FlexRadio Systems Knowledge Center » Knowledge Base » PowerSDR » Software Utilities and Drivers

K9DUR PowerSDR Data Transfer 4.x Utility

Administrator — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 05:10:52 GMT

K9DUR PowerSDR Data Transfer 5.x Utility

System Dependencies
Minimum PowerSDR Version:	Any Version
Applicable Hardware:	N/A

Content provided by:Ray, K9DUR

The SDRDataTransfer v5.x Utility is an advanced database management program that allows you to transfer data from one PowerSDR™ setup database to another. Certain data in the PowerSDR setup database should never be transferred to another database. In some cases, the decision as to whether it is safe to transfer the data or not can be determined by which table the data is stored in. However, a couple of the tables have a mixture of data that is safe to transfer and data that is not. Unfortunately, this includes some of the more popular custom settings that are rather tedious to re-enter by hand when moving to a new database. The filter settings are just one example. SDRDataTransfer decides which tables and which records within each table can be safely transferred based on information stored in a setup database, SDRDataTransfer.mdb. Optionally, v5.x allows you to select only certain types of settings to be transferred. For example, you could choose to transfer only your filter settings, or your filter settings & VAC settings.

Version 5.x of the SDR Data Transfer Utility allows the transfer of settings between both types of databases used by PowerSDR. PowerSDR v1.18.0 and earlier used a Microsoft Access database file named PowerSDR.mdb. Starting with v1.18.1, PowerSDR uses an XML file named database.xml to hold the setup data. SDRDataTransfer v2.x allows all 4 types of data transfer: .mdb -> .mdb, .xml -> .xml, .mdb -> .xml, & .xml -> .mdb.

As newer versions of PowerSDR are released, all that is necessary is to update the SDRDataTransfer.mdb file with the new data. If a new version of PowerSDR is released with new features, SDRDataTransfer will still work, but the settings for the new features will not be transferred until an updated version of the SDRDataTransfer.mdb file is installed.

This program replaces the PowerSDR 1.x Database Transfer Utility which only transferred data between Microsoft Access databases.

NOTE: This program requires the Microsoft .NET Framework Version 3.5 SP1 which must be downloaded & installed separately. You may download the installation package directly from Microsoft or from this website. The file is about 237 Mb in size. If you already have PowerSDR v1.18.1 or later installed and working (or any other software that requires Version 3.5 of the .NET Framework) , then you do not have to download & install the .NET Framework again.

You can download the installation package and the user documentation from the Related Links listed below.

This KB article may reference additional files that are available on the FlexRadio Systems web site Downloads page. Please use the URL(s) below to download the referenced materials.

An Adobe Acrobat Reader may be required to open the file. You can download Adobe Acrobat from here.

KB Source Document(s):

None Referenced

How to Verify the FLEX-1500 USB Driver is Properly Loaded

Administrator — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 02:53:22 GMT

How to Verify the FLEX-1500 USB Driver is Properly Loaded

System Dependencies
Minimum PowerSDR Version:	N/A
Applicable Hardware:	FLEX-1500

Content provided by: FlexRadio Systems Engineering

The FLEX-1500 utilizes a USB driver for communicating with your PC. There are two functional components of this driver; the USB Kernel mode component and the hardware specific or FLEX-1500 component. These are automatically installed using the PowerSDR 2.x Installer program.

You can verify that both driver components have been properly installed by checking for them in the Windows Device Manager.

Use the procedure below to verify that your FlexRadio USB driver for the FLEX-1500 is properly installed.

NOTE: In this example Windows XP is the operating system. The process is the same for Vista and Win7, except some of the screens and the location of the icons may be different.

Before starting this procedure, make sure the FLEX-1500 is connected to the PC and powered up.

Step 1. Click on the START button in the lower left hand corner of your screen. Move your cursor to My Computer and right click your mouse to display the My Computer sub-menu. If using the classic view, right click your mouse on the My Computer icon on the desktop.

Step 2. Move your cursor to the Properties option and right click your mouse to display the System Properties dialog box.

Step 3. Once the System Properties dialog box is displayed right click your mouse on the Hardware tab to display the System Properties Hardware Option screen.

Step 4. Left click your mouse on the Device Manager button to display the Device Manager dialog box.

Step 5. Look for the hardware category FlexRadio. If this subcategory is not displayed the FlexRadio USB driver has not been installed. If the hardware category FlexRadio is present, expand it by clicking on the [+] to the left of it.

Step 6. As noted in the picture above taken from the Device Manager screen, there are two components listed under the FlexRadio hardware category.

FLEX-1500 Software Defined Radio

FlexRadio USB Kernel Driver

The FlexRadio USB Kernel Driver device is the low level driver that is responsible for low-latency radio control and with a properly installed FLEX-1500 USB driver, it will always be displayed even if the FLEX-1500 is not attached and powered up.

The FLEX-1500 Software Defined Radio device is the high level device specific portion of the low-latency radio control driver. This is the actual FLEX-1500 connected to your PC. Both of these drivers work together to provide hardware control of the radio from the PC.

If both of these driver components are displayed, then the driver is installed correctly and the FLEX-1500 is properly communicating with the PC.

