ModifyingaUSBsoundfobtoactasarepeaterinterfaceforapp_rpt

RevE9/13/2008

ThisdocumentexplainshowtomodifyaUSBsoundfobtoworkasarepeaterinterfaceforapp_rpt. ForaguideonsettingupandconfiguringAsterisk,app_rpt,andchan_usbradio.cpleaseseehttp://app rpt.qrvc.com/usbradio.pdf Thefollowingmaterialsandtoolsarerequired: 1. USBsoundfobbasedontheCM108chip 2. 10Kohm1/8W5%throughholeresistor.DigiKeyP/N10KEBKND 3. 68Kohm1/8W5%throughholeresistor.DigiKeyP/N68KEBKND 4. 470Kohm1/8W5%throughholeresistor.DigiKeyP/N470KEBKND 5. Two10microfarad25Vnonpolarizedelectrolyticcapacitors.DigiKeyP1176ND 6. BAT43orequivalentschottkydiodeinDO35package.DigiKey49724921ND 7. 2N4401NPNbipolartransistorinaTO92package.DigiKey2N4401ND 8. Plasticsleevingandheatshrinktubing 9. Hotmeltglueandgluegun 10. MaleDsubconnectorandhood 11. 1ft.of5conductorshieldedcablewith28awgstrandedwiresorsmaller. 12. TemperaturecontrolledSolderingironwithafinetip,and0.020diametersolder 13. Precisioncuttersandlongnosepliers. BelowisapictureofatypicalUSBsoundfob.Thisisonewhichwaspurchasedfor$7.95.When shoppingforasuitablesoundfob,itisimportanttopurchaseonewhichusestheCM108chip,as thatistheonlyversionsupported.

Thefirstthingtodoisopenupthecase.Thecaseisusuallypressfittogetherwithfourplasticpostson onesideand4socketsforthepostsontheotherside.Gettingthecasetocomeapartrequiresasmallthin bladedscrewdriver.Workthescrewdriveralongtheseamsuntilonesidestartstoseparate,thenworkon theotherside.Beverycarefulwiththeuseofdownwardpressure.Youdon'twantthescrewdrivergoing inanddamagingthecomponentsontheboard.Prythecaseopenneartheaudiojackssincetheywillbe removedanyway.Oncethecaseisseparated,youshouldhavesomethinglikethis:

PeeltheQCstickeroffthechipandverifyitisaCM108.Ifitisn'taCM108,itcannotbeused.Then usingapairofprecisioncutters,removethe3.5mmjacksbycuttingthemetalconnectionsonthesideof thejackasshown:

Oncetheconnectionsarefreeontheoutsidesofeachjack,rockthembackandforthtocausetheinner connectionstobreakfreeasshown:

Whenbothjacksareremoved,yourboardshouldlooklikethis:

Donotbetemptedtocleanoutthepinsfromtheholesusedbythejacks,Thetracesontheboardliftvery easily.

Prepareoneendofthe5conductorcablebyseparatingtheshield,twistingittightly,thensolderingitto thegroundontheboardbelowasshown.Theshieldissolderedtothepointwherethesleevecontactof themicrophonejackusedtoconnect.

Nowweconnectsomewirestopointsontheboard.ForthemulticonductorcableI'musing,whiteis receiveaudio,blackistransmitaudio,brownisauxiliaryaudio,redisPTT,andgreenisCOR.Fornow wewillsolderdownthereceiveaudio(white),transmitaudio(black),andauxiliaryaudio(brown)wires asshown:

Notethattherxaudio(white)leadisconnectedtothemiddlepinofthemicconnectoratthetop.

Next,weaddthe10Kresistorshownpreppedabovewithsomeplastictubingtopin13oftheCM108.To getaccesstopin13onthisparticularboard,Ihadtotemporarilybendthecrystalupandoutoftheway. Makea90degreebendintheresistorleadsothatitcanbesolderedtopin13asshowninthepicture below.Beverycarefulnottoplaceundueforceontheresistorleadafteritissolderedtothepin,asthe pinwillbreakawayfromthepadifyouarenotcareful.

