Arduino VFO

BASIC
Arduino
Part I
Objectives
• Introduction to Arduino
• Build a 1-60MHz DDS VFO prototype, breadboard and write

Sketches, with Buffer amps to be designed, and PCB Using
your own laptop
• Go on to build other useful stuff - RF Meter, Digital mode

transmitters, QRP Transceiver, SWR Meter….
• Revise your knowledge
• Or start at the beginning
• Hands-on Amateur Radio

Components
• Arduino UNO single
board micro-computer
• Breadboard, wires
• LED, 220R
• LCD, Rotary Encoder
• Si5351 module
• Connecting wires 
(male to male)
Arduino UNO
Setup your PC
• Club Wifi: BARS_AP
• Password: 1234567890
• Download and install Arduino IDE from 

arduino.cc > Downloads
• If you have already installed, update to 1.8.1

Copy the USB Stick
Pass it round
• Quit/Exit Arduino IDE
• Make a folder and

copy the contents of
the stick to 
 
Documents/Arduino
• Contains libraries and

a various sketches
Set-up IDE
• Create a folder/
directory:
Documents/
Arduino
• Start Arduino IDE
• Go to
Preferences,
select Arduino
Sketchbook
location
Re-start
Arduino IDE
Plug in your UNO
• Connect your UNO to your
PC by the USB Cable 
 
 
 
• Start Arduino IDE > Tools
• Chose Board, Port

(COMx)
Coding
C++
• A problem can always be divided into bits, called
functions. Some already exists in libraries
• C++ language is based on libraries and functions
• We have lots already written for us
• Arduino IDE has a set of functions in its own libraries
• User libraries of functions have examples of how to

use them
Library example
• Use library: 
 
#include “LiquidCrystal_I2C.h”
• Create an LCD object for your display, which has an I2C address of 0x3F,
16 columns and 2 rows 
 
LiquidCrystal_I2C lcd(0x3F, 16, 2);
• Use the object 

 
lcd.init(); 
lcd.print(“Hello World”);
Look at some real code
// include libraries for LCD
#include "LiquidCrystal_I2C.h"
Use library
// LCD I2C address, cols, rows
#define LCDADDR 0x27
//#define LCDADDR 0x3F
#define LCDCOLS 16
#define LCDROWS 2
// create an LCD object "lcd" Create lcd object

LiquidCrystal_I2C lcd(LCDADDR, LCDCOLS, LCDROWS);
// setup runs once on upload

void setup() {
// initialise the LCD & switch the backlight on
lcd.begin();
Use lcd functions
// move the cursor to col, row and output text
lcd.setCursor(3, 0);
lcd.print(" BASIC “);
pinMode(10, OUTPUT);
digitalWrite(10, HIGH); Use Arduino functions
Take a look at the
Arduino Library
arduino.cc > Learning > Reference
Part II
Let’s continue our activities
LiquidCrystal_I2C corruption
problem has been solved
New USB Stick
1st: Delete all stuff in
Documents/Arduino/
2nd: Copy new USB stick to

Documents/Arduino/
Result?
Documents/Arduino/
Test sketch
• Plug in your Arduino UNO using the USB cable
• Open 
File > Sketchbook > My_Blink
// My_Blink
// flashes a LED on pin 13
// pin number
#define LED 13
// the setup routine runs once

void setup() {
// initialise the digital pin 13 as an output
pinMode(LED, OUTPUT);
}
// the loop runs over and over again, forever

void loop() {
digitalWrite(LED, HIGH); // turn the LED on (HIGH voltage level)
delay(1000); // wait for 1 second (1000ms)
digitalWrite(LED, LOW); // turn the LED off (LOW voltage level)
delay(1000); // wait for 1 second
}
Upload
Your hardware
and it’s interface
LCD, Rotary Encoder
Synthesiser
Two kinds of Synthesiser
We
• There are two kinds will start
with
this one
• Digital output, Si5351 
Good for mixers, SDR
• Analog output, AD9850 