If the FLEX-1500 Software Defined Radio and the FlexRadio USB Kernel Driver entries are not displayed, then the FLEX-1500 driver did not load properly and will have to be reloaded.

If the FLEX-1500 Software Defined Radio component is not displayed, then either the FLEX-1500 is not connected to the PC, it is not powered up or there is another issue preventing the radio hardware from communicating with the PC. Check the USB connections and the power on state of the radio. You also may have to connect the FLEX-1500 to a different USB port.

This KB article may reference additional files that are available on the FlexRadio Systems web site Downloads page. Please use the URL(s) below to download the referenced materials.

An Adobe Acrobat Reader may be required to open the file. You can download Adobe Acrobat from here.

KB Source Document(s):

None Referenced

USBDeview - USB Device Enumerator Utility

w4tme — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 15:43:24 GMT

USBDeview - USB Device Enumerator Utility

System Dependencies
Minimum PowerSDR Version:	2.0.0 and above
Applicable Hardware:	FLEX-1500

Content provided by: FlexRadio Systems Engineering

USBDeview from NirSoft is a small "freeware" utility that lists all USB devices that currently connected to your computer, as well as all USB devices that you previously used. For each USB device, extended information is displayed: Device name/description, device type, serial number (for mass storage devices), the date/time that device was added, VendorID, ProductID, and more...

The primary use for this utility is so you can easily identify which USB hub and port the FLEX-1500 is connected to in your computer. It is best that the FLEX-1500 not share a USB hub with other devices, because connecting a lower speed USB device into the same hub with a higher speed device may lower the performance of the USB Hub.

The USBDeview utility comes as both a 32 and 64-bit application and works with all versions of Window except Win98, so make sure you get the one that is appropriate for the operating systems installed on your computer. You can download either version from the USBDeview product home page located towards the bottom.

Download and unzip the USBDeview utility to a folder on your computer. Refer to the application's read-me file for information on running and using USBDeview.

NOTE: This utility allows the user to uninstall USB devices that you previously used and disconnect USB devices that are currently connected to your computer. Use these features with caution. In order to disable/enable/uninstall USB items under Vista or Win7 with UAC turned on, you should right click on USBDeview and choose 'Run As Administrator'. In order to disable/enable USB items on x64 systems, you must use the x64 version of USBDeview.

Using USBDeview to Identify Which USB Hub the FLEX-1500 is Connected To

Start the USBDeview Utility

From the Option menu option, un-select Display Disconnected Devices. This will make USBDeview show only the currently connected USB devices.

Locate the FLEX-1500 by finding the entry that has the VenderID=2192 and the ProductID=150x

To the right locate the Hub/Port column. This will show the USB hub and port where the FLEX-1500 is connected.

In the example shown below, the USB hub is #4 and the Port is #2. Refer to the information in red box.

(Click on image to enlarge)

If the FLEX-1500 is sharing a USB hub with other connected devices, you can plug the FLEX-1500 into a different USB port while the SDR is powered up and the information will dynamically update in the USBDeview viewer.

MiniDeluxe - A lightweight CAT interface for HRD Components

Administrator — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 03:04:35 GMT

MiniDeluxe - A lightweight CAT interface for HRD Components

System Dependencies
Minimum PowerSDR Version:	1.X.0
Applicable Hardware:	All FlexRadio Systems SDRs

Content provided by: FlexRadio Systems Engineering

What is MiniDeluxe?
MiniDeluxe is a light-weight replacement for Ham Radio Deluxe that provides interoperability with FlexRadio's PowerSDR and Ham Radio Deluxe's Logbook and digital mode programs. It is currently a work in progress, but contains all the necessary functionality to connect to HRD Logbook and DM780.

MiniDeluxe Features

Queries PowerSDR for radio information at user-defined intervals.
High priority updates include frequency and mode, while low priority updates include display mode, DSP filter, etc.
Runs in the background with a notify icon to stay out of the way.
Small footprint and low CPU utilization.
Provides data to HRD Logbook about frequency changes, mode, AGC, Preamp, Display, Band and DSP.
Receives frequency and mode changes from HRD Logbook and forwards them to PowerSDR.
Compatible with any virtual serial port repeater, such as Serial Repeater or DDUtil.

Where to get MiniDeluxe?
You can downolad MiniDeluxe from the VHF Wiki web site

MiniDeluxe Download and information

This KB article may reference additional files that are available on the FlexRadio Systems web site Downloads page. Please use the URL(s) below to download the referenced materials.

An Adobe Acrobat Reader may be required to open the file.You can download Adobe Acrobat from here.

KB Source Document(s):

None Referenced

How to Manually Uninstall and Reinstall the FLEX-1500 Device Driver

Administrator — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 09:57:50 GMT

How to Manually Uninstall and Reinstall the FLEX-1500 Device Driver

System Dependencies
Minimum PowerSDR Version:	N/A
Applicable Hardware:	FLEX-1500

Content provided by: FlexRadio Systems Engineering

Under rare circumstances where the FLEX-1500 device driver did not load properly, as determined by validating the installation using the KB article "How to Verify the FLEX-1500 USB Driver is Properly Loaded", you can manually unload and reload the drivers without having to unload PowerSDR. The following procedures will provide a step-by-step guide for repairing a failed driver install.

