	4
  S	5
  B	6
  G	7
  D	8

• OPT_DISABLE_DISPLAY: disables the display when in default state after a preset time (default: 2.5s). The buttons still work and when something happens the display turns on again. The encoder button enables the display without doing anything else. The display will blink for 0.5s approximately every 30s to prevent you from leaving the rig on by accident. This saves about 2.5mA (on 59mA total in RX mode).

• OPT_MORE_MEMORIES: allows for up to ten message memories (0 through 9), that can be selected using the rotary encoder instead of with the paddle. Turning the encoder changes the index, pressing the keyer switch selects that memory.

How to flash the firmware

By far the easiest way to reprogram the controller is using an Arduino Uno.

If you are only planning on flashing new firmware once or twice, just take the controller from the SODA POP, plug it in the Arduino, flash it, and put it back.

If you are planning on working on the firmware yourself, you will need to flash much more often. Not only is moving the chip back and forth annoying and time-consuming, it will also break the pins eventually. It is possible to program the controller using in-circuit serial programming (ICSP). This is very similar to the method described on the Arduino wiki.

Remove the Atmega chip from the Arduino and connect these four lines:

Arduino	SODA POP
RESET	1
RX (0)	2
TX (1)	3
GND	8

Do not connect Vdd: to program the board, you will connect a USB cable. The Arduino will be powered from the USB port, the SODA POP from its internal power supply. Connecting the power lines may cause problems if the voltages are not exactly the same.

Programming the board can now be done using the Arduino IDE.

Some images of the connections:

Changelog

• 2017-06-05:
  • Fixed issue where large correction values for the Si5351 were not stored properly (issue #26; requires recalibration of the correction value)
• 2017-05-16:
  • OPT_AUTO_BAND (PR #22 by VK3IL)
  • Made hiding leading zeroes on frequency display a compile-time option (OPT_HIDE_LEADING_ZEROES; issue #19)
• 2017-05-12:
  • VK band plans (PR #21 by VK3IL)
• 2017-05-04:
  • Beacon mode (issue #6)
  • More logical UX for sending and storing memories, using RIT to cancel
  • More memories can be selected by entering a number with the paddle (issue #16)
  • OPT_DFE_OBSCURE_ABBREVIATIONS is now OPT_OBSCURE_MORSE_ABBREVIATIONS
• 2017-05-02:
  • Power saving mode: the last dot now blinks when the display is off (issue #18)
  • The old IF frequency is used in the calibration routine
  • Added band plans for IARU-1,2,3 (issue #13)
• 2017-04-23 and -25:
  • Fix timing issues when building with new versions of the Arduino IDE
• 2017-04-21:
  • Added up to 10 message memories (issue #11)
  • Allow for true QSK (issue #12)
  • Allow for user-defined default frequencies (issue #15)
  • Minor fixes
• 2017-04-13:
  • Made tuning steps an option in settings.h
• 2017-04-12:
  • Added OPT_DISABLE_DISPLAY (issue #5) (saves ~2.5mA)
  • More power saving by entering sleep mode at the end of loop() (~6mA)
  • Added comments to clarify the code
• 2017-04-11:
  • Rewrote all code to a state machine
  • Fixed a bug with entering memory
  • Minor changes to the display
  • Made several things settings (see settings.h)
  • Big steps tuning (issue #3)
  • Direct frequency entry (issue #2)
  • Store CW speed in EEPROM (issue #1)
• 2017-04-04:
  • Added bands up to 10m and enabled run-time band switching
  • Fixed rotary encoder issues