Hermes_User_Manual_V1.10 Hermes User Manual V1.10

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High Performance Software Defined Radio
Open Source Hardware and Software Project
Project Description: http://openhpsdr.org

Hermes
Full Duplex HF Transceiver

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IMPORTANT
The FPGA and other components on the Hermes PCB can
be damaged by Electrostatic Discharge (ESD). When
handling the PCB or touching components, powered or
unpowered, you should take ESD precautions (e.g. use a
work bench with an antistatic mat on it and wear a
grounded wrist strap).
When powered on do not touch the top of any IC in order
to determine its temperature. In particular, do not touch
the Switch Mode Regulator IC. Touching its leads can
change the switching frequency and alter the output
voltage.
Hermes is intended to be used with either a Power
Amplifier, incorporating a Low Pass Filter (LPF), or an
external LPF. The LPF should have 30 dB of attenuation
at all harmonics of the transmit frequency. Do not
connect Hermes to an antenna without incorporating a
suitable LPF.
A suitable LPF is the HPSDR Alex* board which may be
controlled directly from Hermes, with the addition of a
few parts. A combined Power Amplifier and LPF, the
ANAN-10, is available from Apache Labs#. The HPSDR
Apollo& Power Amplifier and LPF also includes a built in
Antenna Tuner.
* http://openhpsdr.org/alex.php
# http://www.apache-labs.com/index.php.
&

http://openhpsdr.org/apollo.php

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Revisions
V1.0

Initial release

28th Feb 2012

V1.1

Replaced reference to .Net 1.1 with .NET3.5

2nd Mar 2012

V1.2

Updated web link to N9VV document

7th Mar 2012

V1.3

Uses pre-production PCB. Added warning re
touching ICs and need for LPFs. Changed
connectors and jumpers to agree with production
board.

21 Apr 2012

V1.4

Removed reference to a backplane. Corrected
pins 13 and 16 of J16 and DPC.

9 Jun 2012

V1.5

Incorporated review by Peter, VK3PF. Added
22 July 2012
J27, 28 & 29 descriptions. Corrected connections
to J16. Corrected J12 setting.

V1.6

Added reference to PowerSDR software installers
and V1.8 of FPGA code. Updated current draw
and additional current draw when using multiple
receivers.

30 Sept 2012

V1.7

Modified ESD text. Version made available for
public editing.

11 Oct 2012

V1.8

Extensive updating to correspond to production
boards by Dick, K9IVB.

28 Oct 2012

V1.9

Added connector types for J3,5 & 25. Added
types for 3.5mm jack plugs.

11 Nov 2012

V1.10 Added need to install C39 for transverter output.
Added note regarding R102 for installation of
Apache power switch. Updated drawing in
Appendix C.

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1 Dec 2012

CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................ 5
WHAT YOU WILL NEED ........................................................................................................................................ 5
HERMES SET-UP .................................................................................................................................................. 6
Ethernet Connection ...................................................................................................................................... 6
Jumper Settings and Connectors.................................................................................................................... 6
Mounting Hermes ........................................................................................................................................ 15
OPERATION ...................................................................................................................................................... 15
SOFTWARE ....................................................................................................................................................... 17
SDR SOFTWARE................................................................................................................................................ 17
SOFTWARE INSTALLATION ................................................................................................................................ 18
SUPPORT ........................................................................................................................................................... 20
SCHEMATIC ....................................................................................................................................................... 21
ADDITIONAL READING ...................................................................................................................................... 21
UPDATING HERMES FIRMWARE............................................................................................................... 22
APPENDIX A...................................................................................................................................................... 25
SETTING A STATIC IP ADDRESS ........................................................................................................................ 25
REMOVING A STATIC IP ADDRESS .................................................................................................................... 26
RELOADING THE EEPROM............................................................................................................................... 26
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION .............................................................................................................................. 27
APPENDIX B...................................................................................................................................................... 28
COMPUTER PERFORMANCE ............................................................................................................................... 28
APPENDIX C...................................................................................................................................................... 29
HERMES END PANEL DIMENSIONS .................................................................................................................... 29

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INTRODUCTION
Hermes is a full duplex, digital-down-conversion (DDC) and digital-up-conversion (DUC) HF
transceiver.
Hermes provides either a 100T or Gigabit (1000T) interface to the host PC. The board uses
a large ‘Altera’ Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), providing some 40,000 logic
elements which give plenty of room for future code updates and new facilities.
All the Ethernet protocol processing is undertaken by the FPGA. Protocols supported include:
UDP/IP, DHCP, APR and ‘ping’. A unique MAC address is assigned to each board and either a
static or automatically assigned IP address can be used.
Future Hermes code updates can be achieved via the Ethernet connection, eliminating the
need for special programming adapters.
Hermes can be used with a number of different PC Software Defined Radio programs
including those written for Windows, Linux and MacOS X operating systems.
The initial release of FPGA code (V1.8) was installed on all TAPR boards. This will enable
two independent receivers (fed from the same antenna) to be used assuming PC software
that supports this facility is used. See the Chapter on UPDATING HERMES FIRMWARE for
updating instructions when new features or firmware are required.

