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Oct 2, 2024. The Build of the new Digital LO/BFO

A Hiatus for The N6QW Blog

I now will shortly begin an undefined period of hiatus and may (or may not ever) in the future return to blogging. I apologize to those few who daily, faithfully read the blog and are subjected to the outpouring of random comments from my weird, and slightly bent brain. [Homebrew radios and the 300-pound Mary Jo are indeed divergent subjects.]

But right now, the effort to keep things fresh and relevant exceeds my capacity to do so. As Adam Clayton Powell so aptly stated -- Keep the Faith and I add don't eat your pets. [For many, Adam Clayton Powell just doesn't ring any bells, but he was a very colorful and powerful Congressman representing Harlem for decades.]

But for now, we move to the final of the three-part series on the FAT display and start with a part fit check. The photo below shows a compact layout that keeps a small footprint yet provides the functionality that was the original goal. Note the 3.2 Inch display is larger than the board by a bit. 

Starting at the top, we have the Nano with the USB programming port on the outboard side. That will prove critical when you want to make some changes or tweak the code while installed in the rig. It is also placed so that the five voltage dividing resistors are close to the source pins on the Nano (8, 9, 10, 11 and 13). At the right-hand bottom is a 12-pin header that will provide 8 connections to the ILI9341 and the 4 Pins to the Encoder, which is also close to Pins 2 and 3, the Encoder pins. Short direct connections to the header are always a good thing. 

To the left of the 12 Pin Header is the Si5351. Above the Si5351 is a 9 Volt three pin voltage regulator to provide source voltage to the Nano and these connections are also short. The Vout Pin (9VDC) is very close to the Vin Pin on the Nano.

Not shown but provided for is another five-pin header that will connect to the Analog pins (top side of the Nano and short connections) for selecting USB/LSB, VFO select, and Step Tuning rates as well as SDA and SCL (A1, A2, A3 and A4, A5)



The next step is the final wire up and this photo serves as a guide as I make the permanent connections. Once all is working, I then will modify the code for two VFO's and a few other features that might make things uncluttered and yet functional


Thanks to all for riding along. Remember to vote.

TYGNYBNT.

73's
Pete N6QW

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