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Ham radio: Fldigi

[last updated: 2024-10-05]
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SignaLink USB
Install Fldigi on rPi
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    ... this is for using FLDIGI on a Linux PC ...
    Recall this is "Software Digital", and the Fldigi is a program that you load onto the PC so it can talk to your radio.

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  • Fldigi ("Fast, Light, Digital") is a stand-alone program that allows you to communicate with several digital modes.
    It's free, open-source, and available for Windows, Mac, and Linux OS.
    It uses the computer's sound card or external sound card as a digital modem for encoding and decoding digital communication protocols.

  • You need a custom cable designed for your radio, to connect to your PC.
    The PC connection is almost always USB-A, however the radio connection is different with different models and manufacturers.

  • Connect things together:
    • There will be two cables coming out of your PC:
      • One will go directly to your radio to manage the PTT.
          This will be the custom cable as noted above.
      • The other will go from your PC to your external soundcard.
          The signaLink requires a USB-B connector, and most often a USB-A on the other end for your PC.
    • Finally you'll have a cable from your external soundcard to your radio data input.
        This is also a custom cable. For my IC-7000 using a SignaLink external soundcard,
        the cable has an Ethernet connector to go into the SignaLink, and the ... connector to go into the icom's data input.

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  • Install Fldigi:
    easiest on my Linux PC is install from the Program Manager.
  • Currently (2022-05-12) installed on tower and Precision 4600: the help/about fldigi shows version 4.1.06.
    Install Fldigi on rPi
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  • Open/Run first steps:
      Connect everything:
    • Connect SignaLink "Radio" port to IC-7000 Data port
    • Plug SignaLink USB cable into PC
        When you plug the SignaLink into your PC, even if SignaLink power is off,
        your PC may recognize it and will set it as your default audio output. This is a bad thing.
        On my Beelink: Click the speaker icon in bottom right of your screen, click sound settings, and select Device: "Line Out built-in audio."
        OTOH the rPi ...
    • Plug in PTT cable from radio CI-V port to PC USB port (if using one)
      (This is the "Computer Interface-5", sometimes called the CAT interface)
      ...

    • Turn on radio
      Turn on SignaLink
      If Fldigi is running on your PC, close it.
    • Start flrig:
      Configure flrig:
      • Config (top menu bar) --> Setup --> Transceiver
        In Rig field, click drop-down and scroll to find and select your radio model.
        In next field, with Update button, again click drop-down and find and select your device port, eg. /dev/ttyUSB0.
        Other fields should have been set to default per your rig selection.
      • Everything else in config menu left at default.
    • Start fldigi
    • You should see the waterfall cascading down
    • Clicking the Tune button on Fldigi should light the PTT LED on the SignaLink, and the transmit LED on the radio.
        (this should happen even if not using a PTT cable)

  • FLDIGI
    Setup/configuration:
    • Configure -> UI -> Operator:
      minimum: enter operator callsign
      Save -> Close
    • Configure -> Soundcard -> Audio -> Devices
      select port audio
      Capture and Playback: select USB audio codec
        If they are not listed, be sure SignaLink is connected and turned on, and you have restarted Fldigi since turning on the SignaLink.
    • specify radio???
    • open terminal:
      • $ alsamixer
        press F6; Sound Card selection should come up
        arrow down to USB Audio codec and press enter
        a vertical slider bar will display. if bottom says "00" then all is OK
        if it says "MM" then it's muted and needs to be turned on

      • $ groups
        this lists the groups to which the current user belongs to
        If "dialout" group is not listed, add yourself to it.

      • $ tail /var/log/syslog -f
        a few lines up from the bottom, you should see your PTT cable listed
        note "attached to" which USB port (eg. ttyUSB0)
          However my rPi did not have this command, so I used:
          $ mesg | grep tty
          to see that my PTT cable is connected as ttyUSB0

    • If using a PTT cable:
      Configure -> Rigcontrol -> hamlib
      Enter your radio make/model in Rig
      enter the usb port address (from $ tail above) in Device
      set baud rate to your radio's default speed (see your radio's manual)

    • Upper right of Fldigi, click both RxID and TxID

    • If desired to increase height of the WF window:
      Configure -> UI -> waterfall -> FFT processing
      change "waterfall height in pixels"
      Save -> Close config, then close and restart Fldigi
    • Change WF drop speed with button in bottom row, about center,
      default will read "NORM"


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  • Notes:
    • Fldigi talks directly to Flrig to control your radio.
      WSJTx and QSSTV use Hamlib that talks to Flrig.
      ONLY Flrig talks direct to the radio (via a serial port).

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