What you will need
Table 1 and Table 2 below summarize the hardware and software you will
require to operate a Hermes board
Table 1: Hardware Requirements
Hardware Comment
Hermes board
DDC/DDC full duplex transceiver
Power supply
13.8 V @ 1 A or PC ATX type or equivalent*
Ethernet cable
Connection between Hermes and PC or Ethernet Switch
3.5 mm jacks
For connection of PTT, CW key and microphone

*Hermes draws 0.6 A from 13.8 V at 100T on receive (single receiver) when using the internal 5 V
SMPSU. This increases to 0.8 A when transmitting at 0.5 W. Future releases of Hermes code will
support multiple receivers in which case the current on receiver will increase approximately 120mA
per each additional receiver. For multiple receivers a 2 A or higher power supply is recommended.
Table 2: Software Requirements
Windows XP or Windows 7
Linux (Ubuntu V10.10)
MacOS X

PowerSDR™, KISS Konsole, ghpsdr3
ghpsdr3
Heterodyne

See http://openhpsdr.org/wiki/index.php?title=HPSDR_related_software for more
information on available PC software.

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Hermes set-up
Ethernet Connection
Hermes is connected to a host PC, either:
a) Directly to a dedicated Ethernet port on a host PC; or
b) To a connection on a full duplex Ethernet switch that is also connected to the host
PC.
Connection to a dedicated Ethernet port is shown in Figure 1, whilst connection to an
Ethernet switch is shown in Figure 2.

Figure 1

For direct connection of Hermes to a dedicated Ethernet port, a CAT 5 Ethernet cable is
used. Note that a ‘crossover’ cable is not necessary but can be used if desired.
Figure 2

For connection of Hermes to an Ethernet switch, a CAT 5 Ethernet cable is used.
IMPORTANT: The Ethernet switch must be capable of operating in full duplex mode at
100T or 1000T. The initial release of Hermes FPGA code will operate at 100T, but future
releases will run at 1000T. For this reason, a 100T Ethernet switch may be used in the
interim, but if a new purchase is planned then a 100/1000T switch is recommended.
Since Hermes operates in full duplex mode, it should NOT be connected to an Ethernet hub.

Jumper Settings and Connectors
Hermes provides a number of connectors and user-configurable jumpers; their locations are
shown in Figure 3 and Figure 4.
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Figure 3

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Figure 4

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Jumper settings
Note that some of the connectors labelled ‘J’ on the Hermes PCB are for jumpers, while
others are for input/output connections. The jumpers are explained in this section of the
manual, whilst the input/output connections are detailed in the following section.
J12:

When inserted, this jumper starts the Hermes board in ‘bootloader’ mode - see
Appendix A for details regarding this mode. For normal operation, this jumper should

not be fitted.’
J13:

When inserted, this jumper forces Hermes to run at 100T, even if it is connected to
an Ethernet switch or PC capable of running at 1000T. When this jumper is removed,
Hermes will run at the maximum speed available on the Ethernet switch or adapter it
is connected to, or as determined by the Hermes firmware.
NOTE: The initial release of Hermes code will only run at 100T.

JP4:

This jumper selects the microphone connection, either tip or ring - see the diagram
below. Some microphones come with their element wired between a 3.5 mm jack
plug ‘tip’ and sleeve (ground), whilst on others the element is wired between a
3.5 mm jack plug ‘ring’ and sleeve (ground).

To select the tip, place the jumper on pins 2 and 3 (default); to select the ring, use
pins 1 and 2.
JP5:

This provides bias if you wish to use an electret microphone. If the microphone is
connected between to the 3.5 mm jack plug ‘tip’ and sleeve (ground), then place a
jumper between pins 2 and 3. If the microphone is connected between the 3.5 mm
jack plug ‘ring’ and sleeve (ground), then use pins 1 and 2. If bias is not required
then do not fit this jumper (this is the default setting).

