5efd14d8b7
- README/MANUAL: drop 'menu icons' (reverted to plain-text entries), add the Red and Neon 80s theme presets, and surface DMR text messaging in the README feature list. - MANUAL: correct the quick-text count (10 -> 8). Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
141 lines
6.8 KiB
Markdown
141 lines
6.8 KiB
Markdown
# FreeTRX
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**FreeTRX is a fork of the [OpenGD77](https://opengd77.org) firmware** for DMR
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transceivers built around the STM32F405VGT MCU, AT1846S RF chip and HR-C6000 DMR
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chipset — the **TYT MD-UV380 / Retevis RT-3S** and **Baofeng DM-1701 / Retevis
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RT-84**.
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It adds a number of UI and quality-of-life changes on top of OpenGD77 (segmented
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S-meter, 7-segment frequency font, screen dimming, an audio-mute function,
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DMR text messaging, colour theme presets, on-radio channel editing, and more).
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📖 **[`MANUAL.md`](MANUAL.md)** is the full feature & usage guide — every feature is
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tagged 🟢 **[FreeTRX]** (new/changed here) or ⚪ **[OpenGD77]** (inherited). See
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[`CHANGELOG.md`](CHANGELOG.md) for the version history.
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## Screenshots
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| Segmented S-meter & DMR call | 7-segment frequency display |
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| --- | --- |
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|  |  |
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## What's different from OpenGD77
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FreeTRX keeps OpenGD77's core (DMR/FM, hotspot, CPS compatibility) and adds:
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- **Audio mute — new SK2 short-tap.** A short tap of **SK2** on the VFO/Channel
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screen toggles the speaker mute on and off. Turning the **volume knob fully
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down** counts as muted too. While muted, a bold **"M"** appears in the status
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bar (left of the battery) and the **red LED flashes** (0.5 s every 2 s). SK2's
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existing roles are unchanged: held as a modifier, extra-long-press for
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monitor/squelch-off, and — while a DMR QSO is on screen — a tap still sets the
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TX talkgroup to the incoming one.
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- **Segmented block S-meter** with one block per S-level (S1–S9 green, S9+ red)
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and a scale label row (S1 S3 S5 S7 S9 / +20 +40 +60).
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- **7-segment "LED" frequency font** on the VFO and the SK1-held frequency view.
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- **Screen dimming** — optionally dim the backlight to 100 / 50 / 30 / 15 % after
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inactivity (Auto backlight mode); new setting in Display Options.
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- **DMR text messages (SMS)** — send and receive text messages on the radio,
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compatible with BrandMeister, hotspots and OEM radios. Compose on the keypad,
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inbox/sent boxes, quick-text templates, delivery confirmation and an
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incoming-message popup (see the manual for details).
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- **Theme presets** — pick a colour theme on the radio: **Custom** (CPS-editable,
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default), **BASIC 80s** (Commodore 64), **Terminal** (green-on-black),
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**Vertexic** (amber/orange), **Red**, or **Neon 80s** (multi-colour synthwave).
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CPS edits only affect Custom.
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- **On-radio channel management** — create and delete channels directly from the
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Channel quick menu, no PC/CPS required (see [Managing channels](#managing-channels-on-the-radio)).
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- **DMR reliability fix** — resolves a hard-fault (freeze needing a battery pull)
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on the DMR path that affected recent self-built OpenGD77 revisions.
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See [`CHANGELOG.md`](CHANGELOG.md) for the complete list.
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## Managing channels on the radio
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FreeTRX can create and delete channels without a PC. Both actions live in the
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**Channel quick menu** — from the Channel screen, press the **top (orange)
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button** to open it, then scroll to the bottom:
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- **New channel** — creates a blank **145.500 MHz FM** channel in the first free
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slot, adds it to the current zone, and opens **Channel Details** so you can set
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the name, frequency, tones, and so on. Press the **green** key to save. The new
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channel is immediately selectable in the zone (no need to re-enter it).
