Upgrades
Firmware Upgrades for the DDF7000
Below, we explain the upgrades for Doppler’s radio direction finders and direction finding systems. The Series 7000 firmware is field upgradable using the MPT Flash program provided with the MPT Suite software. Right click on the link below and select “Save Target As” or “Save Link As” to download version 2.46 of the code.
| Revision | Date | Notes |
| 2.13 | 5 Jan 2012 | Initial production release |
| 2.14 | 11 Oct 2012 | Added feature to better identify the direction finder on a local area network; requires MPT User Interface 2.4 or later |
| 2.15 | 5 Nov 2012 | Added time tagging option to audio streaming |
| 2.16 | 31 Jan 2013 | Fixed bug that blocked compass calibration. No need to upgrade unless you have compass |
| 2.17 | 12 Feb 2013 | Fixed bug that caused the direction finders to register improperly on a radio modem network when using the direction finders on a radio modem network without computers at each site. No need to upgrade unless you are using the DF on a radio modem network. |
| 2.18 | 1 Mar 2013 | Internal release |
| 2.19 | 25 Mar 2013 | Added self test feature. Requires MPT UI version 2.6 or later to access this feature |
| 2.20 | 1 May 2013 | Internal Release |
| 2.21 | 20 May 2013 | Added custom interface per customer request |
| 2.22 | 13 Jun 2013 | Fixed minor bug that caused poor squelch performance when using the AOR AR8600 receiver Added position and heading to bearing message. |
| 2.23 | 1 Aug 2013 | Fixed bug that caused processor to loose the serial port destinations at power up. |
| 2.24 | 7 Aug 2013 | Minor bug fixes to web browser interface. No need to upgrade unless you use the web browser interface. |
| 2.25 | 18 Sep 2013 | Added Motorola MCS 200 receiver as a receiver option. Added an option to force all connections to the DF to supply a username and password. See MPT Software Users Guide for instructions on setting this option. |
| 2.26 | 15 Nov 2013 | Added feature to allow manual setting of direction cosines |
| 2.27 | 22 Nov 2013 | Added receiver support for HF (AM) direction finder |
| 2.28 | 5 Dec 2014 | Internal release |
| 2.29 | 22 Apr 2015 | Added support for the ICOM R9500 receiver |
| 2.30 | 3 May 2016 | Fixed bug in compass calibration message (no need to upgrade unless you use the compass) |
| 2.31 | 26 May 2016 | Added command to disable forwarding of the NMEA messages to the connected clients |
| 2.32 | 3 Jun 2016 | Made change to further protect the configuration memory during a flash upgrade |
| 2.33 | 7 Jun 2016 | Fixed bug that caused erratic position readings when yaw rate sensor is used |
| 2.34 | 19 May 2017 | Fixed bug that occasionally caused a command to the DF processor to be missed |
| 2.35 | 22 May 2019 | Added support for the ICOM R8600 receiver |
| 2.36 | 12 Oct 2019 | Internal Release |
| 2.37 | 17 Jan 2020 | Added support for the AOR DV1 receiver |
| 2.38 | 31 Jan 2020 | Fixed calibration constants for ICOM R8600 |
| 2.39 | 18 Feb 2020 | Fixed bug that caused processor to hang when switching USB receivers |
| 2.40 | 5 May 2020 | Added support for the ICOM R30 receiver |
| 2.41 | 8 July 2021 | Added feature to turn on R8600 if it was accidently turned off by the remote control software |
| 2.42 | 10 Dec 2021 | Fixed self test bug occurring when using DV1, R8600, and R30 receivers |
| 2.43 | 11 Feb 2022 | Fixed bug that caused the serial port parameters message to incorrectly indicate that the serial ports were disconnected after a set to defaults command was executed. |
| 2.44 | 31 Oct 2022 | Fixed bug that caused firmware to hang up when a USB device drawing more than 100 ma was connected to the processor. |
| 2.45 | 31 Jan 2023 | Improved squelch control when using DV1 receiver. |
| 2.46 | 28 Nov 2023 | Change squelch control for DV1 receiver from noise level to signal level to enhance squelch behavior. |
Important direction finder upgrade notice for DDF7000 series processors shipped prior to May 26, 2016.
