Not Quite So Mini-HotSpot




Similar to the V1.0X Mini-HotSpot or "MHS" board, the NQSMHS V1.1x board shares all the facilities of the MHs along with the following additions;
The NQSMHS is available in both kit and pre-assembled format. Lead time is roughly 2 weeks plus shipping time for assembled units.

Note that at present no firmware is provided. Your board comes supplied with the DUTCH*Star PICBoot bootloader pre-installed. This will enable you to install the DUTCH*Star HSA firmware available from http://www.dutch-star.eu

Rev V1.14

Looks like I got it right this time! No known errors on the board. The PWR LED has been returned to USB service. It will now illuminate regardless of the power source (USB or +12V).

Sorry! Scratch the previous statement. After almost 9 months in production it was discovered that the ground pin on the PICKit2 programming interface was missing. That it took 9 months to discover this fault clearly indicates that nobody uses it! This fault is easily fixed. With the sockets facing to the right, turn the board over. Locate pin 1 of the PICKit2 interface (right most square pad) and count 3 pins towards the left - ground this pin.

The 9 pin D type radio interface pinout is as follows;

1 = TX audio to radio (to Data in)
2 = COS/COR/SQL
3 = RX audio from radio (from Data out)
4 = PTT
5 = GND
9 = +12VDC The jumper settings are as follows (as seen from the top of the board with the sockets on the right);

Jumper settings;

SW4 left = DUTCH*Star non RSSI/Satoshi V4.xx firmware
SW4 right = DUTCH*Star RSSI/Satoshi V5.xx firmware
SW2 = USB boot loader mode (when used with relevant firmware)
SW3 = DUTCH*Star RSSI/Satoshi V5.xx firmware
SW1 down = USB powered
SW1 up =  externaly powered

Board layout, schematic and parts list can be found here.

Rev V1.13

It must have been a Friday afternoon when I created this board. In an attempt to add facilities for the SMD and PDIP versions of the GMSK modem chip 3 of it's ground pins were omitted - duh!! Luckily this is easily fixed. I would recommend that you build the board first and then make the following repairs which are easily executed using the "spare" resistor legs you now have kicking around the bench.

On the reverse side of the board (sockets now on the left);
  1. make a link from pin12 of the GMSK chip's PDIP holes to the grounded leg of C5 (first ground contact - diagonal right downwards). Take care not to short out the "via" next to the pad.
  2. make a link from pin8 of the GMSK chip's PDIP holes to the ground pad immediatly to the right. This is the ground pad of U4
  3. make a link from pin18 of the GMSK chips's PDIP holes to pin8 as above. If you are clever and have a long enough leg you can use a single leg to exact step 2 and 3.
  4. a picture speaks a thousand words
The PWR LED no longer lights up when running on USB power. It has been found that the USB bus becomes a little flaky when too much current is drawn or other devices are sharing the same USB bus. The LED  lights up when the NQSMHS is powered from an external supply. Re-instatment of the PWR LED when on USB can be acheieved by cutting the track between the output of the 78L05 regulator and R40. Connect the now disconnected end of R40 to the square pin of C15 (above right). The PWR LED will now light up under all power conditions.

The 9 pin D type radio interface pinout is as follows;

1 = TX audio to radio (to Data in)
2 = COS/COR/SQL
3 = RX audio from radio (from Data out)
4 = PTT
5 = GND
9 = +12VDC The jumper settings are as follows (as seen from the top of the board with the sockets on the right);

Jumper settings;

SW4 left = DUTCH*Star non RSSI/Satoshi V4.xx firmware
SW4 right = DUTCH*Star RSSI/Satoshi V5.xx firmware
SW2 = USB boot loader mode (when used with relevant firmware)
SW3 = DUTCH*Star RSSI/Satoshi V5.xx firmware
SW1 down = USB powered
SW1 up =  externaly powered

The board layout, schematic and parts list can be found here.

Driver and associated software disk (120MB) can be downloaded here.

Reinstatement of the analog COS is as V1.11 below.

Rev V1.11

There are no known issues with this board. It differs significantly from previous boards in that it contains the digital COS circuit, USB programming, PICKit2 programming, S:N facilities, PTT LED driven by the PTT (rather than by a pin on the PIC) and removal of the analog COS circuit.

The board layout, schematic and parts list can be found here.

The 9 pin D type radio interface pinout is as follows;

1 = TX audio to radio (to Data in)
2 = COS/COR/SQL
3 = RX audio from radio (from Data out)
4 = PTT
5 = GND
9 = +12VDC The jumper settings are as follows (as seen from the top of the board with the sockets on the right);

SW4 left = DUTCH*Star non RSSI/Satoshi V4.xx firmware
SW4 right = DUTCH*Star RSSI/Satoshi V5.xx firmware
SW40 = USB boot loader mode (when used with relevant firmware)
SW41 = DUTCH*Star RSSI/Satoshi V5.xx firmware

Reinstatement of the analog COS is possible by the following methods;

Positive COS - remove U4. On the underside of the board connect a 4.7K resistor from radio connector pin 2 to the base of a 2N3904/2N2222 transistor. Connect the 2N3904 emitter to U2 pin 19 and the collector to U2 pin 25.

Negative COS - remove U4. Make green wire link from radio connector pin 2 to U2 pin 25.