JP6:

If your microphone is fitted with a PTT button, then this jumper enables it. If the
PTT button is connected between the 3.5 mm jack plug ‘tip’ and sleeve (ground)
then place a jumper between pins 2 and 3. If the PTT is connected between the jack
plug ‘ring’ and sleeve (ground) then place the jumper between between pins 1 and
3. If your microphone is not fitted with a PTT, or you do not wish to use it, then do
not fit a jumper to JP6 (this is the default setting).
WARNING: If your microphone plug uses tip and sleeve connections only and you
set the PTT jumper to the ring setting, then the PTT will be permanently enabled
(i.e. the transmitter will be permanently switched on).

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NOTES: Ensure that the jumper on JP6 is NOT connected to the same terminal (tip or ring)
that your microphone is connected to. The PTT button should present a voltage-free contact
that connects its associated pin to the outer sleeve (ground) of the coaxial microphone cable
when pressed. This is the most common way of wiring a PTT button, but users are advised
to check the connections with a multimeter set to the lowest ohms range if unsure of the
exact configuration.
An alternative PTT input connection is available via pin 1 of connector J16.
J17:

When a jumper is placed on pins 2 and 3 (the default setting) this selects the output
from the on-board 12 V regulator for use with a 13.8 V supply. With a jumper on
pins 1 and 2, this bypasses the 12 V regulator so that a 12 V regulated supply may
be used with Hermes.

J18:

When a jumper is fitted (the default setting) this enables the onboard 12 V regulator
for the use of a 13.8 V DC supply. This jumper should be removed when a 12 V
regulated supply is used.

J20:

When a jumper is inserted between pins 1 and 3 (the default setting) the internal
10 MHz reference oscillator is selected. When pins 2 and 4 are jumpered, an external
10 MHz reference is selected at J25 (see the following ‘Input/Output section of this
manual).

J21:

When a jumper is in place (the default setting) the internal 5 V SMPSU is enabled
and should be in place when using a 13.8 V or 12 V DC supply for the overall power
requirements of Hermes. The jumper should be removed when an external 5 V
supply is used.

J22:

When inserted (the default setting) this jumper terminates an external 10 MHz
reference with 50 ohms.

J23:

When inserted (the default setting) this jumper enables power to be supplied to the
Hermes 10 MHz TCXO reference oscillator

J24:

When inserted (default) this jumper connects the outer of J25 to the ground of the
Hermes board.

J26:

In position 1 and 2 this enables operation of the 5 V circuits of Hermes from an
external 5 V supply. In position 2 and 3 (the default setting) the internal 5 V SMPSU
of Hermes is selected.

NOTE: As shipped, the jumpers J17, J18, J21 and J25 in Hermes are configured in the
default setting that enables complete operation from a 13.8 V DC Power Supply.

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Input/Output Connections
J1:

Provides a low-level transmit output for use with a transverter, etc. The output level
can be set by the user to an appropriate level by fitting suitable resistors to the
spaces for R17 and R18 and a capacitor to C39 on the Hermes PCB. These
components are not populated during production.

J2:

Provides connection to either an electret or crystal types of microphone. The
microphone may be fitted with a PTT button. The ground of the microphone cable
should be connected to the common connection of a 3.5 mm jack plug. The PTT and
signal connections can connect to either the tip or ring of a 3.5 mm stereo jack plug,
as selected by JP4 and JP6. Should an electret microphone be used, then bias for
this can be provided via JP6.

J3:

SMA socket. Provides the connection to the transmitter RF output of Hermes, which
is nominally 500 mW into 50 ohms. An antenna should be connected to J3 via a
suitable Low Pass Filter.
Should an external power amplifier be used with Hermes, then the user will need to
ensure that this has adequate harmonic suppression.

J4:

Provides connection to stereo headphones via a standard 3.5 mm socket. Low
impedance headphones may be connected to J4 - the type intended for use with PC
sound cards are suitable. Use a 3.5mm jack plug (tip, ring, sleave) with common
connected to the sleave, tip the left headphone and ring the right.

J5:

SMA socket. Provides the antenna input to the receive section of Hermes and is
nominally
50 ohms impedance.

J6:

Provides connection for a CW key, either straight, dual-paddle or iambic. If using a
dual-paddle or iambic key paddle, the common connection of the key should be
made to the sleeve of a 3.5 mm stereo jack plug (i.e. tip, ring, sleave), the ‘dot’ side
to the ring and the ‘dash’ side to the tip. If a straight key is used this should be
connected between the sleeve and tip of the jack plug. Some PC SDR software, e.g.
PowerSDR™, enables the dot and dash connections to be reversed via a menu
selection.
The dot and dash connections are connected to 3.3 V via a 1 k resistor.

