HS Hat not working properly

MMDVM_HS Hat hardware
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EI4IMB
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Feb 20, 2021 10:38 pm

HS Hat not working properly

Post by EI4IMB »

Hi all,

Sorry for the generic title but I don't know what is the problem

I have a Raspberry PI Zero W with the latest Pistar OS.
The RPI works fine and I can access the dashboard Pistar and also by SSH for command shell.

I bought a separate kit MMDVN hat from China (Aliexpress) an MMDVN_HS hat with FW 1.4.6 that unfortunately (also stated by other buyers) won't update its version to recent ones. I tried to update with the shell command but after the update, the display shows CLOSE, then when I reboot it comes back with the same 1.4.6 version.

The Oled display works perfectly ,showing also information such as my call sign and the big MMDVM as screensaver.
I set up YSF on Pistar to use with my Yaesu FT-3D just clicking the X sign.
I set up as starting reflector, the PARROT so to hear my messages back. Sometimes it connects to my Yaesu but not all the time.
When I change the reflector (link) on the admin page, I see that the modem transmit a signal to the frequency.

Steps I do:

I Switch on the device.The RPI boots up and run all the code.After 1 or 2 minutes the MMDVM word appears on the OLED. The hat has some leds switched on. There is one green led on the right side with fix green light. while beside there is flashing red led light, approx 2 flash per second.
I connect via browser to the pistar dashboard.
On the dashboard section I see this:
-Gateway activity:empty
-RF activity empty
-Modes enabled YSF in green, the rest in red
-Network status: YSF net

[Admin page]
Radio info section (left)
Trx: empty
TX and RX the frequency in use.
FW: HS_HAT: 1.46TCXO: 14.7456 Mhz
YSF Network ZZ Parrot

[On my radio]
I click on X on my Yaesu FT-3DR to connect to YSF and nothing happens.

[On the admin page]
Under Reflector, I click on Request Change having the same reflector as parrot. But this time, what happens, in the radio info TRX I can see TRX: Listening (in green colour).
I click X on the radio and nothing happens. But, if I switch off the radio and turn on again, then I click on the X, it connects.
But then when I transmit I don't see any activity in the dashboard and neither I get the message back from the Parrot.
If I change the reflector from the Admin page, it shows the changes into my radio but I cannot change anything from my radio.
I tried also to change the TX and RX offset from various range but nothing has changed.

I watched videos on Youtube and it seems straightforward, so I might speculate that the HS HAt might be a rip off and it doesn't work. Before purchasing maybe another one from another seller, I was wondering if there is some troubleshootings or test to do, cause the hat shows some life activity as explained before. Also it happend on several occasion I could hear ham operators while connected to a reflector. So after all it might not be to bin it.

Thanks in advance
Donald EI4IMB
EI4IMB
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Feb 20, 2021 10:38 pm

Re: HS Hat not working properly

Post by EI4IMB »

Many Thanks KE7FNS for your reply.

1) Pictures added.

2) When upgrading the HS hat by SSH command, it starts to download the file/files and here the text

Code: Select all

ownloaded: 1 files, 3.0K in 0.002s (1.79 MB/s)
./flash.sh: line 29: [: =: unary operator expected
Downloading latest firmware (stable)...
  % Total    % Received % Xferd  Average Speed   Time    Time     Time  Current
                                 Dload  Upload   Total   Spent    Left  Speed
100   625  100   625    0     0   1590      0 --:--:-- --:--:-- --:--:--  1590
100 50900  100 50900    0     0  65424      0 --:--:-- --:--:-- --:--:-- 65424
Cloning into 'STM32F10X_Lib'...
remote: Enumerating objects: 193, done.
remote: Total 193 (delta 0), reused 0 (delta 0), pack-reused 193
Receiving objects: 100% (193/193), 3.28 MiB | 688.00 KiB/s, done.
Resolving deltas: 100% (71/71), done.
Raspberry Pi 2 or Pi Zero W detected
stm32flash Arduino_STM32_0.9

http://github.com/rogerclarkmelbourne/arduino_stm32

Using Parser : Raw BINARY
Interface serial_posix: 57600 8E1
Version      : 0x22
Option 1     : 0x00
Option 2     : 0x00
Device ID    : 0x0410 (Medium-density)
- RAM        : 20KiB  (512b reserved by bootloader)
- Flash      : 128KiB (sector size: 4x1024)
- Option RAM : 16b
- System RAM : 2KiB
[Write to memory
Erasing memory
Got NACK from device on command 0x43
Can't initiate chip erase!
Failed to erase memory

Resetting device... done.
In particular in the last part it says:
Got NACK from device on command 0x43
Can't initiate chip erase!
Failed to erase memory


3) Very useful tool the MMDVMcal. So I did some quick tests and figured out that my offset is -1450, keeping a BER% around 0.45-0.47%
This allowed me to test the ZZ Parrot reflector.

So in teory it seems that this HS hat is in some way working.

My only issues that I am still facing, maybe are not totally depending on the hat, maybe, at this stage.

a) When I switch on the FT3DR and click on X (wires X) it connects to the reflector I set up in pistar, but I am not able to change the reflector on my radio. I try searching for anything or click to show me all, and it doesn't show anything.

b) If I exit Wires X from my Radio, and I want to connect again to my radio, it doesn't communicate anymore with the MMDVM. I have to restart the radio and then click on X.

Thanks again,
Donald EI4IMB
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EI4IMB
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Feb 20, 2021 10:38 pm

Re: HS Hat not working properly

Post by EI4IMB »

Hi KE7FNS,

I wanted to post a follow up regarding my HS Hat update issues.

I followed the topic here: viewtopic.php?t=3019 installing the ST-Link tools program and using t he USB ST-Link V2 and I removed the read-only protection. Once I saved I connected then the hs_hat to the raspberry pi and executed a firmaware update by SSH.
Now I have the 1.5.2 .

To help others I just write here my STLink connection I have on my hs_hat, cause the picture in that thread was not clear.

From left to right

GND | SWCLK | SWDIO | 3.3V

Thanks again
Donald EI4IMB
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