When two or more DDF700x processors are connected to a local network and are powered on at exactly the same time there is a good possibility that the processors will hang up in the boot loader and not run the main direction finding firmware. A new boot loader (version 1.3) and MPT Flash (version 1.3) program are available that fixes this problem. If you are using or planning to use multiple DDF700x processors on the same network and you will be powering them up at the same time then you will need to use the MPT Flash program to reprogram the boot loader. If you are not using multiple DDF700x processors on the same network we do not recommend upgrading the firmware.
Please download the instructions and read them carefully before proceeding. Right click on DDF7000 Boot Loader below and select Save Target As or Save Link As to download version 1.3 of the bootloader. You must also download the latest version of the MPT User Interface and install it.
Legacy Product Upgrades
Firmware upgrades for Series 5900, 6000 and 6100 DF processors may be downloaded at no charge by our customers. The firmware programs are Intel HEX format which can be loaded into a 27C512 EPROM. The EPROM must be at least 120 nsec and should preferably be 90 nsec. You will need an EPROM programmer and, if you plan to use the existing EPROM, an EPROM eraser.
Direction Finder Series 5900 Upgrades
The older version of the Series 5900 was the DDF5911. It can be identified by the 15 pin female connector used on the front panel for the RF Summer control cable. The current version of the Series 5900 is the DDF5931 and it uses a 15 pin male connector for connection to its (different) RF summer.
DDF5911 Upgrades
The firmware used in the processor can be upgraded by simply replacing or reprogramming the EPROM. The version displayed in the remote display (DDF5921) when the system is first powered up is the firmware revision of the remote display itself, which can not be upgraded.
To determine the version of firmware in your DDF5911, connect the unit to a PC, run Hyperterm at 4800 8N1, and issue serial command number 32 (identify software). You can also remove the bottom cover and note the marking on the EPROM label. Locate the firmware revision in the table below to determine whether to upgrade.
| Revision | Date | Change |
| 1.01 | 15 Jun 1999 | Initial release. |
| 1.02 | 29 Jun 1999 | Changed S-meter cal for two ranges (Atten ON and Atten OFF). |
| 1.03 | 17 Aug 1999 | Fixed bug in EE to reduce number of read cycles. |
| 1.04 | 22 Aug 1999 | Added redundant bank to EE memory. |
| 1.05 | 24 Aug 1999 | Removed demod offsets from EE memory. |
| 1.06 | 19 Mar 2000 | Fixed bug in redundant EE logic. |
| 1.07 | 24 Mar 2000 | Added initialization for mute control. |
| 1.08 | 10 Apr 2000 | Fixed bug in serial buffer size. |
| 1.09 | 19 May 2000 | Added commands 23 & 24. |
| 1.10 | 10 Nov 2000 | Changed default cals for R8500. Added command 25 and alert status message. |
| 1.11 | 28 Dec 2000 | Added delayed com buffer flush to remove extraneous characters received from remote display at turn-on. |
| 1.12 | 29 Jan 2001 | Reversed status display bit. |
| 1.13 | 6 Apr 2001 | Added ‘G’ mode and cmd 18 |
| 1.14 | 6 May 2001 | Disable sweep in decode interval of ‘G’ mode. |
| 1.15 | 12 Feb 2002 | Added logic for 9.2160 or 9.8304 MHz crystals |
| 1.16 | 20 Jul 2002 | Added Pulse mode timing cmds 77-80 and 84-85 |
| 1.17 | 20 Nov 2004 | Added cmd 86 for 130 msec pulse ON time |
Check the crystal frequency used in your DDF5911 by removing the bottom cover. Look for the crystal that is closest to the microprocessor (U105). It will be either 9.216 or 9.830 MHz.
Download the Intel formatted EPROM HEX file for the latest version of the firmware. If the crystal is 9.216 MHz, download the file 5911_a.HEX. If it is 9.830 MHz, download the file 5911A.HEX.