NOTE: to use a CW key with PowerSDR™ you will need to enable it. To do so, click on
Setup in PowerSDR™ and then select the DSP tab followed by the Keyer sub-tab. In the
Connections section of PowerSDR™ select Ozy.
J8, J9:Provides right and left (respectively) channel speaker outputs. Speakers of 8 ohms
impedance or more may be connected to pins 1 and 2 of J8 and J9. WARNING:
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These pins are directly connected to the audio output IC and should not be shorted
to each other or to ground.
J10:

Provides a DC power connection using the four pin connector that is mounted on the
bottom side of the board. NOTE: Pin 1 is the pin closest to the outside edge of the
board. See Figure 4.
For operation from 13.8 V DC supply, connect the ‘positive’ lead of the supply to pin
1 and the ‘negative’ lead to pin 2 and ensure the jumper on J18 is in place, the
jumper on J17 is connected to pins 2 and 3 and a jumper on J26 connects pins 2 and
3.
NOTE: As supplied, the Hermes board is configured for operation from a 13.8 V DC
supply.
When used in conjunction with Apollo the power switch is located on the Apollo. A
separate power switch is required for stand alone operation.
If resistor R102 is removed from the bottom of the PCB then the Apache Labs power
switch may be installed.
For operation from a 12 V DC supply, connect the positive lead of the supply to pin 1
of J10 and the negative lead to pin 2 of J10. Ensure that the jumper on J18 is
removed, the jumper on J17 is placed on pins 1 and 2, a jumper placed on J21 and a
jumper on J26 is placed on pins 2 and 3.
For operation from a 12 V DC supply and an external 5 V supply, connect the
‘positive’ lead of the 12 V supply to pin 1 of J10 and the ‘negative’ lead to pin 2 of
J10. Connect the positive lead of the external 5 V supply to pin 4 of J10 and the
negative lead connections to pin 3 of J10. Ensure that the jumper on J18 is removed,
the jumper on J17 is placed on pins 1 and 2, a jumper placed on J21 and a jumper
placed on pins 1 and 2 of J26.

J11:

Provides an open-drain PTT output that is common with pin 25 of J16 and is
intended for use with an external power amplifier or transverter, etc. The output
switches to a low impedance whenever the PTT or the MOX/VOX in the PC software
is activated. The output is rated at 60 V @ 100 mA and includes a relay ‘back-emf’
protection diode.

J14:

Provides I/O connections for future expansion. [not included].

J15:

Provides interfacing to an external power amplifier (e.g. Apache Labs ANAN-10) or
filter bank (e.g. HPSDR Alex). [not included].

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J16:

Provides for a number of inputs and outputs as follows:
Pin
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26

Connection
PTT: connected to 3.3 V via 1 k pull-up resistor
Analogue Ground
Left channel line-level audio input
Right channel line-level audio input
Right channel phones output
Left channel phones output
Left channel line out
Right channel line out
User digital input 1: connected to 3.3 V via 1 k pull-up resistor
Analogue Ground
User analogue input 1: 0-3 V max
User analogue input 2: 0-3 V max
User digital input 4: connected to 3.3 V via 1 k pull-up resistor
Right channel speaker (pair with pin 15)
Right channel speaker (pair with pin 14)
User digital input 2: connected to 3.3 V via 1 k pull-up resistor
User open-collector output 1
User open-collector output 2
User open-collector output 3
User open-collector output 4
User open-collector output 5
User open-collector output 6
User open-collector output 7
Open-collector reference/fly-back diodes
Open-drain PTT output
User digital input 3: connected to 3.3 V via 1 k pull-up resistor

The open-collector outputs are rated at 50 V and a total current drain of 500 mA.
NOTE: The total current drain is the maximum from all outputs. Common cathode relay
back-emf protection diodes are provided at pin 24 – see ULN2003AD data sheet for more
details.
The PTT input provided on pin 1 should be connected to a voltage-free contact and can be
activated by connecting to ground (or pin 10).
NOTE: The user analogue inputs are rated at 0 – 3 V with an absolute maximum input of
3.2 V. The input impedance is high (>100 k ohms) so if an input is enabled in the PC
software but unused it may pick-up signals from an adjacent pin. If this situation occurs, the
unused inputs should be grounded.

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J19:

Provides high impedance (>100 k ohms) analogue inputs for the monitoring of an
associated transmitter power amplifier. The input voltage range should be 0 to 3.0 V
with an absolute maximum of 3.1 V. Pin connections are as follows:
Pin
Pin
Pin
Pin

1
2
3
4

Ground/0 V
Forward Power
Reverse Power
+12 V (via a resettable 1 A fuse)

J25:

SMA socket. Provides the connection for an external 10 MHz reference oscillator.
This should preferably be a sine wave of between -10 dBm and +10 dBm. The input
may be isolated from the Hermes ground by removing J24. With a jumper on J22,
the input impedance is normally 50 ohms but may be increased to approximately 1 k
ohm by removing the jumper.

