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This is a Kees/John controller built with a spare chip. It is followed by a switchable divider. It shows the versatility of the controller, the display can be configured to show the actual output of the divide by 128. It does not need this divider, but it does allow low frequencies to be generated for LF Softrocks and other things! The LCD obtained from Cecil is shortened by cutting about 11mm (~3/8 inch) from each end. This removes the contact pads but wires are easily soldered to points on the board.
Further versatility is demonstrated here, I used a mouse rotary encoder, the controller allows the tuning rate to be set to accommodate 12 or more pulses per increment.
I assembled this on a small piece of PCB using SM components but any method can be used. D1 and D2 are contained in one package at the mouse encoder. The cogged wheel is between that and the LED. You may well find they are connected like this with the +5V common. I do not think the resistor values will be critical, any in the same range may well work. I just used those because that's what I had in SM! The transistors again can be any small NPN device. The + voltage with the controller is 3V3. With other applications it could be higher, and mine still worked at 2V. The Pulse connections go to U1 pins 15 and 16. A separate push-button is used at pin 14. The "Internal Pullup" resistors, of course, are contained in the chip's circuitry. You will have to devise a way of removing the encoder assembly from the mouse, a certain amount of cutting and gluing will be required! As the controller allows the number of pulses per increment to be set I left the cogged encoder wheel complete, this could be modified to suit other needs.
This is another of my crude builds. The EEPROM and Chip mounted on the back of the display board. The top panel of my Softrock 6.1 crystal controlled RXTX became the front panel of a Si570/Kees controled rig. The best thing is the Oak-Grigsby encoder! The Si570 is on a sub-board. In spite of the poor technique this does not have any clicks when tuning small increments.
2018 a new version promised.
Si570 controller http://www.qsl.net/k5bcq/Kits/Kits.html
Stand-Alone Controllers in General June 2018, under construction.
Clicks when tuning:-
Clicks when tuning:-
9H1 says - All have clicks.
I am yet to eliminate them.
I do have Kees K5BCQ vfo, but the clicks are there. [But I do not hear clicks at lower step rates.... ] 16F88 with AA0ZZ Board, PEgen570 software with freeze M command update. The clicks are there! Atmeg Mega 88 on a PA0KLT board Others with Atmeg 168 , 16F877, 16F628
All versions of Si570 controllers claim to use the same "freeze M" technique as the "Smooth Tuning" PE0FKO uses in the USB ATTiny controller which is click-free within the +/-3500ppm of a locked DCO.
This page http://cbjohn.com/aa0zz/PPLL/Article.pdf gives a good description of the Si570 control.
My experience with the Kees controller is that I get clicks if tuned in 10KHz steps or more and no clicks when the tune steps are 1KHz or less.
There are several ways the clicks might be introduced either into the actual output or by way of the wiring. The source of clicks might be from the encoder, chip, or I2C lines.
All Si570 controllers I am aware of use the same Si570 quiet tuning method, actual tuning clicks only heard every 7000ppm (+/-3500ppm specified) when tuning in one direction.
I do not know how the other clicks are produced. Strangely I hear multiple clicks when tuning at 10KHz or more, the controller is set for about 4 pulses per increment. It seems that encoder clicks are heard BUT why only at 10KHz steps and above?
The QRP Labs Si5351 VFO:- In my setup it is worse than the Kees. With no antenna big clicks at 10KHz steps, very audible clicks even at 1Hz steps. Note I have made no attempt to determine the cause. I have however applied a lot of filtering in the 5 and 12 volt lines, used separate PSUs and fed the RF through an isolating transformer.
Update, the clicks may not be produced in the Si5351. I attached one of the optical encoders shown below. The same clicks were heard at 1Hz steps. If I turned the knob fast the controller did not keep up but clicks were still heard. No clicks are heard during the setup process or when "E" is shown on the display attempting to tune beyond the Si5351 limits. This seems to indicate I2C signals cause the clicks.
Ongoing checks:- QRP Labs RX - clicks found using both ATTiny Si570 and QRP Labs VFO.
My tests refer to checking with HDSDR at around 30MHz on a SDR, Softrock or QRP Labs RX IQ output, with no antenna. The generator output goes through an isolating transformer, battery power is used. In practice at lower frequencies the clicks may be masked by band noise.
Rotary Encoders:-
Rotary Encoders:-
The above unit uses an Oak-Grigsby 800N128- optical encoder. Takes about 10mA at 5V, can not find a data sheet, I guess it is 128 pulses per revolution.
Many use mechanical encoders, much cheaper but often not too reliable. I show some not too expensive encoders below. I note some cheaper encoders are not described as optical encoders but do say "using a photoelectric scanning principle" and have a 5V power requirement.. I have looked at one of these, they are NOT optical, just mechanical with pull-up resistors.
Chinese Optical Rotary Encoders
Rotary Encoder Model HN3805-AB-400N
The connections differ, they were not as shown on current Ebay pages.
I opened it:- The PCB is marked.
Red - +ve looks like it is protected by a series diode.
Black - -ve
White A phase
Green B phase
Screen not connected this end.
There is a 78M05 inside.
Minimum voltage that it works = 5.0 at 5mA
At 12V 45mA
The phases are the usual open collector, require a pull-up from the controlled circuit.
This has a very fine wheel, not suitable for many applications unless like the Kees controller you may set the firmware to something like 50 pulses per increment. Or maybe use dividers? At 50 pulses per increment it must not be turned too fast, the controller will not keep up. A 50mm knob and 10 pulses works fine. The spindle turns freely, most will want to add a degree of friction.
Size 38mm diameter
40mm Total body length including boss 5x20mm at spindle end.
6x15mm spindle
3mm? threaded holes at ~15mm radius.
This is most likely intended for industrial use, the spindle is free, no friction, ball bearings.
It appears to be well made, sealed with an O ring.
This one has the connections clearly marked on the back including NOT A and NOT B.
It is 5 volts about 70mA
Was obtained from an Ebay seller, like this https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CNC-System-Terminal-Rotary-Hand-Wheel-Manual-Pulse-Encoder-5V-DC-60mm-2-36/282605583143?hash=item41cc9afb27:g:7OgAAOSwPkBajMYU The box label marked in Chinese, JTY1213, small label M61.4 2015-06-28
This has click stops that get in the way, they are too strong.
It may be dismantled, unscrew the handle, the cover is held with some double-sided tape. Bend the spring carefully a little to make the steps lighter. Mine was not exactly concentric, I got to the stage where half a revolution was free, had no click.
I removed the roller and placed a strip of plastic, cut from an old credit card in it's place to give some friction damping. 4x18mm approximately.
Setting to 4 pulses per increment gives 100 steps per 360° matching the scale.
This is the size for a good "boat anchor" radio.
60mm diameter.
10mm below the panel.
24mm above plus 17mm for the handle.
January 2019 Look here https://groups.io/g/QRPLabs/topic/28940746#30228 for a method of using one of these high pulse count encoders in circuits designed for the low count mechanical ones. An Arduino sketch (+as yet untested .hex) for an ATtiny85 or NANO.
G4ZFQ
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