Getting Started

Getting Started

You can get an AIOC yourself or from a number of ready-to-use vendors.

How To Fab

You can order and build your own AIOC directly with a PCB assembly service, like JLCPCB.

• Go to JLCPCB.com and upload the GERBER-k1-aioc.zip package (under kicad/k1-aioc/jlcpcb)
  • Select PCB Thickness 1.2mm (that is what I recommend with the TRS connectors I used)
  • You may want to select LeadFree HASL
  • Select Silkscreen/Soldermask color to your liking
• Check "PCB Assembly"
  • PCBA Type "Economic"
  • Assembly Side "Top Side"
  • Tooling Holes "Added by Customer"
  • Press Confirm
  • Click "Add BOM File" and upload BOM-k1-aioc.csv
  • Click "Add CPL File" and upload CPL-k1-aioc.csv
  • Press Next
  • Look Through components, see if something is missing or problematic
  • Make sure that all listed components are selected and press Next
  • Check everything looks roughly good (rotations are already baked-in and should be correct). Save to Cart

This gives you 5 (or more) SMD assembled AIOC. The only thing left to do is soldering on the TRS connectors (see here). The total bill should be around 60$ US for 5 pieces plus tax and shipping from China.

Note that the following message from JLCPCB is okay and can be ignored.

The below parts won't be assembled due to data missing.
H1,H2 designators don't exist in the BOM file.
J2,D3,D4,R17 designators don't exist in the CPL file.

How To Assemble

This is the process I use for building. See photographs in images folder.

• You need to use Monacor PG-204P and PG-203P or compatible TRS connectors (2 solder lugs and a big tab for the sleeve connection). Adafruit products 1800 and 1798 are confirmed to work as well.
• Cut the 2.5mm and 3.5mm TRS sleeve tab where the hole is located
• Put both TRS connectors into the 3d-printed solder guide (or a cheap HT that you don't mind potentially damaging). Make sure, that they are seated all the way in. If the holes in the solder guide are too small, you can ream them using a 2.5mm and 3.5mm drill bit.
• Insert the AIOC PCB into the solder guide
• Solder sleeve tab on the back side for both TRS connectors first
• Turn around PCB and solder remaining solder lugs
• Optionally you can 3D print a case for your AIOC. This model has been designed by a third party but is confirmed to work with the AIOC.

Note It is unfortunately quite common that the TRS connectors have intermittent contact after soldering the ring or tip tabs. In this case, it helps to re-melt the solder joint, then using e.g. tweezer slightly assert some sideways force onto the contact and let the solder joint solidify while applying the pressure on the contact. This will keep some tension on the area where the tab internally connects to the barrel and thus give a solid (spring loaded) connection.

How To Program

Initial programming

The following steps are required for initial programming of the AIOC:

• Short outermost pins on the programming header. This will set the device into bootloader mode in the next step.
• Connect USB-C cable to the AIOC PCB
• Use a tool like dfu-util to program the firmware binary from the GitHub Releases page like this:

  dfu-util -a 0 -s 0x08000000:leave -D aioc-fw-x-y-z.bin
  

  Note that a libusb driver is required for this. On Windows there are additional steps required as shown here (DFuSe Utility and dfu-util). On other operating systems (e.g. Linux, MacOS), this just works ™ (provided libusb is installed on your system). On Linux (and MacOS), your user either needs to have the permission to use libusb (plugdev group) or you might need to use sudo.
• Remove short from first step, unplug and replug the device, it should now enumerate as the AIOC device

Firmware updating

Once the AIOC has firmware loaded onto it, it can be re-programmed without the above BOOT sequence by following these steps.

Note This requires firmware version >= 1.2.0. For older firmwares, the initial programming sequence above is required for updating the firmware.

• Run dfu-util like this

  dfu-util -d 1209:7388 -a 0 -s 0x08000000:leave -D aioc-fw-x-y-z.bin
  

This will reboot the AIOC into the bootloader automatically and perform the programming. After that, it automatically reboots the AIOC into the newly programmed firmware.

Note Should you find yourself with a bricked AIOC, use the initial programming sequence above

How To Use

The serial interface of the AIOC enumerates as a regular COM (Windows) or ttyACM port (Linux) and can be used as such for programming the radio as well as PTT (Asserted on DTR=1 and RTS=0).

Note before firmware version 1.2.0, PTT was asserted by DTR=1 (ignoring RTS) which caused problems with certain radios when using the serial port for programming the radio e.g. using CHIRP.

The soundcard interface of the AIOC gives access to the audio data channels. It has one mono microphone channel and one mono speaker channel and currently supports the following baudrates:

• 48000 Hz (preferred)
• 32000 Hz
• 24000 Hz
• 22050 Hz (specifically for APRSdroid, has approx. 90 ppm of frequency error)
• 16000 Hz
• 12000 Hz
• 11025 Hz (has approx. 90 ppm of frequency error)
• 8000 Hz

Since firmware version 1.2.0, a CM108 style PTT interface is available for public testing. This interface works in parallel to the COM-port PTT. Direwolf on Linux is confirmed working, please report any issues. Note that currently, Direwolf reports some warnings when using the CM108 PTT interface on the AIOC. While they are annoying, they are safe to ignore and require changes in the upstream direwolf sourcecode. See https://github.com/wb2osz/direwolf/issues/448 for more details.

Since firmware version 1.3.0, a HID interface is also available, that allows reconfiguration of the AIOC from the PC. There are code snippets in the Release Notes for various features. There is also a command-line utility by Hrafnkell Eiríksson available here.

For advanced use of the AIOC, refer to this pinout image.