J27:

3.5 mm Stereo Jack Socket, Left Speaker output. Connect using a 3.5mm jack plug
(tip, ring, sleave). Speakers of 8 ohms impedance or more may only be connected
to the tip and ring of J27. WARNING: These pins are directly connected to the audio
output IC and should not be shorted to each other or to ground.

J28:

Alternative transmitter output for connection to a Apache Labs ANAN-10 PA board.
[not included].

J29:

Alternative receiver input for connection to a Apache Labs ANAN-10 PA board. [not
included].

J30:

Alternative transmitter output for connection to an Apollo PA board.

J31:

Alternative receiver input for connection to an Apollo PA board.

J32:

Provides interfacing to HPSDR Apollo external power amplifier or separate filter
bank.

P1:

Provides an Altera JTAG interface for FPGA programming and is intended for
experienced users.

P2:

Provides an Altera serial configuration interface for EEPROM programming and is
intended for experienced users.

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Mounting Hermes
When Hermes and Apollo are installed into the Hammond 1455Q1601 [2.03” h] or
equivalent TAPR enclosure, Apollo is mounted on the bottom with main components
facing up (slot 1 from bottom). Hermes is inserted into slot 4 from top also with main
components facing up. The switched power is taken from a 4-pin connector on
Apollo to J10 on the bottom of Hermes. The Hermes RF out (J30) and RX in (J31)
are connected to their respective connectors on Apollo. The control cable from
Hermes to Apollo is from J32 to the corresponding connector on Apollo.
If Hermes is going to be used with Alex, install J15 on top of Hermes and connect a
cable to the corresponding connector on Alex. J32 CAN NOT BE USED WITH ALEX!
If mounting to a chassis the four corner “mounting holes” are 6.000” x 4.425” or
152.4mm x 112.4mm and are 1.575”D or 4.0mmD, plated through.
The nominal board dimensions are 160mm x 120mm x 1.597666mm or 6.2992” x
4.7244” x 0.0629”.

See Appendix C for end panel dimensions.

OPERATION
Connect Hermes to an Ethernet port on an Ethernet Switch or directly to the personal
computer that will be used with the transceiver.
Connect Hermes to a 13.8 V DC supply (the default setting) or to 12 V / 5 V supply and
depress the power-on button.
The following LEDs indicate the status of the Hermes board (see Figure 3 for the location of
the various LEDs).
When Hermes is powered-up, the following power supply LEDs should be alight:
D1:
D6
D23:
D25:
D26:
D27:
D28:

[Front Panel] 3.3 V supply OK.
[Front Panel] Status_LED: Flashes twice per second.
2.5 V supply OK
3.3 V supply OK
3.3 V supply OK
3.3 V supply OK
3.3 V supply OK

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The meaning of the other LEDs is as follows:
LED1:
LED2:
LED3:
LED4:
LED5:
LED8:
LED6:
LED7:

LED9:
LED10:

(D19) Lights when an Ethernet broadcast is detected.
(D18) Lights when traffic to the board’s MAC address is detected.
(D17) Lights when detecting a received sequence error or the ASMI is busy.
(D16) Displays state of PHY negotiations – there is a fast flash if no Ethernet
connection; a slow flash if 100T; and a steady ‘on’ if 1000T.
(D15) Lights when the PHY receives Ethernet traffic.
(D14) Lights when sync (0x7F7F7F) is received from the personal computer.
(D13) Lights when the PHY transmits Ethernet traffic.
(D12) Displays state of DHCP negotiations or static IP – the LED is on if ACK;
displays a slow flash if NAK; fast flash if time out; and long flash then short flash if
static IP.
(D11) Lights when a Hermes discovery packet is received.
(D10) Lights when a Hermes discovery packet reply is sent.