Next,weattachthe2N4401transistorasshown:

Thefreeendofthe10Kresistorattachedtothemiddlepin(base)ofthe2N4401.Thetransistoris mountedflatsidedownandtheleftmostlead(emitter)issolderedtogroundatthesamepointusedbythe cableshield.Notethatthecrystalwasbentbackdowntoitsoriginalorientation.

ThePTT(red)leadisthenattachedtotherightmostpinofthe2N4401(collector)asshown:

NowwepreptheBAT43diodesimilartohowwepreppedthe10Kresistorandsolderthepreppedendto pin48oftheCM108,andtheotherendtotheCOR(green)wire.Notethatthebandedend(cathode)of thediodeconnectstothegreenwire:

Becauseofthewaythepartsaremounted,itwouldbeagoodideatosecurethediodeandtransistorwith someglue.Iusedhotmeltglueasitisremovable.SiliconeRTVshouldbeavoidedduetoitsacid content.

Thiscompletestheinternalmodifications.TherestofthepartsareinstalledinsideoftheDsubconnector hood.Thecasehalvescannowbesnappedbackovertheboard. WenowfocusonassemblyoftheDsubconnectorandthecomponentsinstalledinsidetheconnector hood.Thefirstthingtodoispreptheotherendofthemulticonductorcablebystrippingoff1.5inchesof thejacket.Separatethebraidfromtheconductors,twistittightlytogether,slipasmallpieceofheat shrinktubingoverthebraidasshown:

Wecannowattachthewireswhichconnectdirectlytotheconnectorpins.Thesewouldbeground,COR andPTT.Thecableshield(ground)getssolderedtopin5.ThePTT(red)leadgetssolderedtopin7,and theCORlead(green)getssolderedtopin4:

Wethenmakeupthereceiveaudiovoltagedivideroutofa68Kohmanda470Kohmresistorasshown:

Thelooseendofthe68Kresistorgetssolderedtopin5(someplasticsleevingslippedoverthebarewire wouldbehelpful).Thejunctionofthe68Kandthe470Kissolderedthewhitewire,andthelooseend ofthe470Kresistorgoespin3oftheDsubconnector:

Nextweconnectthetransmitaudio(black)wire(througha10microfaradnonpolarizedelectrolytic capacitorasshownbelowtopin2oftheDsubconnector.Besuretouseplasticsleevingoverthebare leadofthecapacitortoavoidashortcircuit.

Theauxiliaryaudio(brown)wireisthelastconnectiontobemade.Itisconnectedthrougha10 microfaradnonpolarizedcapacitortopin6oftheDsubconnector.Besuretouseplasticsleevingover thebarecapacitorleadtoavoidashortcircuit:

Onceallofthepartsaresolderedinplace,installthehoodandpositionthepartsandthewiressothat theyarenotcrimpedbytheconnectorhood:

Thecompletedassemblylookslikethis:

InterfacingtheFOBtoyourradioorrepeater(easymethod:3signals+ground) 1. 2. 3. 4. Connectpin3oftheDB9connectortoyourreceiver'sdiscriminatoroutput Connectpin2oftheDB9connectortoyourtransmitter'smicrophoneinput Connectpin7oftheDB9connectortoyourtransmitter'sPTTinput(gnd=KEY) Connectpin5oftheDB9connectortothereceiverandtransmitterDCground.

Intheusbradio.confconfigfile,makesurethefollowingoptionsareset: hwtype=0 rxboost=0 carrierfrom=dsp ctcssfrom=dsp txctcssdefault=88.5(orCTCSStoneofyourchoosing) rxctcssfreq=88.5(orCTCSStoneofyourchoosing) txctcssfreq=88.5(orCTCSStoneofyourchoosing) txtoctype=notone rxctcssrelax=1 rxdemod=flat txprelim=no txmixb=no invertptt=0 Followtheradiotuningprocedureinusbradio.pdftosetthelevels.

Theschematicdiagrambelowcanbeusedtocheckalloftheconnectionsifneedbe: