Configuring ICOM exciters with the PGXL, TGXL and Antenna Genius – FlexRadio

Author: Ken Wells - NM9P

Here is the proper way to configure most recent ICOM radios to interface with the "Genius Products" for seamless operation.

INTRODUCTION:

This information is for configuring an ICOM Radio. Configuration information for interfacing with other brands of radios will be addressed in another document.

These procedures have been verified using the software listed below. It is recommended that you have installed the latest software/firmware that is at or greater than the versions listed below:

PGXL: c3.8.9 Power Genius XL v3.8.9 – FlexRadio
TGXL: v1.2.11 Tuner Genius XL v1.2.11 – FlexRadio
Antenna Genius: v4.1.16 Antenna Genius v4.1.16 - From 4O3A.com

NOTE: It is strongly recommended that you read the Release Notes for each software release before you install the utilities on your computer or UPDATE the Firmware. This is a "best practice" before installing new software or firmware.

Downloading and reviewing the User Guides for the different equipment is highly recommended.

Power Genius XL User Guide – FlexRadio

Tuner Genius XL User Guide (4o3a.com)

ANTENNA GENIUS User Manual v4.1 (4o3a.com)

Understanding the Control Signal Flow between the ICOM Radio, PGXL, TGXL, and Antenna Genius:

Two basic streams of control data are shared between the various pieces of equipment.

A) The ICOM radio, sends Band, Frequency, and Mode information to the PGXL and/or TGXL via the CI-V cable.

B) The Antenna Genius receives Band data from the ICOM Radio via either a CAT or BCD line, or via the B2BCD - Band 2 BCD interface box (Available from 4O3A.com

4O3A Signature - B2BCD - Band to BCD Decoder

If you do not have a BCD or Pin 2 Band cable between your ICOM radio and the Antenna Genius, you will need to operate the Antenna Genius in MANUAL Mode.

C) The TGXL and Antenna Genius share Tuning Memory and Antenna Port Selection (1-8) with each other via the ethernet cable link established in the TGXL "Device Settings > Genius Integration > Antenna Genius" tab.

Powering Up Your Station: This is a very complex system with multiple devices dependent upon one another. It is important to power up the station in the proper sequence so all devices can establish the required communication channels with each other.

Always power the station up in this order:

Your Radio: Power it up and wait until it is fully booted up before powering anything else up.
The PGXL: Wait until it is fully booted up.
The TGXL: Wait until it is fully booted up.
The Antenna Genius, if you have one: Wait until it is fully booted up.
Then start the Windows Utilities for the PGXL, TGXL, and Antenna Genius in the same order, waiting until one program is up and running before opening the next.

NOTE: If you power up the PGXL too soon after the radio or "power-cycle" the PGXL OFF and back ON too quickly, it may not properly establish communications with the radio. If this happens, turn the PGXL OFF and wait about 10-15 seconds. Then turn it back on.

Now, let's configure your station:

Since this is a complex integrated system, a step-by-step approach to building your system is used. You will add and configure one piece of equipment at a time, testing it to ensure it operates properly before adding the next piece of equipment.

This may seem to be more complicated and time-consuming but if there are connection or configuration errors, it is easier to troubleshoot one device at a time, rather than trying to troubleshoot the whole system all at once, which will take a LOT more time and effort than the step by step approach. The time you save will be your own.

1) CONNECTING YOUR EQUIPMENT TO YOUR NETWORK:

Since there are so many pieces of equipment, it may be advisable to get an inexpensive, metal-cased 5-port or 8-port ethernet switch and connect your radio, PGXL, TGXL, AG, and computer (or Maestro) to the switch. Then connect a line from your switch to the router. This will ensure optimal data transfer between all five (5) pieces of equipment, even if the router is offline or overloaded.

It is recommended that you edit your router's DHCP Server to provide "Reserved IP Addresses" to all of your equipment so that they will always receive the SAME IP address every time they power up on the network. (Some routers call this "Local Statis" or "Manual IP") (Otherwise, if something is powered off for a long time, the router may assign a different IP Address to the device, which will "break" port forwarding or other equipment-to-equipment linkage which is dependent upon IP Addresses.)