NOTE: The meaning of each LED is controlled by firmware, hence the meanings may change
in future releases of firmware. Whenever you change the firmware, check the associated
release notes to confirm the meaning of each LED.
When first powered-on, Hermes will attempt to obtain an IP address from a DHCP server (if
one is attached to the network). If this is successful, then LED7 will be steadily illuminated.
Note: it may take up to eight seconds for a DHCP IP address to be assigned.
If a DHCP server is not found on the network, or Hermes is connected directly to a PC, then
an APIPA IP address in the range 169.254.x.x will be assigned. Note this will be assigned
after Hermes’ attempts to obtain a DHCP IP address has failed, so will take eight seconds
from powering-on the Hermes board. The time that a personal computer takes to obtain an
APIPA address itself varies with the particular operating system. Tests using Windows XP
indicates this can be up to 20 seconds.
If an APIPA IP address is assigned, then LED7 will flash rapidly.
The user may also set a static IP address (see Appendix A). In this case, a DHCP IP address
will not be sought and LED7 will flash alternately short/long.
If a static IP address is assigned and Hermes is connected to a second ethernet port on a
personal computer, then the address assigned must be on a different sub net. For example,
if the first port on the personal computer is using 192.168.x.x then use 10.x.x.x for the
Hermes and the second port.
By assigning an IP addresses to the second ethernet port and Hermes the (sometimes-long)
delays in obtaining an APIPA IP address can be eliminated.
The PC SDR code may then be started. A Hermes board that is ready to communicate with a
PC will respond to ‘ping’ and ARP requests.
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SOFTWARE
SDR Software
If you are in any doubt as to the ability of your computer to support PowerSDR™ and
Hermes, please see Appendix B of this manual.
The following text explains how to download and install versions of PowerSDR™ that have
been developed by Doug Wigley, W5WC.
Installers for two versions of PowerSDR™, one supporting one receiver and the other two
receivers, can be downloaded from

HPSDR Downloads page
Scroll down to the Windows heading and select either
PowerSDR RX1 x.x.x. for the single receiver version or
PowerSDR RX2 x.x.x. for the dual receiver version
Both versions may be installed on a PC if desired.
Once the installer is downloaded run the code and install the required version(s).
The source code for these programs can be obtained using SVN from the location indicated
on the page where the installers are obtained.
Details of alternative PC software for use under Windows, Linux and MacOS can be found
at: http://openhpsdr.org/download.php
Please refer to the relevant software documentation for using Hermes with other SDR
applications.

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Software installation
After installing PowerSDR™, click on PowerSDR.exe or the desktop icon. For a new
installation a calibration program will run that relates to the Fast Fourier Transform code.
Once run, the user will be prompted to select the appropriate hardware, select HPSDR and
on the components screen select Hermes.

Software Configuration
Run PowerSDR™, select Setup, click the General tab then Hardware Config. Within the
‘Radio Model’ box, select Hermes as follows:

Press the Start button on PowerSDR™ whereby the Hermes board will automatically be
detected. PowerSDR™ will display the IP address and MAC address of the Hermes board it is
connected to. On the Hardware Config form this is displayed within - Hermes Address - as
follows:

Make a note of the unique MAC address since this will be useful if there is a need for
problem-solving in the future.
If an HPSDR Alex low-pass filter/high-pass filter board, Apache Labs ANAN-10 Power
Amplifier or HPSDR Apollo power amplifier (currently under development) is connected to
Hermes, then check the Alex box in the HPSDR ‘Hardware Present’ section of the form.
Both the frequency and level calibrations for Hermes have already been programmed, but if
you wish to use your own settings, or re-calibrate, then use the General/Calibration tab to
do so.

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If the open-collector outputs on connector J16 are being used, they may be activated using
the General/Penny/Hermes Ctrl tab. Click on the ‘Ext Control’ button to activate the controls.
A ‘tick’ in a box indicates that the open-collector output(s) will ‘pull low’ when the band and
receive and/or transmit combination is met.
In the example below, the open-collector outputs 1 and 4 will be pulled low when receiving
on 160 m; while the open-collector output 2 will be pulled low when transmitting on 160 m.

When using an external power amplifier for transmitting, it is useful to calibrate PowerSDR™
so that the amplifier gives the same power-out for the same setting of the Drive Control.
The Setup Form enables any variations in power amplifier gain with frequency to be
compensated.
The ‘Gain By Band’ can be varied by adjusting the settings on the PA Settings tab – see
diagram below.

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Increasing the values, indicating a higher power amplifier gain, reduces the power output.
Depending on the processing power of the personal computer you are using with Hermes, it
may be necessary to run PowerSDR™ at a higher priority. For example, if gaps in the
receive audio are present when operating at a 192 kHz sampling rate, then try increasing
the Process Priority. This can be set by selecting Setup, General, Options and within Process
Priority select ‘Above Normal’ or ‘Real Time’. Note there appears to be an issue with
selecting ‘Real Time’ - please be aware of this.
Please refer to the PowerSDR™ users guide for guidance in the operation of all other
controls. The guide can be obtained from: www.flex-radio.com, view any Flex Owner’s
Manual.pdf to learn more regarding the use of the PowerSDR™ software.

