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Software

Connecting to the computer

The LP-100 provides a RS-232 serial port. 

The serial settings are 38,400 baud, 8 bits, no parity, 1 stop bit. The required cable is a

straight through (not crossover or null modem), with a male DB9 at one end and a female DB9 at the other. With typical motherboard or
bus card provided serial ports, there are no settings required in the computer or driver, just in the application which controls the LP-100.
In the case of the provided software such as LP-100 VCP and Plot, these settings are automatic except for com port selection. Any free
com port from 1-15 is acceptable.

If your computer doesn’t have a serial port, which is becoming increasingly the case, there is a simple solution as long as the computer
has a USB port, which is usually the case. A number of USB to serial adapters are available on the web or at computer/appliance
stores. The LP-100 has been successfully used with a number of these. I can personally vouch for the Keyspan USA-19HS, although I
don’t know if they have a driver yet for the 64-bit version of Microsoft Vista. An inexpensive converter that some have reported good
results with is the Y-105 from ByteRunner, 

www.byterunner.com

. They cost $8.69 plus shipping as of this date, and provide full

handshaking (not needed for LP-100, but useful for some rigs and devices) and Vista support. This adapter uses the Prolific chipset,
which may not be supported in the future. ByteRunner also sells an adapter which uses the well supported FTDI chipset for about $18.
These adapters are both much cheaper than the ones typically sold at computer stores, and should work well. I have been asked about
a USB port for the LP-100, and it would be easy to do, but since all ham software has native RS-232 com support, and older machines
don’t have USB ports, I think a RS-232 port with an inexpensive USB adapter where needed is the most flexible choice.

The LP-100 has been used successfully over the Internet using serial device servers such as those offered by Lantronix and Digi. I
have personally used several of the Lantronix models with no problems.

LP-100 VCP

The LP-100 VCP (Virtual Control Panel) is provided for computer or remote operation of your LP-100 wattmeter. The LP-100 VCP
allows you to control the basic functions of the LP-100, and it also allows you to monitor the LP-100 parameters remotely.

The are three views for the VCP, selectable under the Style pulldown. The two shown above, plus one which shows all but the setup
info. The Menu choices provide the following functionality…

Style: Selects among the three views mentioned above
Upgrade: Launches the MCLoader program. This program can also be launched manually by adding a shortcut to the program.
Help: A work in progress.

The setup controls include Com port selection, callsign entry and a polling rate slider, adjustable from 50 msec to 5 sec. The normal
setting is 80 msec, which gives an update rate of 12 samples per second. On slower computers, or over the internet, you can use a
slower rate.

Monitoring…

Power

SWR

Impedance

Phase

Resistance

Reactance

Alarm Status

Control…

Alarm Set
Fast/Slow Mode
Call Sign Entry

Содержание LP-100

Страница 1: ...1 LP 100 Digital Vector HF Wattmeter Operating Assembly Manual April 2007 TelePost Incorporated Rev C20 ...

Страница 2: ... laboratory Industry Canada Compliance Statement Canada Digital Apparatus EMI Standard This Class B digital apparatus meets all the requirements of the Canadian Interference Causing Equipment Regulations Cet appareil numerique de la classe B respecte toutes les exigences du Reglement sur le material brouilleur du Canada Copyright and Trademark Disclosures LP 100 is a trademark of TelePost Inc Wind...

Страница 3: ...oduction 4 Parts List 5 Assembly Instructions 8 Initial Checkout 16 Setup Calibration 18 Operation 22 Circuit Description 26 Schematic 28 Troubleshooting 30 Software 32 Specifications and CAL Table 34 Warranty 35 Appendix A 36 ...

Страница 4: ...sembly to familiarize yourself with the project It is highly recommended that you thoroughly read through the Assembly section before even unpacking the LP 100 kit RoHS Statement The EU adopted a set of standards for the Reduction of Hazardous Substances in July 2006 There is considerable confusion over which devices and companies are affected by the new rules It is our opinion that home built kit...

Страница 5: ...ed 105 2 C23 24 0 001 marked 102 2 C25 26 0 002 marked 202 1 C36 330pF 50V marked 331 1 D2 Rt Ang LED Red 1 D3 Rt Ang LED Green 1 D4 1N4001 1 D5 1N4148 1 RC1 ribbon cable assembly 2 J1 P1 16 pin DIL header for display 2 J2 7 BNC jack rt angle 1 J3 Power jack 2 5mm 1 J4 DB9 PCB mount 1 J6 Dual RCA PCB mount 2 JP1 2 2 pin SIL header 2 Shorting jumper 4 L1 2 3 7 470 uH 100 mA molded choke large brown...

Страница 6: ...sure top bottom 1 PCB Main PCB w pre installed SMT parts 1 Heatsink Heatsink for 7805 regulator 2 IC Socket 8 pin sockets 2 IC Socket 16 pin sockets Socket not used for the relay 1 IC Socket 28 pin socket 4 Rubber Feet Square Parts to be installed coupler QTY Part No Description 1 Enclosure Coupler 1 PCB Coupler 2 T1 2 Toroid cores FT140 61 2 UHF Connector SO 239 2 BNC Connector UG1094 U 2 BNC cab...

