DXDUSB – DX Doubler USB Interface Update

DXDUSB Development Status

I have had some requests to provide DXDUSB prototypes to  couple people. The latest prototype (Protot3) is still very rough. I have a couple in ongoing testing and they seem to be working well. However, these are very rough – assembly is hand soldered wires attached to the Arduino board. While I am happy to make a few of these available for testing, I can not sell them as a final product. I would not want anyone trying this out and having problems during an important Contest or other operating event.

I am in the process of designing a PC Board that will be used in the initial version that should be solid enough to make it available to anyone that is interested. It will probably be late September before these are available.

How it Works

The DXDUSB uses a USB-to-Serial interface with the FTDI chipset. This is known to work with N1MM+ software. The converter plugs in to a USB Port on the PC and into the DXDUSB chassis with a standard RJ-45 Ethernet connector. N1MM+ is configured to use the OTRSP protocol to communicate with the DXDUSB. CW Keying and PTT signals are also provided. An Arduino micro computer board converts the signals from the USB–>Serial converter into signals that are compatible with the 25-pin LPT connector on the rear panel of the DX Doubler box.

There is no special software or software driver needed. The only driver used is the standard FTDI driver. So installation and setup is simple.