(Since you are configuring a high-power station, you may want to add RFI protection by wrapping several turns of the switch's power cable through a MIX-31 Snap-on ferrite. You may wish to pass several loops of your ethernet cables through an FT-240-31 toroid, or at least the long run to your router.)

2) Configure your radio's Transmit Settings:

Go to the radio's "Settings" menu and look for the setting for "TX Delay" or "QSK Delay." Set this to 40., or to the maximum available. (This may be 25, 30, or 35 for some ICOM Radios.

This provides a time delay after the radio PTT is engaged before the radio starts sending RF. This prevents "hot-switching" the amp with RF before the other equipment is in a ready state.

Caution: Some radios have a separate setting for 6 Meters (50 MHz), which must also be properly set if you plan to operate on 6 Meters.

NOTE: If operating CW, the CW Delay MUST be greater than the TX Delay to ensure that the first elements sent are not truncated.

3) CONNECT THE PGXL TO THE RADIO:

Connect Radio's ANT1 port to PGXL DRIVE A (Be careful, it is easy to cross-connect the DRIVE and OUTPUT lines and the A-SIDE and the B-SIDE connectors. Visually inspect ALL cable connections. Do not attempt to remember which is which while reaching around the back of the equipment.
Connect the PGXL OUTPUT A to your Antenna.
Connect the CI-V cable from the radio to the PGXL's CI-V A input.
NOTE: If you are using BOTH the PGXL and TGXL, we recommend using the CT-17B CI-V splitter Hub. Available here: CT17B (Be sure the CT-17B hub is connected to a USB power source)
Connect the radio's "TX GND" or "SEND" output RCA jack to the PGXL PTT A IN (Red) connector.

4) Configure the PGXL:

Open the PGXL Windows Utility
Select the "Local Devices" tab
Click on the Listing for your amplifier and click on "Connect."
Select "Update" if you are updating to a new PGXL software release.

Click on the "Gear" Icon" and select "Device Settings."

Network Tab :

"Name" your Amplifier something more personal, if you wish.
Select "DHCP" to instruct the PGXL to request an IP Address from your router upon boot-up.
nothing else is needed on the Network tab for local operation.

CAT/CI-V Tab:

Enable the "Port A" box
Click on the "Radio Type:" Pulldown and select the radio brand from the menu
Most ICOM Radios use a CI-V interface. Some also have a CAT or BCD Port available.
NOTE: If your radio only uses "BCD" or "Pin 2 Band" format, leave the setting set to " NONE"
Enter the Baud Rate and Parity numbers to match your radio. (Check your radio's configuration settings) Many radios use 9600 8N1
ICOM Radio - Also Enter the CI-V HEX Address to match your radio's setting.
(This picture is showing Hex 68) Use the same number that is configured in your radio.

(This links the amp to your radio for Band/Frequency/Mode information.)

FlexRadio Tab:

Make no setting in this tab, since you are configuring for an ICOM Radio.

OTHER Tab:

Use the slider to control the brightness of the amplifier's background panel lights.
FAN Mode: Set this to Standard for quieter operation. See this to CONTEST mode if you transmit frequently and require additional cooling.
MEffA - For now, leave it off.

Important: Click "Save" and the amp will commit these changes to memory and reboot.

SET THE "BAND DATA SOURCE"

Right-click on the wide box to the right of the A channel indicator. It will open a pull-down menu.
Select "CI-V" or "CAT" from the menu. (depending upon if you have connected the CI-V cable or the CAT cable from your radio to the amplifier)
Now CI-V or CAT should show in the box. and the display should show the band and "Bias Mode" of the amp (AB or AAB)

TEST THE AMP:

NOTE: When using the Power Genius Amplifier, you should have your radio's Internal ATU in BYPASS Mode.
Change bands on the radio and ensure that the amp is tracking the band and mode.
(It will display "AAB" for SSB and AM, and "AB" for CW, RTTY, Digital, and FM modes).
Temporarily connect the Amplifier's OUTPUT A to a high-power Dummy Load. (Every high power station should have a dummy load for testing).
Select ANT1 for your radio's transmitting antenna
Configure your radio to send a steady carrier at about 10 Watts, using CW, RTTY, or FM.
Hit the Key or PTT and watch the power output meter on the PGXL to check for good output.
Stop transmitting. Then increase to 20 watts and test again.
If all is well, test at 40 and 50 (after resting your dummy load) and note the power output is good.
It is not recommended to drive the amp with more than 70 Watts at any time.

