IC-7600 Setup

Table of Contents

• IC-7600 SETTINGS
• SOFTWARE SETTINGS
  • FLDIGI
  • FLRIG
  • SETTING LEVELS AND TUNING

Submitted by Andy - VE3NVK / G8VTV

How to use the USB audio connection of the IC-7600 to a computer with FLDIGI and FLRIG.

IC-7600 SETTINGS

Setting the IC7600 menu items

1. Go into setup on the 7600 (Exit/set) then goto "set" and finally "Levels"
2. Scroll to the item "Data 1 mod" and change the setting to USB (by turning the tuning dial).
   If you do not change this setting then the rig will not get the transmit audio - it still sends the received audio signal out though.
   You can use any of Data 1 to Data 3 settings if you have reason to but it is simplest to use the first.
3. Scroll up to the setting for "USB MOD Level" make sure it has some level set (mine is at 40%).
4. Scroll up to "USB Audio SQL" and make sure it is off(open) - We want the software to do any squelching on digital modes.
5. You will probably also want to leave the setting for DATA OFF MOD at the default of "Mic,Acc", if you still intend to use a microphone for SSB!
   You can just turn it to Mic alone to avoid any confusing complications.
   If you have another audio interface plugged into the auxiliary port, such as a TNC you will probably want to leave it alone.

That should be it for the radio settings.

SOFTWARE SETTINGS

Now, on the computer, make sure that the sound card on the output side has some initial level set; try from 20 to 60% for starters.

If using FLRIG, (the companion software) to FLDIGI, both of which I strongly recommend, set a level for microphone and power level (start at say 50%). I find that I ended up with the mic level very low at about 5%. If you are not using FLRIG in association with FLDIGI then you do have some other interface options, explained in the main FLDIGI on-line help.

Start both FLDIGI and FLRIG, make sure that FLDIGI is set to use XML-RPC for rig control, and not anything else. If you try to use rig control from both FLDIGI with FLRIG running then there will be conflicts, and who knows which programme will be in charge. FLDIGI sends frequency, mode and bandwidth changes to the transceiver via FLRIG when XML-RPC is selected. FLRIG in turn annunciates changes back to FLDIGI. The radio, FLRIG and FLDIGI should stay in synch no matter where the change occurs.

FLDIGI

1. On FLDIGI's "Configure" tab and rig control tab make sure that you only select XML-RPC.
2. On the "Audio" tab make sure (on Linux) that you have selected the correct audio device. I use PortAudio so I have selected both Capture and Playback show up as "USB Audio CODEC: USB Audio ..." (after that is will show the hardware port as something like (HW:0,0) - this last part will change depending on how your computer is set up to identify the audio ports.
3. In the OS sound mixer application, the 7600 USB audio will probably be identified as "PCM2901 Audio Codec."
4. If you are using Pulse audio the mixer function is performed in the Pulse-audio mixer application.  Pulse audio will remember both the record and playback levels required for each application that it serves.

FLRIG

1. Open the Config/Transceiver select tab and perform the following in the dialog window that opens
2. Make sure to select the rig ic-7600 that the serial port is selected - it will be something like (again in Linux) /dev/ttyUSB0, the number at the end may be different, and if you have more than one USB serial device connected, make sure you have the correct one. (Hint: use the command, in a terminal screen, 'lsmod')
3. Make sure the CI-V address is correct, the default for the 7600 is 0x7A
4. Check off the "USB Audio" box.
5. Select the button for PTT via CAT.
6. Ensure that the baud rate is compatible with what you have set on the 7600 I use 19200.
7. Select 1 stop bit
8. Enable the checkbox for Echo.
9. Now for retries, retry interval, cmd interval and query interval, I use 2, 50, 5, 100, but other values will certainly work for you. If you want faster response to the frequency when changed using the tune dial on the rig you may want to try reducing the value of QRY interval.

Make sure to press the INIT button before closing the window so that the settings you have changed TAKE.

When using digital modes make sure that (even for CW) that you have selected "USB-D1" for the audio connection. If you use anything else, you will NOT be able to transmit, just receive. (Unless you decided to set up for USB-D2 or D3). This shows in both FLRIG and FLDIGI.

The rig should then also show that it is set to USB-D1 with a blue background just above the frequency display and between the VFO and filter setting indicators.

If, as has happened to me with some of the iterations of FLRIG, the 7600 stops showing USB-D1, change it back by either pressing the USB button repeatedly on the 7600 until it shows, or in FLRIG if you can.

SETTING LEVELS AND TUNING

Finally using the TUNE button on FLDIGI, set up the power and modulation levels for almost no ALC action. You will have to play with both the MIC setting in FLRIG, and the output level setting for your sound mixer to get this right. You can work digital modes such as PSK31 very well with power levels of less than 25 watts output. Doing so does not stress your output finals too much and still gives you an effective signal out (unless your antenna system is awful.) At 25 watts output my rig shows about 13 amps for Ip.

When making these level selections make sure you press in and hold the rig's meter button for 1+ sec so that all the readings show at the same time.

Please note that the TUNE button on FLRIG does not work the same as the same as the tune button in FLDIGI. The tune button on FLRIG tells the 7600 to use its internal tuner to match to the antenna at the frequency selected. If you are already tuned then if will go on and off again very quickly with no time to adjust modulation level settings. The TUNE button on FLDIGI sends a continuous two tone signal at the maximum level, and is intended for setting the modulation levels - that is the one to use.

As I only use Linux on my rigs computer I have not been able to provide instructions for Windows users but they are essentially the same except as to how the serial port and audio ports are identified.

CAUTION

Last of all, always turn the 7600 on before starting FLRIG and FLDIGI, and always close the two programmes before turning off the 7600. If you do not do it in this fashion you may have to reset settings on starting up the programmes, and they will almost always hang on shutting down - at times necessitating a reboot in Windows.

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