Tinygate Usb Digimode Interface: Instructions For Assembly and User'S Manual

TinyGate
USB Digimode Interface

Instructions for Assembly
and user's manual
(Last change: 20/12/2020)
TinyGate - User's manual and assembly instructions
Copyright
The contents of this document (of a merely exemplary func on and thus non-exhaus ve: docu-
ments, texts, images, audio and video data, logos, brands, all herea er referred to as "Con-
tents") are the exclusive property of the RF-SYSTEM and thus protected by the current legisla-
on regarding copyright protec on.
All rights reserved.
The reproduc on and / or diffusion, even par al, by some analog and/or digital means, without
the wri,en consent of the copyright holder is forbidden. As a result, any unauthorised use of
the "content" below is the full and exclusive responsibility of the users who respond them-
selves, according to the laws and regula ons in force. The electronic copy of this manual is ex-
clusively authorised for personal and study use, without any commercial aim, on wri,en re-
quest. The aforemen oned RF-SYSTEM reserves the right to make modifica ons and/or im-
provements to the assembly box at any me, without upda ng this manual
Copyright 2016 RF-SYSTEM ©

http://www.rfsystem.it
Page2
Table of contents
Introduction....................................................................................................................................................5
Warnings........................................................................................................................................................6
Disclaimer..................................................................................................................................................6
Technical characteristics................................................................................................................................8
Technical specifications...............................................................................................................................10
Before beginning..........................................................................................................................................12
Soldering advice...........................................................................................................................................13
Preparation and setup...................................................................................................................................14
Assembly......................................................................................................................................................15
Circuit board............................................................................................................................................15
Enclosure kit - Box..................................................................................................................................21
Connection cable for the transceiver........................................................................................................23
The transceiver cable...............................................................................................................................26
Examples of connection with transceivers...............................................................................................28
Elekraft KX3........................................................................................................................................29
Icom IC275, IC725, IC726, IC728, IC729, IC735, IC736, IC737, IC738, IC746PRO, IC756PROIII,
IC761, IC765, IC775, IC781, IC820, IC821, IC910, IC970, IC7400, IC7600, IC7700, IC7800........30
Yaesu FT100D, FT817, FT857, FT897................................................................................................32
We suggest to use the internal USB supply for the CAT interface to avoid to get the “+13,8V” from
the CAT/LINEAR socket as external supply:......................................................................................33
Yaesu FT1000 MARK-V, FT1000, FT990..........................................................................................34
Yaesu FT840........................................................................................................................................36
Yaesu FT2000, FT920..........................................................................................................................38
Yaesu FT450, FT950, FT991...............................................................................................................39
Icom IC2720H, IC2725E.....................................................................................................................39
Kenwood TS480, TM255, TM455, TM-G707, TM-V7, TM-D700x..................................................39
Kenwood TS140, TS440(S), TS450S, TS570, TS590, TS680, TS690, TS850, TS870S, TS940(S),
TS950S, TS990, TS2000(X)................................................................................................................40
Kenwood R1000..................................................................................................................................41
Kenwood TS50S..................................................................................................................................42
Icom IC703, IC706, IC718, IC7000, IC7100, IC7200, IC7300, IC7410, IC9100..............................43
CAT / CI-V interface....................................................................................................................................44
CAT/CI-V connections.............................................................................................................................44
Page3
CAT for ELECRAFT-Transceivers..........................................................................................................47
CAT / CI-V power supply........................................................................................................................48
PTT / CW / FSK outputs..............................................................................................................................50
SQL (COR) Input.........................................................................................................................................53
Test – Initial operation.................................................................................................................................56
Windows XP............................................................................................................................................57
Windows 7................................................................................................................................................59
Windows 10..............................................................................................................................................61
Linux - Ubuntu.........................................................................................................................................63
MacOS -X................................................................................................................................................66
Examples of configurations for digital modes applications.........................................................................69
Ham Radio Deluxe V 5.24- Digital Master 780.......................................................................................73
WSJT-X....................................................................................................................................................80
FLDIGI & MacOS...................................................................................................................................81
Page4
Introduc on
The TinyGate Interface was created by Martin, IW3AUT and it’s a compact
USB interface for transceivers, which allows operation in digital modes via PC
such as for example: PSK31, RTTY, WSPR, SSTV, EchoLink, APRS, Pactor, ROS as
well as many others.
As a 3-in-1 interface it makes available via a USB port a sound card interface, a
CAT / CI-V interface and a PTT / SQL / CW / FSK with a galvanic isolation
between the transceiver and the PC with transformers and optocouplers. The
TinyGate Interface can be used with a wide variety of software applications for
digital modes, which are available as freeware, shareware or as commercial
products. As a result, this provides the amateur radio operator with easy and
manageable access to the world of digital modes, thanks to the wide 1lexibility
of adaptation of this interface to almost any transceiver.
Page5
Warnings
Disclaimer
This assembly box is made exclusively for radioamateur and educational-ex-
perimental use. As a result, it should be assembled and used by an expert with
experience in the assembly of electronic circuits.
We do not accept any responsibility for bodily or material damage caused by
the construction and use of this assembly box. As a result, assemble and use
this kit at your own risk.
The operation may not be guaranteed, and even less so its eligibility for use of
certain applications. The user should verify its applicability for their own ap-
plications and is responsible for the latter.
Errors of access and use are factors that are beyond our control, we are there-
fore not responsible for bodily or material harm caused by these errors or in-
experience.
The guarantee applies exclusively to the individual parts (on the condition that
these are assembled correctly) and not to the assembled product. The afore-
mentioned RF-SYSTEM reserves the right to make modi1ications and/or im-
provements to the assembly box at any time, without updating this manual.
The two kits, once assembled, may not be resold if the necessary legal author-
isations have not been previously requested and obtained.
Before using with a transceiver or receiver, the bridges on

the JP1 socket must be con1igured correctly.
Incorrect con1iguration of these bridges may cause damage
to the TinyGate and/or to the connected transceiver or re-
ceiver.
· It is advised that the parts are kept out of reach of children and away from
pets, as they are a choking hazard.
· Do not inhale the fumes from the welding. Use a 1ilter or device to remove
these from the work station.
· Aerate the room after the welding activity.