NOTE: When operating the PGXL with a 120 Volt power source, the amplifier will have reduced gain (12 dB rather than a nominal 15 dB), and will only put out 600 - 700 Watts, depending upon the band, AC Voltage Supply, and SWR.
Now connect a well-matched antenna to the OUTPUT A connector and test on the air.
Begin by using low RF power levels to ensure your house and ham shack do not react badly to high-power RF. If your radio shuts down or equipment behaves unexpectedly in the shack or home, you may have a radiated or Common Mode RF issue that must be addressed before resuming high-power operation.

How to Diagnose RFI and Common Mode RF Interference When Transmitting – FlexRadio
How to Mitigate Common Mode Interference – FlexRadio

5) CONNECT THE TGXL TO THE PGXL:

Connect the PGXL OUTPUT A to the TX A input of the TGXL
Connect the Antenna to the ANTENNA A output of the TGXL

Connect the TGXL to your network with an ethernet cable.
Connect the PTT Line from the radio to the PTT IN A (Red) jack on the Tuner Genius.
Connect another RCA Cable from the Tuner Genius PTT A OUT (White) jack to the PTT A IN (Red) jack on the Power Genius Amp.
Connect a CI-V cable between the CT-17B hub to the CI-V input A port on the TGXL.
(You should have a line from the radio' CI-V port to the HUB, then CI-V lines from the HUB to the CI-V A IN lines of the PGXCL and the TGXL)
Connect the Power to the TGXL
Turn ON the TGXL using the small rocker switch next to the power connector.

6) Configure the Tuner Genius XL:

Open the TGXL Windows Utility
Select the "Local Devices" tab
Click on the Listing for your Tuner and click on "Connect."
Select "Update" if you are updating to a new TGXL software release.

Click on the "Gear" Icon" and select "Device Settings." (Just as you did with the PGXL Utility)

Network Tab :

"Name" your Tuner something more personal, if you wish.
Select "DHCP" to instruct the TGXL to request an IP Address from your router upon boot-up.
nothing else is needed on the Network tab for local operation.

CAT/CI-V Tab:

Enable the "Port A" box
Click on the "Radio Type:" Pulldown and select the radio brand from the menu
Most ICOM Radios use a CI-V interface. Some also have a CAT or BCD Port available.
NOTE: If your radio only uses "BCD" or "Pin 2 Band" format, leave the setting set to " NONE"
Enter the Baud Rate and Parity numbers to match your radio. (Check your radio's configuration settings) Many radios use 9600 8N1
ICOM Radio - Also Enter the CI-V HEX Address to match your radio's setting.
(This picture is showing Hex 68) Use the same number that is configured in your radio.
(This links the Tuner Genius to your radio for Band/Frequency/Mode information.)

FlexRadio Tab:

Make no entries in this tab, since we are configuring the TGXL for an ICOM Radio using CI-V/ CAT

Genius Integration Tab:

Power Genius Section:
Make no settings in the "Power Genius" (top half) section

Antenna Genius Section: If you are using an Antenna Genius, you will configure this with the Antenna Genius's MAC Address when we Configure the Antenna Genius.

The "Other" Tab:

Port A - RX BYP: Select if you want the tuner to bypass Antenna A when in receive mode.

Port A - Tune PTT Out: Leave this un-checked.
If it is NOT checked, the tuner it does not send the PTT signal from the Tuner to the Amp, so the amp is not keyed up when the tuner is tuning the antenna.
Port B - Tune PTT Out: same as above, but for Port B.
Band Configurator: This allows you to set custom "Minimum SWR" settings for each antenna on a per-band basis. You can also set the tuner to bypass whole bands or a segment of each band (for cases where the Tuner is not needed on certain bands or certain band segments. (for example, your 80 Meter Dipole may be resonant in the middle of the band, but needs tuning on the edges.)

NOTE: The Bypass Start and Stop frequencies must be entered in KHz, not MHz.
For example: on 40 Meters, enter them as 7110 and 7275 -- NOT as 7.110 or 7.275

Important: Click "Save" and the Tuner will commit these changes to memory and reboot.

