Progrock2

       The progrock2 is a very versatile crystal substitute. However it requires power and possibly amplification.
        
     

         The tiny Progrock2 board has the capability of being programmed with 24 frequencies.
                 Frequency range 2 kc to 200 Mcs.

     
                    Configuration Utility Screen

         A total of 24 frequencies can be programmed in 8 "Banks."

            I recommend reading all of the QRP Labs info and downloading their manual (PDF) then come back to this page. Purpose of this page is to provide additional info.
               If all else fails RTFM.

        https://qrp-labs.com/progrock2.html (scroll down the page)

                        Initial Testing

       You can test your board immediately as it is shipped with three (3) frequencies programmed. You do not need additional software or a terminal program for initial testing.

             Initial testing. Power up with V+ and a ground.
        A preprogrammed 10Mc 3.3V PP signal output should be available from the CLK 0 pad. In a hurry to power up ? You can plug in a USB to Micro cable to supply the necessary V plus. Just monitor the CLK 0 pad for output.You do not need the software as you are just using the power from the USB connector.
           Use a scope, a counter, or near by receiver to check for output.

             It is advised to review all of this page prior to testing. Connection and power suggestions are below.

      Do not allow the V+ pad to come in contact with the BANK 2 pad.
   These pads are right next to each other on the board. Be careful with connections otherwise you could send the board South.    Been there and done that.

    During normal ops a voltage is never used on any BANK pad. The BANK pads are used for frequency selection and are activated by grounding.
          Connection info below.

             Do not apply 12 volts power to the board for extended periods. Try and keep voltages in the 5 to 8 volt range.           More power info in the Power section below.

                     Connections

                   

        A multi pin Edge Connector can be used for testing but be careful.

        Edge Connector Specs : Connector Pitch is a measurement from center of one contact to the center of the next contact. The smaller 2.54 mm =.1 inch will fit the Progrock2.

       The Progrock2 can utilize a 12 pin edge connector however most of the pins may not be used. Most 12 pin edge connectors will need a slot cut in the end of the housing to accommodate the board. Some edge connectors have contacts that "grab" the board better than others. Play with it or just solder direct to pads.

   A connector with more than 12 pins can be used for temporary testing. Be careful.

          Some edge connectors may have contacts that allow the Progrock2 board to be inserted too far into the body of the connector and possible damage to the Progrock2 surface mount components may result. Trimming the top of the edge connection housing may prevent damage.

         2.54 mm / .1 inch. 12 pins - two rows of 6.

         A notch had to be cut in the end of the 12 pin connector.

                
     12 pin edge connector that has been modified with a "Notch" on the end of the housing.

     Make sure that the pads on the board line up with the edge connector contacts.

          A piece of plastic scrap was added as a spacer to assist in horizontal alignment.

           When mounting on a perf board consider using a 5 volt regulator..

      Solder connections can always be used and are very reliable.

               As stated in the manual the three (3) CLK frequency outputs are not buffered and are connected direct to the Progrock2 synthesizer output pins. You can connect direct to the CLK output pads when there are no voltages involved. Usually in a transmitter circuit you want to have a isolation capacitor. I recommend that you use series capacitors on all three CLK outputs for protection insurance.

           
                    Typical Computer Display during programming.

              A total of 24 frequencies can be programmed.         A "Bank" contains three (3) frequencies.
                  Bank 0 with three (3) frequencies is shown above.        
    Each individual frequency output in a Bank line is available on the three (3) CLK pads.

               
            Q. How do you select one Bank?   I see 8 Banks listed above including Bank 0.
            A. The Banks are selected via BCD switching by grounding a BANK pad on the Prog board.
            Q. What is BCD?
            A. Binary Coded Decimal.
            Q. Bad news. This is too complicated.
            A. Well the good news is you can have 3X8=24 frequencies available with a single board.
            Q. How do I select BANK 0?
            A. Do nothing.
            Q. Once I select a BANK what then?
            A. The three (3) BANK frequency outputs are available on the Progrock Board pads labeled CLK.
            Q. How do I select one of the three frequencies in a BANK?
            A. By connecting to a CLK pad. Select 0, 1, or 2.
            Q. I just need one frequency.
            A. OK, just apply power and look for output on Bank 0
            Q. This is still to complicated. I rather just use crystals.
            A. Good for you.
            

         Extra Question; Can I key the board for CW?
             A. Yes by rapidly grounding a Bank. Program "0" in one of the Banks.

            
           
                      The BANK pads are grounded to select one of the 8 banks of 3 frequencies.
          Only one BANK at a time is selected. Ground a pad for selection - there are no voltages involved.

       Use of a switching diode in your ground circuit to select a BANK - will give you voltage protection just in case.
      This is not mandatory as normally you are just applying a ground but may save your chip while your are testing etc.
      Confused yet?     If in doubt RTFM.