Page6
· When using a soldering iron, place it down only once the rod has cooled
down properly.
· Do not solder on live circuits.
· Carefully follow the instructions provided in this manual.
· In case of any doubt concerning the procedures to be followed, seek technical
assistance.
· Do not try to modify the parts of the circuit that have already been as-
sembled.
Page7
Technical characteris cs
• 3-in-1 USB interface, just only one USB cable to your PC: built-in USB

2.0 High speed Hub
• Full galvanic isolation between radio and USB interface
• Integrated USB sound device:
The power supply from the USB host is 1iltered additionally to keep a low
noise on the A/D and D/A converters
Supported by the following operating systems: Windows XP, Windows 7,
Windows 8, Windows 10, Macintosh OS X and LINUX.
Compliant with USB Audio Device Class Speci1ication v1.0, there are no
custom device drivers necessary.
• Provides 2 independant integrated USB COM-Ports:

1) CAT/CI-V serial interface:
Support for following radio control ports: CI-V, FIF-232, IF-232
(RXD+TXD)
2) PTT/SQL/CW/FSK interface:
Squelch(COR) input, positive or negative logic (for Echolink and remote
control applications)
PTT relay output: direct keying control without VOX circuit
CW/FSK solid state output (can also be used as PTT: The smart jumper
system allow to use either a relay or a solid state output as PTT)
• Controls for receiver and transmitter audio level

• Quick change USB and Radio interface connectors
• RJ45 connector for transceiver connection with a 1lexible pin selection
jumper socket (attached to MIC connector, accessory or data port works
with virtually all transceiver). A detachable radio cable can be made eas-
ily with a standard unterminated RJ45-FTP network patch cable (get a
Page8
patch cable and cut/remove one of both RJ45 connectors), where you
can solder a suitable connector for your transceiver. Here as example the
cable for a ICOM IC7400 transceiver:

• Leds for USB Audio device, PTT and CAT RXD/TXD activity
• All communication software which support a standard sound card
and a serial port for the PTT can work with the TinyGate. Due the in-
dependent sound interface and COM-Ports it can be used also with any
combination of CAT, remote operation and data software like MixW,
Hamradio Deluxe, DigiPan, MixW, FLDigi, RemAud etc.
Page9
Technical specifica ons
• USB 2.0 High speed interface

• USB Power requirements: 5V, max. 120mA
• Board size: 65x80mm
• USB sound interface (codec):
Chip: CMedia CM108AH
48 / 44.1kHz Sampling Rate for Both Playback (D/A) and Recording (A/
D)
88 dB (typical) dynamic range
16-Bit DAC Output and 16-Bit ADC Input with a 22dB Microphone Boost
Audio Output:
Level 3Vpp max. @1kΩ typical (AC-coupled)
Frequency response (1 dB bandwidth): 0,02 – 11,5 kHz typical (D/A fre-
quency response conditions: measured with a E-MU0202, include isola-
tion transformer)
Second harmonic: -70 dB typical
Total harmonic distortion (THD): 0.06% typical
D/A Sampling rates: 44.1, 48 kS/s
Audio Input:
Input impedance: 600Ω, (AC-coupled)
max. input level: 3Vpp, (Microphone Boost=OFF)
max. input level: 220mVpp, (Microphone Boost=ON)
Frequency response (1 dB bandwidth): 0,02 – 15 kHz typical (A/D fre-
quency response conditions: measured with a E-MU0202, include isola-
tion transformer)
Noise 1loor screen capture (span: 0 to 5kHz, 48 kHz Sampling Rate, dis-
connected input, microphone Boost=OFF)
Noise 1loor screen capture (span: 0 to 5kHz, 48 kHz Sampling Rate, dis-
connected input, microphone Boost=ON)
Dynamic Range: 88 dB typical
A/D sampling rates: 44.1, 48 kS/s
Audio transformers crosstalk attenuation: 60dB
P a g e 10
• USB COM-Ports:
• Chip: FTDI FT232RL
Multi-Standard: CAT, FIF-232 (5V TTL), IF-232 (5V TTL), Inverted (for
Elecraft, only for TinyGate board revision B). Max. guaranteed serial
baudrate: 19200 baud
Interface power:
external powered from the transceiver / internal powered from the USB
(internal powered works only without galvanic isolation)
PTT output: reed relay driven from RTS, max. 100V/0,5A
CW/FSK output: optoisolated open collector driven from DTR or TXD,
max. 50V/50mA
Squelch input: optoisolated logic high or low to activate CTS, 4-20VDC
• Radio connector (RJ45):
Available signals: RX Audio, TX Audio (MIC), PTT, CW/FSK, COR, CAT/Lo-
gic Supply 8-15VDC
P a g e 11
Before beginning
The assembly procedure of the TinyGate may be facilitated by certain small steps:
· Organise the work space for the procedure.

· Preferably use a wooden table with a sheet of antistatic map placed on top to
prevent any parts that may fall from bouncing to the ground.
· Keep the necessary tools within arm's reach.
· Use a soldering iron whose tip is in good condition. Eventually change it as a
preventative measure.
· Use a free solder alloy for electronics possibly without lead.
· Preferably use a rigorously earthed antistatic bracelet connected to through a
resistor of 1 MegaOhm.
· Rushing is bad practice! Proceed with the most calm approach possible!!!
P a g e 12
Soldering advice
For the assembly of the kit, no particularly sophisticated soldering equipment