Complete Uninstall / Reinstall of the FLEX-1500 Driver

Step 1. - Power off the FLEX-1500
Turn off the power to the FLEX-1500

Step 2. - Locate the FLEX-1500 Driver Install folder.
The FLEX-1500 driver install folders are located with the PowerSDR 2.x.x application folder. There are separate driver folders for the 32 and 64-bit versions of the driver. Make sure you select the proper folder for the type of operating system you are running.

For Windows XP, the default location for the installation of PowerSDR is:
c:\Program Files\FlexRadio Systems\PowerSDR v2.x.x
For Vista and Windows 7, the default location for the installation of PowerSDR is:
c:\Program Files (x86)\FlexRadio Systems\PowerSDR v2.x.x

Using Windows Explorer or any of the alternate methods Windows provides to view and execute files, navigate to the appropriate FLEX-1500 driver folder.

Step 3. - Manually Uninstall the FLEX-1500 driver
Locate the batch file uninstall.bat in the appropriate FLEX-1500 driver folder. If you are running Vista or Win7, Right click on the file name and choose "Run As administrator." If you are running Windows XP, make sure you are logged in with full administrator rights as there is no Run As option for batch files.

You will see a Windows Command window (aka "DOS box") displayed momentarily while the driver is uninstalled.

Step 4. - Manually Install the FLEX-1500 driver
Locate the batch file wd_install.bat in the appropriate FLEX-1500 driver folder. If you are running Vista or Win7, Right click on the file name and choose "Run As administrator." If you are running Windows XP, make sure you are logged in with full administrator rights as there is no Run As option for batch files.

You will see a Windows Command window (aka "DOS box") displayed while the driver is being installed. It can take up to a minute or two to complete the driver installation. Wait until the Command window closes before proceeding.

Step 5. - Verify the driver installation
Validate the FLEX-1500 driver installation using the KB article "How to Verify the FLEX-1500 USB Driver is Properly Loaded"

This KB article may reference additional files that are available on the FlexRadio Systems web site Downloads page. Please use the URL(s) below to download the referenced materials.

An Adobe Acrobat Reader may be required to open the file.You can download Adobe Acrobat from here.

KB Source Document(s):

None Referenced

Microsoft .Net 1.1 Installation

Administrator — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 17:24:18 GMT

Microsoft .Net 1.1 Framework Installation

System Dependencies
Minimum PowerSDR Version:	All 1.x versions
Applicable Hardware:	N/A

Content provided by: FlexRadio Systems Engineering

The Microsoft .Net 1.1 framework is required for running PowerSDR 1.x. It can be downloaded from the FlexRadio web site using the URL below.

Virtual Serial Port Driver (VSPmanager)

Administrator — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 15:10:02 GMT

Virtual Serial Port Driver (VSPmanager)

System Dependencies
Minimum PowerSDR Version:	1.4.0
Applicable Hardware:	N/A

Content provided by: FlexRadio Systems Engineering

The Null-modem emulator (VSPmanager) is a 64 and 32-bit signed kernel-mode virtual serial port driver for Windows. You can create an unlimited number of virtual COM port pairs and use any pair to connect one COM port based application to another.

VSPmanager is use to allow CAT, PTT and keyer control to other programs from PowerSDR

VSPmanager is a virtual Com port and virtual nullmodem cable, like a physical RS-232 port and a null modem cable. You canuse it to have PowerSDR communicate with another application on thesame computer via a CAT protocol, like loggers and digital modeprograms, without adding hardware Com ports and making jumper cables togo between the Com ports since each application wants its own, dedicatedCom port linked with a null modem cable.

You can also use a virtual serial port to key PowerSDR. Some ham radiodigital mode applications use a com port to assert RTS and/or DTR to keya radio. You can do the same thing with PowerSDR using a virtualcomport. NOTE: THis is not using a CAT command to transistion the radiofrom receive to transmit and transmit to receive. You are just "bitbanging" the serial interface to key the radio and no upper-levelcommunications protocols are being utilized by the com port.

The VSPmanager Project web page is located here

You can download the software from the project web page.

This KB article may reference additional files that are available on the FlexRadio Systems web site Downloads page. Please use the URL(s) below to download the referenced materials.

An Adobe Acrobat Reader may be required to open the file.You can download Adobe Acrobat from here.

KB Source Document(s):

None Referenced.

Virtual Serial Port Driver (com0com)

Administrator — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 15:08:04 GMT

Virtual Serial Port Driver (Com0Com)

System Dependencies
Minimum PowerSDR Version:	1.4.0
Applicable Hardware:	N/A

Content provided by: FlexRadio Systems Engineering

The Null-modem emulator (com0com) is a 64 or 32-bit unsigned kernel-mode virtual serial port driver for Windows. You can create an unlimited number of virtual COM port pairs and use any pair to connect one COM port based application to another.

Com0Com is use to allow CAT, PTT and keyer control to other programs from PowerSDR.

Com0Com is a virtual Com port and virtual null modem cable, like a physical RS-232 port and a null modem cable. You can use it to have PowerSDR communicate with another application on the same computer via a CAT protocol, like loggers and digital mode programs, without adding hardware Com ports and making jumper cables to go between the Com ports since each application wants its own, dedicated Com port linked with a null modem cable.

