TYT MD-UV380 / RT-3S Installation information

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VK3KYY
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TYT MD-UV380 / RT-3S Installation information

Post by VK3KYY » Sat Sep 17, 2022 12:43 am

Firmware installation instructions

Thanks mainly to Colin G3EML we now have an version which works on the TYT MD-UV380 and the Retevis RT-3S.
Thanks also to Daniel F1RMB for his work on this, as well as the testers

This firmware is an Alpha version, meaning not all functionality from the OpenGD77 is included and that the firmware will have many bugs


This firmware is experimental and anyone installing it does so at their own risk.



youtu.be/65SEEGfYz4M

The firmware does not support the normal MD-UV380 / RT-3S codeplug.
If you have a GD-77 or DM-1801 etc, running OpenGD77 then use that codeplug.
Otherwise, you should create a new codeplug from scratch.

Before installing the firmware, you should be sure you have a copy of the official firmware which works with your radio, in case you need to reinstall the official firmware.

You must also have the official firmware loader installed onto your PC, or the firmware update driver, because this installs the Device Firmware Update (DFU) driver needed for the OpenGD77 CPS to upload firmware into the radio.

The Retevis RT-3S update driver can be downloaded from here.

https://www.retevis.com/resources_cente ... 7bd2323ac3

And should also work with the TYT MD-UV380

Radioddity has firmware for the UV380 via this link

https://www.tyt888.com/uploadfile/upfil ... 143046.zip

and the UV380 CPS via this link

https://md-uv380.s3.amazonaws.com/CPS%2 ... Bv1.06.rar

Alternatively you can install the generic STM DFU driver by downloading the file stsw-stm32080.zip from STM.com
(https://duckduckgo.com/?q=stsw-stm32080 ... a=j&ia=web )

  • After you have confirmed that you have an official version of firmware which works with your radio, you should use the official CPS to backup the calibration data in the radio
    With your radio connected to a PC, using the official CPS, hold Control + T until the "test" screen is displayed
    You should also backup your codeplug using the official CPS
  • Download and install the latest OpenGD77CPS from here
    downloads/PC_CPS/Latest/

    Specifically at the time of writing...
    downloads/PC_CPS/Latest/OpenGD77CPSInst ... .26.02.exe
  • Download the latest Alpha firmware version from here downloads/MDUV380_DM1701/Firmware/Latest/

    Note. The JA_ version is the Japanese language version
  • Download the official MD9600 V5 firmware , as the 'donor' from here

    https://www.passion-radio.com/index.php ... chment=760

    Note. We use the MD9600 firmware as the ‘donor’ firmware, because the CPU in the MD-UV380 is the same as in the MD9600, and the codec in the MD9600 firmware is identical to the MD-UV380 codec, and to use the MD-UV380 official firmware as the ‘donor’ would require a lot of additional work for the developers.

    Unzip the firmware package file to extract the file named MD9600-CSV(2571V5)-V26.45.bin nd save this file where it will not get deleted.
  • Put the radio into firmware upload mode
    Turn radio off.
    Connect your radio to the computer via the programming cable.
    Holding the button SK1 (button on side nearest the top of the radio) and the PTT button
    Turn the radio on.
    The LED on the top of the radio should now flash Red / Green
    In the Windows device manager you should see a STM DFU device under the “Universal Serial Bus Controller” section. If you don’t see this device; you have not correctly installed the STM DFU driver.
  • In the OpenGD77CPS, set the radio type to MD9600 / MD-UV380
  • In the OpenGD77CPS, select the MD9600 / MD-UV380 firmware loader from the Extras menu.
  • On the firmware loader screen , select the radio type as MD-UV-380
  • If you have not already selected the MD9600 ‘donor’ firmware, Press the “Select official firmware (donor) file” button and select the file you extracted from the MD9600 firmware package.
    MD9600-CSV(2571V5)-V26.45.bin

    Now press “Select Open firmware file & update”, select the OpenUV380 firmware, and the firmware installation process should start.

    If the firmware loader is unable to connect to the radio, the problem is probably that Windows has installed the wrong driver.
  • After the firmware has installed, and you have rebooted the radio, the radio should show the normal OpenGD77 VFO screen, however the frequencies will be some random numbers e.g. 1666.6665MHz because the codeplug area used by the UV380 is probably full of 0xFF bytes.
    Note. The official codeplug used by the radio is not supported. You must make a new codeplug using the OpenGD77 CPS, or use an existing GD77 codeplug.
  • You should now backup the Flash memory in your radio and save that file in a safe location

    This is very important, because the official firmware will not run again on the radio unless you restore the Flash memory before reverting back to the official firmware. It will take several minutes to download 16Mb of data from the radio
  • After the Flash backup is complete. You will need to upload codeplug from the OpenGD77 CPS into the radio; you can also upload Voice Prompts, Satellite data and DMR ID's.
  • After the codeplug is loaded the radio should now be functional

User Interface
The radio does not have all the buttons on the GD77. Specifically the Right and Left buttons on the keypad, but the radio has a rotary control.
On the VFO and Channel screen, the Up and Down functions are now handled by the rotary controls, and the Up/Down buttons have been remapped to Left / Right

In the menu’s however, the Up and Down buttons move up and down the menu list, and the rotary control is used to increase or decrease settings values.
This is Alpha / Experimental firmware, and does not have all OpenGD77 functionality, and also probably has some bugs

One other thing I need to say about this radio.
It has a hardware design problem with the audio.

The volume control is not a pot in series with the audio amp. The volume control feeds a voltage signal into the CPU, and the CPU has to adjust the audio gain of the C6000 chip for both FM and DMR audio

This means the audio control available on this radio is not as good as other radios.

The minimum audio gain setting of the C6000 chip, is not as low as the volume control if the analog audio signal passed through a pot.

In the furture it may be possible to slightly improve the lowest audio level, but at the moment the lowest audio level is not as low as on the GD77 etc




Removal of the firmware

If you need to remove the firmware, you can reload the official firmware for your radio, using the official firmware loader application, however before reinstalling the official firmware you should restore your Flash backup using the OpenGD77, as this will restore your original codeplug.

If restoring the Flash does not work you may need to change the setting.ini file of the official cps to allow your old codeplug to be uploaded as the radio probably now requires a passcode before it can be used.
In settings.ini, Change

password=0 to password=password

VK3KYY
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Location: Melbourne, Australia

Re: TYT MD-UV380 / RT-3S Installation information

Post by VK3KYY » Sat Sep 17, 2022 3:39 am

ve7mdt wrote:
Sat Sep 17, 2022 3:34 am
I happened to be popping by and found this! Wow!

I am testing now, on my RT3s w/ GPSr. This will be my third OpenGD77 FW device, after GD-77 (own 2, one has a non working display) and RD-5R.

Thanks so much to Rogers and the development team for this! I feel I owe you all some beer and goodies!
OK. Let me know how you get on.

Not sure if the GPS is working, becuase the GPS in my RT-3S doesn't seem to work all the time even with the official Retevis firmware.

VK3KYY
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Location: Melbourne, Australia

Re: TYT MD-UV380 / RT-3S Installation information

Post by VK3KYY » Sat Sep 17, 2022 4:23 am

OK.

I'll try to test the flash backup again, but the problem is that it takes a long time, and if it gets a USB glitch it could hang the CPS

Its best to backup the flash if possible, As it makes it much easier to revert to the official firmware

VK3KYY
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Location: Melbourne, Australia

Re: TYT MD-UV380 / RT-3S Installation information

Post by VK3KYY » Sat Sep 17, 2022 4:54 am

ve7mdt wrote:
Sat Sep 17, 2022 4:51 am
Is there a Quick Menu yet so I can check the Digital Monitor setting? (Or how to get to it?).
Quick menu can be accessed by SK1 + Green. This alternate is already in the GD77 I think

VK3KYY
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Location: Melbourne, Australia

Re: TYT MD-UV380 / RT-3S Installation information

Post by VK3KYY » Sat Sep 17, 2022 7:53 am

Note. GPS is not currently working on my RT-3S

But I can't find a version of the official firmware with functioning GPS either :-(

IZ2EIB
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Re: TYT MD-UV380 / RT-3S Installation information

Post by IZ2EIB » Sat Sep 17, 2022 10:48 am

Hi guys.
Many thanks to the developers and testers, it is a really very interesting news.
I am sorry for the dumb question, but not having that kind of radio I am not very informed and I would like to be as precise as possible with a OM friend of mine who owns it.
Could this experimental firmware also be used with an old Retevis RT3 only UHF and DMR (the very first version of RT3 that has the 70 cm band only and only works in digital DMR, not in analog FM and it does not even have the FM broadcasting band 88 - 108 MHz)?
Thanks!

73 best regards de Fabio IZ2EIB

VK3KYY
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Re: TYT MD-UV380 / RT-3S Installation information

Post by VK3KYY » Sat Sep 17, 2022 11:01 am

IZ2EIB wrote:
Sat Sep 17, 2022 10:48 am
Could this experimental firmware also be used with an old Retevis RT3 only UHF and DMR (the very first version of RT3 that has the 70 cm band only and only works in digital DMR, not in analog FM and it does not even have the FM broadcasting band 88 - 108 MHz)?
It only works on the RT-3S / MD-UV380

The RT-3, is different hardware.

SA0BUX
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Re: TYT MD-UV380 / RT-3S Installation information

Post by SA0BUX » Sat Sep 17, 2022 11:17 am

Very nice, ordered a RT-3S from Retevis, hope that they doesn't changed the hardware.
The OpenGD77 software gives a new dimension to the radios.

VK3KYY
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Re: TYT MD-UV380 / RT-3S Installation information

Post by VK3KYY » Sat Sep 17, 2022 11:24 am

SA0BUX wrote:
Sat Sep 17, 2022 11:17 am
Very nice, ordered a RT-3S from Retevis, hope that they doesn't changed the hardware.
The OpenGD77 software gives a new dimension to the radios.
My RT3S is about 2 years old, but I don't think the hardware has changed.

I think TYT / Retevis, can continue to make these radios, because the supply shortage that stopped the GD77 is the CPU, and the RT-3S / UV380 uses a different CPU which is currently available.

TYT also continues to make the MD-9600 / Retevis RT-90, and this uses the same CPU as the RT-3S / UV380

HB3XPL
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Joined: Sat Nov 16, 2019 9:15 am

Re: TYT MD-UV380 / RT-3S Installation information

Post by HB3XPL » Sat Sep 17, 2022 2:44 pm

Hello all, how to put the RT3S in Scan ???? (what keys) thanks 73

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