Star*BoardJumpersAndFirmware

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Recommended Jumpers and Firmware Settings

Jumpers

In normal operation, use the defaults:

SW1: 1+2    DCOS
SW2: 2+3    Normal SQL
SW3: 1+2    Always jumpered except when Programming firmware
SW4: 2+3    RSSI enabled

Since SW1 is jumpered 1+2 (DCOS), then in NAWinCFG Mode Settings, the COS box should not be enabled.
Since SW4 is jumpered 2+3, then in NAWinCFG Mode Settings, make sure RSSI Report is enabled.

Here's the purpose of these suggestions:

to have the board detect a received D-Star signal (e.g. from your D-Star HT) using the DUTCH*Star "Soft COS" technique, which is more accurate than using the radio's squelch or "hardware" COS.
to enable RSSI reporting, which incidentally places the board into the "V5" mode, not "V4" mode. It's important that the jumpers and the firmware be consistent about RSSI and V4/V5 mode.

NAWinCFG firmware settings for a simplex Hotspot:

Main window: Don't check Auto Polarity. Check RX Invert and/or TX Invert only if needed to make your radio work with the GMSK modem. Many people prefer to set Delay Time to 250 msec.
Mode Settings window: Check only CRC Check, Last Frame, Half Duplex and RSSI Report. The other boxes should not be checked.

Notes

If running under XP, be sure to get the winusb.dll file from DUTCH*Star and place it in .../Windows/System32
Plug your board directly into one of your PC's USB ports. Don't use a hub.

RICHTX32.OCX (Needed only if you get an error msg about this module)

DUTCH*Star software may need a copy of RICHTX32.OCX put in the appropriate library. The software currently uses Visual Basic runtime libraries. Some Windows installations provided these libraries automatically, be we are seeing new installs of Windows 7 and 8 not including the VB runtime libraries. If you get a message that RICHTX32.OCX is missing, it's easy to correct. Click here to download the file. Use SAVE AS to save it in a folder where you can find it. Then do the following:

If 32 bit Windows:

Copy it to .../Windows/System32 (e.g. c:/windows/system32)
Register it. Run the following command as administrator (for example, click the Windows logo at bottom left; in "search files" box, type CMD without Enter or Return, then right-click CMD in the results windows and select Run As Administrator):
regsvr32 c:/windows/system32/RICHTX32.OCX

If 64 bit Windows

Copy it to .../windows/syswow64 (e.g. c:/windows/syswow64)
Register it. Run the following command as administrator (for example, click the Windows logo at bottom left; in "search files" box, type CMD without Enter or Return, then right-click CMD in the results windows and select Run As Administrator):
regsvr32 c:/windows/syswow64/RICHTX32.OCX

MoenComm LLC is owned and operated by Jim Moen, K6JM

* D-Star® is a registered trademark used for communication equipment (repeaters and transceivers) for amateur radio communications, and owned by Icom Incorporated.