HQCT Module (new thread following HU RDS/RDBS)

[lifeboat]

Are you sure your data lines aren't swapped?

I finally got it working, had to hard reboot the PC with the USB plugged in but the radio power unplugged. Waited a couple minutes then plugged in the power and it was recognized as a HID.

Had reception and noise problems and traced them to the antenna cable I bought with the radio, the motorola end had poor connections. Fixed that and it seems to be working ok.

Still playing with it but I know for one thing I don't like how it plays the radio while windows is booting, I prefer more control over what happens when I start the car.

Thanks guys for the suggestions!

UPDATE: Couple of reboots and hibernations and I'm back to square one with "unknown device". Guess I'll have to try the USB relay silliness next. Definitely a problem with this thing initializing and it's anything but plug and play. Aggravating.

[froop]

this beats me, i'll dig into the program, it might be an issue of boundaries or so.

Could you mail or post me the EEPROM data? (via the forum or by mail to info@datalex.be )
When you start up the HQCT1 software and the module you will see hex numbers in the edit field right above the 'Read EEPROM' button, if this is so you hit the 'Save' button, the data is then saved to a text file in the same directory as the HQCT1 program.

Okay, I will capture the EEPROM dump tonight and send it through. I changed over aerials a couple of times on the way into work this morning, and with the factory aerial the reception seems better with the new software, and the numbers are also higher (the numbers in the text box after pressing "SEARCH" seem to be the best indication for signal quality).

Reception with the CB aerial is better 90% of the time, but on occasion if the signal is poor and I switch plugs to the factory aerial, the signal improves. But that could be anecdotal.

This is soooooo close to being perfect!

Oh yeah, and I've only really been testing on FM. With the CB aerial plugged in, AM reception is excellent.

[aeroanderz]

The dll idea migth be an elegant solution, see when we can implement it.

Do we want more stuff to go in a dll?.. My imaginary plan was to write a dll for the module that you can use with any program you like. Just expose att the functions you could ever want and just ask the dll to do stuff or ask it for stuff. I have coded my RDS interpreter code a bit like that, so if I want the RDS data I ask for it and if I do not, I just don't ask for it...

My problem at the moment is a HUGE shortage of time so I have still not begun to send stuff yet, and I have 2 annoying problems with my software:

It seems that the sample HQCT1 is picking up more RDS data than my software and I cant figure out why (no differance when using reduced data mode), but I'm going to look into it..
The other problem is the RDS data itselfe, or rather the AF frequencies. I have managed to work out that they are sent using different AF headers, so I've implemented support for it, but my problem (above) with missing RDS packages gets more evident here sice I can't trust that I'll get all the data...

Anyone interested in trying my program? I can also start supplying some c# .NET (2.0) source for the dll that we might put together.. I'm all for sharing if we can get it all to work..

[waltersaegir]

Just ordered the board last night and going to Newport Beach next Sunday, but send me (or give me access) to the software and I'll give it a try as soon as I get the board.

Also, the c# source will let me build it from scratch.

[lchatela]

I have the sources from guino
I have diffed the various version but there's a lot of small changes (position, calculation).
If you tell me were is the relevant modif for the antenna, I may modify it. But then I am lookin for a place to upload it... any idea ?

@aeroanderz:
I am really interested in testing alternate freq!!!

[Diogenes]

Anyone interested in trying my program? I can also start supplying some c# .NET (2.0) source for the dll that we might put together.. I'm all for sharing if we can get it all to work..

i am interested in trying it out and comparing it to mine, putting one and one together might yield more than 2. But same problem, need some 48 hour days...

Diogenes

[aeroanderz]

I am really interested in testing alternate freq!!!

One of my problems are, as stated above, that I cant get the AF data to be what I want so I can't really do anything with it yet. But if I could only figure out why, AF switching support shouldn't be that difficult..

Y'all can try the software (don't really know what you need, but i have VS2005 with .NET 2.0)

I'd be much happier realeasing the source with at least something working 100%..

HEre's a link to a compiled exe: HQCTS.zip

Cheers..! (And don't expect to do anything else than checking out the RDS data! Use the HQCT1 software to do all the tuning for now..)

[yrean]

ok since it seems like 50% of people problems are cabling. Any way to make some of the basic cables available at the stores.

Can I make my own cable?(more then likely). Do I want to? (not really)

Id personally rather order a cable that hast the correct wires, the correct connectors, etc.

for power, its not a prob to run a molex. for the audio out its not that difficult to find what you need.

but there should be a couple options for usb cables(that are known are work)

and there should be an option to buy a pcm-motorola. or pcm to whatever.

[lifeboat]

Edit
Well the 5 volt relay fixed mine 100%

So my theory about the power from the power supply getting to the board before the usb power must be right

Is your relay solution still working? I'm getting ready to try this next but was curious if you had confirmed this to be the issue. Thanks.

[Chuck]

I have not had any problems at all since I installed the relay