You can also use a virtual serial port to key PowerSDR. Some ham radio digital mode applications use a com port to assert RTS and/or DTR to key a radio. You can do the same thing with PowerSDR using a virtual comport. NOTE: THis is not using a CAT command to transistion the radio from receive to transmit and transmit to receive. You are just "bit banging" the serial interface to key the radio and no upper-level communications protocols are being utilized by the com port.

The Com0Com open source project web page is located here

When downloading Com0Com, make sure you get the proper driver for your operating system's bit depth; 32 or 64-bit.

The 32-bit driver has the text string "i386" in the file name and the 64-bit version has the text string "x64" in the file name.

Examples:

32-bit: com0com-2.2.2.0-i386-fre.zip

64-bit: com0com-2.2.2.0-x64-fre.zip

This KB article may reference additional files that are available on the FlexRadio Systems web site Downloads page. Please use the URL(s) below to download the referenced materials.

An Adobe Acrobat Reader may be required to open the file.You can download Adobe Acrobat from here.

KB Source Document(s):

Com0Com Files Downloads

USBView - USB Enumeration Utility

Administrator — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 03:46:38 GMT

USBView - USB Enumeration Utility

System Dependencies
Minimum PowerSDR Version:	N/A
Applicable Hardware:	N/A

Content provided by: FlexRadio Systems Engineering

USBView is a free utility from Microsoft that displays the USB connection tree and shows the USB devices that are connected to it together with their configuration data. This is very useful for debugging USB enumeration errors. USBView runs under Windows 98, ME, 2000 and XP.

USBView is available for download as a .zip file below.

This KB article may reference additional files that are available on the FlexRadio Systems web site Downloads page. Please use the URL(s) below to download the referenced materials.

An Adobe Acrobat Reader may be required to open the file.You can download Adobe Acrobat from here.

KB Source Document(s):

USBView Installation Program

Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1

Administrator — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 03:38:05 GMT

Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1

System Dependencies
Minimum PowerSDR Version:	1.18.1 and above
Applicable Hardware:	N/A

Content provided by: FlexRadio Systems Engineering

The Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1 is required for running PowerSDR 1.18.1 and above (both .NET 1.1 and 3.5 SP1 need to be installed - 3.5 SP1 is NOT an upgrade to 1.1 but a separate framework package).

NOTE: For PowerSDR 2.0 and above, only the .NET 3.5 SP1 framework needs to be installed. .NET 1.1 is no longer required.

NOTE: The .NET 3.5 framework comes installed by default on Windows Vista and Win7 operating systems and does not need to be re-installed.

It can be downloaded from the Microsoft web site using the URLs below.

Virtual Serial Port Driver (vCom)

Administrator — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 03:28:12 GMT

Virtual Serial Port Driver (vCom)

System Dependencies
Minimum PowerSDR Version:	1.4.0
Applicable Hardware:	N/A

Content provided by: FlexRadio Systems Engineering

vCOM driver build 226a written by N8VB.

vCom is use to create virtual com ports (null modem cables) to allow CAT and keyer control to other programs from PowerSDR

vCOM is a virtual Com port, like your RS-232 port. You can use it to have PowerSDR communicate with another application, like Ham Radio Deluxe, without adding hardware Com ports and making jumper cables to go between the Com ports; each application wants its own, dedicated Com port.

CAUTION: This program only works properly on Windows XP, it is a 32-bit application only and is no longer updated by the author. It is recommended that you use an alternate virtual comport/null modem software application if you are not using Windows XP.

Also see the VSPManager or Com0Com virtual serial port driver as an alternative to vCom.

This KB article may reference additional files that are available on the FlexRadio Systems web site Downloads page. Please use the URL(s) below to download the referenced materials.

An Adobe Acrobat Reader may be required to open the file.You can download Adobe Acrobat from here.

KB Source Document(s):

vCom Driver Install Package (version 226a)

K9DUR VoiceKeyer Program

Administrator — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 10:05:24 GMT

K9DUR VoiceKeyer Program

System Dependencies
Minimum PowerSDR Version:	1.10.0
Applicable Hardware:	N/A

Content provided by: Ray, K9DUR

Current Version: Refer to the K9DUR web site for the most up to date versions of the software and dcoumentation.

This third-party Flexer provided program is a digital voice keyer designed specifically for use with PowerSDR, both for contesting and for general operation. Unlike most digital voice keyer programs currently available, it allows you to specify the sound card used to send the audio to the transmitter. This allows you to use VAC to send the audio to PowerSDR. Using Com0Com, or another virtual serial port driver allows you to control PTT via a serial port, leaving the CAT serial port available to another program, such as your logging software.

NOTE: Although designed with PowerSDR in mind, VoiceKeyer.exe can be used with any transceiver by directing the audio to the PC speakers & using a standard hardware sound card interface to the radio.

Download & run the VoiceKeyerSetup installation package from the K9DUR web site. This will install VoiceKeyer onto your computer. The default location for the program is C:\Program Files\RNA Software\K9DUR Voice Keyer.

You should also download the VoiceKeyerUserManual to view the user manual for a complete description of the operating features of the program.

NOTE: VoiceKeyer.exe requires the Microsoft .NET Framework Version 3.5 SP1 which must be downloaded & installed separately. You may download the installation package directly from Microsoft or from the K9DUR website. The file is about 235 Mb in size. If you already have PowerSDR (PB-PAL test version) installed and working (or any other software that requires Version 1.1 of the .NET Framework) , then you do not have to download & install the .NET Framework again.

You also must download & install Microsoft DirectX 9, either from Microsoft or from the K9DUR website.

This KB article may reference additional files that are available on the FlexRadio Systems web site Downloads page. Please use the URL(s) below to download the referenced materials.

An Adobe Acrobat Reader may be required to open the file.You can download Adobe Acrobat from here.

KB Source Document(s):

None Referenced

Microsoft .NET 1.1 Service Pack 1

Administrator — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 04:20:14 GMT

Microsoft .NET 1.1 Service Pack 1

System Dependencies
Minimum PowerSDR Version:	All 1.x.x versions
Applicable Hardware:	N/A

Content provided by: FlexRadio Systems Engineering

The Microsoft .NET 1.1 framework service pack 1 is required for running PowerSDR. It can be downloaded from the FlexRadio web site using the URL below.

This KB article may reference additional files that are available on the FlexRadio Systems web site Downloads page. Please use the URL(s) below to download the referenced materials.

An Adobe Acrobat Reader may be required to open the file.You can download Adobe Acrobat from here.

KB Source Document(s):

Microsoft .NET 1.1 Framework Service Pack

Hotwheel Configuration File Change for New Versions of PowerSDR

Administrator — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 03:54:27 GMT

Hotwheel Configuration File Change for New Versions of PowerSDR

System Dependencies
Minimum PowerSDR Version:	1.18.0
Applicable Hardware:	FLEX-5000

Content provided by: Sami, OH2BFO

Now that the trademark (TM) symbol appears in the console window's title bar of PowerSDR, HotWheel doesn't recognize the window and can't send the mouse wheel events to the console.

You can fix this by modifying HotWheel.cfg.

Open the file with a text editor and look for this line:

WIN FlexRadio Systems PowerSDR

The text after the WIN command has to match the console window's title. I first tried adding the (TM) symbols here, but it didn't work for some reason. Probably some kind of conversion problem between ASCII and Unicode. But then I changed it to simply:

WIN FlexRadio Systems

This seems to work. Of course, you need to understand that when you start HotWheel, it will look for *any* window that has this text in its title. So if you have some other window (like web browser) with "FlexRadio Systems" in the title bar, HotWheel might get confused and send mouse wheel events to that window instead of the console.

Vcom and Windows Vista

Administrator — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 06:04:57 GMT

vCom and Windows Vista

System Dependencies
Minimum PowerSDR Version:	N/A
Applicable Hardware:	N/A

Content provided by: FlexRadio Systems Engineering

There have been several reports of vCom not working properly with Windows Vista. The driver appears to load, but you can not define virtual serial port pairs with the Configurator.

One option is to use Com0Com as a replacement for vCom.

How to Setup Vcom version 226a

Administrator — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 17:59:40 GMT

How to Setup Vcom version 226a

System Dependencies
Minimum PowerSDR Version:	N/A
Applicable Hardware:	N/A

Content provided by: FlexRadio Systems Engineering

The vCom driver emulates two ports talking to each other through a null modem cable so installation of ports is done in pairs. You can select up to 10 pairs (20 ports) and give them any port names (COM5, COM6, etc) as long as you do not duplicate an existing port name on your computer.

Step 1. Download the Vcom driver installation program from Phil's N8VB web site. (see related article below)

Step 2. Install the Vcom driver on the same computer you have PowerSDR installed

Step 3. Once installed, run the Vcom Configurator.

Step 4. Select the number of Vcom port pairs by checking the Use? box. Using the drop down boxes, select two com ports to make the virtual com port pair. Remember, you do not duplicate an existing physical com port on your computer. If in doubt what com ports are in use with your computer, see the How To Determine Active Com Ports KB article. In the example above, There are two pairs of Vcom ports set up; Com5/6 and com 7/8.

Step 5. Click on Save Configuration.

Step 6. If this is the first time you have run Vcom, click on Install Driver. If not, then click on Update Driver. The following dialog boxes will appear on your screen.

Step 7. Click on Continue Anyway. The following window will appear.

Step 8. Press any key (usually or the Space Bar) to complete the Vcom driver installation. You may be prompted to reboot your computer if this is the first time you are installing Vcom. If so, reboot your computer now.

This KB article may reference additional files that are available on the FlexRadio Systems web site Downloads page. Please use the URL(s) below to download the referenced materials.

An Adobe Acrobat Reader may be required to open the file.
You can download Adobe Acrobat from here.

KB Source Document(s):

NoneReferenced

Com0Com Installation and Configuration Guide

Administrator — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 17:57:58 GMT

Com0Com Installation and Configuration Guide

System Dependencies
Minimum PowerSDR Version:	All versions
Applicable Hardware:	N/A

Content provided by: FlexRadio Systems Engineering

The Com0Com installation and configuration guide is located on the FlexRadio Systems Downloads web page in PDF format.

