®
www.flex-radio.com
sales@flex-radio.com
(512) 535 - 4713
Version 2.0
S O F T WA R E DE F I N E D RA D I O
The FLEX-5000 Series Owner's Manual
2003-2010 FlexRadio Systems®
All Rights Reserved
Reproduction of this document in any form is expressly forbidden unless explicitly
authorized by FlexRadio Systems.
Information contained in this document may contain technical inaccuracies or typographical
errors. Information may be changed or updated without notice. FlexRadio Systems may
make improvements and/or changes in the materials at any time without notice.
All materials are provided "as is". FlexRadio Systems makes no representations or
warranties, expressed or implied to the accuracy of the copyrighted materials. FlexRadio
Systems will not be liable for any direct, indirect, special or consequential damages arising
out of any use of the document.
The and the textual equivalent “FlexRadio Systems®” logo is a
registered trademark of Bronze Bear Communications doing business as FlexRadio
Systems.
“FlexRadio Systems PowerSDR™”, PowerSDR™ ,“Tune in Excitement!™”,”Excitement to
Go™”, “Excitement Anywhere™”, SDR-1000™, FLEX-5000™, FLEX-3000™, FLEX-1500™,
FlexWire™, ClickTune™, MultiRX™, PanaFall™ and PanaScope™, are all trademarks owned
exclusively by FlexRadio Systems. While portions of PowerSDR software are distributed
under the GPL Open Source License, the PowerSDR trademark is owned exclusively by
FlexRadio Systems.
13091 Pond Springs Rd #250• Austin, TX 78729
Phone: (512) 535-4713• Fax: (512) 233-5143
FlexRadio Systems
Email: sales@flex-radio.com
Editor: Joe de Groot – AB1DO
Printer/Distributor: Peter Markavage - WA2CWA
F5K-M2.0/4 iii 2003-2010 FlexRadio Systems
Table of Contents
PREFACE.....................................................................................XI
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS..............................................................XIII
USING THIS MANUAL IN ITS PDF FORM...................................XV
REFERENCE TO SOFTWARE CONTROLS................................XVII
1 HARDWARE INSTALLATION.......................................................1
CONTENTS OF THE CARTON..........................................................................................1
LOCATION CONSIDERATIONS......................................................................................2
RADIO RELATED CONNECTIONS...................................................................................2
Front Panel...................................................................................................................3
(1) LED Push Button Power Switch.............................................................................................4
(2) Headphone Jack................................................................................................................4
(3) Microphone Connector........................................................................................................4
(4) Internal Speaker (FLEX-5000C Only)....................................................................................5
Back Panel...................................................................................................................6
(1) Primary Antenna Ports (ANT1, ANT2 & ANT3).........................................................................7
(2)-(3) Receive Only Antenna Ports (RX1 IN & RX2 IN).................................................................7
(2) External RX1 OUT to RX1 IN Receive Loop.............................................................................7
(4)-(5) Dedicated Transverter Connections.................................................................................7
(6) 13.8 VDC Power Socket......................................................................................................7
(7) Dual IEEE 1394 FireWire Jacks.............................................................................................8
(8) Straight Key or Paddles (KEY)..............................................................................................9
(9) External Keying Lines (AMP RLY TX1, TX2 & TX3)...................................................................9
(10) External Frequency Reference Input..................................................................................10
(11) Powered Speaker/Line Out Jack........................................................................................10
(12) FlexWire™ Peripheral Interface Bus...................................................................................10
(13) Line-Out and Line-In Audio Jacks......................................................................................11
(14) Balanced Line Input........................................................................................................11
Connecting to a Balanced XLR Connector...................................................................................................12
(15) PTT Jack.......................................................................................................................12
(16) RF Ground Terminal........................................................................................................13
FLEX-5000C COMPUTER CONNECTIONS AND INITIALIZATION..................................13
Computer Connections.................................................................................................13
Wireless Keyboard and Mouse.................................................................................................13
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FireWire Cable......................................................................................................................13
Monitor or LCD Display...........................................................................................................13
Computer Speakers...............................................................................................................14
Network Connection...............................................................................................................14
Computer Initialization.................................................................................................14
Power-up and Connect Keyboard and Mouse.............................................................................14
Set up and Configure the Computer.........................................................................................15
Set Your Time Zone and the System Date/Time.........................................................................16
Reference Documents............................................................................................................16
Installer Library....................................................................................................................16
Hard Drive Restore Process.....................................................................................................17
SPECIFICATIONS AND ARCHITECTURE.......................................................................17
FLEX-5000A and FLEX-5000C Transceiver Specifications...................................................17
FLEX-5000C Embedded Computer Specifications.............................................................19
FLEX-5000 Architecture................................................................................................20
Declarations of Conformity............................................................................................21
FCC.....................................................................................................................................21
EU Compliance......................................................................................................................21
2 SOFTWARE INSTALLATION......................................................23
SWITCH OFF THE FLEX-5000A AND RUN THE INSTALLER...........................................23
Collecting Your Information...........................................................................................24
Installing the FireWire Driver........................................................................................30
Installing PowerSDR.....................................................................................................37
POWER UP THE FLEX-5000A TO COMPLETE THE INSTALLATION................................38
Windows Vista and Windows 7......................................................................................39
Windows XP................................................................................................................39
3 POWERSDR SETUP & CONFIGURATION..................................43
SETUP WIZARD..........................................................................................................43
CONFIGURATION........................................................................................................47
Transfer of Calibration Data..........................................................................................47
Audio Mixer................................................................................................................48
Antenna Port and External Keying Lines.........................................................................49
READY TO START OPERATING....................................................................................50
4 OPERATION..............................................................................51
POWER-UP PROCEDURE.............................................................................................52
POWER-DOWN PROCEDURE.......................................................................................53
TUNING METHODS......................................................................................................54
Spectrum Drag and Click........................................................................................................54
Mouse Wheel........................................................................................................................54
Mouse Wheel Hover...............................................................................................................54
Spectrum Click Tuning...........................................................................................................54
Keyboard Keys......................................................................................................................55
USB Tuning Knob..................................................................................................................55
VOICE OPERATION.....................................................................................................56
CW OPERATION..........................................................................................................60
Initial Settings............................................................................................................61
Internal Keyer.............................................................................................................62
External Keyer............................................................................................................64
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T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S
CWX Form..................................................................................................................64
Third Party CW Program...............................................................................................65
DIGITAL OPERATION.................................................................................................67
5 FRONT CONSOLE.....................................................................73
(1) VFO A...................................................................................................................74
(2) TUNING CONTROLS..............................................................................................75
(3) VFO B...................................................................................................................76
(4 AND 4B) MULTIMETERS.........................................................................................76
RX1 and RX2 Meters....................................................................................................77
TX Meters...................................................................................................................77
(5 AND 5B) BAND SELECTION & BAND STACKING MEMORIES....................................78
(6 AND 6B) MODE SELECTION....................................................................................79
(7 AND 7B) FILTER CONTROLS...................................................................................80
Labeled Filter Buttons..................................................................................................80
Variable Filter Buttons..................................................................................................81
(8) MODE SPECIFIC CONTROLS..................................................................................82
Phone Controls ...........................................................................................................82
CW Controls................................................................................................................84
Digital Controls...........................................................................................................85
(9 AND 9B) DISPLAY CONTROLS................................................................................86
Screen Controls...........................................................................................................86
Display Selection Controls............................................................................................86
Display Type Descriptions.............................................................................................87
Spectrum.............................................................................................................................87
Panadapter...........................................................................................................................88
Waterfall..............................................................................................................................89
Histogram............................................................................................................................90
Scope..................................................................................................................................90
Phase..................................................................................................................................91
Panafall...............................................................................................................................91
Panascope............................................................................................................................91
Off......................................................................................................................................91
RX2 Display..........................................................................................................................91
Cursor and Peak Position........................................................................................................92
(10) MULTIRX CONTROLS..........................................................................................93
(11 AND 11B) DSP CONTROLS....................................................................................94
(12) VFO CONTROLS...................................................................................................95
(13) CPU %................................................................................................................96
(14) START/STOP BUTTON.........................................................................................96
(15) MON (MONITOR)................................................................................................96
(16) MOX (MANUALLY OPERATED TRANSMIT)...........................................................96
(17) MUT (MUTE).......................................................................................................97
(18) RECORD () AND PLAY ()................................................................................97
(19) TUN (TUNE)........................................................................................................97
(20) ATU AND BYP.....................................................................................................98
(21) AF (AUDIO FREQUENCY GAIN)...........................................................................98
(22 AND 22B) AGC-T (AGC THRESHOLD)....................................................................98
(23) DRIVE (TRANSMITTER POWER OUTPUT/TUNE POWER).....................................98
(24 AND 24B) AGC (AUTOMATIC GAIN CONTROL)......................................................99
(25 AND 25B) PREAMP...............................................................................................99
(26 AND 26B) SQL (SQUELCH)...................................................................................99
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(27) ANTENNA SELECTION DISPLAY..........................................................................99
(28) DATE/TIME DISPLAY........................................................................................100
(29) RX2 ON/OFF.....................................................................................................100
(30) RX2 AUDIO CONTROLS.....................................................................................100
(31) SETUP FORM.....................................................................................................100
(32) – (39) OPERATING FORMS...............................................................................101
6 OPERATING FORMS...............................................................103
(32) MEMORY FORM.................................................................................................104
Save… .....................................................................................................................104
Recall….....................................................................................................................105
(33) WAVE FORM.....................................................................................................106
Playback.............................................................................................................................................106
Playlist................................................................................................................................................107
Record................................................................................................................................................107
TX Gain (dB)........................................................................................................................................107
Quick Rec and Quick Play......................................................................................................................107
Record Options..........................................................................................................108
Receive...............................................................................................................................................108
Transmit..............................................................................................................................................108
Sample Rate........................................................................................................................................108
(34) EQUALIZER FORM.............................................................................................109
3-Band Equalizer.......................................................................................................109
10-Band Equalizer.....................................................................................................110
(35) XVTRS FORM....................................................................................................111
(36) CWX FORM.......................................................................................................113
Standard CWX Controls..............................................................................................113
CWX Memories....................................................................................................................114
Special Characters...............................................................................................................114
Keyboard and Extended Controls.................................................................................115
Extended CWX Controls........................................................................................................115
Morse Definition Editor.........................................................................................................116
(37) MIXER..............................................................................................................118
Input..................................................................................................................................................118
Output................................................................................................................................................118
(38) ANTENNA.........................................................................................................119
Simple.....................................................................................................................120
Expert......................................................................................................................121
(39) ATU..................................................................................................................123
Operating Mode....................................................................................................................................123
Tuning Options.....................................................................................................................................123
SWR Threshold....................................................................................................................................124
Tuner Feedback....................................................................................................................................124
VOLTAGE AND TEMPERATURE INFORMATION..........................................................124
7 SETUP FORM..........................................................................125
GENERAL TAB...........................................................................................................126
Hardware Config Sub-Tab............................................................................................126
Radio Model.........................................................................................................................................126
FLEX-5000 Config.................................................................................................................................126
Receive Only........................................................................................................................................127
DDS...................................................................................................................................................127
Options Sub-Tab........................................................................................................128
Options...............................................................................................................................................129
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Process Priority....................................................................................................................................129
Click Tune Offsets (Hz)..........................................................................................................................130
Miscellaneous.......................................................................................................................................130
Keyboard.............................................................................................................................................131
Custom Title Text.................................................................................................................................131
Calibration Sub-Tab....................................................................................................132
Filters Sub-Tab..........................................................................................................133
RX2 Sub-Tab.............................................................................................................134
Navigation................................................................................................................135
AUDIO TAB...............................................................................................................136
Primary Sub-Tab........................................................................................................136
Buffer Size..........................................................................................................................................136
Sample Rate........................................................................................................................................136
Mic Boost............................................................................................................................................137
Expert.................................................................................................................................................137
Latency (with Expert checked)...............................................................................................................137
VAC Sub-Tab.............................................................................................................138
Virtual Audio Cable Setup......................................................................................................................138
Auto Enable.........................................................................................................................................139
Gain (dB)............................................................................................................................................139
Latency...............................................................................................................................................139
Mono/Stereo........................................................................................................................................139
Combine VAC Input Channels.................................................................................................................139
Allow PTT to override/bypass VAC for Phone.............................................................................................139
Direct I/Q............................................................................................................................................140
DISPLAY TAB............................................................................................................141
Spectrum Grid.....................................................................................................................................142
Refresh Rates......................................................................................................................................142
Waterfall.............................................................................................................................................143
Multimeter...........................................................................................................................................143
Phase Resolution..................................................................................................................................144
Scope Time Base..................................................................................................................................144
Averaging............................................................................................................................................144
Polyphase FFT......................................................................................................................................144
DSP TAB...................................................................................................................145
Options Sub-Tab........................................................................................................145
Noise Reduction...................................................................................................................................145
Automatic Notch Filter...........................................................................................................................146
Use Peak Readings for TX Meter DSP Values.............................................................................................147
Buffer Size..........................................................................................................................................147
Noise Blanker.......................................................................................................................................148
Noise Blanker 2....................................................................................................................................148
Window ..............................................................................................................................................149
Image Reject Sub-Tab................................................................................................151
Expert.................................................................................................................................................151
Transmit Rejection................................................................................................................................152
Keyer Sub-Tab...........................................................................................................153
CW Pitch.............................................................................................................................................153
Connections.........................................................................................................................................153
Options...............................................................................................................................................154
Signal Shaping.....................................................................................................................................155
Break In..............................................................................................................................................155
AGC/ALC Sub-Tab......................................................................................................156
AGC....................................................................................................................................................156
Leveler................................................................................................................................................157
ALC....................................................................................................................................................157
TRANSMIT TAB.........................................................................................................158
Profiles...............................................................................................................................................158
Transmit Filter......................................................................................................................................159
DC Block.............................................................................................................................................159
Tune...................................................................................................................................................159
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Downward Expander/Noise Gate.............................................................................................................160
VOX....................................................................................................................................................161
Monitor...............................................................................................................................................161
AM Carrier Level...................................................................................................................................161
Standard TX Profiles.............................................................................................................................162
APPEARANCE TAB ....................................................................................................163
General Sub-Tab........................................................................................................163
Skins..................................................................................................................................................163
VFO....................................................................................................................................................164
Band Data...........................................................................................................................................164
Display Sub-Tab.........................................................................................................165
Overall Display.....................................................................................................................................166
Cursor/Peak Readout............................................................................................................................166
Panadapter..........................................................................................................................................167
Meter Sub-Tab...........................................................................................................168
Original Style.......................................................................................................................................169
Edge Style...........................................................................................................................................169
KEYBOARD TAB........................................................................................................170
CAT CONTROL TAB....................................................................................................171
Cat Control .........................................................................................................................................172
PTT Control..........................................................................................................................................173
DigL/U Returns LSB/USB.......................................................................................................................173
FlexProfiler Installed.............................................................................................................................173
Allow Kenwood AI Command..................................................................................................................173
Test....................................................................................................................................................174
ID AS..................................................................................................................................................175
RTTY Offset.........................................................................................................................................175
TESTS TAB................................................................................................................176
Two Tone Test:.....................................................................................................................................176
Audio Balance Test...............................................................................................................................176
Signal Generator..................................................................................................................................177
Enable HW Signal Generator..................................................................................................................178
8 DRIVER CONTROL PANEL......................................................179
GLOBAL SETTINGS...................................................................................................180
Bus Settings.............................................................................................................180
DPC Latency Checker.................................................................................................181
DEVICE SETTINGS....................................................................................................182
General....................................................................................................................182
Firmware Loader........................................................................................................183
F5K-M2.0/4 x 2003-2010 FlexRadio Systems
Preface
Welcome to the exciting world of software defined radio. The FLEX-5000™ software defined transceiver
is the culmination of many years of experience gained with FlexRadio's ground breaking SDR-1000™
transceiver. The experience gained and lessons learned have resulted in an SDR platform that is truly
state of the art, offering unsurpassed Amateur Radio performance. And unlike most other transceivers,
which once acquired, rarely if ever change, the FLEX-5000 will continue to (rapidly) evolve, offering
future capabilities currently only dreamed of.
