Difference between revisions of "Installation"

Revision as of 09:00, 17 March 2013

General

• All USB devices that are to be connected to DDUtil must have a dedicated Com port # and be without conflicts.
• Before installation it is a good practice to make certain that all firmware and software related to devices and programs to be connected to DDUtil have the latest applicable software and firmware installed, older software and firmware is not necessarily supported.
  • In the case of the Elecraft KAT500 tuner firmware version 1.32 or later MUST be installed.
• Make certain first that all devices and programs are working properly before they are integrated with DDUtil otherwise unexpected problems may arise. DDUtil cannot repair existing problems.
• Virtual Serial Ports (VSPs) should be created prior to DDUtil setup. Otherwise DDUtil will not be aware of their existence as DDUtil only scans the ports when it first starts up.
• DDUtil is as easy or as complicated as you wish it to be and because of the high degree of customization of the main Docking Screen there is room for possible and unexpected configuration errors and confusions. It is recommended that customizing be done slowly, carefully and only after reading these notes thourghly.
• It may be a good idea to make notes of changes as you go so that if anything goes wrong you will know exactly at what point the problem occurred.

Download

• Get the DDUtil setup file from the Download page.
• Unzip the setup file to a directory of your choosing.
  • Alternately, the setup file can be executed from the zip file. Just make sure and not close the zip file window before the installer is finished.

Install

• From the directory created above execute (double-click) the DDUtilV3xxxxx_Setup.msi file.
  • Accept defaults (unless you have a really good reason not to.
• BEFORE you attempt to configure this program it is vital to read these instructions to avoid getting confused and lost. It must be said that this is a highly customizable program and as such has to be set up correctly and a little practice and patience is a must. The results will be well worth the investment of time. Once the techniques have been mastered changes can be made quickly and easily.

Setup

• Start DDUtil by double-clicking the desktop icon.
  • A new installation will open with the Docking Screen displaying the Misc form in the top left docking position. This Docking Screen will show all your devices on separate Feature windows. Setup is carried out on the setup screen accessed from the setup tab on the docking screen. As devices are added they will show on the Docking Screen as a feature window.
• To open the Setup form press the Setup selection on the menu bar.
  • The Setup form should open.
  • Select the Features tab.
    • Select the radio type:
      • Legacy and serial port.
      • F6000
    • From the Options group select any options desired.
    • From the Aux Display Panes group select any auxiliary panes to display.

Note: At this point you will start to see windows appear on the Docking Screen or on the desktop if any Aux Display Panes were selected.

• Select any desired hardware from the Amps, WattMtrs, Other and TKnob tabs.

• If communications are correct and the radio is powered up and the PSDR or SmartSDR software is running, the radio frequency should appear in the Docking Screen title bar.

Notes

• See the Docking Windows page for instructions on how to dock (position) the feature windows.
• The Docking Screen and all feature windows can be re-sized by dragging the edges or a corner to whatever size is convenient. The entire screen can be moved as usual by left-clicking the mouse pointer over the title bar at the top and dragging the screen to wherever you want. All window sizes and positions will persist in future sessions.
• DDUtil V2 and V3 can happily co-exist on the same system provided only one is in use at any time.