    The BANK pads are grounded to provide a BCD signal for BANK selection.
               No external voltages should be involved.

           Do not apply a voltage to any of the BANK pads. Just apply a Ground as needed.

                The Progrock2 can accept a wide variety of DC voltages for power.
    Three (3) AAA batteries can supply 4.5V which is well above the minimum required.
         The Progrock board has an on board voltage regulator for inputs between 3.5V and 12V.

            

       The Progrock2 has an on board 3.3V "Low Drop Out"voltage regulator. It can operate on low input voltages close to 3.3V and and has a maximum of 12 volts. The Progrock2 has a typical input current of 40 to 50 mA. Using 50 mA the Progrock2 two could utilize a input voltage as low as 3.305 volts.

      The Maximum Progkrock voltage input is 12 Volts IAW the MC5219 data sheet. BUT DO NOT APPLY 12 Volts to the Progrock2 for an extended period. Several users have lost the on board regulator as it over heated.
                       When using 12 volts use a dropping resistor.

                      
     KA7OEI was one of the first to warn others of this voltage problem. He suggested using a 1/2 watt resistor of 120-150 ohms when using 12 volts. KA7OEI also suggests that at even 9 volts a resistor may be necessary.

             Consider using using 5 volt regulator to supply voltage to the Progrock.

            When using a perf board consider installing a 5 volt regulator.

            Q. What happens when I use the USB cable for power but have a 5 volt regulator wired to my Progrock2 board. Will it still work?
           A. Yes the Progrock has its own internal regulator. Do not power up the external regulator at the same time.
           Q. What happens if I am powering the Progrock2 with a 9V battery and accidentally power it through the USB cable at the same time?
           A. You will have a voltage conflict. See quote below from the Progrock2 manual.   (Version 1.00b)

    "Care should be taken when powering ProgRock2 directly from the USB cable (see below), and using a power supply connected to +V at the same time. The USB cable +5V will power ProgRock2 via an onboard diode, resulting in about 4.4V supply to ProgRock2. If you have connected an additional external supply voltage to ProgRock2, and that is less than 4.4V, then your external supply will fight with the USB voltage, potentially drawing excessive current through the onboard diode. 3.3V"

               The 78L05 can save you perf board space. It does get warm with 12-14 volts input.
           Consider a resistor in series. 12 Volts you can try a 100 ohm resistor in series with the
     input. When using the Progrock on a variety of voltages the 100 ohm will suffice.

        Current Consumption: Current can vary depending on frequencies programmed and number of slots used.
               Using a USB source (5 volts) expect to draw approximately 45 mA. Draws approximately 35 mA at 12 volts.

             

               Programming

        The Progrock2 board is programmed via a standard USB micro cable.

         When you insert the connected cable into your computer USB you should get a "Device Connect" notification. No drivers or additional software will download from the Progrock2 board.

          The connector and the board are very robust and have survived my work bench.

         Please go to the QRP Labs site and download the "Manual" for the Progrock2.
                                Review Section 5 "Connecting Terminal Emulator".

On older versions of windows there can be a driver problem. I say again RTFM.
In Section 5 the first paragraph provides links for users of older windows.

     PuTTY will need a COM port identification.

              Be sure and select "Serial"

        Change the COM port and Speed if necessary. Then Open.

           Open screen shot. Note that the board has BANK 0 programmed.
    You can look for output on any CLK pad of 3.3V PP. Or monitor on a nearby receiver etc.

            Zero out any unused cells. Don't leave one blank. Please read the manual.

                           Test Board and BCD Bank selection

            A quick test board using a junk box edge connector. Note the use of a DIP switch
      for BCD coding to select a BANK. Only three (3) positions are needed on the DIP switch.
                The output board at the top has test points for the 3 CLK outputs.

        A "Test" board allows you run output tests on circuits before installing the board.

            
                          DIP Switch wiring for BANK selection.

     DIP switch BANK selection. Frequency BANKS are selected by grounding pads.
               
   (No selection: Board reverts to BANK 0   BANK 0 frequencies are selected.
   Ground BANK 0: Generates a BCD of 1    BANK 1 frequencies are selected                          
          Ground BANK 1: Generates a BCD of 2.   BANK 2 selected.
          Ground BANK 0 and 1 =         BCD of 3    BANK 3 selected.       ETC.
          Ground BANK 2          =         BCD of 4
          Ground BANK 0 and 2 =         BCD of 5
          Ground BANK 1 and 2 =         BCD of 6
          Ground BANK 0, 1 and 2 =     BCD of 7   

               

      
                       Total of 8 BANKS of frequencies.
              

    The board output frequency reverts to Bank 0 when a BANK is not selected.
                 

