Moving from Stock MD-380 Firmware

This chapter is for a TYT MD-380, MD-390 or Retevis RT3 that runs TYT's stock firmware. One program, md380_migrate.py, does the whole move:

1. It reads your codeplug from the radio: channels, zones, contacts, RX group lists, your DMR ID.
2. It flashes RadioFoundry.
3. It writes the codeplug back, plus the DMR ID (callsign) database.

The web installer and the Codeplug Editor do the same in two steps: the installer backs up the radio and installs RadioFoundry, and the editor converts the backup (Installing, Programming the radio). Use this program to do all of it in one run. What has been checked on the radio is in the Radio reference. Keep your stock firmware file, so you can go back to stock with TYT's updater.

What you need

Where to get the stock file: TYT's download page (tyt888.com/download.html) ships the firmware update as a Windows program, and the .bin is inside it. The archive at md380.org/firmware/orig has every known MD-380 release as plain files. Use D2.32 (MD-380-D2.32(AD).bin): it gives both the bootloader key and the voice codec. D2.30 gives the key only. The web flasher also takes TYT's download zip as it is, and checks every file by its SHA-256.

A tester kit (md380_migrate.py package) is one folder with the script, its helpers, the image, a README.txt and a requirements.txt.

Getting the image

The release page carries the image of each band. To build one yourself (building):

make BOARD=md380                                         # UHF: build/md380/rfoundry_md380.bin
make BOARD=md380 BAND=vhf                                # VHF: build/md380-vhf/rfoundry_md380.bin

With TYT's MD-380-D2.32(AD).bin in codecs/, the build also writes rfoundry_md380_codec.bin with the codec merged in.

Run it

Look at every step first. This reads only files and touches nothing:

python3 md380_migrate.py all --image rfoundry_md380_codec.bin --stock "MD-380-D2.32(AD).bin" --dry-run

Then run it for real:

python3 md380_migrate.py all --image rfoundry_md380_codec.bin --stock "MD-380-D2.32(AD).bin"

The program asks before each step that needs you at the radio:

It keeps everything in ~/RadioFoundry-MD380-migration/<date-time>/ and never deletes those files. If a step fails, it stops and says why. When the failure comes after the flash, it prints the command that continues:

python3 md380_migrate.py restore --workdir ~/RadioFoundry-MD380-migration/20261011-101500

Your codeplug from a file

If you have the codeplug as a file, the program doesn't need to read the radio first. Give it with --from:

python3 md380_migrate.py all --from my-codeplug.rdt --image rfoundry_md380_codec.bin --stock "MD-380-D2.32(AD).bin"

md380_migrate.py backup --from FILE only converts and checks, with no radio needed.

What fits

RadioFoundry holds 1024 channels, 68 zones of 80 channels, 1024 contacts and 76 RX group lists. A stock MD-380 holds up to 250 zones and 250 RX group lists. If yours has more, the program lists what would be left out (the last ones). It asks before it flashes. To choose yourself, open backup-stock.yaml in qdmr and delete what you don't need. Save it, and run again with --from on the saved file.

The program also tidies the RX group lists. The TYT CPS heard only the talkgroups in a channel's list, so many codeplugs have one list per channel holding just that channel's talkgroup. RadioFoundry always hears the talkgroup a channel talks to, so those lists go, as do empty, duplicate and unused ones. Every channel keeps its talkgroup. --no-cleanup keeps the lists as they are.

RadioFoundry uses the parts of the codeplug listed in Programming the radio. Scan lists, GPS systems and TYT's menu and button settings are not carried over.

The DMR ID database

The program writes RadioFoundry's DMR ID database in one of two ways:

• By default, dmrconf downloads the public DMR user database and picks the IDs nearest yours (internet needed).
• --users FILE takes a users CSV instead: radioid.net's user.csv. The program shows the first records it read. If a file has no header row and the columns look wrong, give their order with --users-columns id,callsign,fname,surname,city,state,country.

Going back to stock

TYT's updater file goes through the same bootloader:

python3 md380_migrate.py flash --image "MD-380-D2.32(AD).bin"

Then write your backup-stock.rdt or backup-stock.dfu with the TYT CPS or qdmr (dmrconf write --radio md390).

Limits and notes

• Some early VHF radios have a small 1 MB flash chip. RadioFoundry runs on them, but keeps no codeplug or settings. The program stops after the flash and tells you. Go back to stock if you need your channels.
• The program never changes the radio's calibration.
• Windows (untested): to flash, bind the bootloader (0483:DF11) to WinUSB with Zadig (steps). That replaces the driver the TYT CPS uses for the same USB ID, so run the backup step first.
• Linux: the program prints the udev rule for 0483:DF11 if access is denied. Add yourself to the dialout group for the radio's serial port once it runs RadioFoundry.

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