Related Manuals for HobbyPCB IQ32
Summary of Contents for HobbyPCB IQ32
- Page 1 IQ32 SDR Transceiver Operations Manual Software Version 1.200 Manual Revision February 19, 2020...
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Page 2: Table Of Contents
IQ32 SDR TRANSCEIVER OPERATIONS MANUAL Table of Contents Introduction ..........................1 Specifications ..........................2 Interface and Control Reference ....................3 Left Side Panel ........................3 Right Side Panel ........................4 Front Panel ..........................5 Rotary Encoders ........................5 Screen Navigation ........................6 Installation .......................... - Page 3 IQ32 SDR TRANSCEIVER OPERATIONS MANUAL Screen Calibration ....................... 43 CW Operation .......................... 44 Split Operation ........................45 Keyboard Operation in CW ....................47 FFT Display ........................48 SSB Operation ......................... 49 PSK Operation ......................... 51 AGC Modes Explained ......................54 CW AGC ..........................
- Page 4 IQ32 SDR TRANSCEIVER OPERATIONS MANUAL F8: Change to LSB mode ..................... 65 F9: Change to CW mode ..................... 65 F10: Toggles Transmitter Between Receive and Transmit Mode ......... 65 F11: Clear Transmit Buffer ....................65 F12: Step through Memory Buttons, Memory 1 to Memory 5 ..........65 LEFT ARROW and RIGHT ARROW: Increase or decrease tuning resolution ......
- Page 5 IQ32 SDR TRANSCEIVER OPERATIONS MANUAL Table of Figures Figure 1: Left Side Panel ......................3 Figure 2: Right Side Panel ......................4 Figure 3: Front Panel ......................... 5 Figure 4: Sign-On ("Splash") Screen ..................10 Figure 5: PSK Home Screen ....................10 Figure 6: CW Home Screen .....................
- Page 6 IQ32 SDR TRANSCEIVER OPERATIONS MANUAL Figure 44: Rig (radio type) Tag ....................34 Figure 45: Ant (antenna type) Tag ................... 35 Figure 46: T6 Tag ........................35 Figure 47: Frequency Tuning ....................36 Figure 48: Minimum Tuning Step of 1 Hz................. 36 Figure 49: Tuning Step of 100 Hz ....................
- Page 7 IQ32 SDR TRANSCEIVER OPERATIONS MANUAL Terminology • Screen Names: All screen names have the first letter capitalized and appear in Bold with Small Caps – S ETTING CREEN • Button Names: All button names have the first letter capitalized and the complete name in Bold, no small caps - Advanced •...
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Page 8: Introduction
The HobbyPCB IQ32 is a 5 Watt Software Defined Radio. It operates on all amateur radio fre- quencies from 80M up to 10M. Native operating modes are USB, LSB, CW and PSK31. There is a built in keyer for CW operation and a PSK encoder and decoder for PSK operation. -
Page 9: Specifications
15VDC maximum • Antenna Connector: BNC • Antenna Port: The IQ32 can tolerate short duration antenna faults ranging from short to open circuit. Good operating practice dictates that a match of 3:1 or better is required for efficient long-term operation •... -
Page 10: Interface And Control Reference
IQ32 SDR TRANSCEIVER OPERATIONS MANUAL Interface and Control Reference Left Side Panel Figure 1: Left Side Panel 1. RX I/Q Output – 3.5mm TRS a. Tip – I b. Ring – Q c. Sleeve – Ground 2. Headphone Output - 3.5mm TRS a. -
Page 11: Right Side Panel
IQ32 SDR TRANSCEIVER OPERATIONS MANUAL Right Side Panel Figure 2: Right Side Panel 1. Power Switch 2. Power Amp connection – 3.5mm, TRS a. Tip – Band Data b. Ring – PTT c. Sleeve – Ground 3. Power Connector – 5mm X 2.1mm, center positive 4. -
Page 12: Front Panel
IQ32 SDR TRANSCEIVER OPERATIONS MANUAL Figure 3: Front Panel Front Panel 1. LCD touch screen (Control Screen) for access to most user interface functions, setup and control. 2. Frequency control, right rotary encoder 3. Left rotary encoder for adjusting parameters such as AF gain and selection of some functions. -
Page 13: Screen Navigation
Side Tone ▪ -6 to 29 The following is a navigation chart for all the ▪ 20 available functions of the IQ32. Each function o CW Speed will be described in detail in this manual. The ▪ 5 to 35 WPM... - Page 14 IQ32 SDR TRANSCEIVER OPERATIONS MANUAL o Screen Fn o Memory 4 ▪ SSB – AGC ▪ 21,060,000 Hz, CW • o Memory 5 <NxAGC> ▪ ▪ SSB – WF / Sp 10,000,000 Hz, USB • o Memory 6 <WF/Sp> ▪...
