SI4735-Radio-ESP32-2.
8 inch TFT Touchscreen
PI4RAZ, march 2021 V 1,1-E
Assembly instructions
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PI4RAZ, march 2021 V 1,1-E
Table of contents
INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………….….. 3
ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS………………………………………….…………. 4
SCHEMATICS………………………..…………………………………………….. 9
BILL OF MATERIALS……………………………………………………………… 11
USEFUL LINKS……………………………………………………………..………. 12
NOTES…………………………………………….………………………………….. 13
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INTRODUCTION
Gert, PE1MGB had been fascinated for some time by the different radio chips
from Silicon Labs Industries. The first chip with which he made an FM radio was the
SI4703, specially developed for use in cell phones. With a small chip (3×3 mm),
These phones are equipped with a complete FM receiver including an antenna connection, RDS
and a stereo AF output. Quality excellent and sensitivity not bad at all. The chip is
controlled via a so-called I2C bus and is therefore easy to use in the Arduino world.
Silicon Labs has developed many one chip radios over the years.
The use of radio ICs in the Arduino world stands or falls with the availability of a library. A few
months ago he accidentally discovered the existence of a library made for the SI473x and SI474x
series. These chips all use the same command set. Ricardo PU2CLR from Brazil has spent a
large amount of time developing this library. The library is focused on and maximally tested for
the SI4735. Here also the control of the chip is done via the I2C bus. The SI4735 is a true all band
receiver from 150 kHz to 30 MHz and includes also FM. The specifications mention an upper
limit of 26MHz, but in practice frequencies up to 30 MHz still work fine. So this chip is a
receiver with FM, LW, MW and the entire short wave band. Furthermore, a patch is available
that even allows SSB reception. A patch is a piece of software that in this case is additionally
loaded into the chip for SSB reception. This patch is loaded via the I2C every time you switch to
SSB mode. In addition, FM reception is also possible in Stereo and with RDS.
PU2CLR has developed a number of test programs to test the software on different platforms. A
lot of buttons and different displays are used for this, but Gert found that not
very useful for a user device. He came up with the idea to continue with a large display and
touchscreen. The choice was made for a 2.8 inch display with touchscreen.
Long story short, Gert spent many hours writing a sketch with the end result being a
very attractive and easy to use GUI (graphical user interface) which made serving this
radio chip a real pleasure. Gert still mentions the many tips he received from Robert,
PA2RDK, who taught him how to set up the software in a tightly structured way. The
whole story how this process started and ended can be read in the Razzies dated
September 2020.
To simplify the reproduction of the project, PA3CNO designed a PCB, PA2RDK ordered
the PCBs and, together with PA3CNO, they took care of the order- and shipment
procedure.
Have fun building and using this special versatile “low cost” receiver.
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Pictures say more than words. The number of parts to be assembled are limited, so the
description will consist of a few images with accompanying tips.
Assembly: SI 4732 / SI 4735
You may have ordered the PCB with the pre-mounted chip. In that case, you can skip
this step.
When installing the chip, pay close attention to the position of pin 1.
I prefer to apply some solder flux. This facilitates soldering and flow of the solder. Apply
the solder generously and after it has cooled down, remove the solder bridges between
the legs with de-soldering braid. Check for shorts between the legs of the IC with an
ohm meter.
Pin 1
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Install all resistors
Install R1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 en 10
Install the transistors
Install Q1, 2 , 3 and 4
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Install the capacitors and headers
Install C1, C2, C3, C4, C6, C9 en C11.
Install JP1 en JP2.
Install the xtal, the electrolytic capacitors, headers, SMA connectors, the buzzer,
the ESP32 and the jumpers
Install the crystal. Install C5, C7, C10 en C12. Install the header J 7 and jumpers JP7
and JP3. Install the SMA connectors and the buzzer.
Position two female headers on the ESP32 male connectors. Position the combination
on the PCB and solder the male headers.
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The TFT display
Solder a 4 pin male header on the TFT display. Then place a 14 pin and a 4 pin female
header on the two male headers. Position the combination at the back of the print and
solder the headers on the front side of the print.
The rotary encoder
Install and solder the rotary encoder on the backside of the PCB.
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The step-up transformer
Wind T1, 10 winding's bifilair, primary en 50 winding's secondary.
Install T1
FT 50-43
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Schematics SI4732
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Schematics SI4735
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Bill Of Materials
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Useful Links
GitHub site PE0MGB: https://github/pe0mgb/SI4735-Radio-ESP32-Touchscreen-Arduino
GitHub site PU2CLR: https://github.com/pu2clr/SI4735
Razzies Sept 2020: https://www.pi4raz.nl/razzies/
SI4735 chip: http://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_dUxdADh
ILI9341 Touch Screen: http://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_d7MMyNZ
SI4735 Radio
Experiments
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/532613604253401/
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Notes:
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