Posts by EA7KIR

I'm about to give up and find something better to do, but I'm happy try again - if someone can spell out exactly how to get this $^%$ Pluto back to its factory default. The Analog Devices Wiki doesn't help me and neither do hundreds of outdated blog posts.

• I can't remember exactly how I got to this point, so I need to restart with a factory default.
• My Pluto is Revision D and I do not use Windows or Portsdown.
• I can USB mount the Pluto on a macOS Desktop and I can SSH when its connected over ethernet.
• I want to reinstall a fresh firmware version that will be perfect for F50EO. I think that could v0.32
• I need to know exactly which version of F5EOE For The Brave I'll need for Revision D.
• I need to know where the correct versions can be downloaded from and how they are named.
• I need an idiots guide to install these things, because my brain is filled with misinformation.

Please prevent me from having wasted 12 months of my life.

I have to say I'm very impressed with this forum and very much appreciate your help. I will attempt to get the Pluto back to factory default and stick with the basic F5OEO For The Brave.

The system I'm building is not based around Portsdown, mainly because QO-100 is the only option available in my part of the World. So I'm writing client/server software for Mac and RPi to remotely monitor and control the hardware situated on the roof terrace. Over 12 months in development, but the end is in sight!

I'm getting MER 7.1 off the WB Beacon, but people tell me I should be getting over 10 with a 1.3m dish. This, after many attempts to align the dish, skew the polarisation and find the optimum focal plane.

Getting back to the Pluto. With Pluto's maximum 0db output, followed by a 20db preamp and filter, the PA is only drawing 3.7 amps. The PA is supposed to deliver 100 watts with only 80 mW input and should be drawing around 8 to 10 amps. But, I can only activate the satellite to about half the beacon level. So I'm guessing the Pluto isn't delivering the expected 1 milli watt of output. This is why I think I need a lot more output.

Could it be down to ADALM firmware, in combination with Perseverance patches, when using a version D Pluto? If I DFU and start over, what ADALM firmware version should I install and should I try Perseverance again, or just stick with For The Brave? Or could the issue be caused by something else.

Quote from 2E0ILY

I have two Plutos, when both were working one, a Version B gave a lot more output on the same firmware as my version D. Maybe production tolerances, I do not know. Sometimes a basic pluto.dfu "fix" doesn't seem to flush all traces of previous firmware, at least that's my experience, a uboot-env.dfu is needed.

Thank you for offering some help. I didn't know about boot.env.dfu, so this may be my best option.

There's no such thing as a driver for this. If the linux box is on the same network as the Pluto it should just work for you as it does for me. Try ping pluto.local.

I should mention the reason I'm so concerned. It's because I suspect the Pluto is outputting a very low signal level.

Over 80 reads with no response on another forum, so I'm cross-posting here...

Quote

Please could someone explain why my Pluto has magically returned to v0.32-dirty?

My Pluto version D arrived with 0.32 last September. As instructed, I upgraded to the latest 0.34 firmware

After installing F5OEO's "For the Brave", I installed F5UII's Perseverance 0303 patch and his Patch Detection Hardware Revision firmware perseverance 0303.

I appear to have a viable system, because I can see my signal on the Goonhilly WB Spectrum, but until I improve the dish alignment its a bit too low to properly decode.

My questions are:

1) What is a patch? Is it a diff file to be merged, or is it a complete and full operating system?

2) What wiould happen if I download and install ADALM Firmware version 0.34 again? Will it obliterate the F5OEO firmware?

3) Is this just the way it Is, and everyone doing DATV on Pluto is forced to use outdated ADALM v032-dirty firmware?

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I'm a beginner in need of help. Please say if you think I should start over, but do tell me which ADALM Firmware to install first and exactly what else to add and in what order. Thank you.