is necessary. Even with a good pen soldering tool (at least 30 watts of power)
you can obtain optimum results. The key point for successful soldering is cer-
tainly the state of the tip. Damaged tips or tips which have lost the silver sur-
face layer should be replaced. The tip, once heated, may be effectively cleaned
by melting a small amount of solder alloy on it and then passing it repeatedly
on a damp sponge (not soaking). The operation of cleaning with the sponge
should be repeated regularly, in order to eliminate residues of 1luxing and ox-
idising agents that may build up on it.
Preferably use lead-free solder alloys, even if the soldering in this case will not
have a very shiny appearance and may as a result be more dif1icult to com-
plete. The diameter of the alloy to be used simply depends on habit. Taking
into account the "step" of the parts to be soldered, a soldering alloy with max-
imum diameter of 1mm should be entirely suf1icient. Larger diameters may be
dif1icult to manage, and smaller diameters may require more wire feeding dur-
ing the fusion operations. One should not use 1luxing agents or soldering
pastes since modern soldering irons have a core that, upon melting, carries
out the same function as the soldering paste.
Soldering operations should be carried out in a fast and decisive manner. Cer-
tain components (such as crystal) do not increase in size such that their lead-
ing wires must be insisted upon with the soldering iron. The same is true of
the transformers. The soldering alloy should never be lique1ied on the tip of
the soldering iron, but on the leading wire of the part that is being soldered,
following the heating of the same. After the fusion has begun it is necessary to
apply the heat for several moments (1 or 2 seconds) so as to complete the fu-
sion of the deoxidising agent and to guarantee optimal electrical contact. Do
not exaggerate the quantity of tin that is melted on the leading wires, excesses
tin may result in aesthetically awkward soldering or in short-circuits with the
adjacent feet.
Once the soldering phase is complete, one should never blow on the soldering
alloy. The cooling should take place slowly by convection.
Particular attention should be paid to the airtightness of the ground planes. In
this case the large metallic surface has an elevated thermal capacity, and it
may therefore be dif1icult (especially if the soldering iron is not overly power-
ful) to produce good soldering results.
P a g e 13
Also in this case it is only a question of time, keeping the tip on the ground
plane for a few seconds, such as to lightly heat it and then proceed to the use
of the soldering alloy.
If an error is made, the excess tin may be removed with a desoldering braid
(make sure it does not touch your 1ingers too much) or with tin remover (elec-
trical or pump). The parts should be removed only when the soldering alloy
has been correctly removed and without exerting too much force in the extrac-
tion. If the component is “stuck”, remove the tin more ef1iciently. Applying
force with pliers or wire cutters may lead to insoluble damage to the printed
circuit.
Prepara on and setup

The pack containing the TinyGate kit has finally arrived, so, remembering what
was said in the first section, the necessity is for a space that allows us to work com-
fortably and calmly.
P a g e 14
Assembly
Circuit board
Once the preparations are complete, you may proceed with the assembly of
the small parts remaining to be soldered. The parts represented in the follow-
ing 1igures may be slightly different from those present in the kit.
Once the components have been identified it is necessary to proceed to the local-
isation of their assembly position. The operation is considerably simplified by the
presence of the white silk screen printing on the printed circuit. For this one may
also make reference to the assembly scheme at the end of the table that follows.
Pay particular attention to the precise parallel alignment of the connectors and po-
tentiometers with the edge of the board.
P a g e 15
List of the parts to be soldered
Pos. Description Desc.

To USB connector X4
B Jack stereo 3.5mm X3
C RCA connector (insert the part completely until the 6 white X1

plugs are inserted entirely in the printed circuit)
D RJ45 socket with LED X2
E 16 pin jumper socket JP1
F Reed Relays (The orientation of this component does not K1

matter because of the symmetrical pinout)
(SIP-1A05 or MS05-1A87-75LHR)
P a g e 16
G Dual LED (Red/Green) DZ1
This led block should be aligned with the edge of the printed
circuit.
H / I Potentiometers 10kOhm with dial R2 / R3

knobs
P a g e 17
P a g e 18
For the relay (F) there are present overall in the printed circuit 7 holes with
associated soldering pads. Nonetheless, the relay has only four pins: this is be-
cause the board is prepared for two different relays with different pinout
pitch. If you 1ind in the kit a relay type SIP-1A05, it should be connected in
three round holes and in one oval. For the relays of type MEDER MS05-
1A87-75LHR are supposed to use 4 oval-shaped pads. The orientation of the
relay is immaterial because of the symmetrical pin assignment. In all of these
cases, the position and the distance between the holes make it almost im-
possible to connect the relay incorrectly.
Relay pinout details:
P a g e 19
View of the full assembled board:
P a g e 20
Enclosure kit - Box
There is also available an enclosure kit for the TinyGate, cut to 1it the TinyGate
board and two panels which are already perforated.
The two panels (front and back panel) are thus ready to be completed by ap-
plying the two polyester self-adhesive labels.
P a g e 21
The two masks have been cut with precision and for this reason they should
be aligned with the centre of the holes present on the two covers. For this, we
recommend you try the alignment 1irst without taking off the protective 1ilm,
because the adhesive on these masks is very strong, and so it is dif1icult to re-
position the masks once they have been attached.
CAUTION:
Before assembling the board in the enclosure the jumpers must be
inserted on JP1, which de1ine the assignment of the pins with the
RJ45 X2 socket: see Assignment of pin for the transceiver cable
The assembly of the board in the enclosure is very easy: it is suf1icient to in-
sert it in the aluminium edging, using the second base guide as a seat for the
board. The board is slightly longer than the aluminium box, but this is neces-
sary to allow you to block in a stable way once 1ixed the two panels with the
respective self-threading screws supplied with the enclosure.
After the assembly of the covers the two dial knobs may be applied for the two
"TX" and "RX" potentiometers on the front panel. Before inserting the dial
knob in the shaft it is necessary to ensure that both the potentiometers are
turned anticlockwise, the position corresponding to the 1irst white mark
present on the adhesive label. Right on this mark the dial knob that is going to
be inserted in the shaft should also be aligned. The dials should be lined up
manually (at approx. within 2-3mm of the mask) but without using equipment
such as a hammer or similar tools.
P a g e 22
Connec on cable for the transceiver