SUPPORT
Technical support for Hermes via email is available via the HPSDR mail reflector.
Instructions relating to joining the reflector are here:
http://lists.openhpsdr.org/listinfo.cgi/hpsdr-openhpsdr.org
The archives may also be searched here:
http://lists.openhpsdr.org/mmsearch.cgi/hpsdr-openhpsdr.org
The latest version of this User Manual can be obtained from
http://openhpsdr.org/documents.php

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Schematic
The current schematic of Hermes can be downloaded from:
http://openhpsdr.org/support.php#Hermes

Additional reading
Ken Hopper N9VV has provided an excellent introduction to Hermes here:
http://www.n9vv.com/Images/Hermes/Hermes%20an%20Introduction%20October%202011.pdf

His document covers some of the history of the project, as well as some technical
explanations.

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UPDATING HERMES FIRMWARE
The firmware used to control the Hermes board is held in an EEPROM on the PCB. The
firmware can be updated to the latest version via the Ethernet connection and the
HPSDRProgrammer personal computer software.
To update, install the Windows version of HPSDRProgrammer software from
http://openhpsdr.org/download.php.
You will also need to download and install the Winpcap drives and dlls from the link on the
same page.
Before installing new firmware, ensure that all personal computer SDR software you are
using has been stopped and the application closed.
Run the HPSDRProgrammer software which will result in the following screen being
displayed):

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The ‘Interface’ section will list the Ethernet adapters present on the PC. If there is more
than one found, then use the drop-down menu to select the adapter that the Hermes board
is connected to.
The IP address that the adapter is using is displayed beneath the entry to assist with
selecting the correct one. The Linux version will display available adapters using eth0, eth1
etc. and MacOS X en0, en1, en2, etc.
In the ‘Device’ section, select Hermes and check that the ‘Hermes Programmer’ Tab is
selected.
Click the ‘Discover’ button - this will locate any Hermes board(s) that the PC is able to
access. If more than one Hermes board is located, then the board to be programmed may
be selected using the drop-down menu in the ‘Hermes Programmer’ section.
The successful discovery of a Hermes board will be indicated as follows:

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To program the selected Hermes board, check that the ‘Program’ Tab is selected. Use the
‘Browse’ button to locate the Hermes_Vx.x.rbf file that is to be loaded into the Hermes flash
memory. The most recent Hermes_Vx.x.rbf file can be found at
http://openhpsdr.org/download.php.

Click on the ‘Program’ button to start the erase and programming cycle. A successful erase
and program will be indicated as follows:

Once the new firmware has been successfully loaded, Hermes will automatically load and
run the new code. Should the new firmware not load or operate correctly then please refer
to Appendix A for further instructions.
HPSDRProgrammer may also be used to erase the EEPROM on a Hermes board. In this
case, select the ‘Erase’ Tab and click the ‘Program’ button. Once the EEPROM has been
erased the Bootloader facility (see Appendix A) must be used to re-program it.

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APPENDIX A
This appendix explains how to set a static IP address and use the Hermes Bootloader
facility. Note that in order to use these facilities, you need to be running with Administrator

privileges under Windows, root under Linux. The MacOS X version will automatically set the
correct privileges.

Setting a Static IP Address
This section explains how to set a static IP Address on a Hermes board. This facility is
provided for advanced users who understand the implications of using a static IP Address.
1.

Remove the power from Hermes and connect a jumper to J12 - this places Hermes
into Bootloader mode. Re-apply power to Hermes.

Ensure that any SDR software has been stopped and terminated. Load the
HPSDRProgrammer software, select the appropriate interface then select the
‘Hermes Boot Loader’ tab.

Select the ‘IP Address’ tab, enter the desired IP address in xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx format
then click ‘Write’. Then click the ‘Read’ button and check that the information area
displays the desired IP address. The result of programming the IP address 10.0.0.1 is
shown below.

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Remove the power from Hermes then remove the jumper on J12. Re-apply power to
Hermes.

Removing a Static IP Address
To remove a static IP address follow the instructions for setting a static IP Address and set
the IP address to 0.0.0.0 or 255.255.255.255. Remove the power from Hermes then remove
the jumper on J12. Re-apply power to Hermes.
Hermes will then attempt to obtain a DHCP or APIAP IP address

Reloading the EEPROM
The normal procedure for updating the EEPROM on Hermes is by using the in-line
programmer function as described in ‘Updating Hermes Firmware’. However, should this fail
for some reason or a Hermes board is received in an unknown state, then the EEPROM may
be updated using the following method:
1.

Ensure that any SDR software has been stopped and terminated. Load the
HPSDRProgrammer software and select the ‘Hermes Boot Loader’ tab.

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2.
3.