Although the rapid development of the FLEX-5000 can be exhilarating, it can also be somewhat
daunting. When first confronted with an FLEX-5000 and its PowerSDR™ operating software, the sheer
number of connections, controls, and settings can seem mind boggling even to the most seasoned
Ham radio operator. This operating manual attempts to both guide a user step by step through the
setup process (both hardware and software) and to act as a reference once the radio has been set up.
Additionally, the PowerSDR software will install with default settings that, in most cases, will require
little adjustment. Any adjustments that you make are automatically saved and can be imported into an
updated version of the software.
Due to the nature of the FLEX-5000, the largest part of this operating manual, by far, will refer to
software. The operating manual has numerous screenshots of windows and forms to detail the various
steps. Although the manual describes the latest official release of the PowerSDR software, you may
occasionally notice an earlier version identified in the title bar of a screenshot. This is because FlexRadio
Systems® has decided to only update a screenshot if it changes.
If you have any ideas on how to improve the FLEX-5000, please feel free to contact us, or better still,
to join our email reflector (see http://kc.flex-radio.com/KnowledgebaseArticle50024.aspx). Not only is
the FLEX-5000 a software defined radio; it is also a user defined radio.
FlexRadio Systems is committed to ensuring that your experience with the FLEX-5000 will be one of the
most enjoyable you have with Ham radio. If you have any questions, issues or problems operating
PowerSDR and/or the FLEX-5000, you may be able to find the solution on the Support Pages of our
website (http://support.flex-radio.com/), in our Knowledge Center (http://kc.flex-
radio.com/search.aspx), our Forum (http://forums.flex-radio.com/), or through our highly active email
reflectors (http://www.flex-radio.com/Support.aspx?topic=Reflector_Description). If none of these
sources provide you the assistance required, please contact FlexRadio Systems using the information
provided on the Contact Page of our website (http://www.flex-radio.com/About.aspx?topic=contactus).
F5K-M2.0/4 xi 2003-2010 FlexRadio Systems
Acknowledgments
FlexRadio Systems could not be as successful, nor could the FLEX-5000 radio be what it is today
without the many selfless contributions from our users all over the world. These contributions have
spanned and continue to span improvements to our hardware and software, ranging from bug reports
and feature requests to actual design and implementation of certain functionality.
Identifying contributors by name would only risk leaving out others with equally valuable contributions.
We therefore wish to suffice with a heartfelt thank you for your support and continued commitment.
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F5K-M2.0/4 xiii 2003-2010 FlexRadio Systems
Using This Manual in its PDF Form
If you are viewing this manual on your computer screen, you can use a combination of built-in features
of Adobe® Reader
To find a word within the manual, type ctrl + F on your keyboard (or in the menu click Edit -
1
®
as well as the many cross-references and hyperlinks within the text:
Find), enter the desired word in the text box that opens and click Next.
To jump to a chapter or section in the manual, click on the corresponding Bookmark, shown to
the left of this page. (If not shown, click on the vertical tab labeled Bookmarks). To make
them as useful as possible, we have made the bookmarks very detailed.
Click on the “Previous View” arrow to go back to a previously viewed page. (Alternatively, in the
menu, click View – Goto – Previous View, or on your keyboard type Alt + Left Arrow).
o Similarly click on the “Next View” arrow to go forward to a subsequently viewed page.
(Alternatively, in the menu, click View – Goto – Next View, or on your keyboard type
Alt + Right Arrow).
Within the text there are many cross-references. Although not obvious, these are all hyperlinks
within the manual. Click on the referenced Table n, Figure n, above, below or page n (bold
indicates the hyperlink) and you will immediately jump to the referenced Table/Figure/page of
the manual.
o To return to where you came from, use the “Previous View” arrow.
Within the text there are also external hyperlinks, shown in blue and underlined. Click on these
to open your browser and view the referenced website page. Many of these relate to articles in
our expansive Knowledge Center.
o If the hyperlink has been previously clicked, it will be shown in magenta instead of blue.
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1
Adobe and Reader are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems, Inc.
F5K-M2.0/4 xv 2003-2010 FlexRadio Systems
Reference to Software Controls
In this manual many types of software controls will be referred to. The myriad of various bells and
whistles can sometimes be a bit overwhelming. Figure 1 below is a key that will help to introduce the
basic controls for those less familiar with windows software.
Figure 1: Control Key
The Form refers to the entire window with the Title Bar showing the Form Name.
The Menu is just under the Title Bar. Menu controls generally open other forms.
Labels are callouts usually for other controls.
Buttons can trigger events or act like an On/Off switch.
Text Boxes allow text to be entered or displayed.
Radio Buttons allow the user to choose between several options.
Drop Down Boxes (also called Combo Boxes) enable the ability to offer many options without
taking up as much window space as a Radio Button.
Sliders allow easy modification of a numerical value.
Color Buttons are used as color selectors. You can pick a generic color (yellow or green) or
even make your own using the drop down menu.
Up/Down controls are similar to a Text Box, but are limited to numeric input. They also have
arrows for simple increment/decrement behavior.
F5K-M2.0/4 xvii 2003-2010 FlexRadio Systems
Chapter
1
Hardware Installation
Contents of the Carton
Inside the carton you should find the following items:
Table 1: Contents of Carton for each FLEX-5000 Model
FLEX-5000 Model
Item
FLEX-5000 Transceiver 5000A 5000C
6-pin to 6-pin FireWire® cable (6 feet)
Unterminated 12 AWG power cable (4 feet)
T-20 Torx driver
Quick Start Guide
CD ROM/USB Flash Drive with Owner's manual, Installation & Configuration
Guide, Quick Start Guide, PowerSDR 2.0 or later, FLEX 5000 FireWire Driver
Wireless keyboard and mouse
2 AA and 2 AAA batteries (for keyboard and mouse)
Keyboard installation CD
Keyboard Instructions
Microsoft® Windows
Acronis
3
®
True Image License
2
®
XP Professional CD
1
A C
(Other items may be included that are not listed above)
The FLEX-5000 power cable is unterminated on one end so that you can adapt it to various DC power
connectors, such as Anderson Power Poles, Banana plugs, screw terminals or spade lugs. Connect the 2
red wires to the positive terminal and the 2 black wires to the negative terminal of your power supply4.
1
For the FLEX-5000A, you may need to acquire a 4-pin to 6-pin cable if using a laptop. FireWire and the FireWire logo are
registered trademarks of Apple, Inc.
2
Microsoft, Windows, Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation
3
Acronis is a registered trademark of Acronis, Inc.
4
Older radios may have only 1 red and 1 black wire, which are connected to the + and – terminals respectively.
F5K-M2.0/4 1 2003-2010 FlexRadio Systems
H A R D W A R E I N S T A L L A T I O N C H A P T E R 1
Note 1: Do not apply power to the FLEX-5000 until you are instructed to do
so.
Note 2: Retain the FLEX-5000 packaging for future use. This packaging was
specially designed for the radio to prevent damage which may occur
during shipping. If you ever need to ship your FLEX-5000 anywhere,
especially back to FlexRadio Systems, this is the preferred packaging
to use.
Location Considerations
To facilitate integrating your FLEX-5000 into your shack you may want to consider the following:
Place the FLEX-5000A in close proximity to your computer . It is best to use the shortest
FireWire cable possible to connect to your computer to minimize data errors and limit possible
RFI getting into the computer. High quality, quad-shielded FireWire cables up to 10m in length
have been used successfully with the FLEX-5000.
Ensure convenient access to the back panel . The FLEX-5000 back panel is where most of your
connections will be made. Having easy access to the back panel without moving the transceiver
is optimal while getting started.
Avoid placing the FLEX-5000 in direct sunlight . Placing the transceiver in direct sunlight will
increase the ambient temperature inside the chassis (especially while transmitting) and make
the high volume cooling fan’s job more difficult.
Heed air flow requirements . Air is drawn in through the bottom air vent in the front of the FLEX-
5000 and is exhausted through the top vent in the rear for optimal cooling. Do not block either
the front intake or the rear exhaust vent since this will reduce the cooling efficiency.
Avoid contact with liquids . Although this is usually not a problem unless you are operating
maritime mobile, accidental spills of liquids in the shack on the FLEX-5000 could result in
voiding the warranty. Placing the FLEX-5000 away from food and drinks is highly recommended.
Radio Related Connections
To facilitate integrating the FLEX-5000 into your station, it is worth taking a moment to study the
radio's front and back panels. The many antenna and audio connections are not immediately intuitive.
This is a direct consequence of the FLEX-5000's versatility in accommodating many configurations,
including receive-only antennas, external signal enhancing equipment and transverters, all of which can
be assigned on a per band basis, without requiring complex external switching arrangements.
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F5K-M2.0/4 2 2003-2010 FlexRadio Systems
H A R D W A R E I N S T A L L A T I O N C H A P T E R 1
We will first discuss the front panel and then the back panel radio related connections1. The computer
related connections for the FLEX-5000C only are described on page 13).
Hint: You can also visit the interactive virtual tour on our website of the
FLEX-5000A front panel and back panel respectively (on our website
select Products and then Interactive Virtual Tours), where you can
hover over a connector with your mouse to pop up its description.
Front Panel
Figure 2: FLEX-5000A (top) and FLEX-5000C (bottom) Front Panel
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1
Identifiers refer to the same controls and connectors on the FLEX-5000A and C models.
F5K-M2.0/4 3 2003-2010 FlexRadio Systems
H A R D W A R E I N S T A L L A T I O N C H A P T E R 1
(1) LED Push Button Power Switch
The FLEX-5000 uses a delayed start push button to power up the radio.
To turn on the radio, push the button in fully and release. After a few seconds you will hear the
power relay click and see the LED illuminate to indicate that the radio is powered up.
To turn off the radio, again push the button fully and release.
For the FLEX-5000C the power switch turns on both the radio and the computer, but only
turns off the radio. To shut down the computer, click Start (bottom left of screen) and select
Turn Off Computer.
Note 1: Make sure the FLEX-5000 is turned on and then wait 10-15 seconds
before starting PowerSDR. Otherwise, PowerSDR will indicate a
communication error and offer the option to run in Demo mode. Click
No to close PowerSDR, turn on the FLEX-5000 and restart PowerSDR.
Note 2: Make sure PowerSDR is shut-down before turning off the radio.
Otherwise, close PowerSDR and power cycle the FLEX-5000 (turn on,
off and on again) and restart PowerSDR.
(2) Headphone Jack
Accepts headphones with standard 1/4” stereo (TRS) plug. Recommended ratings for headphones are
40 mW into 16 Ohm load (typ) with a 1% THD+N. Higher impedance headphones will also work.
Note: Lower impedance headphones and headphones using a mono plug
can result in popping audio as soon as PowerSDR is started.
(3) Microphone Connector
The 8-pin microphone connector offers the ability to connect a microphone and to key the radio via a
PTT line. The pin-out is shown in Table 2 below1. To engage PTT, pin 6 must be grounded to pin 5
(Shield Ground) and not to pin 7, which is the microphone ground.
Table 2: Microphone Connector Pin-Out
Pin # Signal Diagram
1 Not Connected
2 +5 VDC (max 65 mA)
3 Not Connected
4 Not Connected
5 Chassis GND (Shield)
6 PTT (+)
7 Mic (–)
8 Mic (+)
1
The pin-out is similar to that normally found on Yaesu radios
F5K-M2.0/4 4 2003-2010 FlexRadio Systems
H A R D W A R E I N S T A L L A T I O N C H A P T E R 1
Note: The FLEX-5000 has a 20 dB microphone preamp built in. If you do not
require this additional gain, you may want to try using either the
unbalanced Line-In (13) or Balanced Line Input (14) jack on the back
panel (see pages 6 and 10).
We recommend use of the Heil microphones, especially the PR series; however, the HM-10 and Goldline
microphones will also work well with the FLEX-50001.
(4) Internal Speaker (FLEX-5000C Only)
The FLEX-5000C does not require external, powered speakers as it comes with an internal speaker.
However, you will need to use external powered speakers to take advantage of spatial diversity (such
as binaural audio or spatially positioning multiple audio channels).
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1
These microphones may not sufficiently drive the rear audio inputs (13) and/or (14) (see page 10) without an external
preamp.
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Back Panel
Figure 3: FLEX-5000A (top) and FLEX-5000C (bottom) Back Panel
Note: The right half of the FLEX-5000C back panel is identical to the back
panel of the FLEX-5000A; the left half has all the connections for the
built in computer.
The FLEX-5000 has the ability to connect up to three different antennas to the receiver and or
transmitter and up to two additional receive only antennas. All of these are assignable on a per band
basis. The antenna connections are as follows:
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(1) Primary Antenna Ports (ANT1, ANT2 & ANT3)
Three SO239 antenna ports that can be software selected on a per band basis and assigned as either
receive, transmit or both.
(2)-(3) Receive Only Antenna Ports (RX1 IN & RX2 IN)
Up to two additional receive only antennas can be connected, each of which is separately selectable on
a per band basis.
RX1 IN is the receive only antenna port for the first receiver.
RX2 IN can be used to connect a receive only antenna to the optional second receiver.
(2) External RX1 OUT to RX1 IN Receive Loop
With PowerSDR a dedicated receive path can be selected by band so that all of the receive signals input
to either ANT1, ANT2 or ANT3 are output to the RX1 OUT port and input back into the RX1 IN port.
This enables the insertion of external signal enhancing devices such as preamps, filters and
preselectors, without requiring complicated switching mechanisms to avoid transmitting through them.
(4)-(5) Dedicated Transverter Connections
The FLEX-5000 has been designed to support transverters through both a 28 MHz and/or 144 MHz IF
interface.
XVTX/COM outputs a 28 MHz IF signal, adjustable up to +5 dBm to drive external
transverters
XVRX accepts a 28 MHz IF signal from external transverters. If your transverter does not have
a separate IF output, then only use XVTX/COM
144 MHz is the output of the optional, internal transverter.
(6) 13.8 VDC Power Socket
The FLEX-5000A requires a stable 13.8 VDC power source rated for at least 20 A and 25 A peak for
proper operation; the FLEX-5000C for at least 25 A and 30 A peak. Supplied with your radio was an
unterminated 4-pin keyed Molex type power connector and cable set. Terminate this cable in the
appropriate connector (if needed) for your DC power source such as Anderson PowerPoles®, banana
plugs, spade or ring lugs, or tinned ends for screw terminals. Connect the 2 red wires to the positive
terminal and the 2 black wires to the negative terminal of your power supply1. The Molex type
connector is inserted into the white Molex receptacle labeled -13.8 VDC+.
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1
Older radios may have only 1 red and 1 black wire, which are connected to the + and – terminals respectively.