TinyGate allows you to freely de1ine the assignment of the pins on the RJ45 X2
connector. The transceiver is connected to this connector via a patch cable that
is supplied in the kit, to which may be assigned the following signals available
on the JP1 socket:
Signals Description
SPK Input for the audio signal reception coming from the demodulator
(AC-coupled)
This signal, according to the transceiver model, may be available on
the microphone socket, DATA, the ACCessory socket or else on a
jack. You can 1ind indications in the manual of your transceiver if
and where an audio output is available.
Advice: Not all transceivers have all of the necessary sig-

nals (SPK, MIC et PTT) available on a single connector.
The RCA X1 (CW / FSK) socket may be for example also used as an
audio input (or else as any other kind of input or output) if there is
not a necessity to use it as CW/FSK output. This is the case in
where not all signals (SPK, MIC and PTT) are available on a single
connector, but where for example the receiver audio output signal
is present on a separate socket. One should thus remove-cut the
copper trace on SJ1 and take the signal with a wire from the left pad
to the desired signal pin on the right row of the socket JP1 (see im-
age below). This solution requires an extra wire, but avoids avoids
having to assemble a Y-cable between X2 and the transceiver.
MIC Audio output to the microphone input (AC-coupled)
This signal, according to the function of the transceiver model, may
be available on the microphone connector, on the DATA or ACCess-
ory connector. In the event that a DATA or ACCessory connector is
available, it is recommended to use these in order to leave free the
microphone socket, and consequently also the microphone itself.
PTT Relay output for the PTT - (Max 100VDC / 0.5A)
It is a contact that is normally open(NA) to the ground (GND)
CAT power supply input for the CAT/CI-V interface
P a g e 23
PWR Given the galvanic isolation of the interface CAT/CI-V it is necessary
to supply it with external power (8-15VDC / 20mA). This power
may for example be taken directly by some transceivers from the
microphone connector, the DATA or ACCessory socket. In the case
the CAT/CI-V interface of TinyGate is not used or in cases where
galvanic isolation is not required, it is not necessary to get any
power supply from the transceiver.
COR/ Input - Squelch
SQL Certain applications, (e.g. Echolink) support and use for the carrier de-
tection and/or channel busy detection by this signal from the trans-
ceiver, but only some transceivers have this output available on a con-
nector. On several transceivers of this sort it is necessary to get the
SQUELCH signal from inside. The SJ6 and SJ13 bridges define
whether this signal should be interpreted with a positive or negative lo-
gic.
CW/ Output - CW or else FSK (max. 50VDC / 50mA)
FSK It is a transistor output from a optocoupler. If necessary, you may
connect this output with a 1.5kOhm-resistor to +5V (Pull-Up)
through the SJ11 solder bridge.
GND Ground (GND), connected to the shield of the RJ45 X2 socket
and the RJ45 cable towards the transceiver. This ground is
separated from the USB-ground of the circuit on the board and
should be connected to the ground of the transceiver via the RJ45
patch cable or the CW / FSK cable.
GND Ground (GND), connected to the shielding of the RJ45 X2
socket and the RJ45 cable towards the transceiver. This ground
is separated from the USB-ground of the circuit on the board and
should be connected to the ground of the transceiver via the RJ45
patch cable or the CW / FSK cable.
The RJ45 socket X2 is exclusively provided for the con-

nection of a transceiver and not an Ethernet network
port. Hence, a network device, such as a DSL router or
similar device for example, must not be connected, other-
wise it may be damaged by the TinyGate and/or the con-
nected network device!
P a g e 24
The RCA X1 (CW / FSK) socket may for example also be used as an audio input
(or else as any other kind of input or output) if there is not the need to use it
as a CW/FSK output. This is necessary in cases where not all signals (SPK, MIC
and PTT) are available on a single connector, but where for example the re-
ceiver audio output signal is present on a separate socket. For this reason re-
move-cut the copper trace on SJ1 and bring the signal with a wire from the left
pad to the desired signal pin on the right row of the socket JP1.
In the following example, the RCA X1 socket has been recon1igured as an audio
input:
P a g e 25
The transceiver cable

With the assembly kit there is a CAT5-FTP cable provided with a shielded RJ45
connector. If the cable in the kit should have two shielded RJ45 connectors and the
transceiver has a different type of connector, it is then possible to remove one of
these, cutting the cable near the connector. Certain transceivers have a RJ45 type
microphone connector, in this case the cable with two RJ45 may become useful.
The transceiver should be connected to the RJ45 X2 socket via this cable, which
should be set up on the open side (that which faces the transceiver) with a suitable
connector for your transceiver itself. The necessary available signals have been
described in the previous chapter "Cable for connection to the transceiver».
P a g e 26
The shielded cable is made up of 4 twisted pairs of wires, which have the
following colour code and assignment on the connector:
The shield is already attached to the ground (GND signal) in a fixed way from the
board via the RJ45 X2 socket. As previously described, the signals present on the
JP1 may be freely assigned to each pin of this connector. In any case, it is advised
to connect at least the MIC and SPK signals on two different wire pairs, in order to
thus obtain a better de-coupling between these signals.
This means that MIC and SPK should always be paired with a wire that is
connected to ground (GND).
P a g e 27
Examples of connec on with transceivers

In the following tables there is an illustration of the assignment of the pins and
wires for the cable towards some transceivers.
In any case errors are not excluded, and so, there should be
considered as examples and only as guidelines for the cables
assembly and not as guaranteeing the proper functioning with
every specific transceiver.
In the assembly kit, there is also provided a piece of rigid and insulated copper
wire which is suitable to build the jumpers to insert in JP1.
P a g e 28
Elekraft KX3
The assignation of pins for the transceiver cable (X2 <-> PHONES +
MIC):
X2 Jumpers on JP1 towards the Wire Colour Pin on PHONES

Pin signals + MIC
side panel view
1 GND 3 (MIC)
2 MIC 1 (MIC)
3 GND 3 (PHONES)
4 PTT 2 (MIC)
5
6 SPK 1 (PHONES)
7
8
P a g e 29
Icom IC275, IC725, IC726, IC728, IC729, IC735,
IC736, IC737, IC738, IC746PRO, IC756PROIII,
IC761, IC765, IC775, IC781, IC820, IC821, IC910,
IC970, IC7400, IC7600, IC7700, IC7800
The assignation of pins for the transceiver cable (X2 <->ACC1):
X2 Jumpers on JP1 towards the Wire Colour Pin on ACC (1)

Pin signals
1 GND 2
2 MIC 4
3 GND 2
4 PTT 3
5
6 SPK 5
7 COR / SQL 6
8 PWR 7
P a g e 30
JP1 - Jumpers example for the cable described above:
P a g e 31
Yaesu FT100D, FT817, FT857, FT897
The assignation of pins for the transceiver cable (X2 <-> DATA
transceiver):
P a g e 32
Option: CAT control via the CAT interface of the TinyGate:
Pinout of the CAT cable

