Radio Reference

The rest of this manual describes what RadioFoundry does on every radio. This chapter lists what differs from radio to radio: which physical key does each job, the power levels, the battery, the power switch, the display, what a radio lacks, and what has been checked on it.

Planned radios lists the radios that aren't built yet.

Key roles

The manual names keys by the job they do. Each radio puts those jobs on its own keys:

These are the defaults. Settings > Keys can give SK1, SK2 and the DM-1701's top side key other jobs (Settings).

On a radio without a key for a job, the menus reach it:

Dual watch on each radio

Dual watch listens on two channels, A and B. Every radio built today has one receiver, so on every radio it is pseudo dual watch: the radio alternates between A and B. A call on one channel can be missed while the radio is on the other. A radio with two receivers would hear both and show a call on each at once. The UI is ready for that (ui_svc_receivers() above 1), but no radio reports two receivers yet, and the core doesn't use them.

Holding SK2 is dual watch on every radio that has an SK2, and on the DB25-D PRO holding the tone key is. A press of SK2 (the tone key on the DB25-D PRO) switches A / B, and with dual watch off says "Turn on dual watch first". The DM-1801 Pro's A/B key does both: a press switches A / B, a hold starts and stops dual watch. On it the zones are on Left / Right, or in the Zones menu.

A and B can be any channel of any zone, or the VFO (how the core does it). Nothing about this dual watch has been checked on the air on any radio.

The Anytone AT-D578UV is the radio the two-receiver case is for: its hardware has two receiver chips (Anytone hardware notes). RadioFoundry has no board for it, so there is no support.

Setting the volume from a PC

rfoundry_debug.py volume prints the volume the radio uses and where it comes from. rfoundry_debug.py volume 12 sets step 12 of 16 (0 is mute), and rfoundry_debug.py volume knob gives the knob back (over the serial cable of the DM-32UV, add --port /dev/ttyUSB1 or the port of your cable). What this does depends on the radio:

Programming

The Codeplug Editor programs every radio below. qdmr needs a radio on the port and addresses its driver knows.

Codeplug files from the original firmware

The Codeplug Editor converts these when you open them (Files).

Baofeng DM-1701

Also sold as the Retevis RT84. A handheld for 136-174 and 400-480 MHz with a keypad, a channel knob, a volume knob with the power switch, three side keys and a color screen.

Installing on the DM-1701

Follow Installing with these values:

DM-1701 keys

The three side keys are, top to bottom, the top side key, SK1 and SK2.

DM-1701 power levels

Nine levels: 50 mW, 250 mW, 500 mW, 750 mW, 1 W, 2 W, 3 W, 4 W, 5 W. The values are nominal and use the radio's factory calibration.

DM-1701 battery

A 2-cell Li-ion pack. The percentage follows the resting voltage, 4.10 V a cell for full and 3.20 V for empty. It hasn't been checked against a meter yet.

DM-1701 power switch

The power switch is on the volume knob. Turn it clockwise past the click to switch on, counterclockwise to the click to switch off. The switch cuts the battery sense line, so the radio sees "off" as a reading below 5.5 V, finishes what it is doing, saves and drops its own power. A deeply discharged battery reads the same way and the radio shuts down.

Whether the radio can cut its own power while the knob is still on (auto power off) hasn't been checked. If it can't, the radio comes back after 2 s and shows "Couldn't switch off / Turn the knob off".

DM-1701 display

A 160 x 128 color screen with the top 8 rows hidden: 160 x 120 visible. The screenshots in this manual are this size.

What the DM-1701 lacks

• No GPS. LRRP location requests get "no fix". APRS positions come from a computer or a fixed position.
• APRS receive needs the squelch open: the radio hears packets strong enough to open the squelch, not weaker ones.
• No APRS iGate (passing heard packets to APRS-IS): it doesn't fit in the flash yet.
• No vibration motor: Settings > Sound > Vibrate isn't in the image.

Verified on the DM-1701

Tested on one DM-1701, on air against the SDR bench where RF is involved:

Partly checked: VOX. Silence and the radio's own beeps don't key it. Keying on a voice hasn't been checked. Each half of the split duplex repeater passes on air with one radio; a real pair of radios hasn't been tested. Host-tested only: IP over DMR to another radio and the services in USB network mode, control station mode, roaming, ARS and LRRP.

TYT MD-380

Covers the TYT MD-380, the MD-390 and the Retevis RT3. Fully operational on a UHF radio: FM, DMR in simplex and through a repeater or duplex hotspot, and programming. The VHF image is untested. Installing: Moving from stock MD-380 firmware.

Check your TX frequency. Accuracy depends on the radio's factory calibration. Confirm it against an external reference (a frequency counter, a service monitor, or a hotspot's MMDVMCal BER test) before you rely on it. One MD-380 measured 1.9 kHz high, enough that an MMDVM hotspot never decoded it.

Installing on the MD-380

Follow Installing with these values. To keep the stock codeplug while you move, see Moving from stock MD-380 firmware.

MD-380 keys

No P1, P2 or top side key, so no Power level or zone keys and no emergency key. Change the zone with OK, 4, the power with *, 1. Where each key sits in the key matrix hasn't been confirmed on a radio. The bootloader starts when you hold PTT and the side key just above it at power-on.

MD-380 bands and power levels

One band per radio: UHF (400-480 MHz) or VHF (136-174 MHz). There is one image for each band, and an image refuses the other band.

Two power levels, 1 W and 5 W. A channel without a power in the codeplug uses 1 W. *, 1 switches between the two. The radio refuses to transmit without a valid factory calibration.

MD-380 battery

A 2-cell Li-ion pack, with the same percentage curve and the same thresholds as the DM-1701: low below 6.2 V, critical below 6.0 V. The voltage scale is assumed, not measured.

MD-380 power switch

The power switch is on the volume knob. It is believed to switch the supply directly, so RadioFoundry doesn't see the knob turn off. When RadioFoundry switches itself off (auto power off), it drops its power latch. Unchecked on a radio.

MD-380 display

A 160 x 128 color screen, every row visible. The controller type is unconfirmed.

What the MD-380 lacks

• CTCSS works on air both ways. DCS isn't checked on a radio yet. A build with CONFIG_SUBTONE=n (build switches) opens a channel with a tone on any carrier and sends no tone.
• No roger beep, 1750 Hz burst or APRS on FM (the transmit tone path isn't written). APRS positions over DMR work.
• No APRS receive.
• MMDVM SFR and the split duplex repeater need the DMR chip of the DM-1701 (HR_C6000) and aren't built for the MD-380 (HR_C5000). Hotspot mode is in.
• USB network mode and its services are in.
• Audio linking (USRP, USB network) carries DMR only: the FM transmit path from the processor isn't written.
• GPS only on the "G" models. The radio listens for the GPS module for 5 s at start-up and hides the GPS features if it hears nothing. Settings > Location > GPS off only stops APRS using the fix; the module stays powered.
• No vibration motor: Settings > Sound > Vibrate isn't in the image.

Baofeng DM-32UV

A handheld for 136-174 and 400-480 MHz with a keypad, left and right arrow keys, a channel knob and a color screen. FM and DMR voice both ways, CTCSS and DCS, APRS, GPS data, the hotspot and the battery saver work on the radio. Installing: Moving from stock DM-32UV firmware.

Installing on the DM-32UV

Follow Installing with these values. To keep the stock codeplug while you move, see Moving from stock DM-32UV firmware.

DM-32UV keys

No Power level key and no emergency key: the radio's third programmable side key hasn't been located yet. Change the power with *, 1.

DM-32UV power levels

Nine levels, L-, L, L+, L++, M, M+, M++, H-, H, from the radio's factory calibration. The radio is rated 5 W (VHF) and 4 W (UHF) at high power. The levels haven't been measured. A channel without a power in the codeplug uses L. *, 1 steps through L-, L and H.

DM-32UV battery

The percentage is linear from 6.4 V (0 %) to 8.2 V (100 %). There are no voltage thresholds: only the percentage warning (Settings > Power > Low battery warning) applies, and a low battery never stops a transmission.

DM-32UV power switch

The power switch is on the knob. The radio sees it turn off (three readings in a row), saves and drops its own power. The volume control works on the audio amplifier directly. RadioFoundry doesn't read it and can't set it from a PC either.

DM-32UV display

A 240 x 320 color screen. RadioFoundry uses its full resolution, with smooth (anti-aliased) bold text one size larger than on other 240 x 320 radios.

What the DM-32UV lacks

• Split duplex repeater: each half passes on air with one radio (the transmit half's outbound with its CACH, a host-fed voice call, 5 minutes keyed within 60 Hz; the receive half's slot labels). As the receive half of a pair with a DM-1801 Pro transmitting, it labeled a subscriber's calls with the right slot in 29 of 31 sessions; the other two aren't explained yet. Not tried as the transmit half of a pair.
• Not checked on this radio yet: emergency, basic privacy, talker alias, text and data messages, roaming, scan, MMDVM SFR, the network services over PPP and control station mode. They are built in and host tested.
• No USB. The serial port is on the programming cable: hotspot mode, the debug link and the network (PPP, USB network) all run there. USB network mode isn't available.
• The GPS module is checked at start-up (it must answer within 5 s) and is then powered only while Settings > Location > GPS is on, which takes effect at once. A fix outdoors hasn't been checked yet.
• While APRS listens, FM on the APRS frequency plays through a different audio path, which may sound different.
• Air band and FM broadcast receive (Air band and FM broadcast) are built in but not checked on the radio yet. Broadcast covers 65 to 108 MHz.
• No VOX yet: the board code that reads the microphone level isn't written.
• Audio linking (USRP) carries DMR only: the FM transmit path from the processor isn't written.
• No beeps while transmitting, the talk permit tone included: the radio's beep path would put them on the air. A beep still playing when the transmission ends is heard from then on.
• The signal strength in dBm is uncalibrated: strong signals read high.
• No vibration alerts: RadioFoundry doesn't drive a vibration motor on it, and Settings > Sound > Vibrate isn't in the image.

Radioddity DB25-D PRO

A mobile radio for 136-174 and 400-480 MHz with a front knob, a few front keys and a hand microphone. FM and DMR voice both ways, the hotspot, the DMR VFO and the network services work on the radio. It is installed with the radio programming utility only.

Installing the DB25-D PRO

The radio programming utility on the web site installs and updates this radio over the programming cable (K1 jack). There is no rfoundry route.

A radio that shows a white, backlit screen and a solid red LED at every power-on, without P1 held, is stuck in the factory update mode because its application is missing or incomplete. It needs no keys: the utility asks the loader a read-only question, says that the radio is in update mode and installs. Nothing is written to find this out.

When nothing answers on the cable, Troubleshooting offers "Reinstall in Factory Update Mode", and Restore puts a backup back through the factory update mode the same way. Restore through the console or RadioFoundry is the normal route; the factory update mode is the way back when neither answers.

The channels and contacts in the radio's NAND memory are not part of the radio programming utility's backup; back them up with the manufacturer's programming software or tools/cps_client.py (below).

DB25-D PRO keys

The front keys' positions in the key matrix are provisional until checked on a radio. The hand microphone's keys aren't decoded yet, so there are no number keys.

DB25-D PRO power and supply

Two levels, L and H (nominal 20 W). The radio refuses to transmit until RadioFoundry can read its power calibration.

The radio runs from a 13.8 V supply and has no battery. The status line shows no battery icon or percentage, Tools has no Battery page, and Settings > Power has no Battery saver or Low battery warning. RadioFoundry doesn't read the supply voltage, so nothing warns about it.

DB25-D PRO display

A 1.77" color screen, 160 x 128.

There is no volume knob. Press VOL/SQL, turn the front knob (or press Up and Down) to set the volume from 0 (mute) to 16, and press OK or Back, or wait 3 seconds, to close it. The screen shows the step as a large number over a bar of 16 segments. The level is also in Settings > Sound > Volume. RadioFoundry sets it at the receiver chip's audio output and keeps it. A value saved by an earlier build that had 10 steps is carried over (step 5 becomes 8, step 10 becomes 16). The steps are not calibrated yet: how loud each one is has not been measured, so expect to tune it.

Programming the DB25-D PRO over the cable

The codeplug (channels, zones, contacts, the radio's name and DMR ID) is read and written over the programming cable in the side K1 jack, through a USB-serial adapter (115200 baud). The radio has no USB port. The codeplug is kept at the same addresses as on the DM-1701, so tools/cps_client.py needs no offset and qdmr's MD-UV380 driver should work with it (the radio reports type 6; not tried yet). The tool needs pyserial. The examples use /dev/ttyUSB1:

python3 tools/cps_client.py --port /dev/ttyUSB1 info                  # type 6, build date, flash size
python3 tools/cps_client.py --port /dev/ttyUSB1 read backup.bin       # about 20 s
python3 tools/cps_client.py --port /dev/ttyUSB1 write backup.bin      # then the radio restarts
python3 tools/cps_client.py --port /dev/ttyUSB1 verify backup.bin     # "match"