TEST THE TUNER GENIUS:

NOTE: When using the Tuner Genius and Power Genius Amplifier, you should have your radio's Internal ATU in BYPASS Mode.
Put the Tuner Genius into OPR (Operate) Mode.
Change bands on the radio and ensure that both the Amp and Tuner are tracking the band and mode. (The Amp will display "AAB" for SSB and AM, and "AB" for CW, RTTY, Digital, and FM modes. The Tuner will indicate the Band and Frequency).
Temporarily connect the Tuner's ANTENNA A to a high-power Dummy Load. (Every high power station should have a dummy load for testing).
Select ANT1 for your radio's transmitting antenna
Put the Power Genius into Standby Mode.
Configure your radio to send a steady carrier at about 10-20 Watts, using CW, RTTY, or FM.
Hit the Key or PTT and watch the power output meter on the Tuner Genius to check for good output.
Stop transmitting.
Then hit the CW Key or PTT again and hold it while hitting the TUNE Button on the Tuner Genius Front Panel or in the TGXL Windows Utility. This will initiate a TUNE Cycle.
When the Tuner stops tuning and displays a message. Stop transmitting.
If all is well, put the Amplifier into OPERATE Mide and transmit at higher power (after resting your dummy load) and note the power output and SWR are good.
NOTE: It has been reported that on some bands and some particular antenna reactances, tuning at 25 Watts seems to give the best and fastest match.
Now connect a well-matched antenna to the OUTPUT A connector and test on the air.
When the tuner has successfully tuned the antenna on that frequency, it will briefly display a message in GREEN text on the Control Panel and the main window of the TGXL Utility.
The TGXL has 20 frequency tuning memories per antenna, per band. You will need to "train" the tuner by starting at the lower frequency end of the band and tuning the antenna to save the memory. Then move up about 20 KHz and tune again. Repeat until you get to the end of the band.
Begin operating by using low RF power levels to ensure your house and ham shack do not react badly to high-power RF. If your radio shuts down or equipment behaves unexpectedly in the shack or home, you may have a radiated or Common Mode RF issue that must be addressed before resuming high-power operation.

How to Diagnose RFI and Common Mode RF Interference When Transmitting – FlexRadio
How to Mitigate Common Mode Interference – FlexRadio

IF YOU RECEIVE RF EARLY WARNINGS:

If you receive RF TOO EARLY Warnings, it is because there is not enough TX DELAY to allow the Amplifier and Tuner Genius to finish changing from RX to TX and set up the bandpass filters and tuning solutions before the RF signal arrives from the radio.

Be certain that your ICOM Radio's TX DELAY (sometimes called QSK DELAY) is set to the maximum available, or to 40 ms. (Many radios can only supply 20, 25, 0r 30 ms TX DELAY. This may not be long enough)

Many ICOM Radios may not have enough TX DELAY adjustment in their setting.

In this case, you may need to re-configure the PTT "Daisy Chain" to buy a few milliseconds more time.

This has been successful in several cases.

Configure it like this:

Connect the PTT Line from the radio to the PTT A IN (Red) jack on the Power Genius Amp.
Connect another RCA Cable from the Power Genius PTT A OUT (White) jack to the Tuner Genius PTT A IN (Red) jack.

CAUTION:: This will not allow you to exclude the PTT from the Amplifier when tuning the antenna with the Tuner Genius. Therefore it is IMPERATIVE that you put the Power Genius Amp into STANDBY Mode before starting a tuning cycle on the Tuner Genius.

When the Tuner has found a match, you can put the Amplifier into Operate and resume operation.

This often works with SSB and Digital Modes.

If this does not work because the radio has too little TX Delay or NO TX Delay at all . . . You may need to use an external footswitch/thumb-switch and configure things this way:

Connect a footswitch/thumb-switch to the PTT A IN (Red) jack on the Power Genius Amp.
Connect another RCA Cable from the PTT A OUT (White) jack on the Power Genius to the PTT A IN (Red) jack on the Tuner Genius Amp.
Connect and RCA Cable from the PTT A OUT (White) Jack of the Tuner Genius to the PTT IN Line of the radio.