Pin CAT Description PIN on CAT /
X3 input LINEAR
1 TXD RX D
2 RXD TX D
3 GND (Ground of GND
the transceiver)
CAT / CI-V Interface mode solder bridge setting (SJ10):
solder bridge SJ10 on the position 2-3 (FIF232, IF232 mode)

We suggest to use the internal USB supply for the CAT interface to avoid to get the
“+13,8V” from the CAT/LINEAR socket as external supply:
CAT / CI-V Interface Supply mode Jumper setting (SJ7 / SJ9):
SJ7 SJ9 CAT Power supply port

Pos. Pos.
1-2 1-2 Internal (USB)
See also CAT / CI-V power supply
P a g e 33
Yaesu FT1000 MARK-V, FT1000, FT990
The assignation of pins for the transceiver cable (X2 <-> PACKET
Transceiver):
X2 Jumpers on JP1 towards the Wire Colour Pin on the

Pin signals PACKET
rear panel view
1 GND 2
2 MIC 1
3 GND 2
4 PTT 3
5
6 SPK 4
7 COR / SQL 5
8 PWR (only necessary for a PIN4 ( 9V) on
galvanic isolated CAT the socket DVS-
interface) 2 (FT990)
P a g e 34
Pinout of the CAT cable for FT990 and FT1000D

Pin CAT Description PIN on the CAT socket
X3 input
1 TXD 3 SERIAL IN
2 RXD 2 SERIAL OUT
3 GND (Ground of 1 GND
the transceiver)
P a g e 35
Yaesu FT840
The assignation of pins for the transceiver cable (X2 <-> Transceiver MIC
and AF-OUT):
Pin Jumpers on JP1 towards Wire colour Pin on the MIC AF-OUT
X2 the signals of CAT5-FTP (front panel socket (rear
cable view) panel view)
1 GND 7
2 MIC 8
3 GND Ground
(ring)
4 PTT 6
6 SPK Center pin
8 PWR (only necessary for Center pin

a galvanic isolated CAT of „+13.5V“
interface)
P a g e 36
Pinout of the CAT cable for FT840

Pin CAT X3 Description PIN on the CAT socket Notes
connector
1 TXD 3 SERIAL IN Add a 150 Ohm resistor

between pin 3 and pin 1
2 RXD 2 SERIAL OUT
3 GND 1 GND
(Ground of
the
transceiver)
CAT Serial baudrate: 4800 Bps

P a g e 37
Yaesu FT2000, FT920
The assignation of pins for the transceiver cable (X2 <-> PACKET
Transceiver):
X2 Jumpers on JP1 towards the Wire Colour Pin on the

Pin signals PACKET
rear panel view
1 GND 2
2 MIC 1
3 GND 2
4 PTT 3
5
6 SPK 4
7 COR / SQL 5
8
P a g e 38
Yaesu FT450, FT950, FT991
Icom IC2720H, IC2725E
Kenwood TS480, TM255, TM455, TM-G707, TM-
V7, TM-D700x
The assignation of pins for the transceiver cable
(X2 <-> transceiver RTTY/PKT/DATA):
X2 Jumpers on JP1 towards the Wire Colour Pin on

Pin signals RTTY/PKT/DATA
Rear panel view
1 GND 2
2 MIC 1
3 GND 2
4 PTT 3
5
6 SPK 5
7 COR / SQL 6
8
P a g e 39
Kenwood TS140, TS440(S), TS450S, TS570,
TS590, TS680, TS690, TS850, TS870S, TS940(S),
TS950S, TS990, TS2000(X)
The assignation of pins for the transceiver cable (X2 <-> ACC
Transceiver):
X2 Jumpers on JP1 towards the Wire Colour Pin on ACC

Pin signals rear panel view
1 GND 4
2 MIC 11
3 GND 8
4 PTT 9
5
6 SPK 3
7 COR / SQL 5
8
P a g e 40
Kenwood R1000
The assignation of pins for the receiver cable (X2 <-> RECORD):
X2 Jumpers on JP1 towards the Wire Colour Pin on RECORD

Pin signals front panel view
3 GND 3
4
5
6 SPK 1
7
8
P a g e 41
Kenwood TS50S
The assignation of pins for the transceiver cable (X2 <-> MIC
Transceiver):
X2 Jumpers on JP1 towards the Wire Colour Pin on MIC

Pin signals front panel view
1 GND 7
2 MIC 1
3 GND 8
4 PTT 2
5
6 SPK 6
7
8 PWR (only necessary for the 5
CAT)
P a g e 42
Icom IC703, IC706, IC718, IC7000, IC7100,
IC7200, IC7300, IC7410, IC9100
The assignation of pins for the transceiver cable (X2 <-> ACC
Transceiver):
X2 Jumpers on JP1 towards the Wire Colour Pin on ACC

Pin signals rear panel view
1 GND 2
2 MIC 11
3 GND 2
4 PTT 3 + 7
5
6 SPK 12
7 COR / SQL 13
8 PWR (only necessary for the 8

CAT)
P a g e 43
CAT / CI-V interface
CAT/CI-V connec ons
The TinyGate has a dedicated serial port for the control of a transceiver with a
CAT/CI-V interface. The jack socket X3 allows a direct connection with a ICOM
transceiver which support the CI-V, with the help of a simple audio cable with two
3.5mm-Jack plugs (stereo or mono).
The CAT/CI-V interface may be con1igured in two different modes:
1. CI-V mode
This mode is used by numerous ICOM transceivers and is essentially a
TTL single wire serial port. The TinyGate board is supplied already
con?igured for the CI-V mode and for the external power supply of
the CAT / CI-V Port.
P a g e 44
CI-V: Signals (socket "CAT" X3):
Pin Description
1 CI-V RXD / TXD

2
3 GND (Ground of the
transceiver )
2. FIF-232, IF-232 mode

This mode provides two separate signals for RXD and TXD, and is
essentially a serial port with TTL levels (0/5V).
FIF-232, IF-232 signals (socket "CAT" X3):
Pin Description
1 TXD
2 RXD
3 GND (Ground of the
transceiver)
P a g e 45
To define the mode FIF232 (IF232), we have to set the SJ10 solder bridge as
follows:
CAT / CI-V Mode Jumper setting (SJ10)
Pos. CAT Interface Mode