DDF5931 Upgrades
The firmware used in the processor can be upgraded by simply replacing or reprogramming the EPROM. The version displayed in the remote display (DDF5921) when the system is first powered up is the firmware revision of the remote display itself, which cannot be upgraded.
To determine the version of firmware in your DDF5931, connect the unit to a PC, run Hyperterm at 4800 8N1, and issue serial command number 32 (identify software). You can also remove the bottom cover and note the marking on the EPROM label. Locate the firmware revision in the table below to determine whether to upgrade.
| Revision | Date | Change |
| V105 | 4 Apr 2002 | Initial release of DDF5931 firmware |
| V106 | 30 Oct 2002 | Fixed HDW msg; added default cals for R8500 with 8x antenna; added version to work with 9.216 or 9.8304 MHz crystals |
| V109 | 7 Oct 2003 | Made bearing change limiter a variable and added cmds 91-95 |
| V110 | 22 Oct 2003 | Added new continuous mode algorithm to detect short duration signals |
Check the crystal frequency used in your DDF5931 by removing the bottom cover. Look for the crystal near the microprocessor (U105). It will be either 9.216 or 9.830 MHz.
Download the Intel formatted EPROM HEX file for the latest version of the firmware. If the crystal is 9.216 MHz, download the file 5931_a.HEX. If it is 9.830 MHz, download the file 5931A.HEX.
Direction Finder Series 6000 and 6100 Upgrades
For a nominal charge, we will upgrade the firmware and retest the processor for you. This is generally best as accessing the EPROM on these units is more difficult, and it is easy to misidentify the model number and revision of the hardware. To upgrade the firmware yourself, follow the directions below:
Firmware versions
To determine whether you want to upgrade, locate the firmware version of your current model in the following table. This table lists all of the revisions which have been shipped and the changes that have been made. To determine which version you have in your direction finder, note the first display shown in the bearing window following power turn-on. The version is displayed as X.XX in the bearing window with a 1 displayed in the S-meter window.
| Revision | Date | Change |
| 1.00 | 8 Sep 1995 | Initial release |
| 1.01 | 30 Mar 1996 | Corrected initialization of serial ports 1 and 2. |
| 2.01 | 9 Dec 1996 | Extensively revised to support new UART used in the DDF6000B and DDF6100B. Added serial commands for self test, LED test, update period, pulse period, etc. Changed default display rate from 1 sec to 1/2 sec. Added alternating CW/CCW sweep for improved accuracy. Restricted DF commands to port #0 (J1). |
| 2.02 | 1 Mar 1997 | Extended new serial commands to DDF6000A. Added DF commands to ports #1 and 2. |
| 2.03 | 15 Mar 1997 | Fixed bug in serial output to ports 1 and 2. Added odd parity option to ports 1 and 2. |
| 2.04 | 25 Mar 1997 | Corrected self test command acknowledgment in DDF6000A (not supported by hardware). Improved speed of command acknowledgment. Set RTS to OFF when in ASCII mode. |
| 2.05 | 1 Apr 1997 | Changed pulse mode to use CW sweep only. |
| 2.06 | 4 Apr 1997 | Corrected blanking time from 5 to 10 seconds. |
| 2.07 | 12 May 1997 | Corrected intermittent slow turn-on problem. |
| 2.08 | 26 Jul 1997 | Corrected bearing incrementing so CW and CCW calibrations converge. |
| 2.09 | 9 Aug 1997 | Corrected hardware settings for self test mode. Improved response time of moving average. Corrected port#1 intermittent initialization when CIV not connected. |