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(7) Dual IEEE 1394 FireWire Jacks
The FLEX-5000 has two 400 Mb/s 6-pin IEEE 1394 FireWire jacks. These are 1394a connections not the
1394b (FireWire 800) type which run at 800 Mb/s. Connect the ferrite core end of the supplied 6-pin
FireWire cable to either of these two jacks and connect the other end to
FLEX-5000A: your computer’s FireWire jack (the host controller).
FLEX-5000C: the computer jack marked “FireWire” in Figure 3 on page 6.
The second FireWire jack (7) can be used to “daisy chain” or extend the FireWire bus so that additional
IEEE 1394 FireWire devices may be connected.
WARNING! DO NOT FORCE THE FIREWIRE CONNECTOR IN UPSIDE
DOWN. DOING SO WILL DESTROY THE RADIO'S FIREWIRE
PORT.
CAUTION 1: Do not connect the second FireWire jack to a second PC. Only one PC
can be connected to the FLEX-5000.
CAUTION 2: Do not remove the ferrite cores as they are required for CE
compliance and to minimize RFI at this ingress point.
Note 1: Even though the 1394b standard is supposedly downward compatible
(9-pin to 6- or 4-pin cables are used), you should preferably only use
1394a host adapters to connect to the FLEX-5000. Please also refer to
the Knowledge Center article Selecting High Performance FireWire
Cards for FlexRadio Transceivers (search for firewire card in our
Knowledge Center at http://kc.flex-radio.com/search.aspx).
Note 2: The FLEX-5000 FireWire controller does not supply voltage, so if you
are connecting a device “down stream” that normally receives power
from the FireWire cable you must supply external power to use that
device.
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(8) Straight Key or Paddles (KEY)
For CW operation, the ¼” TRS KEY jack will accept a TRS plug for operating a keyer with paddles or a
TRS/TS plug for a straight key. The pin-out is shown in Table 3 below.
Table 3: Key Jack Pin-Out
Keyer
Connector
Tip Dot Key
Ring Dash N/C
Sleeve Common Common
Note: Alternatively, you may prefer to connect your paddles to a serial port
on your PC using the pin-out shown in Table 4.
Signal
Straight
Key
Table 4: PC Serial Port Pin-Out
Serial
Port Pin* Keyer Signal
4 (DTR) Common
6 (DSR) Dot
8 (CTS) Dash
* Assumes a 9-Pin connector
(9) External Keying Lines (AMP RLY TX1, TX2 & TX3)
These three independent keying lines can be used to key external devices such as linear power
amplifiers or transverters. One or more of the keying lines can be used at any one time, can be given a
delay and can be assigned on a per band basis on the Antenna Form (see page 120). For example, you
may have an HF amplifier that covers 160-10 meters and another amplifier for 6 meters. You can
assign TX1 to bands 160 -10 meters to key the HF amplifier and TX3 to 6 meters to key that amplifier
when you select the 6 meter band.
These keying lines each use an open collector Darlington transistor switch that is rated at 400 mA,
50 VDC maximum. To ensure that your amplifier keying circuit does not damage the Darlington
transistor switch, it is safest (even for modern amplifiers) to insert the circuit shown in Figure 4 below
between each of TX1, 2 and/or 3 and your amplifier(s).
Figure 4: Protective PTT Circuit Between TX1-3 and Amplifier
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(10) External Frequency Reference Input
Accepts input from an optional 10 MHz, 0 to +10 dBm reference source, such as a GPS disciplined or
high precision clock source. This enables greater frequency stability for those operators requiring such,
e.g. for VHF+ operators operating in the GHz range.
(11) Powered Speaker/Line Out Jack
This standard 1/8” TRS jack provides line-level (-10 dBV, 600 Ohms) receive - not computer - audio1.
For the FLEX-5000A (and if desired for the FLEX-5000C) connect this jack to an external audio
amplifier, to computer-type powered speakers or any other external equipment that accepts line-level
audio input. This jack provides two-channel (stereo) audio to enable binaural audio, MultiRX™ (single
receiver) or dual receive (with optional second receiver installed). The audio level can be set on the
FLEX-5000 Mixer Form (see page 118).
For more information on powered speakers used with FlexRadio products, refer to the Knowledge
Center article What Kind of Speakers Should I buy for my SDR? (search for speaker in our Knowledge
Center at http://kc.flex-radio.com/search.aspx).
(12) FlexWire™ Peripheral Interface Bus
FlexWire is an intelligent, high speed, bi-directional communications interface that allows PowerSDR to
communicate with a host of peripheral devices such as antenna tuners, rotor controllers, band
switchers, etc. A family of FlexWire peripherals will be forthcoming from FlexRadio Systems. This is not
another “CAT” port, but an industry standard bidirectional communications bus based on the I2C
(pronounced “I squared C”) protocol along with AF I/O lines.
Table 5: FlexWire Connector Pin-Out
Pin # Signal Diagram
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Table 5 above Shows the FlexWire connector pin-out. Complete specifications and the programming
interface will be published to allow home brew and third-party add-on products.
CAUTION: Do NOT attempt to connect a PC serial port to the FlexWire connector
(pin 3 has been blocked to stop this). Doing so may void your
warranty and severely damage your FLEX-5000.
Ground
Line In
(Blocked Pin)
Interrupt (/INT 1)
Ground
I2C Clock (SCL)
I2C Data (SDA)
+13.8 V, 1 A max
Line Out (in parallel
with RCA Line Out)
1
The FLEX-5000C also has a built-in speaker
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(13) Line-Out and Line-In Audio Jacks
Consumer level (-10 dBV) audio connections. Audio levels can be set on the FLEX-5000 Mixer Form
(see page 118).
Line-Out can drive external sound card-based applications if VAC is not, or cannot be used. It
can also provide audio for external audio equipment such as recorders and audio spectrum
analyzers. Line Out impedance equals 600 Ohms.
Line-In allows the connection of external audio equipment, VAC or an external sound card,
e.g. to play back prerecorded audio over the air. Line In impedance equals 5 kOhms.
(14) Balanced Line Input
1/4” TRS jack to connect to audio processing equipment supplying balanced audio (+4 dBμ max), such
as a microphone preamplifier or (chain of) equalizers, compressor/limiters, aural exciters and other
effects processors. This jack can be used instead of the Microphone connector on the front panel.
However, unlike the front panel Microphone connector, there is no 20 dB preamp in line. The Pin-Out is
shown in Table 6 below. Balanced Line Input input impedance is >50 kOhms.
Table 6: Pin-Out of Balanced Line-In Connector
Contact Description Connector
Tip
Ring
Sleeve Ground or shield connection
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Positive phase for balanced
mono signals or mic (+)
Negative phase for balanced
mono signals or mic (-)
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Connecting to a Balanced XLR Connector
The most common way to use the balanced line-in connector is when using a balanced microphone,
usually having a male XLR connector (see Table 7 below).
Table 7: XLR Male and Female Connector Pin-out
Contact Description Connector
Pin 1 Ground or shield connection
Pin 2
Pin 3
To interface this type of microphone to the FLEX-5000 a balanced XLR (female) to balanced ¼” TRS
(male) cable is necessary, which should be wired as shown in Figure 5a. You can also connect audio
processing equipment using a similar cable. If you have a ground loop or a lack of proper grounding
(indicated by hum or buzz in your output), adding a simple filter to the shield may resolve the problem
(see Figure 5b). The filter consists of typically a 100 Ohm resister to attenuate small DC currents,
decoupled for RF by typically a 4pF – 10nF capacitor.
Positive phase for balanced
mono signals or mic (+)
Negative phase for balanced
mono signals or mic (-)
a. Connecting Balanced XLR Microphone to Balanced TRS Plug
b. Connecting XLR Audio Processing Equipment to Balanced TRS Plug – Eliminating Ground Loop
Figure 5: Wiring Diagrams to Connect Between Balanced TRS and XLR Connectors
(15) PTT Jack
Connect to external hardware devices such as foot pedals or hand switches to key the rig. The
transmitter will be engaged when the center conductor is grounded.
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(16) RF Ground Terminal
Connect to the single point ground system in your shack. Alternatively, if you have no single point
grounding system, ground the FLEX-5000 to the metal chassis of your computer with a low impedance
ground strap, such as a 1” braid or copper strip (the screws that hold the computer power supply in
place make an excellent grounding point).
FLEX-5000C Computer Connections and Initialization
This section is relevant for the FLEX-5000C only. If you have a FLEX-5000A, this section is not relevant
and you may skip to the next section.
Computer Connections
Wireless Keyboard and Mouse
Insert (2) AAA batteries into the battery compartment in the bottom of the wireless computer
keyboard. Additional instructions may be found on the label underneath the keyboard.
Insert (2) AA batteries into the wireless mouse. The battery door covers the lower half of the
mouse and may be removed by a pressing/sliding motion on top of the product logo. With the
mouse in the operating position, the battery cover slides away from the buttons/scroll wheel
and toward you as you remove it.
Plug the USB connector of the wireless receiver into one of 4 USB ports, indicated as USB in
Figure 3 on page 6. (The green and purple 6-pin MiniDIN PS/2-style connectors on the wireless
interface are not used if a USB connection is made.)
If connecting additional USB devices, any USB jack will work with any USB device.
FireWire Cable
Connect the supplied FireWire cable between the Computer FireWire jack (FireWire in Figure 3) and
one of the two radio's FireWire jacks (7) as described on page 8. Make sure the ferrites are closest to
the radio's FireWire jacks (7). Do not remove these ferrites since they are required for CE compliance
and to minimize RFI.
Monitor or LCD Display
Connect a monitor or LCD display to the VGA connector.
Note: Even though the system supports digital video through the two
additional DVI connectors, it is necessary to use the VGA connector
to initialize the computer. Either DVI or VGA connector(s) may be
used after initialization
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Computer Speakers
If desired, connect external computer speakers to the green jack marked Speaker in Figure 3. These
are used to output audio from the operating system and any programs you may use.
Note: Do not confuse these with the internal speaker or external speakers
you may have connected to the Powered Speakers jack (11), which
are strictly used for receive audio by the FLEX-5000.
Network Connection
WARNING! Install an anti-virus protection application before connecting
to networks or the Internet. FlexRadio is not responsible for
problems caused by virus, spyware or other malware
exposure.
Using one of the three Ethernet network jacks (marked Network in Figure 3 on page 6), you may
connect your FLEX-5000C computer to your local area network or to your Internet modem. To make
the connection, use a standard CAT5 network cable. The Network jacks support 10/100/1000 Ethernet.
Computer Initialization
Before proceeding, write down the Product Key (see Figure 3 on page 6) from the label on the rear of
the radio. This Microsoft Product Key appears in 5 groups with 5 letters/numbers in each group. You
will enter these during the setup process.
Power-up and Connect Keyboard and Mouse
Position the radio, display, keyboard, mouse and wireless keyboard controller in their operating
positions
1. Turn the mouse and keyboard upside down for easy access to the connect buttons.
2. Turn on your display/monitor/LCD panel and select D-sub or analog source if applicable .
3. Turn on your 13.8 VDC power supply.
4. Turn on the FLEX-5000C using the power button on the front panel (press momentarily). A
delay of a few seconds until seeing the LED light is normal (see page 3).
The power button LED should illuminate, the fans should start inside and the light on the
wireless keyboard controller should illuminate. If not, cut the 13.8 VDC power and recheck
your connections.
5. Press and release the connect button on the wireless keyboard controller and press and
release the connect button on the bottom of the keyboard. Wait at least 20 seconds before the
next step.
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6. Press and release the connect button on the wireless keyboard controller again and press and
release the connect button on the bottom of the mouse.
7. Move the mouse and check for pointer motion on the display.
Note: The mouse and keyboard reference sheet provides additional details.
At this point you should see the Microsoft opening screen (and hear sound if you added computer
speakers). If you are unable to spend about 5 minutes completing the next section, you may turn off
the system by turning off the power supply. It will not be possible to stop the computer by using the
front panel button.
Set up and Configure the Computer
The operating system is preinstalled but in a “sealed” state. It is not usable until you accept the End
User Licensing Agreement contained in the operating system. FlexRadio is not in control of this process
since the software use agreement is between you, the end user, and Microsoft.
Note: The following steps summarize much of the more detailed information
in your Start Here operating system booklet from Microsoft. That
booklet is packed in the box with your new radio. Please refer to that
booklet for additional information if needed during the setup process.
The screens you will see during the setup process and the suggested actions are:
1. Welcome to Microsoft Windows: click Next.
2. End User License Agreement: if you agree, click Yes to accept, then click Next.
3. Is this a genuine copy of Microsoft Windows?/Product Key Entry: enter the Product Key you
copied from the back panel label, then click Next.
4. What's your computer's name?: accept the default name or enter a name of your choosing,
click Next.
5. What's your Administrator Password?: enter a password if desired (recommended if on a
network), click Next.
6. Is this computer in a Domain?: for almost all users - click next. Users in a large network with
a domain controller should get specific instructions from the network administrator.
7. Checking your Internet Connectivity: results will depend on whether a network cable is
connected:
o If an Internet connection is found, several screens will follow to set up your Internet
connection.
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o If the search times out, you will see “An Internet connection could not be chosen”. Click
Next.
o To skip the search, click Skip and go directly to the next screen.
8. Ready to Activate Windows?:
o If connected to the Internet, you may activate by clicking Yes and then Next.
o If you will activate Windows later or by phone click No and then Next.
9. Thank you: click Finish.
Set Your Time Zone and the System Date/Time
To set your computer time zone and the correct date/time:
1. Double-click the clock in the lower right corner of the desktop view.
2. Click the Time Zone tab at the top.
o Select your time zone from the list (above the map).
o Click Apply.
1. Click the Date & Time tab at the top
o Set your date by clicking on the calendar
o Set your time by entering where shown then click apply
You are now ready to operate your FLEX-5000C. Please skip to chapter 2 on page 43 to learn how to
setup PowerSDR.
Reference Documents
Your reference documents are accessible from the startup menu and by double-clicking the FlexRadio
Documentation folder shortcut shown on your desktop. Most reference documents are in Adobe PDF
format and are read by using the PDF Reader application. You must install the PDF reader before
attempting to open any PDF document. Your Owners Manual is also in PDF format. The PDF reader
may be downloaded from the Adobe web site and is free software. Please see http://www.adobe.com
Installer Library
Drivers and documentation for your computer system board as well as software, firmware and drivers
used by FlexRadio are stored in your Installer Library. These items are preinstalled and are provided as
backup copies in the event you need to remove/reinstall any of them. The folder is located at the root
level of the C: drive. There is also a menu entry under All Programs.
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Hard Drive Restore Process
The computer within your radio has a hidden restore partition on the hard drive called the Secure
1
®
Zone
virus infection, major problem with the operating system, accidental folder deletion or other major
disturbance, it is possible to completely reinstall the operating system, application programs, FlexRadio
programs and tools from this restore partition.
The restore software is included in the purchase price of your radio. A serial number for your copy of
this software is listed on a separate page packed with your system. You also have the opportunity (but
not the obligation) to upgrade this software and use additional features by contacting the software
vendor (Acronis) directly. Your Secure Zone will restore the original configuration additional times if
future errors occur. It is not necessary to register or upgrade the Acronis software to use the restore
process again in the future. If the hard drive fails, the secure zone and restore image could be lost. In
this case, contact FlexRadio for instructions.
. It contains a complete copy of the originally shipped factory software. In the event you have a
CAUTION: Any files you added or modified along with all new software and data
will be erased and replaced with only the files FlexRadio installed at
time of manufacture. This means the loss of all logs, email, photos,
new programs and your PowerSDR memory file (called
PowerSDR.mdb in the PowerSDR vn.n.n folder). These files may be
preserved by copying them to a USB memory key or even e-mailing
them.
