PC software for the RF-Power 8000 Power meter

PC software for the RF-Power 8000 Power meter

 This meter is available from Giga Technology

• You can download  from passion-radio LINK 
• Instruction manual for the unit passion-radio LINK

 

Install the driver

The RF8000 communicates over a USB-to-serial port, that your PC might not immediately find the right driver for. 

In that case, you'll find a "serial" device marked with a "?" in the device manager.

The driver is provided with the software package (see above). 

As I don't like drivers that come with a setup routine, I recommend to use the "rightclick/update driver" function of the device manager.

Just point it to the "drivers_usb_CH340" folder and windows will find and install the driver.

At that point you should see another serial port in the device manager

 

 

Register MSCOMM32.OCX

Depending on other installations on your PC, starting the RF8000 software with the uninventive name of "english.exe" might result in an error message. In that case, MSCOMM32.OCX needs to be registered on your system.

To register the OCX, open an "elevated shell" (right click the start button and choose "Windows Powershell (Administrator)")

There type (with the path pointing to your rg_8000 directory):

 .\regsvr32.exe C:\Users\admin\Desktop\RFPower8000\rf_8000\MSCOMM32.OCX

 

 

 

Configure the software

The program "english.exe" needs to be configured for both the COM-Port and the Baud Rage. It defaults to COM1 and 4800. While with some luck, your COM-Port might be "1", the baud rate ist not correct. Also: in "Model selection" choose "RF-Power8000"

Here are the correct settings:

• Model selection RF-Power8000 (F3)
• Port number: set that to what your device manager shows as Com Port. In my case COM6
• Baud Rate: 9600

After that, I have to press the center button to start the meter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

To set the frequency and the attenuation value hit the "spanner and screwdriver" button.

An RC enthusiast has written his own software for the RF-Power8000

• Link to his software
• Download link for his Power Meter software

Here is an screen shot of his application

 

 

 This meter is available from Giga Technology

How to setup your NWT Spectrum Analyzer on Linux. (Ubuntu)

How to setup your NWT Spectrum Analyzer on Linux. (Ubuntu).

This Spectrum analyzer is available from http://www.giga.co.za/ocart/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=226

NWT70 in picture.

I got my Spectrum Analyzer and here are the steps I use to install and configure it on my Linux (Ubuntu) laptop.

Download the software here. http://www.dl4jal.eu/  link to the file http://www.dl4jal.eu/linnwt4_V4_11_10.tar.gz

Copy the file to your favorite directory
mkdir nwt
cd nwt
cp /home/anton/Downloads/linnwt4_V4_11_10.tar.gz  ./
Unzip the file in the directory.
unzip linnwt4_V4_11_10.tar.gz
Check if the files has unziped
There should be a directory linnwt4_V4_11_10 and cd to it.
cd linnwt4_V4_11_10
Check if you have qmake installed
qmake -v
 You need vertion QT 4 + if you don't have it, install it.
sudo apt-get install build-essential
now install QT
sudo apt-get install gcc qt4-qmake libqt4-dev
now create a directory build inside the linnwt4_V4_11_10 directory
mkdir build
Change to the build directory
cd build
run the gmake command
qmake -qt4 ../
Then run the make command
make
Get coffee ;-) it takes 2 min
There should the be a new file in exsiting directory called linnwt.
Connect your spectrum analizer to your laptop USB connector.
then run the apllication linnwt
sudo ./linnwt
mmmmm, its German!
no problem, run it with this parameter to get it in Englesh
sudo ./linnwt ../app_en.qm

USB device error could not find your NWT device.

So how do I identify my USB device and configure it in the software ?

Run the command tail -f /var/log/syslog

Then unplug your spectrum analyzer usb cable from laptop and reconnect it after 2 seconds to laptop.

There will be new text appearing in the terminal console. Something like this below.

Jun 26 11:55:07 anton-SATELLITE-P755 kernel: [51330.537093] usb 2-1.2: USB disconnect, device number 5
Jun 26 11:55:07 anton-SATELLITE-P755 kernel: [51330.537573] ftdi_sio ttyUSB0: FTDI USB Serial Device converter now disconnected from ttyUSB0
Jun 26 11:55:07 anton-SATELLITE-P755 kernel: [51330.537628] ftdi_sio 2-1.2:1.0: device disconnected
Jun 26 11:55:10 anton-SATELLITE-P755 bluetoothd[800]: Authentication attempt without agent
Jun 26 11:55:10 anton-SATELLITE-P755 bluetoothd[800]: Access denied: org.bluez.Error.Rejected
Jun 26 11:55:11 anton-SATELLITE-P755 kernel: [51334.756112] usb 2-1.2: new full-speed USB device number 6 using ehci-pci
Jun 26 11:55:11 anton-SATELLITE-P755 kernel: [51334.855421] usb 2-1.2: New USB device found, idVendor=0403, idProduct=6001
Jun 26 11:55:11 anton-SATELLITE-P755 kernel: [51334.855430] usb 2-1.2: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3
Jun 26 11:55:11 anton-SATELLITE-P755 kernel: [51334.855434] usb 2-1.2: Product: FT232R USB UART
Jun 26 11:55:11 anton-SATELLITE-P755 kernel: [51334.855437] usb 2-1.2: Manufacturer: FTDI
Jun 26 11:55:11 anton-SATELLITE-P755 kernel: [51334.855440] usb 2-1.2: SerialNumber: AL01PTLP
Jun 26 11:55:11 anton-SATELLITE-P755 kernel: [51334.858330] ftdi_sio 2-1.2:1.0: FTDI USB Serial Device converter detected
Jun 26 11:55:11 anton-SATELLITE-P755 kernel: [51334.858406] usb 2-1.2: Detected FT232RL
Jun 26 11:55:11 anton-SATELLITE-P755 kernel: [51334.859036] usb 2-1.2: FTDI USB Serial Device converter now attached to ttyUSB0
Jun 26 11:55:12 anton-SATELLITE-P755 mtp-probe: checking bus 2, device 6: "/sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.0/usb2/2-1/2-1.2"
Jun 26 11:55:12 anton-SATELLITE-P755 mtp-probe: bus: 2, device: 6 was not an MTP device

You will be looking for ttyUSB?? in the text.

I my example, my usb was ttyUSB0

So now enter your ttyUSB?? in this usb port detail screen below. and then save your configeration.

Select the Settings > Options Menu from the pulldown menu in LinNWT4 application.

Change the value to /dev/ttyUSB?? Your port number found above.

In my case it was /dev/ttyUSB0

O.k., lets now setup a Frequency Spectrum scan.

Add frequency svan limits and then select a single or continuos scan option.

Connect your filter or circuit for testing on SMA terminals.

Then click on your Graphics display to see the return loss of you filter or circuit under test.

Scan display.

Hope this helps.

This spectrum Analizer is available from Giga Technology http://www.giga.co.za/ocart/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=226