Needed for pure output
• Analog output generates

a sine wave using  
a D/A convertor
Si5351 Synthesiser
• Si5351 has 3 outputs each
programmable
• The outputs are 3.3V, can

drive 8mA = 4dBm into 50R
• It has an I2C bus input SDA

& SCL (address 0x60)
• Frequency 10kHz to  
> 200MHz
• 0.01Hz min tuning steps
• Arduino library
AD9850 Synthesiser
• AD9850 has sine wave and
digital outputs
• 5V operation
• Dedicated serial bus (not

I2C)
• > 30MHz output, LPF
• 0.0291Hz min thing steps
• Arduino library
LCD
• The display is 16
characters by 2 lines
• It has an address on the I2C Bus

I2C bus (0x3F or
0x27)
• It has a data line (SDA)

and a clock line (SCL) GND - ground
VCC - +5V
• Data is sent serially SDA - Data
SCL - Clock
Rotary Encoder
• The Rotary Encoder has a
two outputs
A (CLK)
• From the phase of the B (DT)
outputs you know the SW
direction +5V
GND
• Outputs A & B go to
digital input pins 2 & 3
• The shaft is a push button

switch, connected to pin 4
Serial I2C bus
Arduino talks to some hardware on a serial bus
A4
A5
Arduino is a “Master”
Devices are “Slaves”
Every slave has an address (0x60, 0x3F…)
The I2C bus
Arduino Pinout
• A plan for pin usage
• Interfaces for
• SIG/FWD, REV
• RETURN LOSS
• RFMETER
• I2C
• RX/TX SEQ
• AD9850 BUS
• BAND SELN
• PTT
• ENCODER
Using your
LCD
Build a display
• Connect up 
SCL = A5 
SDA = A4 
VCC = 5V 
GND = GND
• Open 
My_LCD_Test-Basic
Upload
Press Reset to run again
Using your
Si5351
Build a VFO
• Connect up 
SCL = A5 
SDA = A4 
VCC = 5V 
GND = GND
• Open 
Use a four
My_VFO_KB-Basic wire cable
• We will set the VFO

frequency from your
PC keyboard
Upload
1 Open Monitor My_VFO_KB-Basic
3 Enter Frequency in Hz
2 Set Newline Set 9600

Check output on a Radio
Build a 1-60MHz
VFO
Can extend to 10kHz to 200MHz (maybe higher)
VFO 1-60MHz
Wire encoder: Wire LCD:
CLK = D3 GND - GND
DT = D2 VCC - +5V
SW = D4 SDA - A4
GND - GND Use a five SCL - A5
+ - 3.3V wire cable
(+ can go to 5V or 3.3V)
Open
Use a four
My_VFO_Basic wire cable
Upload I2C Bus

Have fun.
Try transmitting
My_HELL_S/MT_5x7
and
My_WSPR
Remember
Si5351 - Mixers, SDRs, digital apps
AD9850 - Antenna analysers, low harmonic apps

Arduino VFO

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Arduino VFO

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Arduino VFO

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

BASIC

• Build a 1-60MHz DDS VFO prototype, breadboard and write

• Go on to build other useful stuff - RF Meter, Digital mode

• Revise your knowledge

• Or start at the beginning

• Hands-on Amateur Radio

• LCD, Rotary Encoder

• Download and install Arduino IDE from

• If you have already installed, update to 1.8.1

• Make a folder and

• Contains libraries and

• Start Arduino IDE

• Start Arduino IDE > Tools

• Chose Board, Port

• C++ language is based on libraries and functions

• We have lots already written for us

• Arduino IDE has a set of functions in its own libraries

• User libraries of functions have examples of how to

• Use the object

// create an LCD object "lcd" Create lcd object

// setup runs once on upload

2nd: Copy new USB stick to

// the setup routine runs once

// the loop runs over and over again, forever

• Analog output, AD9850

• Analog output generates

• The outputs are 3.3V, can

• It has an I2C bus input SDA

• 0.01Hz min tuning steps

• Dedicated serial bus (not

• > 30MHz output, LPF

• 0.0291Hz min thing steps

• It has an address on the I2C Bus

• It has a data line (SDA)

• The shaft is a push button

• We will set the VFO

2 Set Newline Set 9600

Upload I2C Bus

You might also like

• Download and install Arduino IDE from 

• Use the object 

• Analog output, AD9850 