When your computer first starts, a brief screen image will display the Acronis logo. By quickly pressing
the <F10> key, the Recovery Manager® will appear. You may have to press this key several times
starting after you power up your radio since some monitors might not show any image before this
screen has disappeared. The Recovery Manager screen will offer three choices. You may elect to restore
your system, shut it down, or continue to start Windows normally. If you click the Restore option and
click yes on the warning notice, the restore process will begin. It is normal for 1-2 minutes to elapse as
the program loads. After that, information screens will describe each step. Restarting your system at
the end of the process will return you to the same software experience as new, out-of-the-box. The
entire restore process should take less than ten minutes.
Specifications and Architecture
Specifications are subject to change without notice or obligation, and specifications are guaranteed only
within the amateur radio bands.
FLEX-5000A and FLEX-5000C Transceiver Specifications
Table 8 on page 18 displays an overview of the specifications for the FLEX-5000A and the FLEX-5000C
transceiver.
1
Secure Zone and Recovery Manager are registered trademarks of Acronis, Inc.
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Table 8: Overview of FLEX-5000A Specifications
General
Receiver Frequency Range
Transmitter Frequency Range 160 m – 6 m (specified Amateur bands only)
Frequency Stability ±0.5 ppm 32 °F to 122 °F (0 °C to +50 °C)
Operating Temperature Range 14 °F to 122 °F (–10 °C to +50 °C)
Emission Modes
Frequency Steps 1 Hz minimum
Antenna Impedance
Max Rating TX1-3 Key Lines 50 V, 400 mA
Audio In/Out
Recommended Headphones 40 mW, 16 Ohms, 1% THD+N;higher impedance headphones will also work
Frequency Reference Input 0 to +10 dBm required
Power Consumption Rx 1.5 A (typ); Tx (100 W): FLEX-5000A 25 A (max.), FLEX-5000C 30 A (max.)
Supply Voltage DC 13.8 V ± 10%
Maximum Interconnect
Cable Length
Special EMI/RFI Requirements
– CE Compliance Cable
Requirements
Dimensions:
Weight (approx.): FLEX-5000A: 13 lbs (5.9 kg); FLEX-5000C: 34 lbs (15.4 kg)
Receiver
Circuit Type Direct conversion, low IF
Intermediate Frequency Software selectable from DC to 20 kHz
MDS 14 MHz Preamp off/on: 1.3/0.3 µV; MDS: -123 dBm/-133 dBm in 500 Hz BW
IP3
Selectivity (–6/–60 dB)
Image Rejection 70 dB or better (160 - 6m Amateur bands)
Transmitter
Power Output 1-100 W PEP CW and SSB (25 W AM carrier)
Power Out XVTR 0 dBm
Emission Modes A1A (CWU, CWL), J3E (USB, LSB), A3E (AM), F3E (FM), DIGITAL
Harmonic Radiation
SSB Carrier Suppression At least 55 dB below peak output
Undesired Sideband
Suppression
Audio Response (SSB): Flat Response 10 Hz to 20 kHz, 3-band or 10-band Software EQ
3rd Order IMD Better than 33 dB below PEP @14.2 MHz 100 W PEP
Microphone Impedance 600 Ohms (200 to 10 kOhms)
Balanced Line In Impedance 600 Ohms (200 to 10 kOhms)
10 kHz – 65 MHz (operating – requires external, customer provided filters below
1.8 MHz to eliminate images); 160 m – 6 m (specified Amateur bands only)
A1A (CW), A3E (AM), J3E (LSB, USB),
F3E (FM), F1B (RTTY), F1D (PACKET), F2D (PACKET)
50 Ohms, unbalanced
6 - 1000 Ohms, unbalanced (With Optional Tuner ON, 160 m – 10 m Amateur bands)
16 - 150 Ohms, unbalanced (With Optional Tuner ON, 6 m Amateur band)
Unbalanced:10 dBV nominal (consumer level), Input Impedance: 5 kOhms Output
Impedance 600 Ohms
Balanced: +4 dBμ, Input Impedance >50 kOhms
10 feet (3 m),
No restriction on DC cable within voltage tolerance limits under load.
1 snap on ferrite bead on DC cable (supplied),
2 snap on ferrite beads on FireWire cable (supplied), and
1 snap on ferrite bead on FlexWire cable.
All beads to be located adjacent to rear panel of radio.
FLEX 5000A: (WxHxD): 9.3” x 9.0” x 12.4” (23.5 cm x 22.9 cm x 31.6 cm)
FLEX-5000C: (WxHxD): 17.7” x 9.0” x 14.7” (44.9 cm x 22.9 cm x 37.3 cm)
+30 dBm at 14 MHz with preamp off at 2 kHz or less tone spacing
(S5 IM3 method)
CW: 500 Hz –6/-60 dB: 500/640 Hz
SSB: 2.4 kHz –6/-60 dB: 2.39/2.54 kHz
AM: 6.6 kHz –6/-60 dB: 6.60/6.74 kHz
Better than –55 dB (160 – 10 m Amateur bands)
Better than –65 dB (6 m Amateur band)
At least 55 dB below peak output
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FLEX-5000C Embedded Computer Specifications
Table 9 displays an overview of the specifications for the embedded computer in the FLEX-5000C.
Table 9: FLEX-5000C Embedded Computer Specifications
Hardware
High performance Mini-ITX, incorporating mPGA478 socket, which is able to
accommodate a wide range of Intel® Core 2 Duo™ Processors.
Front Side Bus 533/667 MHz
Intel 945GM + Intel ICH7R chip set
Intel GMA950 graphic controller on board
Motherboard
Processor Core 2 Duo x86 processor (installed)
Memory 1 GB dual-channel DDR2 (installed)
Hard Drive 160 GB SATA/150 (installed)
Keyboard and Mouse Wireless keyboard and mouse supplied
Monitor(s)
Software
Operating System Windows XP Professional
PowerSDR Latest version installed
Other
Dual independent display support (two DVI interfaces)
DDR2 memory support
SATA 150/300 IDE memory controllers
10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet ports
USB 2.0 ports
External RS232C serial port
IEEE 1394 FireWire ports
External (not supplied); VGA or (dual) DVI; Resolution: 1024 x 768 min/2048 x 1536
max
Collection of Ham Radio Software installed, including vCOM virtual serial port
software
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FLEX-5000 Architecture
The FLEX-5000 full duplex/triplex architecture is shown in Figure 6 below.
Figure 6: FLEX-5000 Full Duplex/Triplex Architecture
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Declarations of Conformity
FCC
The FLEX-5000 complies with FCC Part 97 rules for the Amateur Radio Service.
EU Compliance
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Software Installation
Note : This chapter is relevant for a new FLEX-5000A installation. The FLEX-
5000C comes pre-installed with the latest version of the software at
the time of shipping. However, should you own a FLEX-5000C and
need to re-install or replace the software (with a later version), you
will need to follow the procedures outlined in this chapter.
Switch Off the FLEX-5000A and Run the Installer
Chapter
2
Note 1: To install the software, you must at least connect the FLEX-5000A to a
13.8 VDC power supply and an IEEE 1394 FireWire computer port.
Note 2: If there is a (Edirol FA-66 or Presonus Firebox) sound card connected
to the same FireWire host controller you are planning to use with the
FLEX-5000A, disconnect it until the installation is complete and the
FLEX-5000A is fully operational.
WARNING! It has been reported that data corruption occurred when
trying to use a FireWire hard disk. We do not recommend that
you have a FireWire hard disk connected to the same FireWire
controller (bus) as the FLEX-5000. Both of these devices use
the FireWire bus extensively and performance of both will be
degraded significantly.
Also, do not connect both a FLEX-3000 and a FLEX-5000 to the
same computer. The drivers cannot differentiate between the
two and erratic behavior may occur.
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Make sure the FLEX-5000A is turned off (Power switch LED is not illuminated, see Figure 2 on page
3). Alternatively, disconnect the FireWire cable between your FLEX-5000 and the computer. It is also a
good idea to close all other applications.
All the software required for the FLEX-5000 is installed through the PowerSDR Setup application.
Navigate to the home page of our website (http://www.flex-radio.com), locate the table of Current
Versions of Software and Documentation and click on the appropriate link to download the PowerSDR
Setup Application. The PowerSDR Setup Application runs the PowerSDR InstallShield Wizard which will:
1. Collect your information.
2. Start the FlexRadio Driver Setup Wizard to install the FireWire driver.
3. Install PowerSDR.
Collecting Your Information
Double click the downloaded application to start the InstallShield Wizard (Figure 71).
Figure 7: FlexRadio InstallShield Wizard - Welcome
Click Next to see the Proprietary Software License Agreement (Figure 7).
1
All screenshots in this manual are as they would appear when using the Microsoft Windows XP operating system and may look
slightly different when using Windows Vista or Windows 7, but the steps are the same.
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Figure 8: FlexRadio InstallShield Wizard – Proprietary Software License
There are two license agreements. The first is this End User License Agreement (EULA) for FlexRadio
proprietary software, which covers those parts of the software that are proprietary to FlexRadio
Systems. Read the agreement and select I accept the terms of the license agreement to
continue. Click Next to see the GNU Public License (Figure 9).
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Figure 9: FlexRadio InstallShield Wizard – GNU Public Software License
The second EULA refers to those parts of the software which are covered by the GNU Public License.
Reade the EULA and select I accept the terms of the license agreement to continue. Click Next to
enter your information (Figure 10).
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Figure 10: FlexRadio InstallShield Wizard – Customer Information
Enter you information and click Next to select the setup type (Figure 11).
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Figure 11: FlexRadio InstallShield Wizard – Setup Type
Select Complete to install all the software1. Click Next to select the radio(s) (Figure 12).
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1
Only rarely will you need to select Custom and then select those parts of the software you wish to install.
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Figure 12: FlexRadio InstallShield Wizard – Radio Selection
Select FLEX-3000/5000 to install the software it requires. You may also elect to install at the same
time the software for any other FlexRadio Systems radio(s) you own. Click Next and the InstallShield
Wizard will indicate that it is ready to install (Figure 13).
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Figure 13: FlexRadio InstallShield Wizard – Ready to Install
To review and/or change your installation settings, click Back. Otherwise, click Install and the
InstallShield Wizard will proceed to install the FireWire Driver.
Installing the FireWire Driver
Before the FlexRadio FireWire Driver can be installed your radio must be turned off. You will see a
reminder to check that it is. (Figure 14).
Figure 14: FlexRadio InstallShield Wizard - Reminder to Turn Off Radio
Make sure your radio is indeed turned off and click Continue. The FlexRadio InstallShield Wizard will
start the FlexRadio Driver Setup Wizard and you will see a Welcome screen (Figure 15).
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Figure 15: FlexRadio Driver Setup Wizard - Welcome
Click Next to select the destination folder for the Driver (Figure 16).
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Figure 16: FlexRadio Driver Setup Wizard - Destination Location
The driver will be installed in the default location shown. Although we recommend you accept this
default location, you may change it; click Browse and Navigate to an alternative location. When done,
click Next to select additional Tasks (Figure 17).
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Figure 17: FlexRadio Driver Setup Wizard - Additional Tasks
We recommend that you elect to Create a desktop icon as shown for easy access to the Driver's Control
Panel. Select Next and the Wizard will now display that it is Ready to Install (Figure 18).
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Figure 18: FlexRadio Driver Setup Wizard - Ready to Install
To review and/or change your installation settings, click Back. Otherwise, click Install and the Driver
Setup Wizard will proceed to install all the required software (Figure 19).
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Figure 19: FlexRadio Driver Setup Wizard - Installing
While the software is installing the Driver Setup Wizard will display a progress bar. If a Software
Installation warning appears, click Continue Anyway to proceed. When completed, the Driver
Installation Wizard will indicate that it has successfully installed the Driver (Figure 20).
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Figure 20: FlexRadio Driver Setup Wizard - Installation Complete
Click Finish to exit the FlexRadio Driver Setup Wizard.
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Installing PowerSDR
The FlexRadio Systems InstallShield Wizard will now continue by installing PowerSDR (Figure 21).
Figure 21: FlexRadio InstallShield Wizard – Installing
While the software is installing, which may take several minutes, the InstallShield Wizard will display a
progress bar. When completed you will see a screen requesting you to turn on your radio 30-60
seconds after restarting your computer (Figure 22).
Figure 22: FlexRadio InstallShield Wizard - Notice to Power-Up Radio After Reboot
Click OK and the FlexRadio InstallShield Wizard will indicate that Installation is Complete (Figure 23).
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Figure 23: FlexRadio InstallShield Wizard – Installation Complete
Click Finish to exit the FlexRadio InstallShield Wizard. You will then be instructed to restart your
computer (Figure 24).
Figure 24: Instruction to Restart Computer
Click Yes to restart your computer now.
Power Up the FLEX-5000A to Complete the Installation
After your computer has restarted, wait at least 30-60 seconds and then press and release the power
button on the FLEX-5000A to power it up. After a brief moment, you will hear the power relay click and
the LED will illuminate the power button. What happens next depends on which operating system you
are using:
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Windows Vista and Windows 7
Windows will indicate that it recognizes the FLEX-5000 and will load the drivers in the background.
Please allow this process to finish. This will take between 10-30 seconds to complete. To ensure driver
loading is indeed complete, open the FlexRadio Driver Control Panel by clicking on its icon (Figure 25)
on your desktop and verify that the Device Description is a FlexRadio Systems FLEX-5000.
Figure 25: FireWire Driver Icon
You are now ready to setup and configure PowerSDR (see page 43).
Windows XP
Three drivers will be loaded in succession: first the FlexRadio FLEX-5000, followed twice by the
FlexRadio MIDI. We will describe in detail how to proceed for the FlexRadio FLEX-5000. These steps are
identical for each of the other two.
Your computer will detect the FLEX-5000 (or FLEX-MIDI as the case may be) and display the Found
New Hardware Wizard Welcome screen (Figure 26).
Figure 26: Found New Hardware Wizard
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Select the option No, not this time and click Next to choose how to install the driver (Figure 27).
Note: Figure 26 above may not show up in some systems.
Figure 27: Found New Hardware Wizard - Installing the Software
The Found New Hardware Wizard will show that you are trying to install a FlexRadio Systems FLEX-
5000. Select the option Install the software automatically (Recommended). Click Next to
continue.
The Found New Hardware Wizard will request you to please wait while it installs the software. If a
Hardware Installation warning appears, click the Continue Anyway button to proceed.
When the driver is loaded, the Found New Hardware Wizard will indicate that Installation is Complete
(Figure 28).
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Figure 28: Found New Hardware Wizard - Software Installation Complete
Click Finish to exit the Wizard.
As previously mentioned, the Found New Hardware Wizard will again be displayed, but now for the
FlexRadio MIDI. Follow the same steps as previously to install the MIDI driver. And finally, the Found
New Hardware Wizard will display one more time, again for the FlexRadio MIDI. Follow the same steps
as previously to install the MIDI driver. You are now ready to setup and configure PowerSDR.
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Chapter
3
PowerSDR Setup & Configuration
Setup Wizard
Power up the FLEX-5000 and start up the PowerSDR application using the shortcut on your Desktop (or
click on Start All Programs FlexRadio Systems FlexRadio Systems Software 2.n
PowerSDR v2.n.n). When you run a new release of PowerSDR for the first time an optimization routine
will run and the screens shown in Figure 29 will appear.
Figure 29: Optimization Routine
Click OK and let the routine run.
