Paying for someone to port the firmware to other radios

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EA5JAQ
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Paying for someone to port the firmware to other radios

Post by EA5JAQ » Sun Jan 29, 2023 11:32 am

Just to throw ideas, I know this project's policy is against donations, but how about opening a PayPal account or something similar just for buying a couple of these new type of radios for the developers?

That way we can all chip in and the project could continue, if the new CPUs are just copies and solving this issue is not too difficult (not like with the new DM-1801, which I understand has a completely different CPU and DMR chip).

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oe7abh
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Re: Paying for someone to port the firmware to other radios

Post by oe7abh » Sun Jan 29, 2023 11:57 am

I would also agree with that. A great idea.....
73 Alfred OE7ABH

VK3KYY
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Re: Paying for someone to port the firmware to other radios

Post by VK3KYY » Sun Jan 29, 2023 9:53 pm

I have split your posts to separate thread as they are not directly related to the topic they were posted to

Also.

This idea has been floated many times before.

IMO its not economically viable and in some cases impossible.

You would need to pay someone , or a company to do the development work, and that would cost you $$$, Unless you were personally volunteering to do the development work.


Re: DM-1801
This has been explained many times already, but the new DM-1801 it uses a custom radio module, which contains the C7000 CPU/DMR chip. There is no publically available development toolchain / compiler for the C7000, and no data sheets.

Same applies to the GD88 and the GD-73 and many other radios

EA5JAQ
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Re: Paying for someone to port the firmware to other radios

Post by EA5JAQ » Mon Jan 30, 2023 9:56 am

No… I wasn’t saying any of that. I was saying that if the problem with the new MD-UV380 radios with a CPU clone is that none of the developers have one and they cannot investigate why the firmware is not working, then the community could buy a couple of these for them.

I was throwing that as an idea of a workaround to this part of the project not (currently) being open-source, because if the code, even if it’s not stable, was published in GitHub, maybe someone who just bought this MCU clone radios could investigate the problem also, if they have some developing skills. That’s the beauty of open-source projects, that anyone can unselfishly contribute.

I was putting the new DM-1801 as an example of a radio that cannot support the firmware, in contrast to these new MD-UV380 radios, that just have a clone chip. These latter radios can clearly be supported, as OpenRTX supports them too, so it would just be a matter of investigating which is the issue.

I never said anything in my message about paying someone to develop the firmware, the great thing about projects like OpenRTX is that anyone in the community can see the code, add new features and help solve problems like the one we now have. For example, a few years ago I found a bug while playing around with the code, and I reported here a solution for it (even though I got no credit for it, but I’m absolutely fine with it as the greater good is making the firmware better for the community, not for individual people).

In the OpenGD77 project I’m seeing that the way of working is different: a few developers write the code in a closed-source way and then once it’s stable it gets released. That’s your decision and I accept it (even though I still think that opening up to developers outside this inner-circle by having the current alpha o beta code permanently published can be extremely useful), so that’s why I proposed just buying this new clone chip radios for the devs if they don’t want help from others, I did not not say anything about hiring other deveolpers or anything like that.

Hope this clarifies my message

PS: I don’t own one of these unsupported MD-UV380s as I bought it a couple months ago, I just threw the idea so nobody spends 100+$ and then finds out that they can’t run this great firmware.

G4EML
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Re: Paying for someone to port the firmware to other radios

Post by G4EML » Mon Jan 30, 2023 11:41 am

As one of the developers I appreciate what you are saying. However my main concern would be that by publicly accepting a donated radio I would feel under a very strong obligation to get it working. That may turn out to be much more work than I am willing to do. As Roger has said the issue lies somewhere in the real time libraries which we did not write. It could turn out that the fix is a simple one or it could equally be that some processor feature the real time code relies on doesn't work. If that was the case then the whole structure of the firmware might need to be changed, resulting in an unacceptable amount of work.

Colin G4EML

VE2NCK
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Joined: Tue Jan 17, 2023 4:24 am

Re: Paying for someone to port the firmware to other radios

Post by VE2NCK » Mon Jan 30, 2023 5:07 pm

VK3KYY wrote:
Sun Jan 29, 2023 9:53 pm
I have split your posts to separate thread as they are not directly related to the topic they were posted to

Also.

This idea has been floated many times before.

IMO its not economically viable and in some cases impossible.

You would need to pay someone , or a company to do the development work, and that would cost you $$$, Unless you were personally volunteering to do the development work.


Re: DM-1801
This has been explained many times already, but the new DM-1801 it uses a custom radio module, which contains the C7000 CPU/DMR chip. There is no publically available development toolchain / compiler for the C7000, and no data sheets.

Same applies to the GD88 and the GD-73 and many other radios
i think Ti publish something to get dev going on this DSP chip late august https://www.ti.com/tool/C7000-CGT
new low budget radio D-99 also running this chip i've ordered one, should be here mi-february

ok1pt
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Re: Paying for someone to port the firmware to other radios

Post by ok1pt » Mon Jan 30, 2023 6:26 pm

VE2NCK wrote:
Mon Jan 30, 2023 5:07 pm

i think Ti publish something to get dev going on this DSP chip late august https://www.ti.com/tool/C7000-CGT
new low budget radio D-99 also running this chip i've ordered one, should be here mi-february
Hi!
I'm afraid that this is a name clash. In the context of DMR radios, C6000/C7000 chips are specialized digital radio chips targeted for DMR and similar digital radio protocols. C6000 doesn't contain any CPU and requires an external CPU/MCU to operate, C7000 contains something which was identified as a member of known CPU family (just now I can't recall its exact name/spec) but the CPU knowledge isn't enough, the chip itself contains very complex circuitry which needs a lot of programming to work, and there is no documentation how to program it.
These chips aren't product of TI and they can't be classified as "pure" DSPs.

WIth regards / 73,
Pavel OK1PT

VE2NCK
Posts: 38
Joined: Tue Jan 17, 2023 4:24 am

Re: Paying for someone to port the firmware to other radios

Post by VE2NCK » Mon Jan 30, 2023 7:01 pm

ok1pt wrote:
Mon Jan 30, 2023 6:26 pm
VE2NCK wrote:
Mon Jan 30, 2023 5:07 pm

i think Ti publish something to get dev going on this DSP chip late august https://www.ti.com/tool/C7000-CGT
new low budget radio D-99 also running this chip i've ordered one, should be here mi-february
Hi!
I'm afraid that this is a name clash. In the context of DMR radios, C6000/C7000 chips are specialized digital radio chips targeted for DMR and similar digital radio protocols. C6000 doesn't contain any CPU and requires an external CPU/MCU to operate, C7000 contains something which was identified as a member of known CPU family (just now I can't recall its exact name/spec) but the CPU knowledge isn't enough, the chip itself contains very complex circuitry which needs a lot of programming to work, and there is no documentation how to program it.
These chips aren't product of TI and they can't be classified as "pure" DSPs.

WIth regards / 73,
Pavel OK1PT
there must be some documentation somewhere about it if they make at least 2 radios based on it
who make those D99 sold by Wurui and TXQ ?
oh well , another rabbit hole

thx for clarification regarding the chip naming conflict

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