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- **Delete Channel** — deletes the currently-selected channel after a
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confirmation (**green** confirms, **red** cancels). It is also scrubbed from
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every zone that referenced it. The last remaining channel cannot be deleted,
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and channels locked read-only (e.g. APRS) are protected.
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> **Back up your codeplug** (via the CPS) before making bulk edits — these changes
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> are written straight to the radio and there is no on-device undo.
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## Supported radios
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This first iteration is developed for and **tested only on the TYT MD-UV380 and
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Retevis RT-3S**. No other radios are officially supported at this time.
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If you have another radio that OpenGD77 supports (Baofeng DM-1701 / Retevis RT-84,
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MD-9600, MD-380, MD-2017, …) and would like to help test FreeTRX on it, that would
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be very welcome — please email **Marcus, DK1DA** at <qsl@dk1da.de>.
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## Upstream source
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This fork is based on the official OpenGD77 source release **R20260131**
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(source snapshot `OpenGD77_MDUV380_DM1701_20260130`):
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<https://opengd77.eu/index.php?dir=MDUV380_DM1701_RT3S_RT84/R20260131/sources_and_tools/&file=OpenGD77_MDUV380_DM1701_20260130.zip>
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The original OpenGD77 project README is preserved in
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[`README.OpenGD77.md`](README.OpenGD77.md).
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## DMR / AMBE codec
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As with OpenGD77, the source does **not** contain the AMBE codec required for DMR
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audio. It is merged in from an official manufacturer firmware (V26.45) at flash
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time by the firmware loader. See [`TOOLS.md`](TOOLS.md).
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## Flashing
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Pre-built firmware is attached to each
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[release](https://git.dk1da.de/DK1DA/FreeTRX/releases): `OpenMDUV380.bin` for the
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MD-UV380 / RT-3S, `OpenDM1701.bin` for the DM-1701 / RT-84. (Or build your own —
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see below.)
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1. **Enter firmware-update (DFU) mode:** power the radio **off**, then power it
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**on while holding PTT + SK1** (the button above PTT). The screen stays blank
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and the top LED glows steadily. Connect the USB cable.
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2. **Flash** with the helper (it applies the DMR codec donor and, optionally, a
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secondary language):
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```bash
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./flash.sh -m MD-UV380 -f MDUV380_firmware/build/OpenMDUV380.bin
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# DM-1701 / RT-84:
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./flash.sh -m DM-1701 -f MDUV380_firmware/build/OpenDM1701.bin
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```
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**DMR note:** the firmware image is FM-only until the **AMBE codec donor** (the
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official V26.45 manufacturer firmware) is merged in at flash time. Register it
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once with `./flash.sh -s /path/to/official_V26.45.bin`; the path is then
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remembered. Full options, the DFU device list and the underlying loader are
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documented in [`TOOLS.md`](TOOLS.md).
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## Building & tools
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See [`TOOLS.md`](TOOLS.md) for building in Docker
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(`./build-firmware.sh [MDUV380|DM1701]`, Arm GNU Toolchain 14), grabbing
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screenshots, and building language files.
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## License
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FreeTRX **inherits the OpenGD77 license** — a modified BSD 3-Clause license with
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an additional **non-commercial** clause. It is **not** an OSI-approved
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open-source license and is **not GPL-compatible**; commercial use is prohibited.
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The code cannot be relicensed. See [`LICENSE.md`](LICENSE.md).
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## Credits
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OpenGD77 was originally conceived by **Kai Ludwig, DG4KLU**, with further
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development led by **Roger Clark, VK3KYY** and assisted by **Daniel
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Caujolle-Bert, F1RMB**, Alex DL4LEX, Colin G4EML and many other contributors.
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All original copyrights are retained (see the source file headers and
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[`README.OpenGD77.md`](README.OpenGD77.md)).
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FreeTRX fork maintained by **Marcus, DK1DA**.
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