| 2.10 | 25 Sep 1997 | Corrected moving average calc in S-meter. Added ‘S’ mode. Added commands to switch 3 antennas |
| 3.01 | 16 Jan 1998 | Revised serial interface to no eliminate CTS/RTS flow control and changed baud rate to 2400. |
| 3.02 | 29 Mar 1998 | Added bearing cal factors for 3 antennas |
| 3.03 | 25 Feb 1999 | Fixed serial input bug. Reversed order of analog input switching. |
| 3.04 | 10 Apr 1999 | Fixed sampling so CW & CCW samples equal. Increased max CIV msg length to 90 characters. |
| 3.05 | 19 Aug 1999 | Added redundant read/write to EE memory. Redefined serial df mode cmds 13, 14 & 977. |
| 3.06 | 24 Aug 1999 | Improved panel blanking. |
| 4.00 | 5 Jan 2000 | Added capability for Bearing Track Server Internet connection. |
| 4.01 | 30 Jan 2000 | Fixed bug in default read of number of antennas (4 or 8) and improved timing of antenna selection switches. |
| 4.02/3.07 | 16 Feb 2000 | Fixed bug in 8-antenna bearing calibration. |
| 4.03/3.08 | 16 Mar 2000 | Added check for max characters in serial command and added requirement for CAL=ON before accepting any port1 parameter change. |
| 4.04/3.09 | 1 May 2000 | Added requirement for CAL=ON before accepting any parameter changes. |
| 4.06 | 16 Sep 2000 | Added AUX IN gate logic for TDMA operation. Fixed bugs in LED test and reset commands. Fixed minor error in CW/CCW bearing calculation. Added ‘A’ mode. Changed 8-antenna default bearing and S-meter cals for R8500 receiver. |
| 4.07 | 22 Oct 2000 | Fixed bug in AUX IN gate logic for offset measurement. |
| 4.08 | 16 Dec 2000 | Reset averages to 0 when display blanks. |
| 4.09 | 29 Mar 2001 | Added serial command 943 to request internal parameters message. |
| 4.10 | 3 Sep 2001 | Added 2-phase waveforms (for new Models DDF6001 and DDF6002). |
| 4.11 | 3 Oct 2001 | Fixed bug in serial commands 977 and 978. |
| 4.12 | 31 Oct 2001 | Fixed front panel initialization problem. |
| 4.13 | 8 Dec 2001 | Fixed ‘S’ mode initialization bug. |
| 4.14 | 10 Dec 2001 | Changed 4-antenna default bearing cals for R8500 receiver. |
| 4.15 | 29 Feb 2002 | Fixed ‘S’ mode startup and dimming bug. |
| 4.16 | 2 Mar 2002 | Fixed LED test cmd 996 bug. |
| 4.17 | 13 Mar 2002 | Fixed dimming after fast power cycle problem. |
| 4.18 | 27 Jun 2002 | Changed offset measurement time to 1 hour cycle. |
| 4.19 | 8 Apr 2003 | New continuous mode algorithm to detect short duration signals |
| 4.20 | 10 Jun 2003 | Added validity calculation to Sync Pulse mode. |
| 4.21 | 17 Jan 2004 | Changed serial command 993 to make Tperiod = 0.45 seconds |
| 4.22 | 29 May 2004 | Added 5921 display mode to J2 using commands 671 (enable) and 672 (disable) |
| 4.23 | 7 Nov 2005 | Added support for AOR receiver AR5000. |
| 4.24 | 18 Nov 2005 | Added support for AOR receiver AR8600. |
| 4.25 | 13 Jun 2009 | Added support for Icom receiver PCR1500 (DDF6001f & 6002f only), |
To obtain a firmware upgrade, you need to identify the hardware version of your direction finder. The basic model number (DDF6000, DDF6100, DDF6001 or DDF6002) is marked on the front panel. To determine the revision level of the unit, remove the top cover and refer to the descriptions and photos shown on the web page DDF6xxx Identification.
The latest version EPROM program may be obtained by downloading the HEX file listed in the table.
| DDF6000A | 6000A.HEX |
| DDF6000B | 6000B.HEX |
| DDF6000C | 6000C.HEX |
| DDF6000D | 6000D.HEX |
| DDF6000d | 6000_d.HEX |
| DDF6100B | 6100B.HEX |
| DDF6100C | 6100C.HEX |
| DDF6100D | 6100D.HEX |
| DDF6100d | 6100_d.HEX |
| DDF6001e | Contact factory |
| DDF6001f | 6001_f.HEX |
| DDF6002f | 6002_f.HEX |