Remove the power from Hermes and connect a jumper to J12 - this places Hermes
into Bootloader mode. Reapply power to Hermes.
Ensure that the ‘Program’ tab is selected then use the ‘Browse’ button to select the
Hermes_Vx.x.rbf file that you wish to load into the EEPROM. Click ‘Program’ and the
EEPROM will be erased and programmed.

Remove the power from Hermes then remove the jumper on JP12. Reapply power to
Hermes to load the new code into the FPGA.
The following image indicates the result of successfully programming Hermes.

Additional information
A detailed description of the protocol used by Hermes, which is the same as that used by
the HPSDR Metis Ethernet board, can be found in the document ‘Metis – how it works.pdf’
which can be found at http://openhpsdr.org/support.html.

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APPENDIX B
Computer Performance
Processing of streaming data in real-time can be a challenging task for Windows-based
applications and device drivers. This is because by design Windows is not a real-time
operating system. There is no guarantee that tasks can be executed in a deterministic
(timely) manner.
Audio or video data streams transferred from or to an external device are typically handled
by a kernel-mode device driver. Data processing in such device drivers is interrupt-driven.
Typically, the external hardware periodically issues interrupts to request the driver to
transfer the next block of data. In Windows NT-based systems (Windows 2000 and later)
there is a specific interrupt handling mechanism. When a device driver cannot process data
immediately in its interrupt routine, it schedules a Deferred Procedure Call (DPC).
Microsoft defines them as: A Deferred Procedure Call (DPC) is a queued call to a kernel-

mode function that will usually be executed at a later time. DPCs are used by drivers to
schedule I/O operations that do not have to take place in an ISR at a high IRQL, and can
instead be safely postponed until the processor IRQL has been lowered.
When you look at Windows Task Manager and sort the running processes by CPU (Processor
Utilization), the System Idle Process is almost always at the top of the list. What you may
not know is that ‘process’ is really a roll-up of several things. Among other things included in
that CPU number, is hardware interrupts and DPCs. You can see these two items by using
the Microsoft “SysInternals” Process Explorer available here: Process Explorer
The sycon's DPC Latency Checker is a free Windows tool that analyses the capabilities of a
computer system to handle real-time data streams properly. It may help you to determine if
your personal computer is capable of powering your HPSDR system or to find the cause for
interruptions in real-time audio and video streams, also known as ‘drop-outs’. The program
supports Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows XP x64, Windows Server 2003, Windows
Server 2003 x64, Windows Vista, Windows Vista x64, Windows 7 32 bit and 64 bit and is
available here: DPC Latency Checker

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APPENDIX C
Hermes End Panel Dimensions

Hermes End Panel Dimensions
Revision 2 - 10/30/2012

+48.5mm (1.909")

+10.129mm (0.3988")

+1.747mm (0.0688")

-6.635mm (0.2612")

-15.3mm (0.6024")

3.175mm D (0.125"D)
2 places [leds]

-26.199mm (1.0315")

NOTE: Top Board Dimensions are
Referenced from Center Line

-37.0mm (1.4567")

-50.438mm (1.9857")

-44.761mm (1.7622")

Center Line
0.0 Ref

+14.351mm (0.565")

+7.0mm (0.2756")

+4.80mm (0.189")

0.0 Ref

+11.5mm (0.4527")

+49.871mm (1.9634")

+66.635mm (2.6234")

+75.3mm (2.9646")

+86.119mm (3.3905")

+97mm (3.8188")

NOTE: Below Board Dimensions are
Referenced from Right side 0.0 Ref

+104.736mm (4.1234")

0.0 Ref
-0.254mm (0.01")

+110.348mm (4.3444")

+0.6mm (0.0236")

Hermes Front Panel

+49.05mm (1.9311")

+37.536mm (1.4778")

+26.13mm (1.0287")

6.0mm D (0.236"D)
4 places [Stereo Jack]

+0.631mm (0.0248")
+4.85mm (0.1909")

NOTE: Top Board Dimensions are
Referenced from Center Line

-41.009mm (1.6145")

-48.078mm (1.8928")

120.0mm (4.724")

6.55mm D (0.258"D)
4 places [SMA]

+10.0mm (0.397")

+109.05mm (4.2933")

+97.536mm (3.840")

+86.13mm (3.2728")

+64.85mm (2.5531")

+60.631mm (2.3870")

+J16 pin 1
24.571mm (0.9674")

+18.991mm (0.7477")

NOTE: Below Board Dimensions are
Referenced from Left side 0.0 Ref

0.0 Ref

0.0 Ref
- 1.59766mm (0.0629")
(Bottom of Board)

+11.82mm (0.4653")

+7.0mm (0.2756")
+6.35mm (0.245")

Hermes Rear Panel

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