ICOM UPDATE VERSION 1.4x FOR IC-7610

OPERATED IN STANDALONE MODE WITH SPE 1.5K-FA

ADDS DIGITAL PRE-DISTORTION (DPD)

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SUMMARY:

After installing and calibrating the long awaited DPD firmware Version 1.4x update for IC7610 which is available for DL, I tried running the IC7610 in the standalone mode with DPD enabled, with my SPE 1.5K-FA, and was frustrated by random (from minutes to days apart) sudden drops in IC7610 output power.  The DPD had to be recycled to restore operation. The solution for me was to disconnect the SPE ALC from the IC710.

You Can Use DPD ON with SPE ALC Disconnected or DPD OFF with ALC Connected.  You CANNOT Use Both DPD and ALC Simultaneously

This disables the SPE dynamic drive power control so the drive from the IC7610 must be adjusted manually for each band and power level.

Please read carefully the precautions and instructions in Section 11.2 in the 1.5K-FA (both Series 2 and 3) for using manual drive power adjustment.

 

I wanted to keep the  custom cable (from Dan KC5PCB) intact since it includes the ICOM MOD inside the DB15 connector at the SPE end for polling the IC7610 frequency, as well as connecting the ALC from PIN5 on the SPE CAT connector to PIN5 on the IC7610 ACC2 DIN connector.

For my first trial I simply unplugged the 7PIN DIN (ACC2) from the IC7610 and left only the CI-V pigtail connected, and then added an RCA cable from the SEND jack on the IC7610 to the RLY jack on the 1.5K-FA since the KEY line was previously inside the cable.  I lost the Remote ON feature.

Since it worked well, I wanted a modification which would leave the 7PIN DIN ACC2 cable plugged into the IC7610 and keep the KEY and REMOTE ON functions along with the CI-V signal, but I wanted it to be easy to install and remove with out any hardware changes to the IC7610 or the 1.5K-FA.

I took a DB15 Male to DB15 Female extension cable (such as THIS) and very carefully broke off PIN5 on the MALE plug thereby breaking the ALC connection on the cable.  The modified DB15 cable is inserted between the CAT1 jack on the SPE and the MALE DB15 connector on the custom cable.

It has operated with no power drops after this external reversible mod.

 

From Page 41 of the new Version 5 of the IC7610 ADVANCED MANUAL:

NOTE THE IMPORTANCE OF KEEPING THE ALC IN THE RED RANGE. 
TO DO THIS I HAD TO CUT BACK A LOT ON THE MIC GAIN!

Hopefully eventually the compatibility issues will be worked out and the 1.5K-FA can be included in the DPD feedback loop and act to decrease any distortion added by the SPE itself.

The addition of an "ICOM DPD" option in the CAT menu similar to the FLEX menu which allows setting the drive power for each band and power level manually might be a possible interim step, but the ALC line for drive power control is now not usable for drive power control. Perhaps the power level could be set with Icom commands over USB connection between the IC7610 and the 1.5K-FA.

Meanwhile this easily reversible workaround adds only the inconvenience of having to carefully watch and (CAREFULLY) set the drive power manually.

If you have not yet DL and installed 1.4x you might find some of the information useful at: https://w4tzb.net/ic7610V4UPDATE.html

 

IF USING RS-BA1 REMOTE SOFTWARE:

Anyone using RS-BA1 V2 with an IC7610 who has installed the new IC7610 update to Version 1.41 which adds Digital Pre-Distortion (DPD) might like to know that there is an update for RS-BA1 V2 from 2.5 to 2.6 which adds a control in the SET menu for ON/OFF of the DPD. 

 The RS-BA1 update is only useful together with the IC7610 update.

73

W4TZB

Updated: 7 July 2024


 

 

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