SJ10
1-2 CI-V (default)
2-3 FIF232, IF232, Elecraft
All of the solder bridges are on the bottom side of the board to simplify access to
these. For the pre-set, subtle copper trace are used, which can be removed and
opened with a cutter. In the following image there is an illustration of the position
of SJ10 and SJ4:
P a g e 46
CAT for ELECRAFT-Transceivers

An inverted logic level on the serial data lines is required to connect the CAT-
interface to a Elecraft-Transceiver (models K2, K3, KX2, KX3). This option is
only available since the TinyGate board revision B and can be set through
the SJ14 solder bridge as follows:
Serial Data Line Mode jumper setting (SJ14)
Pos. Inverted logic RXD and TXD

SJ14
1-2 Not inverted (default)
2-3 Inverted (for Elecraft)
P a g e 47
We have also to set the mode FIF232 (IF232), therefore it’s necessary to set the
SJ10 solder bridge to pos. 2-3 as follows:
CAT / CI-V Mode Jumper setting (SJ10)
Pos. CAT Interface Mode

SJ10
1-2 CI-V (default)
2-3 FIF232, IF232, Elecraft
The jack socket X3 allows a direct connection with a ELECRAFT transceiver

which support the CAT, with the help of a simple audio cable with two 3.5mm-
stereo Jack plugs.
CAT / CI-V power supply
The TinyGate has a very flexible interface, which allows it to be adapted to a wide
range of transceivers.
To ensure the galvanic isolation of the CAT / CI-V port, an external power supply
is necessary (8-15VDC). This may for example be directly take from the
transceiver. See also Connection cable to the transceiver
If an external power supply isn’t available directly from the

transceiver, so it’s possible to use the X1 (CW / FSK) socket to
connect an external power supply. One should thus remove-cut
the copper trace on SJ1 and add a wire jumper between pin 3 and
pin 5 on the socket JP1.
The power supply to the CAT / CI-V port may be chosen as internal (from the
USB) or external:
CAT / CI-V Interface Supply mode Jumper setting (SJ7 / SJ9)
SJ7 SJ9 CAT Power supply port

Pos. Pos.
2-3 2-3 External (default)
P a g e 48
1. External
The power supply for the CAT/CI-V port comes from the RJ45 X2 socket.
This power is reduced inside the TinyGate with a linear voltage regu-
lator (D2, T3) to about 5.1V. The TinyGate board is pre-con?igured for
the external power supply of the CAT / CI-V Port.
2. Internal
The electrical supply to the CAT/CI-V port is internally taken from the
USB port of the TinyGate.
CAUTION! Due to a common ground it is not possible to have a

galvanic isolation between the TinyGate (the PC) and the CAT
port of the transceiver if you use the internal supply!
The CAT/CI-V port and the SQL (COR) input use a common
ground (de?ined with the SJ9 bridge), as a result, they should both be
powered from the same supply (internal or external)!
P a g e 49
PTT / CW / FSK outputs
PTT:
The PTT output is driven by the RTS control line of the serial port. This output
is a normally open switch from the reed relay K1, which closes towards the
ground of the transceiver.
In the event that someone wishes for example to add a switch to disable the
relay manually, they may do so on the SJ3 solder bridge.
Note: that the red LED "PTT” on the front panel is illuminated when the PTT relay
K1 is switched on.
CW / FSK:
The CW / FSK output is driven by the DTR control line or by the TXD data line
(de1ined with SJ12) of the serial Port. It is an output transistor (open col-
lector), which may also be connected to +5 V (internal or external power) with
a pull-up resistor of 1.5kOhm through the SJ11.
If this output is driven by the TXD data line of the serial port, it is an FSK ap-
plication.
P a g e 50
CW / FSK control line setting (SJ12)
Pos. CW / FSK line of control (Mode)

SJ12
1-2 DTR (CW-Mode) (default)
2-3 TXD (FSK mode)
CW / FSK Pull-up resistor (SJ11)
Pos. CW / FSK pull-up resistor (1.5kΩ)

SJ11
open disabled (by default)
close enabled
P a g e 51
CW / FSK Pull-up and SQL (COR) negative logic supply source (SJ8)
Pos. Supply source for CW/FSK pull-up and negative logic SQL (COR)
SJ8
1-2 Internal (USB)
2-3 external (default)
P a g e 52
SQL (COR) Input

The SQL (COR) input is connected through a optocoupler to the CTS control
line of the serial serial port (the same port used by the PTT / CW). The input
of this optocoupler is an LED, which may be biased with a 2kΩ resistor with
positive or negative logic (de1ined by SJ6 and SJ13). With SJ8 (see also Pull-Up
resistor for the CW / FSK output) you can set the supply source (internal or
external) in the case of negative logic. This supply voltage is also about 5.1V.
Power supply source for CW / FSK Pull-up resistor and negative logic SQL
(COR) input (SJ8)
SJ8 SJ9 CW / FSK pull-up resistor / SQL (COR) negative logic entry
Pos. Pos.
2-3 2-3 external (default)
P a g e 53
SJ6 SJ13 SQL (COR) entry logic
Pos. Pos.
1-2 2-3 positive (default)
2-3 1-2 negative
The CAT / CI-V port and the SQL (COR) input use a common
ground (de?ined with the SJ9 bridge) as a result, they should
both be supplied from the same supply source (internal or ex-
ternal)! See also "CAT / CI-V Supply"
P a g e 54
P a g e 55
Test – Ini al opera on

For the first use or test you may simply connect the TinyGate to your PC using the
USB cable supplied with the kit. The operating systems should normally recognise
TinyGate immediately, however it may occur that MS Windows requires the
installation of the driver for the FTDI serial ports on theTinyGate. This driver may
simply be downloaded from the web page of the manufacturer and installed. In
the event that someone should have doubts or questions on the installation of the
FTDI driver they may find a detailed description for numerous operating systems
on the site for the installation guide.
Important note! : The enclosure is connected to the ground of the