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Page 15: Installation
IQ32 SDR TRANSCEIVER OPERATIONS MANUAL Installation Required Accessories • Power Supply: 13.8VDC, minimum 2A • Power cable between the power supply and the IQ32, with an in-line fuse • Coax to connect IQ32 to the dummy load or antenna • Antenna Optional Accessories •... -
Page 16: Firmware Upgrade
• Place the image.bin file in the root of a USB flash drive having a capacity of 4GB or less. • With the IQ32 powered off, insert the USB drive into the USB connector on the right- side panel of the IQ32. -
Page 17: Operation
IQ32 SDR TRANSCEIVER OPERATIONS MANUAL Operation Turn on the power switch located on the right-side panel. You will see the as depicted in Figure PLASH CREEN 4. It announces the version of the software you are running. This pic- ture shows the current version at the time of preparation of this document. -
Page 18: Non-Volatile Memory
Most configuration and operating parameters are saved in non-volatile memory. As you config- ure the IQ32 on the varied setting screens, program screen function key operations and key- board Fn key operations, these settings are preserved for future use. When the power is turned off and later restored, the value of the many parameters retrieved from memory are the same as previously defined. -
Page 19: Home Screen
• Call and Name: For CW and PSK operation, the but- tons shown at the right are displayed on the H . With a PS2 keyboard attached to the IQ32 you may enter the call sign and the CREEN name of your contact. They will be transmitted as configured for the keyboard Fn keys. -
Page 20: Mode Selection
IQ32 SDR TRANSCEIVER OPERATIONS MANUAL Mode Selection Figure 7 is the Mode icon or Mode widget. Pressing it will bring you to the . The current mode is PSK-U (PSK in USB) and we ELECTION CREEN are currently in Receive (RX). If you touch the Mode widget (upper left cor-... -
Page 21: Figure 11: Cw Button
IQ32 SDR TRANSCEIVER OPERATIONS MANUAL There are 4 buttons on the SSB H , which are shortcuts to other functions, to be CREEN described later in this manual. Figure 11: CW Button From the M ELECTION CREEN touch the CW (CWR) button (Figure... -
Page 22: Figure 15: Tune Button
Touch the Tune button again to turn off the carrier. When the IQ32 is connected to the HobbyPCB Hardrock-50 power am- plifier, you can set the power level of the HR50 and activate your antenna tuner. -
Page 23: Settings Screens
IQ32 SDR TRANSCEIVER OPERATIONS MANUAL Settings Screens The Setting widget, Figure 17, is visible on any of the H , and on the S CREENS TINGS CREEN Like the Mode widget, it is both a status indi- cator and a touch region. The top of the widget reminds you of its function (Setting). -
Page 24: Main Settings
IQ32 SDR TRANSCEIVER OPERATIONS MANUAL Main Settings The first eight settings are as follows: • AF Gain: Volume control, adjusts the audio level of the headphone jack and speaker mic. Range is 0 to 100 • RF Gain: Increase for weak signals and decrease for strong signals. Range is 0 to 100. -
Page 25: Advanced Settings
IQ32 SDR TRANSCEIVER OPERATIONS MANUAL Advanced Settings On the S (top half ETTINGS CREEN of Figure 19), if you tap the Ad- vanced button, the A DVANCED (bottom half of Figure 19) CREEN will be displayed. The most often- used... - Page 26 . If the calibration is sufficiently far out of whack, you won't be able to select this option CREEN by touching the screen. In that case, power down the IQ32, power it back up, and promptly (and simultaneously) press both of the rotary encoders inwards. This selects the same C...