Now when you stomp the Footswitch it keys the amp, which when ready keys the Tuner, which keys the Radio PTT. This is effective for PHONE Modes (AM, SSB, FM) but it is not a good solution for Digital Modes or CW.

Connecting the Antenna Genius:

THIS SECTION BELOW IS STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION (If there are issues, please let us know):

7) CONNECT THE ANTENNA GENIUS TO THE TGXL:

Connect the TGXL ANTENNA A output to the Antenna Genius OUT A connector.
Connect your different antenna leads to Antenna Ports 1 through 8 of the Antenna Genius.
Connect the Antenna Genius to your network with an ethernet cable.
Connect the Power connector to the Antenna Genius

8) Connect the Antenna Genius to your ICOM Radio

If your ICOM Radio has a BCD or Pin 2 Band (P2B) output, connect an appropriate cable between that jack and the Antenna Genius BCD A or Pin 2 Band A jack.
If your radio does not have a BCD or P2B output, you will need to use the Antenna Genius in MANUAL Mode. OR
Obtain the B2BCD interface box or other option marketed by 4O3A.
4O3A Signature - Genius Accessories

9) Re-Route your PTT Lines in this way::

From the Radio PTT OUT to the PTT A IN on the Antenna Genius
From the PTT A OUT of the Antenna Genius to the PTT A IN on the Tuner Genius.
From the PTT A OUT of the Tuner Genius to the PTT A IN of the Power Genius Amp.

10) Configure the Antenna Genius:

Power up the Antenna Genius
Open the Antenna Genius Windows Utility

The first time you open the Antenna Genius Utility, you will need to click on the "Available Devices" link.

This will open the "Port Chooser" so you can select if you wish to configure the Antenna Genius to use only Port A, Only Port B, or BOTH Ports (SO2R).

This will open the Antenna Genius Control Panel.

Click on the "Gear" Icon" and select "Device Settings"

Select the "Basic Information" tab

In the "Name" box, give your Antenna Genius another name, if you wish.
Click "SAVE"

Click on the "Gear" Icon" again and select "Device Settings"

In the "Antenna Genius Settings" Window, Select either the "Bands > "BCD" or "P2B" tab. (depending upon what you have connected.

Select Save and Reboot. The Antenna Genius will commit these changes to memory and reboot.

Click on the "Gear Icon" again.
Select the Device Information" menu item
From the "Device Information" Screen, find the Serial Number. of the Antenna Genius.
Write down the 3x2 character ID Number of your Antenna Genius (in this example: C7-F1-DE)
Click the "X" to close the window.
(Don't write down the ID number in the picture. Use the ID of your own Antenna Genius.)

Open the TGXL Windows Utility. Click the "Gear" icon and open the "Genius Integration" tab.

In the "Antenna Genius" section of the tab, click on the Serial Number "Pull-Down" and select the ID Number of your Antenna Genius.

Click on "Save." The TGXL will commit that data to memory and reboot.

Return to the Antenna Genius Utility:

Click on the Antenna Genius "Gear" Icon and select "Device Settings"
In the "ANTENNAS" section, name each of the 8 Antenna to identify which antennas you have connected. (You don't need to label unused antenna ports.)

Click on the box to the right of each antenna name to open the Antenna/Band Configuration.
Click on each band this antenna will be used for RX and TX. (Click on "none" if you want this antenna to be available for manual selection on bands it is not defined for use as well)
In the picture below, the Log Periodic antenna is being selected as being available for use on 20-6 Meters. ("None" can be selected to make the antenna available for reception in between the ham bands)

Hit "Accept" when finished with that antenna port's configuration.

Open the next antenna configuration and repeat the process, until you have properly defined the bands on which each antenna will be used. Hit "Accept."
When finished with all of the antenna configurations, hit "Save." The Antenna Genius will Commit the changes to memory and reboot.

SPECIAL NOTES FOR 6 METER OPERATION:

Always keep power output below 800 Watts when using the Antenna Genius on 6 Meters.
It has been found that the best SWR and less attenuation will be achieved with Antenna Ports 2 and 7.
More precisely when using Side A and Antenna Port 2, or Side B and Antenna Port 7.

