Building a Development uBitx Raduino

Building a Development uBitx Raduino

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Ardruino NANO Interface Board
Ardruino NANO Interface Board

Overview

I have some ideas for customizing the uBitx for my use, the uBitx works great as shipped, but one of the best features of the uBitx is it being Open Source, and changes are encouraged

Ideas for customization I want to explore

I2C LCD interface
si5351 breakout board with I2C
Use with an Arduino UNO 
Use with a Mega2560
Interface Shield for Arduino NANO
2004 (20x4) LCD
12864 LCD
Integrated Tuner
Integrated SWR/power Meter
The Possibilities are Endless

I will probably spend more time customizing the uBitx then time spent on the air, there are so many possibilities to explore with the software

But, I also wanted the uBitx to remain available for use on the air while I am making changes to the Software, so I needed a DEV (development) system

Parts Needed for Arduino DEV System

A separate DEV system will allow me to make and test changes without affecting my on air time with the uBitx

So I ordered some parts

1 Nano
1 si5351 Breakout board
1 Nano I/o Board
1 1602 LCD with I2C Interface
1 3.5mm Stereo Jack

The Nano I/O Board

Since this is a DEV board, I will be connecting various devices to the Nano, the I/o board breaks out all the Nano pins, and also provides duplicates of some pins

The duplicate pins for VCC, GND and I2C make is easier to attach several I2C devices to the board and power them

Ardruino NANO Interface Board
Ardruino NANO Interface Board

The most important pins on the I/o board are the I2C pins, There are pins for connection three devices via I2C to the I/O board

After I use one for the LCD and on for the si5351 board, I still have 1 left, very convenient

si5351 Breakout Board

This board allows easy interfacing to the si5351, with some important features over using an si5351 and building your own frequency source

Arduino si5351 Breakout Board
Arduino si5351 Breakout Board

Advantages of using the su5351 Breakout Board

All the components are on one board, no soldering required, no sourcing of additional components, like crystals, capacitors, voltage regulators

Onboard 5v to 3.3v converter – no need to use 3.3v

The si5351 breakout board features a 7 pin header, providing easy access to all function pins

+5v
+GND
+SCA
+SCL
+Oscillator 1
+Oscillator 2
+Oscillator 3

3.5mm Stereo Jack for Key

For those unfamiliar with the uBitx v5, this might seem strange……

But the uBitx v5 reads the keyer jack by reading the voltage on 1 pin, if that pin is 0, the system goes into transmit mode, this is not desirable

3.5mm Jack used for Key
3.5mm Jack used for Key

So I wired this 3.5mm jack for use with a straight key, and now there is not spontaneous transmit mode

The DEV system will not have RF Components for transmit, but the system going into transmit mode makes the menu system hard to navigate, and partially non-functional, so it is better to wire the key jack and not have this problem

1602 LCD with I2C Interface

I ordered a 1602 LCD with I2C interface for $2 including shipping from China

1602 LCD with I2C Interface
1602 LCD with I2C Interface

You have to wait 30-45 days to receive it, so plan ahead and be patient, Recently shipping time has been decreased by several week

The is an alternative, which is to buy a 1602 LCD without the I2C interface, and add the I2C interface yourself

Video of the assembly of the Nano Development System for the Ubitx v5 Raduino

Building a Development uBitx v5 Raduino

Building a Development uBitx Raduino

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