Loading up an arduino sketch on your Raduino
The purpose of this article is to describe:
- how to install the Arduino IDE (i.e. the programming environment for arduinos)
- how to install the required CH340 driver for the Raduino
- where to access sketches (programs) for your raduino
- how to download and install a sketch to the arduino
This article does not explain how to modify the sketch to meet your needs. You should buy a book and study up on how to do this. For example, see Jack Purdum W8TEE’s book.
Installing the Arduino IDE
The Arduino programming environment (IDE) can be downloaded from the main arduino site. The software is available for all major operating systems (including Windows, Linux and MacOS).
Installing the CH340 driver
The Raduino (like most Arduino clones) uses a non-standard driver. This is because the standard arduino driver chip requires a licence that makes the product expensive. Arduino clones typically use a CH340 USB To UART part that requires installation of a driver.
Download the latest CH340 driver from the internet here. There are drivers available for all the major platforms (Windows, MacOS and Linux).
Connecting your computer to the Raduino
The Raduino supplied with your µBITx is simply a circuit board that brings together an arduino nano clone (soldered to the Raduino board), control lines for the 1602 display unit (connecting via a 16 pin connector at the top of the board), the si5251a PLL chip, and a 16 pin connector to the µBITx main board at the bottom of the board. There is a separate connector for connections to front and/or rear panel components (key jack, power supply connector, and the rotary encoder).
In order to program the arduino nano clone, you will need to connect a cable from your computer’s USB port to the mini-B port on the arduino nano. The Raduino will be powered from the USB port when you do this. Don’t be surprised if you find your radio sort of works on receive when powered through the USB cable. It does not seem to have caused any harm (at least to date) in doing so. The USB feed is current limited by design to 0.5A (not that a nano would consume this much current).
Where to find original firmware sketches for your µBITx
Original firmware is supplied by Ashhar Farhan VU2ESE. No updated software is currently available from the manufacturer, but other software variants are now available to download.
Go to https://github.com/afarhan/ubitx to download the original firmware sketches.
Click the green clone or download button, then choose Download Zip. Once downloaded just unzip the file and the folder is inside and ready to open in the Arduino IDE, just double click the file inside the ubitx_20 folder named ubitx-20.ino and the IDE will start and open. It should bring in all of the required files and ask to save these in a directory.
Alternatively, open up the Arduino IDE software, and select “File” then “Open” and find the folder in which the downloaded sketch is located. Click on the file named “ubitx-20.ino” and it will bring in all of the required files and ask to save these in a directory named “ubitx-20”.
To work properly, the Arduino IDE wants your sketch to reside in a directory with the same name as your sketch.
The same approach should work on any Arduino IDE platform (Windows, Mac, Linux). Github will always have the latest release version accessible from the green “Clone or download” button.
It is recommended that you first install (or rather reinstall) the factory firmware before installing firmware from other software developers.
Where to find firmware by Ian Lee KD8CEC
Go to https://github.com/phdlee/ubitx/tree/version1.03
Click the green clone or download button, then choose Download Zip. Once downloaded just unzip the file and the folder is inside and ready to open in the Arduino IDE, just double click the file inside the ubitx_20 folder named ubitx-20.ino and the IDE will start and open. It should bring in all of the required files and ask to save these in a directory.
Alternatively, open up the Arduino IDE software, and select “File” then “Open” and find the folder in which the downloaded sketch is located. Click on the file named “ubitx-20.ino” and it will bring in all of the required filles and ask to save these in a directory named “ubitx-20”.
The same approach should work on any Arduino IDE platform (Windows, Mac, Linux). Github will always have the latest release version accessible from the green “Clone or download” button.
Where to find firmware by W0EB/W2CTX
This firmware can be found in the FILES area of the BITX20 IO group. It would pay to check that you have the latest software.
Installing the firmware
Once the Arduino IDE opens up and you can see all the code, make sure you have the Raduino plugged into a USB port and then go to the upper tab named ‘Tools” and choose “Board” then select Arduino Nano. Next, goto “Tools” and select “Port”, now select your USB port you have the Raduino plugged into. Now you are ready to see if the code will compile. Click the check mark in the upper left hand corner and wait until it finishes saying ‘compiling sketch’. If everything is okay it will report ‘Done compiling’.
If you have made it this far you are ready to upload the new firmware to your Raduino. Now click the –> button at the top of the window and it should upload the Sketch into the Arduino. When it’s done it will say ‘Upload complete’ and you are good to go.
Installing hex files instead of using the Arduino IDE
There is always more than one way to do something. An alternative approach for installing the KD8CEC firmware is to bypass the Arduino IDE altogether. This does not work for other software variants. Ian Lee KD8CEC provides the firmware in a form that can be directly uploaded to the µBITx without compilation.
Here’s the link to details on how to install Ian’s firmware directly from a hex file- http://www.hamskey.com/2018/01/how-to-upgrade-ubitx-firmware.html
Ian also has the link for the hex file on the above page.