Griffin PowerMate Setup and Installation

Administrator — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 17:56:57 GMT

Griffin PowerMate Setup and Installation

System Dependencies
Minimum PowerSDR Version:	1.8.0
Applicable Hardware:	N/A

Content provided by: FlexRadio Systems Engineering

The Griffin PowerMate facilitates sending keystrokes, mouse clicks, and similar actions to whatever application has the focus. This allows the PowerMate to emulate PowerSDR keyboard commands for the action you want the PowerMate to perform & then use the PowerMate setup program to send that command.

Example:
The keyboard key combination + in PowerSDR changes the frequency upwards by the currently defined Tune Step value.

You then "map" + to an action on the PowerMate, such as rotating the knob to the right.

There is a detailed "how to", the Griffin PowerMate v2.0 Quick Start Guide for installing and setting up the PowerMate with the 2.0 drivers.

You can download the PowerSDR 1.x Keyboard Mapping File for information on the keyboard commands for PowerSDR 1.x and the function they perform.

What is a virtual com port or null modem emulator?

Administrator — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 15:50:52 GMT

What is a virtual com port or null modem emulator?

System Dependencies
Minimum PowerSDR Version:	1.X.0
Applicable Hardware:	N/A

Content provided by: FlexRadio Systems Engineering

First a little background.

A communications (com) port or serial port is a physical interface, usually defined by the RS-232 standard for communicating digital data (bits) between a DTE (Data Terminal Equipment)and a DCE (Data Communication Equipment) one bit at a time or serially, hence the name "serial port". As this relates to ham radio a devices like a computer or older terminal are considered DTE devices whereas your TNC or radio are considered DCE devices. A standard RS-232 serial cable is used to connect a DCE device to a DTC device via their serial or com ports.

If you wanted to connect two DTE devices together, such as two computers, a special type of serial cable is required called a "null modem" cable. With a null modem connection the transmit and receive lines are cross-linked. Null modems cables are commonly used for data transfer between computers or two software packages running on the same computer.

With a traditional radio, where the computer running a ham radio software program that communicates with a radio, this is accomplished with a standard serial cable and the process is fairly straightforward.

With a software defined radio, the "radio" is not discrete hardware, but another software program. So if you want your software defined radio to communicate with a ham radio specific program such as a logger that is CAT enabled, you would need a serial cable that connects a computer to a computer. By definition this is a null modem cable. Now it doesn't matter that the computer-to-computer connection only involves one computer since the software programs themselves are the ones using the actual serial ports. It just so happens that they can be and usually are on the same computer when operating a software defined radio. This is a very important concept and is the crux of understanding why a null modem cable is needed when connecting a SDR (program running on a computer) to another program running on the same or different computer.

So, if I am using a single computer with two serial ports, I can assign the first serial or com port to the SDR software, like PowerSDR and the second serial port to the logger program and connect a physical null modem cable between the com ports and that would allow the two programs to communicate with each other. Since I need to use two com ports to facilitate the communication path described previously, I refer to this as a com port pair or a null modem connection. Although this works just fine, the null modem cable makes the computer more susceptible to RFI because of the physical cable looped between two com ports makes a nice antenna.

Since the two software program reside on the same computer, there must be a way to allow them to communicate using the computer's internal memory rather than a bulky cable and physical communications ports installed in the computer. And it just so happens there is! A special software package that emulates a physical com port in software is called a virtual serial port and allows you to add serial ports to your computer without adding additional physical hardware (such as expansion cards, etc.). Unlike a physical serial port the virtual serial or com port can be assigned any name (COM254). It is possible to create an almost unlimited number of virtual serial ports in your PC. The only limitation is the operating system running on the computer and the consumption of computer resources, as it may require a substantial amount of resources to emulate large numbers of serial ports which may adversely effect overall computer performance.

As noted above, we require two serial ports and a null modem cable in between them to allow our SDR to communicate with another software program. A special type of software that combines two virtual serial ports together and allows data to pass between them is known as a virtual com port pair or null modem emulator. See the diagram below.

Fortunately there are several open source and free virtual com port pair/ null modem emulator software packages along with several commercial software packages that can be used to create this virtual connection between software programs running on the same computer.

The original virtual com port pair software package used with PowerSDR is called vCom. Recently, a lot of people have started using a package called Com0Com because it is currently being supported and updated by the software developer and is more compatible with Windows Vista. It has become the de facto virtual com port software used with FlexRadio Systems software products.

You can find out more about these two software packages and how to configure virtual com port pairs using several articles found in the Knowledge Center

Virtual Serial Port Driver (com0com)
Com0Com Installation and Configuration Guide

What is VAC and What Does It Do?

Administrator — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 17:36:36 GMT

What is VAC and What Does It Do?

System Dependencies
Minimum PowerSDR Version:	1.8.0
Applicable Hardware:	N/A

Content provided by: FlexRadio Systems Engineering

VAC, the abbreviation for Virtual Audio Cable, allows you to make PowerSDR "look" like a sound card so you can send and receive audio with most all sound card digital mode programs, such as HRD's Digital Master 780, MixW, DRM, etc. Rather than configuring your sound card digital mode program to use a sound card, you configured it to use PowerSDR's emulated virtual sound card.