Страница 7: ...g screws black for main enclosure 1 4 x 3 8 9 53mm self tapping screw black for RCA connector 1 4 Solder Lug 2 on serial s after 200 You should check all parts before starting to allow you to start the process of obtaining replacement parts as soon as possible It is also a good idea to sort the parts in advance egg cartons are handy for this passive parts only Michael s crafts stores also have nic...

Страница 8: ...venience SMT parts are supplied wherever necessary for performance or availability reasons CAUTION Be very careful handling this board to avoid damage to the installed parts Anti static measures are highly recommended such as use of an anti static mat grounded soldering iron and wrist band You may wish to clean the flux from the board after assembly although it is not necessary with most modern so...

Страница 9: ... my LP 200 or the Elecraft DL 1 Alternatively you can use a pair of 50 ohm dummy loads with coax adapters to allow them to be paralleled to provide 25 ohms This calibration can be done with as little as 5W of power This adjustment is not imperative as the default value is quite acceptable SWR calibration requires setting offset and slope adjustments for the AD8302 gain detector Calibration of the ...

Страница 10: ...oard flat as you go to avoid gaps q Install resistors To avoid messiness when trimming leads I would do about 6 at a time If you are unsure of the colors used by some of the manufacturers for the color code measure the value with a DMM q Install all 01 uF caps marked 103 in groups of about 6 q Install all 1 uF caps marked 104 This should be done in at least two batches On some runs these parts hav...

Страница 11: ...at the enamel is removed from the leads before soldering to ensure good contact q Install L4 and L6 The remaining chokes will be installed as part of the initial checkout of the board in order to enable powering up of circuits individually These may be brown or green but are smaller than the other chokes NOTE If you check the chokes with a meter like the AADE the readings may be low This is becaus...

Страница 12: ... when the first step of the screen saver timer is reached A finer adjustment can be made after the screen saver starts The correct voltage for the PLED at the junction of R8 and R15 is 3 0V at full brightness while displaying the main screen It will drop to 2 4 2 5V in the screen saver mode 35 mA q Step 3 Install L1 L3 U5 and U8 82 mA Temporarily enter the Setup mode by briefly pressing the Mode S...

Страница 13: ...of the coupler The top picture is courtesy of Dario N5QVF and the lower right one is courtesy of Stan W5EWA The sequence of pictures below is from Jack K8ZOA Jack developed a clever way to ensure proper winding of the cores both for spacing and coverage of the windings Details of Jack s winding methodology is found below ...

Страница 14: ...so that you will have at least two to use after printing The reduced size screen capture to the right shows what the screen should look like before printing Print the screen cut to the rules out and tape to the cores Use a white laundry marker or grease pencil to mark the lines on the toroids Jack recommends the use of a tight fitting cork to hold the windings in place as you proceed and to help f...

Страница 15: ...tails on the xfmrs except for the lead that exits from the back of the voltage xfmr lower right lead in the lower right picture below which should be 3 7 62cm long shown exiting the frame in the picture Scrape the enamel off the ends of the short leads A razor knife or sandpaper is good for this Note It is best to scrape the enamel off as the supplied wire may or may not be heat strippable Wind th...

Страница 16: ... a little q The xfmr should be oriented level with the windings facing up before soldering Solder the coax on the shield end into the SO 239 connector and the shield wire to the solder lug on the XMTR connector Cut the wire from the outside left of the transformer secondary to length and solder it to the lug on the XMTR connector The other end of the coax will be soldered along with the long wire ...

Страница 17: ... Using the Alarm Set button set the Alarm for 1 5 Remove the dummy load and transmit into the coupler at low power The Red Alarm LED should light on the front panel and the relay should click If you have JP1 in place the Piezo transducer should also sound Note the transducer will sound pretty loud since it s not inside a case at this point Reconnecting the dummy load will cancel the alarm after a ...

Страница 18: ...t is used to calibrate the slope of the gain detector It is accomplished by transmitting into a 25 ohm load and setting the Trim for a reading of 25 0 or whatever the actual load resistance is if it s not exactly 25 0 Allows adjustment of the accuracy of the op amp detector and ADC to provide correct conversion values at low power levels The screen shows the output voltage of the detector and the ...

Страница 19: ...librator design which would use inexpensive 1 thick film resistors or 5 metal oxide resistors to provide switchable 50 25 ohm impedance with a 10W rating It would include a diode peak detector for measuring power with a calibrated table of voltage vs power I am also testing a method of using a 6 long length of RG 59U which when terminated with a 50 ohm dummy load produces a known complex impedance...

Страница 20: ...m load after this test The expected trim value should be in the range 0004 to 0004 and will usually be even closer than that Leaving this adjustment at 0 0000 will result in a maximum error of a few tenths of an ohm Power Calibration Before starting calibration it should be pointed out that calibration is not absolutely necessary In calibrating hundreds of the assembled versions of the LP 100 it w...

Страница 21: ... simply transmit on the band of interest and adjust the Dn Up buttons for the correct power readings Move through all bands in sequence until they have all been adjusted You will notice that when you transmit now the band indicator shows the band you are transmitting on and the Trim value changes automatically based on the band The Mstr Trim setting will typically be within 2 and the variation of ...

Страница 22: ...play power from 15 dBm to 33 dBm There is no return loss in this mode because it does not utilize the coupler Power is supplied directly to one of the inputs on the back of the LP 100 This mode can be used for accurate low power bench measurements as in checking the output to a transverter or the level of a local oscillator of mixer It is also very useful for doing antenna field strength measureme...

Страница 23: ...of your calibration by providing the correct reference Gain Phase Zero This screen allows band by band calibration of the balance of the gain and phase detectors The process simply requires a short transmission on each band into a dummy load and the pressing of the Alarm Dn button which acts as a Save button on this screen The Fast Slow Up button becomes a Reset button in this mode clearing the cu...

Страница 24: ... 0 25 to 5 seconds The shortest time can be used for amplifier tuning especially with a pulser The default setting is 2 seconds for normal SSB or CW operation Alarm User Setting Allows setting an alarm threshold other than the preset choices Any setting from 1 0 to 5 0 is permissible After entering the Setup mode these various screens can be accessed by cycling through them using the Mode button I...

Страница 25: ...y if it goes down then the reactance is capacitive sign is A suitable distance is QSY is about 100 kHz or more The LP Plot program has the ability to determine sign automatically since it can control your transmitter s frequency When it plots a range of frequencies it uses the slope of the reactance curve to determine sign and plots the results accordingly It is important to remember that the impe...

Страница 26: ...r a 50dB range of input power This signal feeds the frequency counter in the PIC to allow automatic frequency detection at all power levels This allows for automatic band by band calibration of the power readout of the LP 100 The AGC amp also provides a DC Received Signal Strength Indicator which is used for a number of level detection tasks within the PIC The A D converter also receives temperatu...

Страница 27: ...flashed into the PIC s memory A program entitled MicroCode Loader MCLoader from Mecanique is provided to do this A Windows charting program is also available to allow graphing of any of the LP 100s parameters including Z R X SWR and phase angle vs frequency Future plans for the charting program include the possibility of a Smith Chart display and I plan to add a translation function to both progra...

Страница 28: ...28 Schematic Page 1 ...

Страница 29: ...29 Schematic Page 2 Coupler Schematic ...

Страница 30: ... added ICs Incorrect operation of buttons Check for good ground lead connection on three tactile switches Incorrect values for RSSI or Temp Check U5 U8 for proper orientation Check output voltage of U5 at pin 6 It should be very close to 2 500 V Check for proper orientation of U7 for Temp Check soldering around U9 for RSSI Excessive current at Initial Checkout Step 4 Check the added jumper between...

Страница 31: ...hich uses the well supported FTDI chipset for about 18 These adapters are both much cheaper than the ones typically sold at computer stores and should work well I have been asked about a USB port for the LP 100 and it would be easy to do but since all ham software has native RS 232 com support and older machines don t have USB ports I think a RS 232 port with an inexpensive USB adapter where neede...

Страница 32: ... to flash new firmware make sure the connection between the LP 100 and PC is solid You can do this by running the VCP program MicroCode Loader works with the MCLoader bootstrap loader program installed on your PIC It allows the user to easily update the firmware in the LP 100 The correct settings for MicroCode Loader found under the Options pulldown are as shown NOTE Make sure you settings match t...

Страница 33: ...33 LP 100 Plot Plot version 0 99 is available for download on the LP 100 Current Software page An html help file is also available there with instructions for installation and use ...

Страница 34: ...sitivity 0 5 accuracy Power handling 1500W continuous duty 2500W peak Bargraph response 90 Hz Direct Inputs 15 to 33 dBm 50 ohms 0 1 to 650 MHz 0 1 5 dB 2W max DC Power 11 15 VDC 160 ma Operating temp range 0 to 50 degrees C Clock 40 mHz Program memory 64kB Size Controller 6 0 x 6 0 x 2 75 5 08cm x 5 08cm x 6 99cm Coupler 2 25 x 2 40 x 5 00 5 72cm x 6 1cm x 12 7cm Weight 3 pounds 1 36 kg CAL Table...

Страница 35: ...arge and returned to you at our shipping expense Repaired or replaced items are warranted for the remainder of the original warranty period You will be charged for repair or replacement of the LP 100 made after the expiration of the warranty period or where in our reasonable opinion the damage is due to improper assembly of the kit TelePost Inc shall have no liability or responsibility to customer...

Страница 36: ...36 Appendix A ...

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