USB Port and as a result to the ground of the connected PC!
When the TinyGate audio interface is recognised by the operating system, the
green LED "PWR " should light up on the front panel:
Note: the green LED "PWR” on the front panel flashes when a software
application accesses the TinyGate audio interface. The "PWR" LED remains off
until the operating system starts up and the relative audio drivers are loaded.
In the following chapters, you will find a brief description with some screenshots
about how to verify with Windows XP, Windows7 and Windows 10 whether the
TinyGate has been correctly recognised.
P a g e 56
Windows XP
If you connect the TinyGate for the first time, the following messages appear:
Once the operating system has installed the drivers, these messages shall disappear.
Now the device management:

A quick way of opening the device management is by going on
Start ->Control Panel -> System -> Hardware -> Device management
If the TinyGate is correctly recognised and all of the drivers have loaded, then
following devices should result in the in the device manager:
P a g e 57
P a g e 58
It is useful to note that the progressive numbering of the two serial ports (COMx)
depends on the PC and operating system, so it is possible that this should differ
from PC to PC.
P a g e 59
Windows 7
If you connect the TinyGate for the first time, the following messages appear:
Once the installation of the drivers is complete these windows may be closed.

A fast way of opening the device manager is going on "Start" and inserting the
text "Device management" into the search 1ield and clicking on the result
"Device management".
P a g e 60
If the TinyGate is correctly recognised and all of the drivers have loaded, then this
should result in the following devices in the device manager:
It is useful to note that the progressive numbering of the two serial ports
(COMx) depends on the PC and operating system, so it is possible that this
should differ from PC to PC.
P a g e 61
Windows 10
If you connect the TinyGate for the 1irst time, the following messages appear:
Once the installation of the drivers is complete these windows may be closed.

A fast way of opening the device manager is going on "Start" and inserting the
text "Device management" into the search 1ield and clicking the on the result
"Device management".
P a g e 62
this should result in the following devices in the device manager:
It is useful to note that the progressive numbering of the two serial ports
(COMx) depends on the PC and operating system, so it is possible that this
should differ from PC to PC.
P a g e 63
Linux - Ubuntu
If you connect TinyGate to the PC, you will 1ind the following CM108 audio
devices on on the "sound setting panel":
P a g e 64
From the line of command it is possible to verify the presence of the TinyGate
USB devices using the command "lsusb":
Bus 002 Device 060: ID 0403: 6001 Technology Devices Future In-
ternational Ltd FT232 serial (UART) IC
Bus 002 Device 059: ID 0d8c: 013C C-Media Electronics, Inc. CM108
Audio Controller
Bus 002 Device 060: ID 0403: 6001 Technology Devices Future In-
ternational Ltd FT232 serial (UART) IC
Bus 002 Device 057: ID 05e3: 0608 Genesys Logic, Inc. Hub
ln this case we see the following TinyGate USB devices :
the fourth is the USB hub

the 1irst and the third are the serial ports
the second is the sound card
P a g e 65
To check that the sound card has really been recognised by the system you
may use the following command:
cat / proc / asound / cards

0 [HDMI]: HDA-Intel - Intel HDA HDMI
HDA Intel HDMI at 0xf0630000 irq 63
1 [PCH ]: HDA-Intel - HDA Intel PCH
CTRL + S HDA Intel PCH at 0xf0634000 irq 64
2 [Device ]: USB-Audio - USB PnP Sound Device
C-Media Electronics Inc. USB PnP Sound Device at usb-0000: 00:
14,0 à 1,2, full spe
29 [ThinkPadEC]: ThinkPad EC - ThinkPad Console Audio Control
ThinkPad Console Audio Control at EC reg 0x30, fw unknown
In this case, we see the device n ° 2 (C-Media Electronics Inc. USB PnP Sound
Device) as the sound card of TinyGate.
To verify that the serial ports have really been seen by the system you may use
the following command:
ls -alrt /dev/ttyUSB*
crw-rw---- 1 root dialout 188, 0 apr 30 22:07 /dev/ttyUSB0
crw-rw---- 1 root dialout 188, 1 apr 30 22:07 /dev/ttyUSB1
Caution! It is useful to note that the progressive numbering of the two serial
ports (ttyUSBx) depends on the PC and operating system, so it is possible that
this should differ from PC to PC.
P a g e 66
MacOS -X
this should result in the following devices in the System Report:
P a g e 67
P a g e 68
Important note! : You have to set the “Format” to 44100Hz for the
TinyGate Sound device inside “Audio-MIDI-Setup”. This setting
must be repeated one time on each USB port on your MAC. So if you
change the USB port, the MAC will remember this setting above.
P a g e 69
Examples of configura ons for digital modes

applica ons
Fundamentally TinyGate offers three available peripheral USBs:
• 2 serial ports
• 1 audio interface
As described in the previous chapter, the progressive numbering of

the two serial ports (COMx) depends on the PC and operating sys-
tem, so it is possible that this should differ from PC to PC.
Example: Let us suppose that, once the TinyGate is connected to a USB port of
the PC, we have the following serial ports available:
USB Serial Port COM6

USB Serial Port COM7
Now we need to determine which of the two serial ports is for the CAT and
which is for the PTT/CW. For this there are the following methods:
1. For those who have experience and familiarity with software

applications in digital modes they may simply try which of the two ports
is capable of activating the PTT. As a result the other serial port is the one
for the CAT.
P a g e 70
2. For example a terminal programme is used with the cable disconnected
from the transceiver and after having launched it the serial port to be tried is
selected and you click on "Connect". In our case, we will turn to and try the
COM6.
If after having clicked "Connect" the green light illuminates "CTS" then we
have identified the serial port for PTT / CW and SQL. As a result, the serial
port COM7 is for the CAT.
P a g e 71
The two LEDs on the "TRANSCEIVER" X2 socket indicate when the CAT/CI-V
serial port has transmitted or received data. If, for example, we try to transmit
data on the CAT port without having connected any transceiver, we see a brief
1lashing of the yellow "CAT-TX" LED:
P a g e 72
Ham Radio Deluxe V 5.24- Digital Master 780

