Icom Panadapter
version 1.0
Kok Chen
W7AY [w7ay
(at) arrl . net]
Last updated: April 10, 2018
1 Introduction
Icom Panadapter is a program
that displays the IC-7610's spectrum scope.
Unlike the IC-7610 native LCD display, Icom Panadapter
follows the established SDR methodology of displaying
absolute power (dBm) that is referenced to the antenna
input. The vertical scale in Icom Panadapter tracks the
selected preamp and attenuator settings through CI-V. It
also tracks the RF Gain control as much as possible
(measured with IC-7610 Serial Number 12001135 Firmware
version 1.05).
The Icom Panadapter gets its spectrum scope data from the
IC-7610's USB CI-V port. The port must be selected to use
115200 baud -- spectrum scope data is not available for
slower baud rates).
When the Icom Panadapter application is launched, it
automatically finds the CI-V port of a IC-7610 (for now,
with two IC-7610 on the computer, it arbitrarily picks one;
we can potentially key on the serial number if there is
more than one IC-7610 on the USB Tree).
2 Icom IC-7610 Set Up
On the IC-7610, navigate into its menu to the
CI-V item:
MENU > SET > Connectors > CI-V
Confirm that the CI-V Address is 98h and
the CI-V USB Port is set to Unlink from
[REMOTE]:
Scroll down (second page in the CI-V Menu) to CI-V
USB Baud Rate (not the CI-V Baud
Rate; that is a different connector on the rear panel of
the IC-7610). Select 115200.
Connect a Macintosh USB
connector to the IC-7610's rear panel USB connector that is
Marked "1". This is a USB 2.0 Type B connector (black
plastic insert). Do not use the USB 3.1 connector with the
blue plastic insert that is marked "2" -- that connector
does not have a CI-V port.
3 User Interface
The Panadapter window consists of regions shown above.
VFO Frequency
- This shows the current VFO frequency on the IC-7610. When the cursor is placed on the text of the frequency, the mouse scroll wheel will fine tune the VFO.
- Double clicking anywhere on the content of the window will tuned the VFO to that frequency. I.e., you can double click on a signal to immediately tune to it.
- The OVF indicator appears under the VFO readout when the ADC in the IC-7610 clips:
-73 dBm Marker
- This is informational only. It shows the "S9" level for a carrier.
Resize corner
- Like all Cocoa windows, the window can be resized by holding the left mouse button on the bottom right hand side of the window and dragging the corner to a different location.
Vertical Scale
- This is the vertical scale of the panadapter in absolute dBm, referenced to the antenna port. Unlike the spectrum scope on the IC-7610, the panadapter, in compliance with modern SDR panadapters, tracks any changes in the RF Preamp and Attenuators so that they don't affect the vertical scale. The vertical scale reads the power at the antenna input instead of at the ADC input. In addition, the vertical scale also tracks the RF Gain control on the IC-7610 (measured on Firmware version 1.05) so that the gain control also does not change the vertical scale.
- The vertical scale region, shown in the orange dotted line box above, has a contextual menu. When a control-mouse down (or right mouse down) happens in this rectangular region, a contextual menu pops up so you can select the scale (dBm/division and Reference Level can be chosen).
- In addition, holding the left mouse button down and dragging the cursor up and down will move the vertical scale.
Hint: if the spectrum trace falls completely outside the current viewing area, change the scale to 24 dB/division and you should find the trace again. Make a note of the absolute dBm of the noise floor and you can then switch to the higher resolution vertical scale, then drag the trace up and down referenced to the noise floor.
Frequency Scale
- The Frequency Scale below the window's context contains another contextual menu. A control-mouse down (or right mouse down) will display the frequency span menu:
4 System Requirements
Icom Panadapter requires Mac OS X 10.9
(Mavericks) or newer. It also requires the Silicon Labs Mac
OS X driver to be previously installed.
5 Download
The application and Xcode project can be
downloaded from the download page.
6 Details
Icom Panadapter uses the scheme that is shown in Discover 7610 to identify the
IC-7610's CI-V port.