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Note: This routine aims to optimize the FFT (Fast Fourier Transform)
calculations for the environment (hardware and software) in which the
calculations will be performed. For optimal performance, you should
therefore close all applications you will normally not be running
simultaneously with PowerSDR. The results are saved in a file called
wisdom in the %appdata%\FlexRadio Systems\PowerSDR v2.n.n1
directory. If you wish to run FFTW again, delete this file from that
directory and start up PowerSDR.
PowerSDR next transfers your FLEX-5000's calibration data to your computer. This only happens once,
the first time you run a new release of PowerSDR.
When the routine has completed, a brief startup sequence will follow, after which a warning regarding
mobile operation appears, as shown in Figure 30.
Figure 30: PowerSDR Setup Wizard Mobile Warning
Read the warning and then click the Continue button. The PowerSDR Setup Wizard will then ask you
to chose your Radio Model (Figure 31).
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1
You can find your Application Data (%appdata%) directory by clicking StartRun in Windows and entering %appdata%
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Figure 31: PowerSDR Setup Wizard - Radio Model
Select the FLEX-5000 radio model as shown in Figure 31. Click the Next button to continue to
Figure 32.
Note: If you are running without a radio, e.g. for demonstration purposes,
select Demo/None.
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Figure 32: PowerSDR Setup Wizard – Finished
The Setup Wizard is now complete. Click the Finish button to complete the wizard.
Note: If you forgot to power up the FLEX-5000 before starting PowerSDR, a
communication error message will be displayed and PowerSDR will
offer the ability to start in demo mode. Click No to close PowerSDR,
power up the FLEX-5000 and restart PowerSDR.
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Configuration
Before operating the FLEX-5000 you will need to configure the Mixer and Antenna settings. If you have
not yet done so, start up PowerSDR to open the Front Console, but do not yet click on the Start
button.
Note: From time to time the FLEX-5000 firmware may need to be updated.
If PowerSDR detects an incompatible version of the firmware, it will
display an error message similar to that shown in Figure 33 below.
Figure 33: FLEX-5000 Firmware Version Error
Click OK and if a Driver Error message follows, click OK again.
PowerSDR will start up, but the Start button will be grayed out. Close
PowerSDR and see the Firmware Loader section on page 183. You
also might want to search for firmware in our Knowledge Center at
http://kc.flex-radio.com/search.aspx. Locate the appropriate
document explaining how to upload the firmware and follow the
instructions.
Transfer of Calibration Data
When started for the first time, PowerSDR transfers your radio's calibration data from its EEPROM to
your computer. You will see the progress indicator shown in Figure 34. When the transfer is complete,
PowerSDR will complete starting up.
Figure 34: Calibration Retrieval Progress Indicator
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Note: The FLEX-5000 comes to you completely factory calibrated. If due to
some unlikely event you suspect your radio needs to be recalibrated,
please contact FlexRadio Support, (on our Website, select About
FlexRadio and then Contact Us) who will guide you through the
process.
Audio Mixer
The FLEX-5000 input and output audio channels are managed with an audio mixer, much the same as
for your Windows sound card(s). To configure the audio mixer, click on Mixer on the Front Console
menu (Figure 35).
Figure 35: Audio Mixer
Select the desired Input and Output channels. Only one Input channel can be selected, but multiple
Output channels can be selected. Mic and Head Phones are front panel jacks; the other channels
refer to the various audio inputs and outputs on the back panel. For more detailed information see
page 118).
Note: The Internal Speaker output is unavailable for the FLEX-5000A, which
has no internal speaker.
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Antenna Port and External Keying Lines
You will next need to configure the antenna ports such that the correct antenna is selected for each
band as well as the correct keying line(s), if any. To do so, click on Antenna in the menu of the Front
Console (Figure 36). We will only describe certain controls at the Simple complexity level here. For
more detailed information, including Expert level, see page 119).
Figure 36: Antenna Form - Simple
Complexity: Simple uses the same antenna port for all bands, whereas Expert allows you to
select different antenna ports for each band If you use only one antenna, choose Simple.
Antenna: The following selections are possible:
o Receiver 1: ANT1 (default), ANT2, ANT3 or RX1 IN
o Receiver 2: (if installed) RX2 IN (default), RX1 Tap (the same antenna port as selected
for receiver 1), ANT11, or N/C (not connected).
o Transmit: ANT1 (default), ANT2 or ANT32.
1
Earlier versions of the FLEX-5000, with the HRFIO board Assembly Number (ASSY) 27 installed instead of the later HRFIO
board ASSY 34, do not have ANT1 available as an option for Receiver 2. You can check which board is installed in your FLEX5000 by opening the Setup Form – General Tab, Hardware Config Sub-Tab, in the section marked FLEX-5000 Config. The
Assembly Number is shown between brackets at the end of the line beginning with RFIO (see e.g. Figure 93 on page 126). Also
see the Knowledge Center articles HRFIO Capabilities by Assembly Number , How to Identify the HRFIO Assembly Number and
Antenna Selection Options for the RX2 (a search for HRFIO in our Knowledge Center at http://kc.flex-radio.com/search.aspx
will yield all these articles). If you have the earlier HRFIO ASSY 27, you can upgrade to ASSY 34. See the Flex-Radio Systems
website ( http://www.flex-radio.com/ ) for more information.
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WARNING! Make sure you have an antenna connected to the Transmit
antenna port you selected. Failing to do so may damage your
radio and void your warranty.
WARNING! Do not switch the transmit antenna while transmitting (hot
switching). You could damage your radio and void your
warranty.
Switch Relay with TR: Select the keying line(s) you use, if any, to key your amplifier(s) or
other external equipment. If you want to sequence the switching, set the appropriate Delay
times for each keying line.
Close the Antenna Form when you are done.
Ready to Start Operating
You are now ready to use your FLEX-5000. Click on Start on the Front Console and you should hear
receive audio. If you do not, double check all your connections and settings (especially for the Mixer
and Antenna forms).
Note: If you hear audio popping or clicking, click on Setup at the left of the
menu at the top of the Front Console to open the Setup Form. Select
the Audio tab and then the Primary sub-tab. And increase your Buffer
Size.
We urge you to read the remainder of this manual to help you fully understand the FLEX-5000 and
PowerSDR. This will enable you to optimize your radio for your personal operating style and
environment. You may also want to visit our extensive and ever expanding Knowledge Center
(http://kc.flex-radio.com/search.aspx) for more detailed and more up-to-date information on many
topics.
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2
For the earlier HRFIO board ASSY 27 (see footnote 1), the 6m transmit antenna port is fixed to ANT3 and cannot be changed.
Only the ANT3 port meets the -60 dBc spurious output requirement at 6m. For the later HRFIO ASSY 34, this is not the case
and the 6m transmit antenna port can be assigned to any of ANT1-3, just like any other band.
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Chapter
4
Operation
This chapter is intended to provide the user with a clear understanding of how the FLEX-5000 should be
used when performing basic operations such as Powering Up or making a voice, CW or digital
transmission.
Note 1: For consistency we will use the same control identifiers as used in
Figure 46 on page 73. For clarity we will leave out any identifiers of
controls not referenced in the relevant section
Note 2: We assume you have familiarized yourself with the FLEX-5000
hardware and its many connections, have installed and initialized the
FLEX FireWire driver and have installed and configured PowerSDR. If
not, please see the previous chapters.
Note 3: If you have any questions, issues or problems operating PowerSDR
and/or the FLEX-5000, you may be able to find the solution on the
Support Pages (http://support.flex-radio.com/) of our website, in our
Knowledge Center (http://kc.flex-radio.com/search.aspx), or through
our highly active Reflectors. (search for reflector on our Knowledge
Center at http://kc.flex-radio.com/search.aspx). If none of these
sources provide you the assistance required, please contact FlexRadio
Systems using the information provided on the Contact page of our
website (on our website www.flex-radio.com click About FlexRadio
and then Contact Us).
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Power-Up Procedure
To power up the FLEX-5000A
1. Connect (at a minimum) the FLEX-5000A to the computer and the power supply. Check the
connections to ensure good contact.
2. Boot up the computer and make sure PowerSDR is ready to be launched (no hour glass
cursor), but do not start it yet.
3. Turn on the power supply for the radio and press the FLEX-5000A power switch. After a few
seconds you will hear the internal power relay click and see the LED illuminate. The FLEX5000A will be recognized by Windows and its driver will be available for PowerSDR to use.
4. After waiting at least 30 seconds, start up PowerSDR. It will automatically recognize the FLEX5000 driver. You are now ready to operate.
To power up the FLEX-5000C
1. Connect (at minimum) a monitor, mouse and keyboard to the FLEX-5000C and connect the
FLEX-5000C to the power supply.
2. To start both the radio and the internal computer, turn on the power supply and press the
FLEX-5000C power switch. After a few seconds you will hear the internal power relay click and
see the LED illuminate as well as the light on the wireless keyboard controller.
a. Press and release the connect button on the wireless keyboard controller.
b. Press and release the connect button on the bottom of the keyboard. Wait at least 20
seconds before the next step.
c. Press and release the connect button on the wireless keyboard controller again.
d. Press and release the connect button on the bottom of the mouse.
e. Move the mouse and check for pointer motion on the display.
3. At this point you should see the Windows opening screen.
4. After waiting at least 30 seconds, start up PowerSDR. It will automatically recognize the FLEX5000 driver. You are now ready to operate.
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Power-Down Procedure
The power-down sequence is almost the reverse of the power-up procedure.
1. Stop PowerSDR by clicking on the Start/Stop button.
2. Close PowerSDR by clicking on the “X” in the upper right hand corner of the Front Console.
3. Press the FLEX-5000 illuminated Power switch to turn off the transceiver.
CAUTION: Make sure PowerSDR is shut-down before turning off the radio. Failing
to do so may result in instability of your computer system, leading to
a Blue Screen.
Note: The FLEX-5000C power switch will turn on both the transceiver and
the internal computer, but only turn off the transceiver. To turn off the
internal computer, click with your mouse on Start and then on Turn
Off Computer, just as you would any other Windows computer.
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Tuning Methods
Spectrum Drag and Click
The easiest way to tune signals on the display when set to Panadapter or Waterfall is simply to click on
the signal and drag it into the filter area. You can also drag the displayed filter edges to adjust the filter
width as well. This will work for both receivers, depending on which Panadapter/Waterfall the mouse
cursor is in.
Mouse Wheel
A mouse wheel is another easy way to tune the radio. While the PowerSDR window is active, tune VFO
A using the mouse wheel, with the mouse cursor anywhere on the screen. The frequency will change in
steps equal to the selected Tune Step (2)1 for each click of the mouse wheel. Adjust the Tune Step
using the controls (+ and – buttons), clicking the mouse wheel or pressing Ctrl + Left or Right Arrow
key.
If the second receiver (RX2) is installed and on, then the mouse wheel will tune VFO B only if the
mouse pointer is anywhere in the RX2 Panadapter or Waterfall display.
Note: When the Tune Step equals 1 kHz, each click of the mouse wheel will
first snap tune up or down to the nearest 1 kHz and then change in
1 kHz steps. E.g. if VFO A is tuned to say 14.000258 MHz then with
the tuning rate set to 1 kHz, using the mouse wheel to tune up will
first increase VFO A to 14.001000 MHz and then to 14.002000 MHz,
and so on.
Hint: Holding down the Shift key while turning the mouse wheel will change
VFO A (or for RX2 VFO B) at the next lower Tune Step.
Mouse Wheel Hover
Hover with the mouse over a digit in either VFO A or VFO B (or the lower part of VFO A if applicable)
and increase or decrease its value using the mouse wheel. The digit to be tuned will be underlined.
Spectrum Click Tuning
With the RX1 display set to Spectrum, Panadapter, Waterfall or Histogram, hover with the mouse over
the RX1 display and right click to cycle through yellow cross-hairs to tune VFO A, red cross-hairs to
tune VFO B - or the lower part of VFO A if RX2 is on - (only if VFO B is active, e.g. when SPLT
(12) and/or MultiRX (10) are activated), or no cross-hairs (click tuning off). With the cross-hairs
visible, hover over the desired signal in the RX1 display and click the left mouse button. The
corresponding VFO will immediately tune to the frequency of the selected signal.
1
Chapter 5 on page 73 explains all the Front Console controls in detail. The identifiers between parentheses refer to the control
identifiers used there.
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If RX2 is installed and on, hover with the mouse over the RX2 display and right click to activate the
yellow cross-hairs; right click again to turn click tuning off. With the cross-hairs visible, hover over the
desired signal in the RX2 display and click the left mouse button. VFO B will immediately tune to the
frequency of the selected signal.
When in CW, AM, SAM, DSB, FM, or DRM the VFO will tune the cursor frequency to the center of the
filter pass band. In SSB the VFO will tune to the carrier frequency for the sideband selected.
Hint 1: You can very quickly center a CW, (S)AM, DSB or FM signal after click
tuning it by clicking the 0 Beat (12) button on the Front Console
(make sure the display AVG (9) or (9b) button is on to enable 0
Beat).
Hint 2: If you have checked Snap ClickTune (Setup Form, General tab -
Options sub-tab; see page 130) then spectrum click tuning will tune
the VFO to the nearest discrete multiple of the Tune Step. E.g. if the
Tune Step is set to 1 kHz, the VFO will only ClickTune in steps of
1 kHz.
Keyboard Keys
Use the following keys on your keyboard to tune the VFO.
Numeric Keypad : Key any frequency in MHz (e.g. 7.250) into the numeric keypad and hit
enter to immediately tune VFO A to that frequency.
Mapped Keys : You can map keys on your keyboard to tune each of the digits in VFO A using
the Keyboard Tab on the Setup Form (page 170).
Ctrl +Arrow Keys : Hold the Control key and press the
o Up or Down Arrow key to tune VFO A up or down by the Tune Step (2).
o Right or Left Arrow key to increase or decrease the Tune Step (2).
USB Tuning Knob
Both the Griffin PowerMate and the Contour Designs Shuttle Pro v2 can be used to tune the radio. You
can download the Griffin PowerMate Quick Start Guide and the Contour ShuttlePro v2 Quick Start
Guide from the downloads page of our website to learn how to setup and use these controllers. Also
available is the Contour ShuttlePro Default Preferences file, which can be imported as a good starting
point when using this controller. (All these documents and more can be found by searching for either
PowerMate or ShuttlePro on our Knowledge Center at http://kc.flex-radio.com/search.aspx)
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Voice Operation
The following procedure outlines how to setup quickly for voice transmission operation (SSB, AM, or
FMN). If something in this procedure is unclear, please contact us, as we would like this to be as simple
as possible.
Figure 37 Front Panel Controls Used for Basic Voice Operation.
Please use Figure 371 to identify the controls referenced in the following step-by-step instruction. For
consistency we have used the same control identifiers as in Figure 46 on page 73 and for clarity we
have left out any identifiers of controls not referenced.
Note: In this chapter, we will only describe basic operation using the main
RX1 receiver.
1
All screenshots of the Front Console are displayed with the Default skin. Your Front Console may look differently if you have
selected a different skin (see page 163 for more information on how to select skins).
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1. Follow the Power Up Procedure, described on page 52. Then click the Start/Stop button (14).
Set the following controls as specified in Table 10 below.