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Page 27: Function Editing With A Keyboard
IQ32 SDR TRANSCEIVER OPERATIONS MANUAL Function Editing with a Keyboard Using a standard PS2 keyboard, many features and functions may be tailored to your desired method of operating. Although the keyboard is used for sending characters in CW and PSK modes, it is also an editing tool. -
Page 28: Keyboard Fn Setting
12 function keys across the top row. Each application program may interpret these 12 keys differ- ently. The IQ32 firmware is no ex- ception to this, and like many PC application programs, you can ad- just how these function keys re- spond within the program. -
Page 29: Figure 23: Function Key F1
• k – the abbreviation for “OK” is also transmitted • <RX> - returns the IQ32 to receive mode Note: there is room for two lines of text/commands/tags on the screen. The cursor (the ^ char- acter) is shown at the current end of the command string. -
Page 30: Figure 24: Function Key F2
IQ32 SDR TRANSCEIVER OPERATIONS MANUAL From EYBOARD UNCTIONS , tap the on-screen button 2 CREEN Name. Keyboard button F2 is used in CW and PSK31 modes to send your name and your location (QTH) to the station you are working. See Figure... -
Page 31: Figure 26: Function Key F4
IQ32 SDR TRANSCEIVER OPERATIONS MANUAL Keyboard function key F4 is set up to send information about your antenna when you are in CW or PSK31 mode. If you tap on this on-screen button, you will see a screen similar to Fig-... -
Page 32: Figure 28: Function Key F6
Figure 28: Function Key F6 The response to keyboard function key F7 is programmed by default to change the IQ32 to USB (Upper Side Band) mode, as can be seen in Fig- ure 29. Note that this is accom- plished by issuing the <USB>... -
Page 33: Figure 30: Function Key F8
IQ32 SDR TRANSCEIVER OPERATIONS MANUAL Keyboard function key F8 is pro- grammed by default to change the IQ32 to LSB (Lower Side Band) mode, as can be seen in Figure 30. This is accomplished by issuing the <LSB> macro. Figure 30: Function Key F8... -
Page 34: Figure 32: Function Key F10
IQ32 SDR TRANSCEIVER OPERATIONS MANUAL Function key F10 toggles between Receive and Transmit. This simply means that if the IQ32 is currently in Receive mode, pressing the F10 key on the keyboard will switch the IQ32 to Transmit. The next subsequent press of the F10 key will switch from Transmit back to Receive. -
Page 35: Figure 34: Function Key F12
IQ32 SDR TRANSCEIVER OPERATIONS MANUAL Keyboard function key F12 is used to cycle through the first five memory locations in the Memory Manager: Memory 1 through Memory 5. This provides a means to easily move be- tween 5 of your favorite operating frequencies and mode. -
Page 36: Screen Fn Settings
IQ32 SDR TRANSCEIVER OPERATIONS MANUAL Screen Fn Settings The next sub-menu of the S ETTINGS is S , which CREEN CREEN CREEN is illustrated in Figure 35. The idea here is that on the H (SSB, CW, and PSK), there... -
Page 37: Figure 36: Ssb Agc Button Programming Screen
AGC button when in SSB mode (either USB or LSB). The default programming of this button causes the IQ32 to step to the next possible AGC setting when the AGC button is touched. Recall from earlier discussion (on the... -
Page 38: Figure 38: Ssb Filter Button Programming
IQ32 SDR TRANSCEIVER OPERATIONS MANUAL Figure 38 shows the programming of the button labeled Filter on the SSB CREEN The default setting of the Filter but- ton, when in one of the SSB modes, is to select one of the audio filter set- tings that are appropriate for SSB operation. -
Page 39: Tags Settings
IQ32 SDR TRANSCEIVER OPERATIONS MANUAL Tags Settings From the S , the Tags ETTINGS CREEN button brings up the T DITING shown in Figure 40. On this CREEN screen you can enter in strings of text (and optionally macro commands) that are used during CW and PSK31 operation. -
Page 40: Figure 41: Myname Tag
IQ32 SDR TRANSCEIVER OPERATIONS MANUAL Figure 41 shows the factory default setting for the MyName button, “John Doe”. You should change this to your own name. Figure 41: MyName Tag Figure 42 shows the default text in the MyCall tag. Enter your call sign in this tag. -
Page 41: Figure 43: Qth (Location) Tag
Figure 43: QTH (location) Tag Figure 44 is currently configured for the IQ32 in the default setting. This may be changed if you desire. Figure 44: Rig (radio type) Tag P a g e... -
Page 42: Figure 45: Ant (Antenna Type) Tag
IQ32 SDR TRANSCEIVER OPERATIONS MANUAL The default antenna type is “Dipole” as shown in Figure 45. This field may be edited for your antenna type. Figure 45: Ant (antenna type) Tag Tags T6 through T10 are currently unused and available for your use. -