     The Progrock2 board uses code positions 0 thru 7 for Bank selection.

  Another Test Board version with a 12 pin edge connector and phono jack output.
             1. Rotary BCD switch which replaces the DIP switch.
             2. Solder pads for the edge connector.
             3. Voltage regulator.
             4. Three (3) position slide switch for CLK outputs.
             5. Power In and CLK outputs.

          With this test board you can select 24 frequencies. (3 X 8).
             Saturday night project.
             

                    
              
         The rotary BCD switch makes it easy to select a frequency and switch back and forth.
The Grayhill series have adjustable "stops" or they can also be configured for continuous rotation.

         BTW you can take a Grayhill 16 position switch and just use 8 positions using the adjustable stop.

           
      Q. Can I monitor the output frequency with a counter while running PuTTY?
      A. Yes
      Q. Why did you monitor the current.
      A. I was curious to determine which combination of frequencies would alter current.
      Q. What did you find out? Which frequency combinations increase current?        
      A. There was many variables and it got too complicated. Maximum increase was about 4 mA.
      Q. How much current does the basic board consume at 5 volts?
      A. About 40 mA.
      Q. When using a 5 volt regulator will the current increase?
      A. Yes a couple of mA.

    
          "Frequencies set to zero cause the corresponding Si5351A output to simply be switched off."
            

      The * indicates your BCD selection.

  The highest output voltage from the Prog board will be around 3.3V PP

        3.3V PP may not be enough drive for tube transmitters.

          

      
          CLICK to enlarge      Photo by Frostburg.edu

         I played with different voltage baluns. The 1:2 circuits were the most predictable.
           

          Here is a link to Frostburg.edu on construction.

                      https://www.frostburg.edu/

                  
                      1:2 Balun mounted on a text fixture.

    I played with different baluns. I started out big and then used smaller toroid forms.
             Keep leads short. Especially on the output due to capacitance loading.

            Hams suffer from CDS and won't wind a coil.

             
                 Q. Did the baluns provide the necessary Peak to Peak voltages?
                 A. Yes and NO.
                 Q. Why not in some cases?
                 A. I could not properly match the impedance's.
                 Q. How much voltage increase did you obtain?
                 A. It doubled under no load conditions.
                 Q. Did you get enough voltage increase for tube type oscillator circuits?
                 A. No. I started looking at small RF amplifiers.

          Several Progrock2 users have used small step up transformers.
            Look at Ron NU6F's MAB wiring in the "Military: section of this page.
                                  

           
                            1:2 Voltage Balun.

        A nice wiring sketch by N1HFX. Compare it to the schematic below.
 

                       Progrock2 and a small RF amplifier.
     The RF amplifier shown above is a "Kit" by W8DIZ Parts.

         Click here for the "Wideband RF Amplifier Manual".

               

       The RF Amplifier uses some Surface Mount Components to reduce board size.

       

         Q. I hate kits. They are a PITA.
         A. It is a small kit, you will only be in pain a short time.
         Q. How much voltage gain ?
         A. Around 10 to 12X
         Q. I hate SMT components.
         A. Good grief - there are only 4 capacitors and a transistor.
         Q. I do not have a soldering iron for SMT's.
         A. Just use a narrow tip and medium heat.
         Q. I hate winding coils.
         A. CDS is very common among hams.
         Q. What voltage range can this Amplifier use?
         A. I've used 8 to 12 volts.
         Q. Are there any other amplifier boards?
         A. Yes. Try searching for VFO or DDS amplifier.

            

                Install a jumper wire in the R6 position.
            Be sure and solder the collector of the transistor. Resistors can
            be added at R5, R6, and R7 for attenuation.

               The four (4) mounting holes are grounded.

       I call it my "Crystal Box". A total of 24 programmed frequencies.         

        A 3 position slide switch was mounted on the left for Bank selection.
   An 8 position BCD rotary switch is mounted at the top. 24 total channels.

          A W8DIZ amp was mounted in the other end. A slide switch
   selects High and Low voltage for the amplifier.

         

          The Progrock2 board can be mounted in a HC-6 holder.

             
      Q. Why do this?
      A. For unique applications.
      Q.  How do you get power?
      A. Use one of the pins.
      Q. How do you program the board?
      A. It is done before inserting the board.
      Q. How do you change the frequency?
      A. Once the board is encased you can't.
      Q. I only see two leads, I need three.
      A. Use the outer case for ground.

             

    I restuff the HC-6 quite often. A home brew soldering tip (#12 wire) for my large 250 watt iron
    comes in handy.

                 Video. Click here

                  
                     QRP Labs photo

       The solder pads on the Progrock2 are convenient for mounting
       in a HC-6 holder.

              
   
                          Its a tight fit.

       QRP Labs offers several VFO kits using the Si5351 IC.

                   
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