Table 10: Initial Control Values for Voice Operation
Reference to
Ctrl Value
VFO A 14.3 MHz (1)
RX1 Meter Signal (4)
TX Meter MIC (4)
BAND 20 m (5)
Mode USB (6)
Filter 2.7 kHz (7)
Mic Gain 35 (8)
DX Off (8)
CPDR Off (8)
VOX Off (8)
DEXP Off (8)
RX EQ Off (8)
TX EQ Off (8)
VAC Off (8)
Display Mode Panadapter (9)
AVG On (9)
PEAK Off (9)
MultiRX Off (10)
SPLT Off (12)
XIT Off (12)
RIT Off (12)
MUT Off (17)
ATU/BYP ATU (if applicable) (20)
AF 50 (21)
AGC-T 90 (22)
Drive 50 (23)
AGC Med (24)
Preamp On (25)
SQL Off (26)
RX2 Off (if applicable) (29)
Figure 37
2. In the Antenna Form (38) choose Simple complexity level and set RX1 to ANT1 (see page
119 for more on the Antenna Form). Connect a 50 ohm dummy load to the ANT 1 antenna
jack, or tune VFO A (1) to a quiet frequency on the selected band. Use the TUN (19) button
to verify power output on the TX Meter (4) (Set to Fwd Pwr). If using the optional,
integrated ATU, select Automatic on the ATU Form (39) and then click the TUN (19)
button. See the section on the ATU Form on page 123 for more on how to use the ATU.
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CAUTION: If you are not using the internal ATU then connect a 50 ohm dummy
load, or ensure that the antenna presents a 50 ohm load with a low
SWR. Failing to do so may damage the FLEX-5000 output transistors.
3. Press the Push-to-talk button on the microphone or click the MOX (16) button and speak into
the microphone to transmit your voice. Release the Push-to-talk button or click the MOX (16)
button to switch the transceiver back to receive.
If you do not see modulation on the spectrum, please check that the correct input for your
microphone is selected in the Mixer Form (37) (see page 118) and that your microphone is
connected correctly (see pages 4 and 11 for pin-outs of the MIC connector and Balanced LineIn jack respectively). If you are using any external audio processing equipment, make sure it is
turned on and hooked up correctly. Finally, if your audio level seems very low, you might try
checking Mic Boost On on the Setup form – Audio tab, primary sub-tab (see page 136).
4. Now that you can see the modulation on the spectrum, it is time to adjust the input. While
transmitting, monitor the values with the TX Meter (4) set to Mic. Modify the MIC Gain (8)
setting until the TX Meter shows 0 dB on peaks while talking in a normal voice at a normal
distance from the microphone (above 0 dB the signal will be compressed).
5. You are now ready to begin a QSO. If a 50 ohm dummy load was connected, connect an
antenna in its place. Tune to the desired frequency using one of the methods outlined in the
Tuning Methods section above. Use the Mode Specific Controls – Phone (8) including DX,
CPDR, VOX and (Noise) Downward Expander. Generally, use either DX or CPDR to
increase average power without adjusting the peaks. Check Show Transmit Filter on Display
to visualize the band edges of the transmit filter. This filter can be adjusted on the Transmit Tab
of the Setup Form (see page 159).
Hint: For information on how to optimize your audio further, please refer to
the Knowledge Center (http://kc.flex-radio.com/search.aspx) on
our website.
6. In order to monitor voice transmissions, enable the MON (15) button. You may notice a delay
due to buffering in the audio/DSP system. This processing delay is largest when using large
buffer sizes and low sampling rates. If you find this delay objectionable, try decreasing it by
reducing the Buffer Size and increasing the Sample Rate settings on the Audio tab, Primary
sub-tab (page 136) and/or DSP tab, Options sub-tab (page 145) of the Setup Form. See also
the Knowledge Base article http://kc.flex-radio.com/KnowledgebaseArticle50437.aspx for more
information on Buffers and Sample Rate and how they effect latency and filter skirts.
7. The Fwd Pwr setting on the TX Meter (4) will read out average power in Watts, measured at
the output of the internal Power Amplifier. While the average has a short time constant, it is still
an average and will not approach 100W in voice modes if calibrated properly even when the
Drive control (23) is set to 100. This is also true when monitoring voice transmissions on an
external watt meter.
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Note: The typical male voice has a peak to average power ratio of 14 dB.
Therefore a typical male voice transmission that is peaking at 100W
will average less than 10W. To raise the average power, use the
DX (8) control and the associated slider to increase the compression
in 1 dB steps. This must be done carefully as adding too much
compression can result in high levels of distortion.
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CW Operation
The following procedure outlines how to setup quickly for CW transmissions using the Internal Keyer
and paddles, an external keyer, the CWX-form or a third party program.
Figure 38: Front Panel Controls Used for CW Operation
Please use Figure 38 to identify the controls referenced in the following step-by-step instruction. For
consistency we have used the same control identifiers as in Figure 46 on page 73 and for clarity we
have left out any identifiers of controls not referenced.
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Initial Settings
1. Follow the Power Up Procedure, described on page 52. Then click the Start button (14). Set
the following controls as specified in Table 11.
Table 11: Initial Control Values for CW Transmission
Reference to
Ctrl Value
VFO A 14.050 MHz (1)
RX Meter Signal (4)
TX Meter Fwd Pwr (4)
Band 20 m (5)
Mode CWU (6)
Filter 500 Hz (7)
VAC Off (8)
Display Mode Panadapter (9)
AVG On (9)
PEAK Off (9)
MultiRX Off (10)
SPLT Off (12)
XIT Off (12)
RIT Off (12)
MON On (15)
MUT Off (17)
ATU/BYP ATU (if applicable) (20)
AF 50 (21)
AGC-T 90 (22)
Drive 50 (23)
AGC Med (24)
Preamp On (25)
SQL Off (26)
RX2 Off (if applicable) (29)
Figure 38
2. In the Antenna Form (38) choose Simple complexity level and set RX1 to ANT1 (see page
119 for more on the Antenna Form). Connect a 50 ohm dummy load to the ANT 1 antenna
jack, or tune VFO A (1) to a quiet frequency on the selected band. Use the TUN (19) button
to verify power output on the TX Meter (4) (Set to Fwd Pwr). If using the optional,
integrated ATU, select Automatic on the ATU Form (39) and then click the TUN (19)
button. See the section on the ATU Form on page 123 for more on how to use the ATU.
CAUTION: If you are not using the internal ATU then connect a 50 ohm dummy
load, or ensure that the antenna presents a 50 ohm load with a low
SWR. Failing to do so may damage the FLEX5000 output transistors.
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Hint: There is a trade-off to be made of minimum latency versus sharpest
(narrowest) filters. Both are driven by the buffer (DSP and Audio)
settings and the sample rate setting. For optimal CW performance,
you may need to use either the 48 kHz or 96 kHz sample rates,
where the former will give the narrowest filters. Next you need to set
your audio buffer as low as your computer system will tolerate. The
DSP buffer setting should then be set as high as possible, without
introducing disturbing latency. See also the Knowledge Base article
http://kc.flex-radio.com/KnowledgebaseArticle50437.aspx for a more
detailed explanation of Buffers and Sample Rate.
Note: CW VFO Frequency Offset
The VFO in PowerSDR is designed to show the zero beat of the CW
tone relative to the selected CW Pitch. This allows click-tuning of CW
signals as well as the traditional CW VFO readout. This also enables
the VFO to remain constant when switching from CWL to CWU mode.
Every effort is made to preserve a CW signal when switching between
any SSB and CW modes.
Internal Keyer
If using PowerSDR’s internal keyer, open the Setup Form – DSP Tab, Keyer Sub-Tab shown in Figure 39
below. Several of the controls in this form are also available in the Mode Specific Controls – CW (8)
section on the Front Console.
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Figure 39: Setup Form – DSP Tab, Keyer Sub-Tab
1. Connect your paddles or keyer to the Key jack on the back panel (see page 9) and on the Keyer
Sub-Tab in the Connections section, set Primary to Radio (see Figure 39 above).
2. In the Options section, check Iambic for Iambic mode, otherwise leave unchecked (e.g. for a
straight key). If the paddles seem reversed, check Rev. Paddle. If your key connector only has
a tip and shield (i.e. the cable is a mono cable), check Mono Cable; leave unchecked if the
connector has a tip, ring and shield. Check Disable UI MOX Changes to avoid delays due to
changes in the Front Console when switching between transmit and receive. (refer to the Keyer
Sub-Tab section on page 153 for more detail).
3. The Break In option allows the radio to start transmitting simply with detection of keyer input.
Set Delay to the amount of time between key up and when the radio will switch back to
receive.
4. Select the settings for CW Pitch, Weight and Ramp as desired (refer to the Keyer Sub-Tab
section on page 153 for more detail).
4. If not using Break In, click MOX (16) on the Front Console and begin transmitting using your
paddles. If using Break In (8), simply begin transmitting to key the radio. If using Iambic
mode, adjust the speed with CW Speed (8) on the Front Console. If Disable Monitor is
unchecked, you should hear the side tone. Verify with the TX Meter (4) set to Fwd Pwr that
there is forward power.
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5. You are now ready to begin a QSO. If a 50 ohm dummy load was connected, connect an
antenna in its place. Tune to the desired frequency using one of the methods outlined in the
Tuning Methods section above. Select either CWL or CWU (6) and proceed with the QSO.
External Keyer
1. Connect your paddles or keyer to the Key jack on the back panel (see page 9) and set the
Primary Connection to Radio (see Figure 39 above)
2. In the Options section, leave Iambic unchecked. If your external keyer does not seem to be
keying, try checking Rev. Paddle. If using an external keyer with a side tone, check the
Disable Monitor (8) check box to avoid hearing the side tone from the internal keyer. The
Break In option allows the radio to start transmitting simply with detection of keyer input. Set
Delay to the amount of time between key up and when the radio will switch back to receive.
3. If using the side tone from the internal keyer, select the settings for CW Pitch. Select the
settings for Weight and Ramp as desired (refer to the Keyer Sub-Tab section on page 153 for
more detail).
4. If not using Break In, click MOX (16) on the Front Console and begin transmitting using your
external keyer. If using Break In, simply begin transmitting to key the radio. If Disable
Monitor is unchecked, you should hear the side tone. Verify with the TX Meter (4) set to Fwd
Pwr that there is forward power.
5. You are now ready to begin a QSO. If a 50 ohm dummy load was connected, connect an
antenna in its place. Tune to the desired frequency using one of the methods outlined in the
Tuning Methods section above. Select either CWL or CWU (6) and proceed with the QSO.
CWX Form
If you wish to send CW automatically, click on CWX (36) on the Front Console menu to open the CWX
Form shown Figure 40 below. (Refer to the CWX Form section on page 113 for more detail on how to
use this form).
Figure 40: CWX Form
1. Click on one of the numbered buttons to start transmitting the corresponding CW sequence.
Verify with the TX Meter (4) set to Fwd Pwr that there is forward power.
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2. You are now ready to begin a QSO. If a 50 ohm dummy load was connected, connect an
antenna in its place. Tune to the desired frequency using one of the methods outlined in the
Tuning Methods section above. Select either CWL or CWU (6) and proceed with the QSO.
Third Party CW Program
To operate CW with a third party program, traditionally the computer is connected to the radio through
a serial port. Although PowerSDR can also connect to a serial port, using third party CW software would
then require two serial ports interconnected through a null modem cable1. If the third party software
and PowerSDR are running on the same computer, this is not only somewhat cumbersome, it also
requires the computer to have two serial ports.
Alternatively, a virtual null-modem serial port pair can be created, as shown in Figure 41. There are
various programs that can be used to create such a virtual serial port pair, such as VSP Manager (see
http://k5fr.com/ddutilwiki/index.php?title=VSP_Manager) or Com0Com (search for com0com in our
Knowledge Center at http://kc.flex-radio.com/search.aspx). The key to understand is that virtual serial
ports present themselves to programs just like physical ports. Also, the pair consists of two virtually
interconnected ports (shown below as COM-A and COM-B). One of these ports is selected as the CAT
control port in PowerSDR, the other as the port to connect to in the CW program.
Figure 41: Diagram Illustrating Connections Between PowerSDR and Third Party Program
In the following we will assume that a virtual serial port pair COM6/COM26 has been created. (In other
words COM-A = COM26 and COM-B = COM6).
1. In PowerSDR open first the Setup Form, CAT Control tab, select COM26 as the Cat Control
port for PowerSDR to connect to and check Enable CAT (see page 171).
2. Next, in PowerSDR open the Setup Form – DSP Tab, Keyer Sub-Tab shown in Figure 42
below to access the Internal Keyer controls.
1
If the CW program runs on one computer and PowerSDR on another, two physical serial ports are indeed required (one on
each computer). The ports are interconnected as described.
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Figure 42: Setup Form – DSP Tab, Keyer Sub-Tab
3. On the Keyer Sub-Tab in the Connections section, set Secondary to CAT (to use the virtual
COM port COM26), as selected on the CAT Control Tab. This will open up two additional
selection boxes. Set PTT Line to DTR and Key Line to RTS as shown above.
4. Finally, configure your CW program to use COM6 as its port, set PTT to operate via CAT and
connect CW to RTS and PTT to DTR. Set the transceiver type as a Kenwood
control commands of PowerSDR are based on those of the Kenwood TS2000 and have been
extended to cover PowerSDR’s many unique features; search for cat in our Knowledge Center at
http://kc.flex-radio.com/search.aspx for more information on the PowerSDR's CAT commands)
5. You are now ready to begin a QSO. If a 50 ohm dummy load was connected, connect an
antenna in its place. Tune to the desired frequency using one of the methods outlined in the
Tuning Methods section above. Select either CWL or CWU (6) and proceed with the QSO.
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1
®
TS2000 (The CAT
1
Kenwood is a registered trademark of Kenwood Corporation
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Digital Operation
Operating digital modes traditionally requires a sound card connection between the computer and your
transceiver for your digital mode software to decode and encode signals. Additionally, a serial port
connection can be used so that your digital mode program can control the transceiver.
Although PowerSDR can connect to a sound card, connecting to digital mode software would require a
second sound card, with both sound cards interconnected such that the output of one connects to the
input of the other and vice versa1. If the digital mode software and PowerSDR are running on the same
computer, this is not only somewhat cumbersome (two sound cards on one computer), the signals are
also converted from digital to analog and back to digital leading to loss of signal quality.
Instead, we can use a program called Virtual Audio Cable (VAC) to create virtual digital audio
connections, that present themselves to programs just like a sound card. For more information, search
for VAC in our Knowledge Center at http://kc.flex-radio.com/search.aspx. Likewise, for the serial port
interconnection, there are several programs that can be used to create a virtual null-modem serial port
pair. This is described in the previous section (see Third Party CW Program on page 65). Figure 43
below illustrates these virtual connections.
Figure 43: Virtual Audio and Serial Port Connections Between PowerSDR and Digital Program
In the following we will assume that two virtual audio cables (Virtual Cable 1 and Virtual Cable 2) have
been created as well as a virtual serial port pair COM6/COM26. (In other words COM-A = COM26 and
COM-B = COM6).
1
If the digital mode software and PowerSDR run on separate computers, two sound cards (one on each computer) are indeed
required and they are interconnected as described.
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Figure 44: Front Panel Controls Used for Basic Digital Mode Operation
Please use Figure 44 to identify the controls referenced in the following step-by-step instruction. For
consistency we have used the same control identifiers as in Figure 46 on page 73 and for clarity we
have left out any identifiers of controls not referenced.
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1. Follow the Power Up Procedure, described on page 52. Then click the Start button (14). Set
the following controls as specified in Table 12.
Table 12: Initial Control Values for Digital Mode Operation
Reference to
Ctrl Value
VFO A 14.090 MHz (1)
RX Meter Signal (4)
TX Meter Fwd Pwr (4)
BAND 20 m (5)
Mode DIGU (6)
Filter 2.7 kHz (7)
VAC On (8)
Display Mode Panadapter (9)
AVG On (9)
PEAK Off (9)
MultiRX Off (10)
SPLT Off (12)
XIT Off (12)
RIT Off (12)
MUT Off (17)
ATU/BYP ATU (if applicable) (20)
AF 50 (21)
AGC-T 70 (22)
Drive 50 (23)
AGC Med (24)
Preamp On (25)
SQL Off (26)
RX2 Off (if applicable) (29)
Figure 44
2. In PowerSDR open the Setup Form, Audio tab and then the VAC sub-tab (see Figure 45
below). Check Enable VAC, Select Virtual Cable 1 as the Input and Virtual Cable 2 as the
Output. If your digital mode software requires a stereo connection, check Stereo. To
automatically enable VAC for DIGU, DIGL and DRM (6) modes, check Auto Enable. When
operating these modes, the Front Console also shows several controls relating to VAC (8), as
shown in Figure 44 above).
3. If you want your digital mode software to control PowerSDR, then in the Setup Form - CAT
Control tab, select COM26 as the Cat Control port for PowerSDR to connect to and check
Enable CAT (see page 172).
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Figure 45: Setup Form - Audio Tab ,VAC Sub-Tab
4. Start up your digital mode program, select Virtual Cable 1 for its sound card output and Virtual
Cable 2 for its input. Use the RX Gain (8) control to adjust the audio level going to your digital
mode program (instead of the AF (21)) and TX Gain (8) to adjust the level going to
PowerSDR.
5. If you are controlling PowerSDR with your digital mode software, set its CAT port to COM6.
6. In the Antenna Form (38) choose Simple complexity level and set RX1 to ANT1 (see page
119 for more on the Antenna Form). Connect a 50 ohm dummy load to the ANT 1 antenna
jack, or tune VFO A (1) to a quiet frequency on the selected band. Use the TUN (19) button
to verify power output on the TX Meter (4) (Set to Fwd Pwr). If using the optional,
integrated ATU, select Automatic on the ATU Form (39) and then click the TUN (19) button.
See the section on the ATU Form on page 123 for more on how to use the ATU.
CAUTION: If you are not using the internal ATU then connect a 50 ohm dummy
load, or ensure that the antenna presents a 50 ohm load with a low
SWR. Failing to do so may damage the FLEX-5000 output transistors.
7. If using CAT control, click on the Transmit button of your digital mode program. It should switch
PowerSDR to transmit. Transmit a test signal (e.g. several CQ calls) in the mode you plan to
operate and use the TX Gain (8) control to adjust the volume of audio coming from your
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digital mode program. Set the TX Meter (4) to ALC and adjust for 0 dB to calibrate transmit.
Click on Receive on your digital mode program and PowerSDR should switch back to receive.
8. You are now ready to begin a QSO. If a 50 ohm dummy load was connected, connect an
antenna in its place. Tune to the desired frequency using one of the methods outlined in the
Tuning Methods section above. Select either DIGL or DIGU (6) for lower or upper side band
digital mode operation respectively. Select DRM (6) for DRM mode operation.
Note 1: The DIGL, DIGU and DRM (6) mode buttons bypass all signal
processing in PowerSDR, except for AGC and Filtering. With DIGL
and DIGU you have control over the filter width using the filter
buttons (7). DRM mode invokes a fixed 10 kHz wide double side
band filter.
Note 2: DIGL and DIGU (6) apply an offset when using Spectrum Click
Tuning (see page 130). By default, the offsets are set to 1200 Hz
(SSTV) in DIGU mode and 2210 Hz (RTTY) in DIGL mode
respectively. These offsets can be modified on the Setup Form -
General Tab, Options Sub-Tab.
Separately, so called RTTY Offsets (for DIGU and DIGL mode) can
be applied to the VFO A (and/or VFO B) frequency, before CAT
reports it to a third party program (see page 171). These offsets can
be modified on the Setup Form – CAT Control Tab.
Hint 1: When operating digital modes you have two options with regard to
using filters. On the one hand you can use a wide band-pass filter in
PowerSDR and use the filters within your digital mode program for
selectivity.
On the other hand you can home in on a specific signal with
PowerSDR’s filters and ignore the filters in your digital mode program.
Although circumstances and operator preference will dictate which to
use, many operators have found the second option to be especially
valuable to them.
Hint 2: Please check our Knowledge Center (http://kc.flex-
radio.com/search.aspx) for more articles on how to use PowerSDR
with various digital mode programs.
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Front Console
Chapter
5
Figure 46: PowerSDR 2.0 Front Console
Note 1: The front console controls the basic functions of the radio: frequency,
mode, filters, and display. In addition to these basic features, there
are many other controls that are described in detail below. The exact
behavior of many of these controls can be configured with the Setup
Form.
Note 2: The lower part of the font console will only be visible if you have the
second receiver (RX2) installed.
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Note 3: Corresponding main and second receiver control identifiers have
corresponding numbers, with the latter appended by the letter b.
Hint 1: Hovering with your mouse over any control will show a brief
description of that control’s function.
Hint 2: Clicking just to the left or right of a slider will respectively decrease or
increase its value by 1.
(1) VFO A
RX2 Split MultiRX VFO A Appearance
1
Off
- -
On Off Off
On On -
On Off On
Figure 47: VFO A
VFO A is the main tuning VFO for the primary receiver RX1 and the transmitter. It consists of a
frequency and a band description (related to the selected frequency). VFO A (and VFO B see below) act
slightly differently, depending on whether the secondary receiver RX2 is on or not:
When RX2 is off (or not installed), VFO A is the the main tuning VFO and VFO B tunes the
primary receiver's secondary (split transmit or multiRX) frequency.
o With Split off, the transmit frequency is displayed in VFO A (VFO A TX indicator is red)
o With Split on, the transmit frequency is displayed in VFO B (VFO B TX indicator is red)
1
RX2 Off means that either the second receiver is not installed or it is installed, but switched off.
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Note: Split and MultiRX are only available for the primary receiver RX1.
When RX2 is on, VFO A is exclusively dedicated to RX1 (and VFO B to RX2). As can be seen in
Figure 47 above, in this case the RX1 split transmit or multiRX frequency is shown as a subfrequency in the lower section of the display, where otherwise the band text would be.
1
o Clicking on the TX indicator in VFO A or VFO B will respectively switch the transmit
frequency to either the RX1 (VFO A) or RX2 (VFO B) frequency.
o If Split is on, the RX1 transmit frequency is the VFO A sub-frequency, displayed in red.
The upper frequency area of the VFO is a Text Box and may be edited as such (click and drag
highlighting, etc).The same holds for the lower area, when it displays a frequency instead of a band
description. The upper area may also be changed by entering a numeric character (without any mouse
interaction). An underline indicates the digit that will be tuned when hovering over the frequency
display. See the Tuning Methods on page 54 for more details on how to tune. Note that when using the
keyboard to enter a frequency, you can return to the previous frequency at any time by pressing the
‘Escape’ (Esc) key before you press the Enter key.
The band text information below the frequency gives general information about the FCC Amateur
bands as well as the Short Wave Radio bands and WWV. If not on a recognized frequency, the text will
display “Out Of Band”. If not in an amateur band, the text background will change from black to gray.
Note that this information has no bearing on the current operating mode.
(2) Tuning Controls
Figure 48: Tuning Controls
VFO Sync keeps VFO B synchronized to VFO A. This can be especially useful when using both RX1 and
RX2 for diversity reception.
VFO Lock keeps the frequency from being changed inadvertently. This is a handy feature to use while
in a QSO to keep from accidentally losing the frequency due to clicking in the wrong area or hitting the
wrong key on the keyboard.
The Tune Step displays the current tuning rate when using the mouse wheel (or Ctrl + Up/Down
Arrow) to tune the radio. Rotating the mouse wheel away from you will increase the frequency with the
tune step for each click, while rotating the wheel toward you will decrease the frequency. You can
change the Tune Step by clicking the – or + buttons, clicking the mouse wheel button, or using Ctrl
+ Left/Right Arrow.
1
The band text returns by turning RX2 off, or leaving RX2 on, but turning split and/or multiRX off.
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The Save button quickly saves the frequency, mode and filter. The saved frequency is shown in the box
to its left. The Restore button restores the most recently saved frequency (displayed), mode and filter.
(3) VFO B
RX2 Off: MultiRX Frequency
RX2 Off: Split Transmit Frequency
Figure 49: VFO B
The operation of VFO B is similar to that of VFO A. However, VFO B is used only in specific instances:
Without RX2 installed or with RX2 installed but Off:
RX2 On: RX2 Frequency
o VFO B displays in red the transmit frequency when operating split (SPLT is On).
o VFO B displays in yellow the second receive channel frequency when activating the multi
receive function (MultiRX is On).
o Otherwise, it can be viewed as a storage container to copy VFO data to and from VFO A
(see the VFO Controls section on page 95).
With RX2 installed and On, VFO B tunes RX2 exclusively. In this case the RX1 split or multi RX
frequencies are displayed in the lower section of VFO A (see above).
o The red TX indicator identifies the transmit frequency. Clicking on the TX indicator of
VFO A or VFO B will change the transmit frequency to either RX1 (VFO A) or RX2
(VFO B).
(4 and 4b) Multimeters
Figure 50: Primary (left) and RX2 (right) Multimeters
The multimeter displays both digitally and graphically various RX and TX signal parameters as
determined by the selection from the (two) drop down boxes at the top.
The text display below the meter selections shows the digital data for either the receiver or the
transmitter (Signal strength in Figure 50 above). The lower display at the bottom of this section shows
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the data graphically as an edge meter. Alternatively a bar graph display can be selected (see the
description of the Setup Form - Appearance Tab, Meter Sub-Tab on page 168).
RX1 and RX2 Meters
Signal (Signal Level): Calculates the true RMS power in dBm of the current signal within the
passband, as measured at the selected FLEX-5000 antenna port.
Sig Avg (Signal Average): Calculates the true RMS power in dBm of a time-averaged signal
within the passband, as measured at the selected FLEX-5000 antenna port.
ADC L (Analog To Digital Left): Calculates the level in dBFS (decibel full scale) of the Left
input from the internal I/Q ADC.
ADC R (Analog To Digital Right): Calculates the level in dBFS (decibel full scale) of the Right
input from the internal I/Q ADC.
ADC2 L (Analog To Digital RX2 Left): If the second receiver RX2 is installed, calculates the
level in dBFS (decibel full scale) of the Left input from the internal I/Q ADC for RX2. If RX2 is
not installed, displays -200.
ADC2 R (Analog To Digital RX2 Right): If the second receiver RX2 is installed, calculates
the level in dBFS (decibel full scale) of the Right input from the internal I/Q ADC for RX2. If RX2
is not installed, displays -200.
Off: Used for debugging purposes or to save CPU cycles on slower machines.
TX Meters
Fwd Pwr (Forward Power): Reads out forward power minus reflected power in Watts as
measured by the internal ADC on the PA. The meter shows average power.
Note: In SSB, the typical male voice peak to average ratio is 14 dB. This
means that a typical voice without the DX and/or CPDR enabled will only
read 4-10W on an average meter when peaking at 100W.
Ref Pwr (Reflected Power): Reads out reflected power as measured by the internal ADC on
the PA.
SWR (Standing Wave Ratio): Reads out the standing wave ratio as calculated from the
measured forward and reflected power. (Only available with TUN on)
Mic: Reads modulation power from -20 dB to 3 dB. Ideal operation will peak around 0 dB and
will rarely if ever hit 3 dB. If it is hitting 3 dB, the ALC is cutting back the power. Adjust the MIC
control on the front console to give more or less modulation.
EQ: Reads the power in dB following the equalizer, where 0 dB is ideal. If the equalizer is not
enabled, the equalizer power is equal to the Mic power.
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Leveler: Reads the power in dB following the leveler, where 0 dB is ideal. The leveler attempts
to level the voice coming from the microphone as the head and mouth change position relative
to the microphone element. If the leveler is not enabled, this power is identical to EQ.
Lev Gain: Reads the gain in dB currently being applied by the leveler.
ALC: Reads the power in dB after the ALC, where 0 dB is ideal.
ALC Comp: Reads the gain in dB applied by the ALC algorithm. The gain is always <=0 in dB.
The minus sign is implicit.
CPDR: Reads the power in dB after the compander, where 0 dB is ideal. If the compander is
not enabled, it reads the same as ALC Comp.
Off: Used for debugging purposes or to save CPU cycles on slower machines.
The TX meters Mic, EQ, Leveler, CPDR and ALC show either peak or true RMS values, depending on
whether TX meter is set to use peak readings for DSP Values (see Setup Form – DSP Tab on page 145)
(5 and 5b) Band Selection & Band Stacking Memories
Figure 51: Primary (left) and RX2 (right) Band Selection
The Band Selection controls perform multiple roles in PowerSDR. First, when tuning the VFO to a
specific frequency the band indicator will move to the appropriate band (GEN if not in one of the
specific bands listed). This is used to quickly identify which band you are in, or when you are stepping
over a band edge boundary. (see Figure 51).
Secondly, clicking on one of the Band Selection buttons will change the frequency, mode and filter to
the one last used on that band for RX1. At this stage, the same is not true for RX2, when selecting a
band from the RX2 band drop down list.
The third role is a feature called Band Stacking Memories (RX1 only). A single memory is defined as a
frequency, mode, and filter combination. Each band has several memories associated with it. Clicking
on a band button repeatedly will cycle through the available memories. This is useful to quickly tune to
various frequencies within a band. To replace one of the memories with the frequency, mode, and filter
of your choice, first click the band button for the band memory you would like to modify. Then change
the frequency, mode, and filter to the desired settings (the frequency must be in the band selected).
Finally click the band button again to save the values.
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The modified memories will be saved to the database upon graceful exit of PowerSDR. If for some
reason PowerSDR crashes the changed memories will not be saved in order to keep faulty data from
making it into the database.
Note : Some band memory frequencies (such as 60m and WWV) are fixed
and cannot be changed.
The VHF+ button (RX1 only) will swap between the typical HF bands and any configured transverter
bands (see the description of the XVTRs Form on page 111). The VHF band buttons work in the same
way, but for the frequencies within the transverter frequency range.
(6 and 6b) Mode Selection
Figure 52: Mode Selection
The Mode Selection controls allow you to change the selected demodulation routine. Changing modes
will select the last frequency and filter used for that mode. Additionally, it will display the (configurable)
filter settings available for that mode (see Figure 54 below) as well as display the appropriate mode
specific controls on the front console (see page 82). Following is a list of the available modes:
LSB: Lower Side Band
USB: Upper Side Band
DSB: Double Side Band
CWL: CW Lower Side Band
CWU: CW Upper Side Band
FMN: Frequency Modulation (FM) Narrow
AM: Amplitude Modulation
SAM: Synchronous (PLL) Amplitude Modulation
SPEC (RX1 only): Spectrum mode (DC IF, max bandwidth determined by the selected
sampling rate)
DIGL: Digital Lower Side Band (Enables VAC if VAC Auto Enable is engaged, see page 139)
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DIGU: Digital Upper Side Band (Enables VAC if VAC Auto Enable is engaged, see page 139)
DRM: Digital Radio Mondiale (requires licensed external demodulator software not available
from FlexRadio Systems; Enables VAC if VAC Auto Enable is engaged, see page 139)
Hotkeys are available in the Setup-Form, Keyboard Tab to cycle through the various modes using the
keyboard (see page 170).
(7 and 7b) Filter Controls
Figure 53: Primary (left) and RX2 (right) Filter Controls
The filter controls consist of ten customizable, mode-specific, labeled filter buttons and two variable
filter buttons.
Labeled Filter Buttons
Clicking on any of the labeled buttons in the top half of the filter controls section sets the filter
bandwidth. The available filters depend on the selected modulation mode. The 3 groups of default filter
selections for CW (CWL, CWU), SSB (LSB, USB, DIGL, DIGU) and DSB (DSB, FMN, AM, SAM) are
shown below. The SPEC (RX1 only) mode has no filters associated with it and the DRM filter is fixed at
12 kHz.
CW Default Filters SSB Default Filters DSB Default Filters
RX1
RX2
Figure 54: Default Mode Dependent Filters
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Each of the 10 (7 for RX2) labeled filter buttons can be customized for any of the modes. To do so,
right click on a filter button and select Configure… to bring up the screen shown in Figure 55.
Figure 55: Filter Setup Screen
On the left, select the Operating Mode and the filter button to configure. A preview of the filter is
displayed in the lower section of this screen. On the right, adjust its settings. Alternatively, in the
preview screen, drag the filter as a whole, or drag the edges to adjust. When done, you can select
another button and/or mode to change that filter. When finished, just close the Filter Setup Screen. To
revert back to the default settings, right click on a filter button, select Reset to Defaults and click
Yes.
Note: Although there are 3 groups of mode-dependent default filter settings,
you can customize the labeled filter for each mode independently. E.g.
you can have different filters for LSB and USB, for FMN and AM, etc.
Variable Filter Buttons
The variable filter buttons Var 1 and Var 2 offer two separate filters, each of which can be adjusted
with the Low, High and for RX1 also with Width, Shift and Reset controls described below. The
Panadapter display setting is good for visualizing changes to variable filter controls.
Low: Selects the low cutoff frequency for the filter. The value is the plus or minus offset from
the center frequency as shown in the VFO display. Note that in lower side band modes (LSB,
CWL and DIGL) this value can be negative.
High: Selects the high cutoff frequency for the filter. Note that in lower side band modes (LSB,
CWL and DIGL) this value can be negative.
Width: Widens the filter as the slider is moved right, and narrows the filter as it is moved left.
The behavior of this control is set in the Setup Form – General Tab, Filter Sub-Tab (page
133).
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Shift: Shifts the selected filter passband up or down from its normal center frequency. This can
help to eliminate interference caused by signals in close proximity of the received signal. The
behavior of this control is set in the Setup Form – General Tab, Filter Sub-Tab (page 133).
o After a variable filter (Var 1, Var 2) has been shifted you can use the IF→V button to
translate a filter shift to a new VFO frequency (see the VFO Controls section on page
95)
Reset: Returns the Shift control to the default middle position and restores the filter to its
original position (i.e. before the Shift was used).
When the display is set to Panadapter, the mouse can be used to directly adjust the selected
variable filter (Var 1 or Var 2). To do so right click with the mouse on the Panadapter display
until no cross-hairs are showing. Then click on the filter and drag it to shift the filter as a whole
or click on a band edge and drag it to adjust the filter bandwidth.
The Var 1 and Var 2 filters are saved just like the labeled filters and are mode-dependent (i.e. you can
save a different Var 1 filter for LSB than for AM). Hotkeys are available in the Setup Form-
Keyboard Tab (described on page 170) to change the filters using the keyboard.
(8) Mode Specific Controls
This section of the front console displays key controls specific to the selected modulation mode. There
are three sets of controls: Phone, CW and Digital.
Phone Controls
The phone controls, shown below, are available for all phone modes (LSB, USB, DSB, FMN, AM and
SAM). Most of these controls can also be found on the Setup Form-Transmit Tab (see page 158, where
a more detailed description may also be found)
Figure 56: Mode Specific Controls - Phone
Mic: adjusts the software microphone gain. This is a simple multiplier applied to the input
samples when in transmitting. Note that increasing the Mic control will also raise the amount of
noise in the signal. A hardware preamp will give the best performance for amplifying
microphone signals. Having said that, the software gain works very well in many setups. The
setting is optimal when the peak reading on the TX Mic Meter reads just below 0 dB (see page
77 above)
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DX: click to enable the DX compander (a form of compression), which has been optimized to
give your voice an extra punch, especially useful in DX situations. Adjust its level with the slider.
CPDR: click to enable the compander and adjust its level with the slider.
VOX: click to enable the VOX and adjust its level with the slider. See also the Setup Form-
Transmit Tab (page 161). When enabled, a bar graph will show just below the slider control.
The green part of this bar graph shows the portion of the sound level that will not activate the
transmitter; the red part the portion that will. VOX should be adjusted such that ambient noise
will not activate the transmitter, but a normal voice will.
DEXP: click to enable the Downward Expander and adjust its threshold with the slider. When
transmitting, a bar graph will show just below the slider control. The green part of this bar
graph shows the portion of the sound level that will be attenuated; the red part the portion that
will not. See page 160 for a detailed description on how to set this threshold control as well as
the DEXP attenuation percentage, both of which can be found on the Setup Form-Transmit Tab.
Hint: The Downward Expander can (and should) be enabled in all situations
where ambient noise will render your transmissions less clear,
irrespective of whether VOX is engaged.
Transmit Profile: select the transmit profile to use for phone transmissions. The default
profiles are Default and Default DX. See also the Setup Form-Transmit Tab (page 158)
Show TX Filter on Display: when checked, the band edges of the transmit filter, set on the
Setup Form-Transmit Tab (page 159) will be shown as two yellow lines on the Panadapter
display. It can be an especially useful visual aid when operating split to position your transmit
frequency where desired (in a pile-up) using VFO B (or VFO A sub-frequency when RX2 is on).
Additionally, it will give you a quick visual impression of whether your transmit filter needs to be
adjusted or not.
RX EQ: activates the receive equalizer (three-band or ten-band). See also the Equalizer form
described on page 109.
TX EQ: activates the transmit equalizer (three-band or ten-band). See also the Equalizer form
described on page 109.
VAC: activates Virtual Audio Cable (http://software.muzychenko.net/eng/), a third party
program (written by Eugene Muzychenko), used to enable digital audio transfer between
PowerSDR and other third party (digital) programs. See also the Setup Form – Audio Tab, VAC
Sub-Tab described on page 138. VAC is not automatically enabled for phone modes, even if
Auto Enable has been checked on the VAC Sub-Tab.
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CW Controls
The CW controls, shown in Figure 57 below are available when either CWL or CWU is selected. Most of
these controls can be found on the Setup Form-DSP Tab, Keyer Sub-Tab (see page 153, where you can
also find a more detailed description).
Figure 57: Mode Specific Controls - CW
Speed: sets the CW speed when using the internal keyer in Iambic mode. Adjust the speed
with the slider.
Iambic: check to set the internal keyer to Iambic mode (see also page 154)
Disable Monitor: check to disable the monitor (this can be useful when using an external
keyer).
Show TX CW Frequency: check to show the CW transmit frequency as a single yellow line
when the display is set to Panadapter. It can be an especially useful visual aid when operating
split to position your transmit frequency where desired (in a pile-up) using VFO B (or the VFOA
sub-frequency when RX2 is on).
Pitch Freq (Hz): sets the desired audio frequency for CW listening at the center of the CW
filters. This will determine the offset that is applied to the carrier in receive and transmit. The
display will continue to read the actual carrier frequency, but the software will provide for an
offset to get the desired CW tone. This pitch will determine the automated tuning frequency
using the display and mouse ClickTune™ functions.
VAC: click to enable Virtual Audio Cable (http://software.muzychenko.net/eng/), a third party
program (written by Eugene Muzychenko), used to enable digital audio transfer between
PowerSDR and other third party (digital) programs. See also the Setup Form – Audio Tab, VAC
Sub-Tab described on page 138. VAC is not automatically enabled for CW modes, even if Auto
Enable has been checked on the VAC Sub-Tab.
Break In: check the Enabled box to activate Break In for the internal keyer. Set the delay in
the Delay text box. See also page 155.
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Digital Controls
The digital controls, shown below are available when either DIGL, DIGU or DRM is selected. These
controls can mostly be found on the Setup Form- Audio Tab, VAC Sub-Tab (see page 138, where you
can also find a more detailed description).
Figure 58: Mode Specific Controls - Digital
VAC: click to enable Virtual Audio Cable (http://software.muzychenko.net/eng/), a third party
program (written by Eugene Muzychenko), used to enable digital audio transfer between
PowerSDR and other third party (digital) programs. See also the Setup Form – Audio Tab, VAC
Sub-Tab described on page 138. If Auto Enable (page 139) has been checked on the VAC
Sub-Tab, then VAC will automatically be enabled when either DIGL, DIGU or DRM is selected.
RX & TX Gain: Adjust the gain for signals coming in and out of the VAC interface. Use the RX
Gain control to adjust the audio level going to third party programs. (Note that for third party
applications this control supersedes the front panel AF control). Similarly, use the TX control to
adjust the volume of audio coming from third party applications (adjust for 0 dB on the ALC
meter).
Sample Rate: sets the sample rate of the VAC interface. This needs to be matched to your
third party software sample rate.
Mono/Stereo: sets the VAC interface to operate either mono or stereo. This can be of
importance, depending on your third party software. (E.g. MixW requires the mono setting,
whereas DREAM requires stereo).
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(9 and 9b) Display Controls
The main display controls, shown in Figure 59 below, consist of two sections: Screen adjustment
controls and display selection controls. The former act on the screen as a whole, whereas the latter
determine the display type to be used for RX1 (9) and RX2 (9b) respectively.
Figure 59: Display Controls
Screen Controls
The screen controls adjust the view of the Panadapter or Waterfall display (see Figure 61 and Figure 62
below), they are not functional for any of the other display types.
Pan: adjust the slider to pan the Panadapter or Waterfall display from left to right. Click on
Center to quickly center the display.
Zoom: adjust the slider to zoom in on or out of the display. Alternatively click on either of the
four buttons to the right to quickly zoom to the labeled setting. (The maximum frequency span
of the Panadapter or Waterfall is dependent on the audio sample rate setting)
Display Selection Controls
The main display is able to visualize received (and transmitted) signals in various ways (display types),
which can be selected from the list boxes for RX1 and RX2 respectively. These various display types are
detailed below with a snapshot of each type. The refresh rate (in Frames Per Second, FPS) of the main
display can be modified on the Setup Form-Display Tab (see page 142).
AVG (Average): click to view time-averaged signals. This will smooth fast-changing signals
and is a good way to separate real from stochastic (noise) signals. The averaging time can be
set on the Setup Form-Display Tab (see page 141). AVG must be enabled for the 0 Beat VFO
Control to be available.
Peak: click to hold the peak value for each frequency in the display.
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Display Type Descriptions
Note: The actual display in PowerSDR is crisper than the compressed images
shown below.
For RX1 there are six frequency domain display types (Spectrum, Panadapter, Waterfall, Histogram,
Panafall™ and Panascope™) and three time domain display types (Scope, Phase and Phase2). Panafall
and Panascope are only available when RX2 is off (or not installed). For RX2 the choice is limited to
either Panadapter or Waterfall. Various colors used in the display (text, data line, etc) are customizable
using the Setup Form-Appearance Tab, Display Sub-Tab (page 165).
We will now first discuss the display types for RX1 only, followed by the combination of RX1 and RX2.
Spectrum
Figure 60: Spectrum Display
The Spectrum Display shows a classical spectral view of the frequency with the ends of the display
determined by the bandwidth of the filter. The scale across the top shows the frequency offset in Hz
from the VFO A frequency. Rather than only using half the display window when in lower or upper
sideband, we expand the display moving the 0 Hz line to the left or right margin (1.2 kHz tone in USB
mode with a 2.7 kHz filter shown).
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Panadapter
Figure 61 Panadapter Display
The Panadapter Display is similar to the Spectrum Display with several differences.
The maximum display width is a function of the selected sampling rate, no matter what filter
bandwidth is selected.
The selected filter is displayed as an overlay to help the user visualize the filter. Shown are the
main RX filter (gray, VFO-A), the MultiRX filter (blue, VFO-B) and the TX filter edges (yellow
vertical lines). The color and transparency of all the filter overlays can be changed
independently using the Setup Form-Appearance Tab, Display Sub-Tab (page 165).
The frequency scale shows the actual frequency (in MHz).
The edges of the amateur bands are marked as red vertical lines and the corresponding
frequencies are displayed in red
With the mouse, filters and filter edges can be varied by dragging and dropping
Point click tuning is available with mouse and cross hairs showing.
The Panadapter is useful because although you hear only the signals within the audio passband, you
can see in real time all signals within the receiver’s passband (as determined by the sampling rate).
This gives a much more complete picture of the surrounding area in the band, especially when there is
abundant signal activity (e.g. contest and DX situations).
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Waterfall
Figure 62: Waterfall Display
The Waterfall Display shows a scrolling view of activity within the receiver's passband (as determined
by the sampling rate). This makes tracking narrow band signals much easier and can even allow
visualization of CW signals at slower speeds (longer line is a dash, short line is a dot, no line is a
pause).
Across the top the audio passband filters are displayed, similar to the panadapter.
The filter widths and positions can be adjusted with the mouse, similar to the panadapter.
All mouse tuning methods available in the panadapter are also available in the waterfall.
The frequencies corresponding to the Amateur band edges are displayed in red.
The Waterfall Display can be customized on the Setup Form- Display Tab This allows custom
setting of the dynamic range and coloring for the display. (See the Setup Form-Display Tab on
page 143 for more details.)
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Histogram
Figure 63: Histogram Display Mode
The Histogram Display is similar to the Spectrum Display, but instead of a single color data line,
additional colored data is used. Blue signals are real-time (current) signals that are below a signal
threshold (roughly below the average plus a small margin). The red signals are real-time (current)
signals that are above that same threshold. The green signals are previous peaks on that same
frequency that will fade as time goes by (a type of history, hence the name).
Scope
Figure 64: Scope Display
The Scope Display shows the received or transmitted audio signal in the time domain. Shown is an SSB
signal. The Scope Display is particularly useful when transmitting to monitor your audio waveform, e.g.
to see the effects of DX (page 82) or equalization (page 109). The time base can be adjusted on the
Setup Form- Display Tab (see page 141).
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Phase
Figure 65: Phase Display
The Phase Display maps the filtered I and Q (Left and Right) channels to the X and Y coordinate planes.
This is useful for making sure the two channels are 90 degrees out of phase as they should be. There is
also a Phase2 Display that maps the unfiltered data directly from the ADC. When a continuous carrier
signal is received, the unfiltered data in the Phase2 Display should produce as near to a perfect circle
as possible. If the circle distorts into an oval or a straight line, the input phase is off balance which
would indicate a connection or hardware problem.
Panafall
This display is a combination of the Panadapter and the Waterfall displays described above. It is only
available when the second receiver RX2 is off.
Panascope
This display is a combination of the Panadapter and the Scope displays described above. It is only
available when the second receiver RX2 is off.
Off
In this setting the display is turned off. It is mainly used for debugging purposes, but can also be used
with slower systems to decrease the CPU load to more reasonable levels.
RX2 Display
With RX2 installed and on, the RX2 available display types are Panadapter and Waterfall. The screen
then shows the RX1 display type above the RX2 display type, as illustrated in Figure 66.
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