This means that you do not use a separate sound card for digital mode programs nor do you have to create an "interface" between the computer and the radio. Audio is sent from one program (PowerSDR) to the digital mode program through the virtual audio cables.

This allows the audio (AF) exchanged between PowerSDR and the digital mode sound card program to remain entirely in the digital domain, so there is not signal quality loss or noise injected into the signal converting the digital audio to analog and back to digital just to send it to the radio, like you must do with traditional radios. There is also no chance of RF getting into the signal path because there is no physical cables carry any signals.

Virtual Audio Cable is a Windows WDM multimedia driver allowing you to transfer audio (wave) streams from one application to another. It creates a set of "Virtual Cables" each of them consists of a pair of the waveform input/output devices (line in/line out). Any application can send audio stream to an output side of a cable, and any other application can receive this stream from an input side. All transfers are made digitally, providing NO sound quality loss.

NOTE: You can download a demo version from the VAC web site listed below, but be fore warned. The demo version interjects a voice sample in the audio data stream making it impossible to use on the air with PowerSDR.

K9DUR PowerSDR 1.x Database Table Migration Utility

Administrator — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 16:59:51 GMT

K9DUR PowerSDR 1.x Database Table Migration Utility

System Dependencies
Minimum PowerSDR Version:	1.8.0
Applicable Hardware:	N/A

Content provided by: Ray, K9DUR

NOTICE: This software utility has been discontinued and is no longer supported by the author. It has been superseded by the PowerSDR Data Transfer Utility.

USBIO Adapter Driver

Administrator — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 03:54:54 GMT

USBIO Adapter Driver

System Dependencies
Minimum PowerSDR Version:	1.4.0
Applicable Hardware:	SDR-1000

Content provided by: FlexRadio Systems Engineering

This is the Windows driver required for operating PowerSDR with a SDR-1000 using the Parallel-to-USB control cable.

Microsoft .Net 2.0 Framework

Administrator — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 16:48:56 GMT

Microsoft .Net 2.0 Framework

System Dependencies
Minimum PowerSDR Version:	All versions
Applicable Hardware:	N/A

Content provided by: FlexRadio Systems Engineering

The Microsoft .Net 2.0 framework is NOT required for running PowerSDR, but it doesn't hurt to have it on the system. Some supporting third-party applications may require .NET 2.0.

It can be downloaded from the FlexRadio web site using the URL below.

DDUtil (Data Decoder Utility)

Administrator — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 04:49:08 GMT

DDUtil (Data Decoder Utility)

System Dependencies
Minimum PowerSDR Version:	1.10.0
Applicable Hardware:	N/A

Content provided by: FlexRadio Systems Engineering

DDUtil, is a software package which is short for Data Decoder Utility. DDUtil was designed to enhance the operating experience for Flex Radio users by providing advanced connectivity to peripheral equipment not before available.

DDUtil provides the automation required to decode and present transmit frequency data to select frequency sensitive devices such as linear amplifiers, antenna controllers (SteppIR), antenna tuners, antenna band switchers, etc. DDUtil may be used in a stand-alone mode or with up to four (4) Radio Control Programs (RCP) running simultaneously.

In brief DDUtil will connect to PowerSDR, poll it for transmit frequency data and then furnish it to your RS-232 and/or BCD band switching devices.

For example it will band switch a Yaesu Quadra and PW1 amplifiers, a SteppIR antenna controller and a Palstar AT-Auto tuner all at the same time. If you want to run a radio control program such as HRD or DXLabs or MixW it will change modes and pass all commands from the radio control program to PowerSDR and still provide the passive listener devices frequency data.

For more information, see the DDUtil Wiki page URL below.

Uninstalling VAC 4.x

Administrator — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 13:36:43 GMT

Uninstalling VAC 4.x

System Dependencies
Minimum PowerSDR Version:	1.12.0
Applicable Hardware:	FLEX-5000

Content provided by: Jim, W4ATK

This "how to" guide will describe how to uninstall VAC, which is required every time a new version is installed.

Do not simply run the VAC un-install. There are steps to perform before attempting to uninstall VAC. The uninstallation instructions in the VAC User Manual must be followed explicitly. Including opening the Windows Sound and Audio Properties ( Windows Control Panel ) and choosing any other audio devices other than Virtual Audio Cable as the default sound card.

The procedure to recover from the failure of a VAC uninstall is listed below as Advanced Over-Installation Procedure. All of the instruction are there including editing the Windows registry. There is an "advanced over-install" which I located in the install instructions which Eugene indicates would have allowed the re-installation of 3.12 circumventing the "VAC 3.12 is already present"

UNINSTALLATION PROCEDURE:

NOTE: Before you start VAC uninstallation, make sure VAC driver is not used by any active application. VAC usage can be shown by the VAC Control Panel application. If you attempt to uninstall the driver while it is in use, the uninstaller will fail to properly remove the driver from the system and to delete its files and directories. It is recommended to close all audio applications before uninstalling the VAC.

Under Windows 2000/XP/2003, you must be logged as a member of the Administrators group. Under Vista, you should use a built-in Administrator account, not a user account belonging to the "Administrators" group. Either log in using the Administrator account or run the uninstaller with administrative rights (right-click the shortcut and choose Run As).

