tk5 - Experimental Software for
the ICOM IC-R5 Receiver

Overview

tk5 is open source software designed for the ICOM IC-R5 receiver. Though tk5 is intended chiefly for Linux, MacOS X, and BSD users, it will work on Microsoft Windows (95 and later), too. The current version can:

Read a memory image from an IC-R5 receiver, an ICF file, an IC5 file, or a native tr5 file.
Using a graphical interface, display data from a memory image and let a user change the limit search bank, television bank, and most other settings.
Import memory channel data from a csv (comma-separated values) file.
Export memory channel data to a csv file.
Enable a hidden 70-channel Television bank.
Write the results back to the radio.

I implemented tk5 in the Tcl/Tk scripting language which enables it to run on a variety of operating systems, including Linux, MacOS X, BSD, etc. The free Tcl/Tk interpreter software must be installed on your computer prior to using tk5.

tk5 is distributed free of charge, but it is neither shareware nor in the public domain. tk5 is a copyrighted work released under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation. tk5 is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details.

Memory Channel Files

tk5 can export memory channel data to a file. The memory channel data file is formated in csv (comma-separated values) format. The first line of the file is this heading:

Mem,MHz,Mode,Step,Offset,Duplex,TSQL,CTCSS,DCS,Polarity,Skip,Bank,Ch,Label

All the other lines will contain these fields:


Memory channel number (0 - 1000)
Frequency in MHz (.005 - 1599.995)
Mode, case insensitive (optional: am, nfm, wfm)
Step in kHz (optional)
Offset in MHz (optional: 0.000 - 159.995)
Duplex (optional: + or -) 
Tone Squelch (optional: t {CTCSS}, d {DTCS}, b {CTCSS and Pocket
	Beep}, or p {DTCS and Pocket Beep})
CTCSS in kHz (optional: e.g., 141.3)
DCS code (optional: e.g., 023)
DCS polarity (optional: n, N, r, R)
Skip (optional: skip or pskip)
Bank letter (optional, case insensitive: A, a, B, b, ...)
Bank Channel (optional: 1 - 99)
Label (optional: 6 characters)

This is a sample memory data .csv file:


Mem,MHz,Mode,Step,Offset,Duplex,TSQL,CTCSS,DCS,Polarity,Skip,Bank,Ch,Label
1,460.52500,NFM,12.5,5.000,+,t,127.3,023,n,,A,1,"KE P1"
2,460.57500,NFM,12.5,5.00000,+,t,127.3,023,n,,A,2,"KE F1"
3,460.37500,NFM,12.5,5.00000,+,t,127.3,023,n,,A,3,"KE P2"
4,462.97500,NFM,12.5,5.00000,+,t,127.3,023,n,,A,4,"KE F2"
5,155.47500,NFM,5,,,,67.0,114,n,,A,5,"ISPERN"
6,155.58000,NFM,5,,,d,67.0,114,n,,A,6,"OSW PD"
7,145.17000,NFM,5,0.60000,-,,107.2,023,n,,A,7,"IHARC"
9,855.48750,NFM,12.5,45.00000,-,,67.0,023,n,,A,9,"TOLLRD"
10,121.50000,AM,12.5,,,,67.0,023,n,,,,"AIREMG"
101,469.03750,NFM,12.5,0.000,,,0.0,023,,,B,1,"CULVER"
108,151.95500,NFM,5,0.000,,,0.0,023,,,B,8,"MEIJER"
109,921.95000,NFM,12.5,0.000,,,0.0,023,,,B,9,"MCDONA"
		...

You can use a separate text editor or spreadsheet program to create, edit, and print memory channel files.

Computer Interface Adapter

You will need a suitable TTL-to-RS232 level adapter to connect the radio to your computer serial port. A direct cable connection won't work and could damage the radio and/or computer serial port hardware. I have tested tk5 with two different cables:

RT Systems CT29A cable. RT Systems sales staff may be contacted at sales@cloningsoftware.com. (Note: I am not affiliated with RT Systems).
Purple Computing PCL35S cloning cable (3 conductor plug), available from the manufacturer and from BlackBag Software.

Users report success with ICOM's OPC-478 level shifter cable. I have not tested tk5 with ICOM's OPC-478U USB level shifter cable.

Acknowledgments

Thanks to David Owen, G1OXB, for providing information about the IC-R5 protocol and file layout. Thanks to Grove Enterprises for the loan of an IC-R5 while developing this software. Lee M. helped test tk5 using the Japanese version IC-R5. Marty Toomajian, Ming Kwong Chan, and Tom W. helped test the software, too.

tk5 is undergoing development. To download a beta test version, including source code, click on the appropriate link to the left.

Revised December 15, 2004

tk5 - Experimental Software for the ICOM IC-R5 Receiver

Overview

Memory Channel Files

Computer Interface Adapter

Acknowledgments

tk5 - Experimental Software for
the ICOM IC-R5 Receiver