Take a backup first. A radio with nothing stored shows the built-in simplex FM channels, and a read returns blank (0xFF) bytes. To get test channels onto it, read the codeplug, add them to the file, write it back:

python3 tools/cps_client.py --port /dev/ttyUSB1 read cp.bin
python3 tools/cps_client.py test-channels cp.bin --rx 461.4625 --tg 201 --cc 2 --ts 1 --id 1234567 --call N0CALL
python3 tools/cps_client.py --port /dev/ttyUSB1 write cp.bin
python3 tools/cps_client.py --port /dev/ttyUSB1 verify cp.bin

test-channels makes channel 1 an FM channel (12.5 kHz, simplex, no tones), channel 2 a DMR channel on the same frequency (color code 2, timeslot 1, talk target group 201), and zone 1 holding both. It replaces those channels, the first contact and the first zone and leaves everything else in the file. A DMR channel needs a build with CONFIG_DMR=y (the default); without it the radio lists only its FM channels. verify compares the regions the tool transfers. The write replaces whole 4 KB sectors, each in one step: a power cut or a pulled cable leaves every sector as it was or as the file has it, never half and half. The radio's own settings and the factory calibration are never written by the programming tool. A write is refused while the radio's storage holds another firmware's data (nst foreign on the diagnostics page, below).

What the DB25-D PRO lacks today

The GPS module is checked at start-up: if it answers within 5 s the radio has GPS (the APRS position source and the Location settings), if not the GPS features are hidden. It stays powered only while Settings > Location > GPS is on. The module is heard on the radio (valid NMEA sentences); a fix outdoors hasn't been checked yet.

The build has the MMDVM hotspot (simplex, over the programming cable) and the IP network over PPP with its services, as the DM-32UV does, both checked on this radio. The DMR VFO works on this radio too (receive and transmit checked). There is no single frequency repeater and no split-duplex hotspot role, and no APRS receive or iGate (the radio gives the core no FM receive audio). There is no VOX yet: the board code that reads the microphone level isn't written. DMR voice needs the codec from a supported stock file (8 in the hardware notes), and DMR audio from the speaker hasn't been listened to yet. Programming over the cable has been run on one radio. Settings are kept across power off, in a part of the radio's memory that is otherwise unused. If RadioFoundry finds data there it didn't write, it leaves it alone and keeps no settings (the diagnostics page shows nst foreign). Only the PRO (two BK4819 receiver chips) is supported, not the earlier batches.

Baofeng DM-1801 Pro

A handheld for 136-174 and 400-470 MHz with a keypad, direction keys and a 128 x 64 monochrome screen. FM and DMR work on air: voice calls both ways, CTCSS and DCS, text messages and the other DMR data, and hotspot mode.

Builds go in through the radio's own update mode, so the stock loader stays and the stock firmware can go back the same way: switch off, hold PTT and SK1, switch on, then tools/serial_loader.py --model dm1801pro IMAGE over the programming cable. The cable's plug switches the internal speaker and the microphone off; unplug it to hear the radio or to talk.

Settings > Talk & listen > Mic gain sets the microphone level for FM and DMR on this radio.

rfoundry flash IMAGE --board dm1801pro does the same over the cable, and picks the way in by itself:

--route stub or --route bootloader chooses by hand, and --dry-run shows the plan without writing. Neither route of rfoundry has flashed a radio yet; tools/serial_loader.py and stub/stubtool.py have.

DM-1801 Pro keys

DM-1801 Pro power and display

Three power levels, L, M and H, Low, Middle and High. The radio refuses to transmit until RadioFoundry can read its factory calibration. The battery reading is scaled from a measurement on one radio. The screen is monochrome; the backlight is on or off. The radio vibrates for messages, call alerts and emergencies (Settings > Sound > Vibrate).

What the DM-1801 Pro lacks today

• Split duplex repeater: each half passes on air with one radio (the transmit half's outbound with its CACH and a host-fed voice call, the receive half's slot labels). A real pair of radios hasn't been tested.
• APRS receive is unchecked. APRS sending works on FM and over DMR.
• VHF transmit is unchecked on air. UHF transmit and receive on both bands work.
• VOX is unchecked. RadioFoundry now reads the microphone level from the microphone's digital audio, but that hasn't been tried on the radio yet.
• Air band and FM broadcast receive (Air band and FM broadcast) are built in but not checked on the radio yet. Broadcast covers 65 to 108 MHz.

Planned radios

These radios aren't built in a release yet. An in-progress port is on its own branch. The radio survey lists what is known about each and the rebadged models it covers.

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