Before you start uninstallation, open the Audio Properties applet. If a Virtual Cable device is selected as a default device for the recording and/or playback, select any other devices instead. Then close properties page.

To start removing VAC software from the system, open the Virtual Audio Cable folder in the Start Menu and select the Uninstall item.

If you have accidentally deleted your VAC Start Menu folder, you can start the uninstaller manually. Click Start - Run to open the Run Application dialog, click Browse, locate a directory where VAC is installed, and double-click setup item; a path to the uninstaller application will be inserted in the command line. Then append a space character and "-u" switch to the command line (outside of the quotes, if any) and click OK, the uninstaller will start.

After successful uninstallation, you will receive a confirmation dialog.

If some driver files are currently in use by the system, they cannot be deleted immediately. In such case, the uninstaller creates a "delayed delete requests" for them and prompts you to restart Windows. If you don't want to restart immediately, you must not try to reinstall VAC in this Windows session otherwise severe errors may occur.

UNINSTALLATION PROCEDURE:

If the uninstaller fails to properly remove software components from the system, try advanced over-installation procedure that allows you to over-install the software. In some cases, after successful over-installation you will be able to successfully uninstall the software.

As a last chance, you can try to remove the driver manually:

Log in with the Administrator account.
Open Device Manager.
Expand the "Sound, Video and Game Controllers" device category by clicking on the [+] sign.
Right-click the Virtual Audio Cable (WDM) device and choose Uninstall.
If using Vista, check the "Delete the driver software item" option.

This sequence deletes only VAC driver and its devices but driver service may not be automatically deleted. To manually delete the kernel-mode service, unzip VAC distribution package into any empty folder. Using My Computer or Windows Explorer navigation, locate this folder and select the RemoveService file. Right-click this file, and select Install in the context menu. Service will be deleted immediately if it is stopped, or marked for deletion and deleted at next system startup.

After removing system references, you can delete driver file vrtaucbl.sys located in the <SystemRootDrive>\system32\drivers subdirectory of the Windows installation directory.

VAC directory and its Start Menu folder can be deleted using any Windows file management utility (i.e., Windows Explorer).

ADVANCED OVER-INSTALLATION PROCEDURE:

Setup utility works for general user by default. In this mode, any abnormal situation causes abortion of installation process. If you are an experienced user and can identify abnormal situations (for example, when file to be created is actually present), you can select the "I am an advanced user" option. In such case, you will be prompted if some files, devices and/or services already exists and may be overwritten. Use this feature with extreme care. In general, there is no need to overwrite anything during normal installation process. You need an advanced mode in two cases only:

If you have previously used VAC 2.xx, due to several errors in Windows systems related to legacy device management. In this case, during installation process under Windows 2K/XP, you may get an error message saying the device is already registered in the system.
If you have incorrectly uninstalled VAC 3.xx, or tried to install it over the already installed one.

When the general installation mode fails, you can try the advanced mode instalaltion.

First, locate the directory and the Start Menu folder where VAC files/links are installed, and delete them.
Start the setup utility and check the "I am an advanced user" item.
When prompted to overwrite existing files and replace service and/or device descriptors, answer Yes/Ok.

If the installer is unable to replace all objects needed the installation process may abort again. In such case, reboot the system and run the installation in advanced mode again. If prompted for overwriting some files, answer yes. At this second phase, installation must succeed. If it aborts again, request support from support@muzychenko.net

UNINSTALLATION TROUBLESHOOTING PROCEDURES

CAUTION: THis procedure includes changing values in the Registry. This can lead to an unusable system if not done correctly. PROCEED WITH CAUTION. FRS can not be responsible for any system corruption that may occur from using this procedure!

If the uninstaller fails to properly remove software components from the system, you can try to remove the driver manually:

Open the Control Panel.
Open the device list:
(in Win98/ME) Open the System icon, then open Sound, video and Game controllers.
(in Win2k/XP) Open the System icon, select Hardware tab and click Device Manager button. In the Sound, video and Game controllers group, double-click the Legacy Audio Drivers. In the form displayed select Property tab and open the Audio Devices group.
Select the Virtual Audio Cable device and click Remove button.
Under Win2k/XP, there can be an error while deleting kernel-mode driver service. In that case, you need to delete this service manually.

To manually delete the kernel-mode service, unzip VAC distribution package into any empty folder. Using My Computer or Windows Explorer navigation, locate this folder and select the RemoveService file. Right-click this file, and select Install in the context menu. Service will be deleted immediately if it is stopped, or marked for deletion and deleted at next system startup.

To remove other system references under Windows 2K/XP:

Run RegEdit.
Open the "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion" branch and locate following subkeys: Drivers32, Drivers.desc, Userinstallable.Drivers.
Under each subkey, locate values containing text "vacumd.dll". Delete these values.
After removing system references, you can delete driver files:

To delete driver files under Windows 98/ME:

%WinBootDir%\system\vacumd.drv
%WinBootDir%\system\vackmd.vxd

To delete driver files underWindows 2k/XP:

%SystemRoot%\system32\vacumd.dll
%SystemRoot%\system32\drivers\vackmd.dll

If you can't delete any of these files, reboot and try again.

Finally, reboot your system.
VAC directory and its Start Menu folder can be deleted using any Windows file management utility (i.e., Explorer).