Page 43: Frequency Tuning
IQ32 SDR TRANSCEIVER OPERATIONS MANUAL Frequency Tuning The LO Freq widget displays the cur- rent frequency of operation and the last selected memory. Memory selec- tion will be discussed in the next sec- tion. The current frequency is adjusted by... -
Page 44: Frequencies Screen
IQ32 SDR TRANSCEIVER OPERATIONS MANUAL Frequencies Screen The M , Fig- EMORY ANAGER CREEN ure 50, provides a means to save and select different frequency and mode configurations. For conven- ience, buttons labelled Memory 1 to Memory 14. These la- bels may be edited to reflect your frequency and mode selection. -
Page 45: Figure 51: Memory Button Label Editing
Button names may contain up to 10 characters, including space and punctuation. The F Offset button is used for adding an offset to the displayed frequency of the IQ32 when using a transverter. For example, if you have a trans-... -
Page 46: Figure 53: Setting F Offset
Figure 54: Transverter Operating Frequency Note: In PSK mode, the large green frequency display is not available. It is your responsibility to track the relationship of the F Offset and the IQ32 operating frequency to the actual operat- ing frequency of the transverter. -
Page 47: Receive Filter Settings
IQ32 SDR TRANSCEIVER OPERATIONS MANUAL Receive Filter Settings On the three operational screens (CW, SSB, and PSK), to the right of the Mode widget and to the left of the FFT (Waterfall or Spectrum) display, in yellow text, will be the filter bandwidth indication, Figure 55. -
Page 48: Keyer Operation
IQ32 SDR TRANSCEIVER OPERATIONS MANUAL Keyer Operation Touching the Key Mode button displays the 5 options for setting the internal keyer, Figure 56. • 0=Straight – this is the traditional straight key set- ting. Closing the key turns the transmitter on and re- leasing the key turns the transmitter off. -
Page 49: Hang Time
IQ32 SDR TRANSCEIVER OPERATIONS MANUAL Hang Time In CW mode, the transmitter is automatically keyed when you close the contact on a straight key or paddle. When you release the key or paddle, the radio does NOT immediately return to receive mode. -
Page 50: Screen Calibration
IQ32 SDR TRANSCEIVER OPERATIONS MANUAL Screen Calibration The first time you turn on the IQ32, you should perform a touch screen calibration. The S Fig- PLASH CREEN ure 57, will prompt you to press both rotary encoders. You may have to turn the unit off and... -
Page 51: Cw Operation
IQ32 SDR TRANSCEIVER OPERATIONS MANUAL CW Operation The CW H , Figure 59, CREEN contains all the controls and indica- tors that are required for CW opera- tion. The Mode is shown in the upper left (CW), along with the state (RX). -
Page 52: Split Operation
IQ32 SDR TRANSCEIVER OPERATIONS MANUAL Split Operation The Split button is used if you want to operate CW in split mode, i.e., with one frequency for receive and a different nearby frequency for transmit. This is often done during a pile-up with a DX station. -
Page 53: Figure 62: Cw Split Operation Screen
IQ32 SDR TRANSCEIVER OPERATIONS MANUAL After you touch the SetTx button, the screen will change to look like Figure 62, with both the receive frequency and the transmit frequency displayed in large bright green digits. This screen shows the operation of CW in split-frequency mode. -
Page 54: Keyboard Operation In Cw
IQ32 SDR TRANSCEIVER OPERATIONS MANUAL Keyboard Operation in CW With a keyboard attached to the IQ32 you may send CW / Morse Code directly from the key- board using all the standard alpha numeric characters and punctuation available in Morse Code. -
Page 55: Fft Display
IQ32 SDR TRANSCEIVER OPERATIONS MANUAL FFT Display The large box on the upper right of the screen is the FFT window. This is the most interesting part of the display and one feature that makes this product unique. The FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) analysis can be displayed in one of two different formats. -
Page 56: Ssb Operation
IQ32 SDR TRANSCEIVER OPERATIONS MANUAL SSB Operation The SSB H , Figure 66, CREEN contains all the controls and indica- tors that are required for Upper Side- band – USB, or Lower Sideband – LSB operation. The Mode is shown in the upper left (USB) along with the state (RX). - Page 57 IQ32 SDR TRANSCEIVER OPERATIONS MANUAL Tune to the desired frequency using the right encoder. Set the AGC in SSB mode. In extreme cases you may have to turn off AGC and run with manual RF Gain control. To transmit, press the PTT switch on your microphone and speak into the microphone. You may also initiate transmission by pressing the F10 function key on an attached keyboard, and then speak into the microphone.
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Page 58: Psk Operation
IQ32 SDR TRANSCEIVER OPERATIONS MANUAL PSK Operation The PSK H , Figure 67, CREEN contains all the controls and indica- tors that are required for PSK opera- tion. A keyboard must be plugged in- to the PS2 connector on the right side panel for PSK transmit operation. -
Page 59: Figure 69: Decoded Signal At 14,073,548Hz
IQ32 SDR TRANSCEIVER OPERATIONS MANUAL Turning the right rotary encoder will adjust the received frequency in the audio spectrum. Figure 69 displays the new audio frequency as AF 1542Hz. As this is in green, the sig- nal at this frequency is being decod- ed. -
Page 60: Figure 71: Starting A Qso With Function Key F1
IQ32 SDR TRANSCEIVER OPERATIONS MANUAL The keyboard is a necessary accessory for PSK operation as a microphone is for SSB. With the keyboard attached, calling CQ and holding a QSO are possible. Review the keyboard function key definitions on the PSK Cheat Sheet at the end of the manual. -
Page 61: Agc Modes Explained
IQ32 SDR TRANSCEIVER OPERATIONS MANUAL AGC Modes Explained For those people interested in how our AGC (Automatic Gain Control) modes work, here is an explanation from Charley W5BAA, who is the author of our AGC and many other portions of our firmware. -
Page 62: Radio Setup
IQ32 SDR TRANSCEIVER OPERATIONS MANUAL Radio Setup Follow the steps in the Installation section of this manual for your initial setup of the transceiver. Receiver There is minimal setup required for the receiver. • Set the desired operating frequency with the right rotary encoder or the Memory Man- ager. -
Page 63: Figure 76: Set Tx Power Level
IQ32 SDR TRANSCEIVER OPERATIONS MANUAL To set the power output to 5 Watts, on the M , touch the Tune CREEN button, see Figure 76. This will turn on the transmit carrier. The left rotary encoder will now adjust the Tx Level. -
Page 64: Frequency Calibration
IQ32 SDR TRANSCEIVER OPERATIONS MANUAL Do not increase the Tx Level past the position where the power out stops increasing. In some situations, you may not be able to set for 5 Watts output power. Frequency Calibration Frequency calibration is a relatively simple process. You will need a very stable signal of known frequency such as WWV or a signal from a calibrated signal generator. -
Page 65: Figure 79: Red Cursor, Blue Wwv
IQ32 SDR TRANSCEIVER OPERATIONS MANUAL 9. Change the display to Spec- trum. Figure 79 10. Touch Setting widget, then the Advanced button, then Freq Cal button. Touch the Setting widget again to return to the . This disables CREEN the AFC (Automatic Frequency Control). -
Page 66: S Meter Calibration
IQ32 SDR TRANSCEIVER OPERATIONS MANUAL S Meter Calibration On the HF bands, 160 – 10M, S9 is defined as -73dBm or 50uv into 50 ohms. A signal level change of 1 S unit is a 6dB change. If an S9 signal is -73dBm, an S7 signal is -85dBm. A sig- nal that is S9 +20 is -53dBm. -
Page 67: Appendix - Tags, Macros, Buttons, And Keyboard
IQ32 SDR TRANSCEIVER OPERATIONS MANUAL Appendix – Tags, Macros, Buttons, and Keyboard. Tags are essentially named variables. The names of the 10 variables can be changed, as can the text strings stored within them. 5 of the Tags are currently in use, leaving the other 5 available for your creativity to put into use. -
Page 68: Macros
IQ32 SDR TRANSCEIVER OPERATIONS MANUAL Macros Macros are actions that occur when invoked by an on-screen button or a keyboard function key. You have no control over their names or their actions. The built-in functions that are available for you to call are: •... -
Page 69: Default On-Screen Button Functions
IQ32 SDR TRANSCEIVER OPERATIONS MANUAL Default On-Screen Button Functions SSB H Buttons CREEN <NxAGC> <WF/Sp> <NxFilt2> <NxMode><NoFilt> CW H Buttons CREEN <NxAGC> <WF/Sp> <NxFilt5> <NxMode><NoFilt> [CS] = edit <StnCS> [NM] = edit <StnNM> PSK H Buttons CREEN <WF/Sp> <NxMode><NoFilt> [CS] = edit <StnCS>... -
Page 70: Keyboard Function Keys
There are 12 function keys on the top row of a standard keyboard. You can configure how the IQ32 firmware reacts when these keys are pressed. By default, keys F1 through F6 and F11 are devoted to simplifying CW and PSK31 QSO's. Keys F7 through F9 are devoted to quickly changing the modes of operation (SSB, CW, and PSK), F10 is used as a software PTT key, and F12 allows a rapid change between 5 of your favorite operating frequencies. -
Page 71: Block Diagrams
IQ32 SDR TRANSCEIVER OPERATIONS MANUAL Block Diagrams Figure 82: RF Section Block Diagram Figure 83: Digital Section Block Diagram P a g e | 64... -
Page 72: Keyboard Cheat Sheet
IQ32 SDR TRANSCEIVER OPERATIONS MANUAL Keyboard Cheat Sheet F1: Call CQ F2: Send Your Name and QTH F3: Send your Rig information F4: Send your Antenna information F5: Confirm Called Station Name and Callsign, and send Back to You (BTU)
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