UV-K5 packet station setup

1 Flash the radio

This puts the packet firmware on the radio. The first time you flash it over other firmware, it starts factory-fresh (144.800 MHz, low power, wide). Later updates keep your settings. The radio's factory calibration is always kept.

Back up your radio (recommended)

This saves the radio's memory to a file: its settings and its factory calibration, which is unique to this radio. The packet firmware never changes the calibration, but keep the file safe in case you go back to the stock firmware.

1. Plug the AIOC into the radio and the computer, and switch the radio on normally (not in flash mode).
2. Press Back up and pick the AIOC's serial port ("All-In-One-Cable" or similar). It takes a few seconds, then your browser saves the file.

Flash

1. Switch the radio off, with the AIOC plugged into the radio and the computer.
2. Hold PTT while you switch the radio on. The torch LED lights and the screen stays blank: this is flash mode. Let go of PTT.
3. Press Connect. If the page asks for a port, pick the AIOC's ("All-In-One-Cable" or similar).

2 Flash the AIOC

The packet AIOC firmware adds a transmit equaliser that makes a UV-K5's audio flat, which the radio firmware's default deviation expects. Flashing it resets the AIOC's settings to the defaults: PTT from the CM108 (HID) interface, and from the serial port with DTR high and RTS low. To go back to the stock AIOC firmware and settings, use the AIOC toolkit's flasher (the Flash Firmware tab).

sudo tee /etc/udev/rules.d/70-aioc.rules >/dev/null <<'RULES'
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTRS{idVendor}=="1209", ATTRS{idProduct}=="7388", TAG+="uaccess"
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTRS{idVendor}=="0483", ATTRS{idProduct}=="df11", TAG+="uaccess"
SUBSYSTEM=="hidraw", ATTRS{idVendor}=="1209", ATTRS{idProduct}=="7388", TAG+="uaccess"
SUBSYSTEM=="tty", ATTRS{idVendor}=="1209", ATTRS{idProduct}=="7388", TAG+="uaccess"
RULES
sudo udevadm control --reload-rules && sudo udevadm trigger

1. Close any program using the AIOC (soundmodem, terminal). The radio can stay connected.
2. Press Switch to bootloader and pick the AIOC ("All-In-One-Cable"). It restarts as "STM32 BOOTLOADER".
3. Press Connect to bootloader and pick "STM32 BOOTLOADER". The browser asks again because, to it, this is a new device.
4. Save a backup if you like, then flash.

Check the equaliser

Once the AIOC has restarted, this reads (never changes) its settings to confirm the equaliser is on.

3 Set up the radio

With the radio switched on normally, connect to set its frequency, power and channel width. Changes are saved in the radio.

4 Set up your TNC

Your soundmodem or TNC (pdn-soundmodem, Direwolf, QtSoundModem and so on) does the packet work. Point it at the AIOC and use these settings.

Three rules

• Never transmit with the charger connected. On the bench it put severe noise on the signal and every packet failed.
• Serial port: 38400 baud only. Slower rates can look like a PTT press to the radio.
• Send nothing on the serial port while transmitting. Any byte ends the transmission.

pdn-soundmodem

In /etc/pdn-soundmodem/soundmodem.json, name the AIOC's card and its CM108 PTT (find the hidraw node as its docs show, and add the udev rule):

{
  "device": "plughw:CARD=AllInOneCable,DEV=0",
  "modems": [ { "subChannel": 0, "mode": "afsk1200" } ],
  "ptt": { "type": "cm108", "device": "/dev/hidraw0" },
  "waterfall": { "port": 8107, "enableAudioControls": true }
}

It runs at 48000 Hz by default. Your node or APRS software sends TXDELAY over KISS. Set the receive level against the station page's level meter, and the transmit level with its TX gain slider. See the pdn-soundmodem docs.

Direwolf and other soundmodems

ADEVICE plughw:CARD=AllInOneCable,DEV=0
ARATE 48000
PTT CM108
TXDELAY 5

Direwolf's TXDELAY is in 10 ms units, so 5 is 50 ms. On Windows, pick the AIOC's sound card by name. Other soundmodems: the same ideas, 48000 Hz, CM108 PTT, 50 ms TXDELAY.