Now Test the Antenna Genius:

In the Box(s) Right below the label "Antenna Genius" select one of the following:
BCD: if you have a BCD Cable connected between your radio and the Antenna Genius.
P2B: if you have a P2B (Pin 2 Band) Cable connected between your radio and the Antenna Genius.
MANUAL: If you do not have a band data cable connected between your radio and Antenna Genius
Open a slice on SmartSDR. Select ANT1
Step your way through the bands and note if the Antenna Genius Control Panel shows only the antennas that have been enabled for that band (or if they have the "None" box selected"
If you have more than one antenna available for that particular band, click on the "A" to the left of the antenna's listing and ensure that the antenna changes properly.

Repeat until you have stepped through all the bands.
Change the Slice to use RX and TX ANT2.
Step through the antennas and click on the "B" icon to the right of the antenna listing to select that antenna. Assure that the antennas change properly.
Now open a 2nd slice and set Slice B to use ANT2 and Slice A to use ANT1. Put the slices on different bands.
Make Slice A the TX Slice and select an available antenna for that band.
Make Slice B the TX Slice and select an available antenna for that band. (You must select a different antenna from the antenna used on slice A)
Step through the bands on Slice B and observe the interaction of the antenna selections for the A and B sides of the Antenna Genius Control Panel.
Change the TX Slice back to A and step through the bands.
NOTE: You cannot choose the same antenna from the Antenna Genius for BOTH slices if they are using different ANT1 or ANT2 settings on the radio.

The Final Test:

Select a slice, Band, and antenna output on the radio, and an antenna from the Antenna Genius.
Hit the TUNE Button on the Tuner Genius control panel and see if the antenna properly tunes.
Change to a different band and tune the antenna again.
Change antennas on the Antenna Genius to another available antenna, then hit TUNE on the TGXL and see if it tunes properly.
Change to the previous antenna and see if the AG remembers the previous tuning solution.
Change back to the previous band and see if the AG remembers the proper antenna and the TGXL remembers the tuning solution.

IF YOU RECEIVE RF EARLY WARNINGS:

If you receive RF TOO EARLY Warnings, it is because there is not enough TX DELAY to allow the Amplifier, Tuner Genius, and Antenna Genius to finish changing from RX to TX and set up the bandpass filters and tuning solutions before the RF signal arrives from the radio.

Many ICOM Radios may not have enough TX DELAY adjustment in their setting.

In this case, you may need to re-configure the PTT "Daisy Chain" to buy a few milliseconds more time.

This has been successful in several cases.

Configure it like this:

Connect the PTT Line from the radio to the PTT IN A (Red) jack on the Power Genius Amp.
Connect another RCA Cable from the Power Genius PTT A OUT (White) jack to the Antenna Genius PTT A IN jack.

When the Tuner has found a match, you can put the Amplifier into Operate and resume operation.

This often works with SSB and Digital Modes.

If this does not work because the radio has too little TX Delay or NO TX Delay at all . . . You may need to use an external footswitch/thumb-switch and configure things this way:

Connect a footswitch/thumb-switch to the PTT A IN jack on the Power Genius Amp.
Connect another RCA Cable from the PTT A OUT (White) jack on the Power Genius to the PTT A IN (Red) jack on the Tuner Genius Amp.
Connect and RCA Cable from the PTT A OUT (White) Jack of the Tuner Genius to the PTT IN Line of the radio.

Special notes:

After making major configuration changes to the Antenna Genius, you may need to reboot it by removing the power connector, waiting 15 seconds, and reconnecting the DC power to the Antenna Genius.
You can select a different antenna for each band from the list of available antennas.
The Antenna Genius will remember the last antenna you used on that band and will automatically select that antenna when selecting that band unless the antenna is already in use by the "other side" of the radio.
When the Antenna Genius and Tuner Genius are properly configured, The Tuner Genius will remember 20 Tuning solutions Per Band for each antenna.
Once you have configured and tested the unit, you need to "train" the antenna tuner on each band and antenna. As before, start at the bottom of the band and tune the antenna. Then move up about 20 KHz and tune again. Repeat for each available antenna on each band on which it is available.

This should complete the installation and configuration of your FlexRadio equipment.

Now go enjoy your FlexRadio "Dream Station!"

Related to

Connecting the Antenna Genius:

THIS SECTION BELOW IS STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION (If there are issues, please let us know):

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