As already explained, the TinyGate may be used with a wide range of software
applications for digital modes. Below are illustrated con1iguration examples
for some popular software in amateur radio, focused on the aspects linked to
the parameters of the TinyGate hardware.
First of all, the sound card should be con1igured for use (audio input and
output on TinyGate) under the menu "Program Options" -> "Soundcard":
P a g e 73
Then, the serial port for the PTT should be chosen in the “PTT” sub-menu:
The relay of the PTT-Relay is controlled by default from the control

line "RTS" of the serial port for the PTT / CW. See also
„PTT/CW/FSK outputs“.
P a g e 74
If someone want to work in CW with the Keyer input of the transceiver, they
should choose the same serial port used for the PPT in the submenu ”Modes +
IDs", but using the "DTR" control line.
The CW output is preset to be controlled by the "DTR" command

line of the serial port for the PTT. See also “PTT/CW / FSK Outputs
”.
P a g e 75
The TinyGate integrated sound card has a preampli1ier on the microphone in-
put, that is activated via the software through the audio control panel of the
operating system. Unfortunately, the term «AGC» for the preampli1ier is not
really self-explanatory......:
In any case it is advisable to deactivate the preampli1ier 1irst and controlling

the audio output level of the transceiver. Only if this was not suf1iciently high
despite the “RX” potentiometer being at maximum, then one may try and ac-
tivate the preampli1ier with “AGC”.
P a g e 76
Those who wish to listen the audio signal coming from the
transceiver through the speakers of the prede1ined system or other
audio outputs of the PC, may do so by activating the audio input of
the TinyGate sound card as a source for playing:
P a g e 77
In the "Soundcard" window, selecting "RX" at the bottom, the “Signal Level"
vertical bar is displayed, with the actual audio signal level coming from the
transceiver. .
Selecting "TX” on the other hand, there is displayed the output sound level
regulator of the TinyGate audio interface.
P a g e 78
The output level may be regulated here via software, but may also
be regulated with the "TX" potentiometer on the front panel. The
software is not advised for use at an output level of 100%. On the
other hand, it would be more indicated to put it at 50% and carry
out the 1inal regulation with the "TX" potentiometer. In any case, it
should be noted that these two regulators are placed in series. This signi1ies
for example, if you de1ine the output level in the software as 0%, you will not
manage to obtain any signal at the output even if the “TX” potentiometer is set
to the maximum, either in a clockwise direction or the opposite.
When you start HamRadioDeluxe, you will be asked to select the transceiver
model and the relative serial port for the CAT. In the following case, we have
the CI-V/CAT-Port serial port of the TinyGate available as COM7:
P a g e 79
WSJT-X
Here, we show a few examples of the con1iguration for WSJT-X, focussing on
the aspects linked to the parameters of the TinyGate hardware.
In the "Settings" of the “File”, the audio interface should be chosen (“Audio IN”
input and “Audio Out” output of the TinyGate audio interface), as well as the
serial port used for the PTT "PTT Port" with the "PTT method" on RTS and the
serial port for CAT, "CAT port":
P a g e 80
FLDIGI & MacOS

Here, we show a few examples of the con1iguration for FLDIGI on MacOS, fo-
cussing on the aspects linked to the parameters of the TinyGate hardware.
In the "Audio" of the “Devices”, the audio interface should be chosen (“Capture”
input and “Playback” output of the TinyGate audio interface), as well as the
serial port used for the PTT "RIG – Hardware PTT" with the "Use RTS" and the
serial port for CAT, "RIG – RigCAT":
P a g e 81
P a g e 82
P a g e 83

Tinygate Usb Digimode Interface: Instructions For Assembly and User'S Manual

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TinyGate

USB Digimode Interface

Copyright 2016 RF-SYSTEM ©

Before using with a transceiver or receiver, the bridges on

· Aerate the room after the welding activity.

• Provides 2 independant integrated USB COM-Ports:

• Controls for receiver and transmitter audio level

Technical speciﬁca ons

• USB 2.0 High speed interface

Audio transformers crosstalk attenuation: 60dB

· Organise the work space for the procedure.

For the assembly of the kit, no particularly sophisticated soldering equipment

Prepara on and setup

List of the parts to be soldered

Pos. Description Desc.

B Jack stereo 3.5mm X3

C RCA connector (insert the part completely until the 6 white X1

D RJ45 socket with LED X2

E 16 pin jumper socket JP1

F Reed Relays (The orientation of this component does not K1

H / I Potentiometers 10kOhm with dial R2 / R3

Relay pinout details:

Enclosure kit - Box

Connec on cable for the transceiver

Advice: Not all transceivers have all of the necessary sig-

The RJ45 socket X2 is exclusively provided for the con-

The transceiver cable

Examples of connec on with transceivers

X2 Jumpers on JP1 towards the Wire Colour Pin on PHONES

The assignation of pins for the transceiver cable (X2 <->ACC1):

X2 Jumpers on JP1 towards the Wire Colour Pin on ACC (1)

Pinout of the CAT cable

CAT / CI-V Interface mode solder bridge setting (SJ10):

solder bridge SJ10 on the position 2-3 (FIF232, IF232 mode)

CAT / CI-V Interface Supply mode Jumper setting (SJ7 / SJ9):

SJ7 SJ9 CAT Power supply port

See also CAT / CI-V power supply

X2 Jumpers on JP1 towards the Wire Colour Pin on the

rear panel view

Pinout of the CAT cable for FT990 and FT1000D

CAT / CI-V Interface mode solder bridge setting (SJ10):

solder bridge SJ10 on the position 2-3 (FIF232, IF232 mode)

6 SPK Center pin

8 PWR (only necessary for Center pin

Pinout of the CAT cable for FT840

1 TXD 3 SERIAL IN Add a 150 Ohm resistor

CAT Serial baudrate: 4800 Bps

solder bridge SJ10 on the position 2-3 (FIF232, IF232 mode)

X2 Jumpers on JP1 towards the Wire Colour Pin on the

rear panel view

X2 Jumpers on JP1 towards the Wire Colour Pin on

X2 Jumpers on JP1 towards the Wire Colour Pin on ACC

X2 Jumpers on JP1 towards the Wire Colour Pin on RECORD

X2 Jumpers on JP1 towards the Wire Colour Pin on MIC

X2 Jumpers on JP1 towards the Wire Colour Pin on ACC

8 PWR (only necessary for the 8

CAT / CI-V interface

CAT/CI-V connec ons

The CAT/CI-V interface may be con1igured in two different modes: