The Navigator
by US Interface is a full featured digital multi-mode interface connecting a Ham Radio Transceiver to your Personal Computer.
Connection to the PC is by a single USB cable. The Navigator provides all audio and control functions required as well
as power through this single USB cable. A block diagram of the Navigator is shown below.

All USB devices are controlled through an internal 4 channel USB Hub controller. Full duplex, dual channel audio is provided by the USB Audio Codec. Three dual USB UART devices provide 6 COM ports. These COM ports are assigned to interface functions and provide compatibility with all existing software applications. The assignments are:
Hub channel 1 Channel 1 - USB Dual Channel Audio Codec I/O
Hub channel 2 COM port A - Transceiver CAT Control
COM
port B - PTT/CW control & DCD input
Hub channel 3 COM port A - WinKey V22 CW Controller
COM port B - RTTY/ FSK Controller
Hub channel 4 COM port A - General Purpose DB-9 RS-232 DCE port
COM port B - Navigator Options Controller
All Navigator options are Software Defined there are NO jumpers or switches to connect or change around at all. You will never have to open up the Navigator to reconfigure it for different transceiver. ALL the configuration is done via our NavOptions software shown on Specifications Page, Part 2.
An audio monitor with volume control is provided within the interface so that you can hear the side tone of all audio generated modes such as PSK. Side tone monitoring of the WinKey CW controller as well as the FSK Controller are also provided.
The Navigator is designed for use with a PC using the Microsoft 2000, XP and Vista and Win7 operating systems. MAC OS-X (Snow Leopard and Lion) is also supported as is Linux.
The Navigator Interface is made the USA and is FCC Class B certified for a USB digital device. The Navigator is also RoHS certified, Industry Canada Standard certified and CE (European) compliant.
USB Device Serial Numbers
Each device connected through the hub carries a unique serial number so
that Navigator is assigned the same COM ports each time it is plugged in, or power is turned on.
Multiple Interfaces on One
Computer - if you want to operate more than one Navigator on on
computer, just let us know, and we will assign unique USB addresses to
each Navigator - no charge for this service.
This allows
multiple copies of the operating software to be running simultaneously, provided that each instance “belongs
to it’s own directory (or folder) within the computer.
This also means that each instance can be operating either the same or different types of transceivers.
If a transceiver with dual receive such as the Icom IC-7800 or Yaesu FT-1000D are connected, only one instance of the operating software is required, since the Navigator interface has two input channels one for the receiver and sub-receiver.
USB Hub
Bus Powered
Total current for Hub and all Interface devices is less than 350mA.
Current draw during Hub enumeration less than
30mA.
Soft power control of VBUS for downstream devices.
Removes VBUS when in suspend.
Power LED is activated when Hub is enumerated
and VBUS is applied.
CW and PTT controls are disabled for 10 seconds during device enumeration.
AUDIO FUNCTIONS
USB Audio Codec
Standard
Microsoft Audio Device
2 channel Output DAC 16 bit
2 channel Input ADC 16 bit
Codec operates at sampling rates up to 48,000 Hz
Analog
interface 2 channel Input
Transformer Isolated with separate analog and digital grounds
1:1 isolation transformers for each
channel
Level controlled by front panel potentiometer for each channel
Software Defined input attenuation 0dB or -15dB for
each channel
Dual receiver transceivers are supported, each receiver with its own separate input channel
Analog interface 2 channel Output
Channel
#1 used for audio monitor
Channel #2 used for audio drive to the transceiver.
Transformer isolated, separate analog and digital grounds
10K
ohm audio transformer
1 uFd Blocking capacitor on output
Output filter: Sallen-Key Low Pass Filter
Level of audio driving RF Output controlled
by front panel potentiometer
Software Defined output attenuation: 0dB or -20dB.
Audio Monitor
Listening level controlled
by front panel potentiometer
Internal speaker frequency response: 500 Hz to 4000 Hz
Modes Monitored
All modes generated via the Audio
Codec such as PSK, MFSK, Olivia, MT63, Throb, AFSK RTTY, SSTV and more. CW side tone from WinKey controller.
Software controlled enable/disable directly from the WinKey WK2MGR Setup Manager. FSK side tone generated by
FSK controller gives a clear audio representation of signal sent to digital FSK. Software Defined disable
of FSK Side Tone.
DIGITAL INTERFACE FUNCTIONS
CAT and Transceiver CONTROL
Serial COM channel dedicated to CAT functions. Data rate settable up to 115,200
baud. You can set the actual data rate compatible with your transceiver.
CAT Interface combinations supported are:
Half duplex
TTL level high true two wire, open collector transistor drive. TTL receive.
A 3.5 mm (1/8 inch) connector is provided at
the rear of the Navigator as an auxiliary output for CI-V applications. The CI-V signal provided for Navigator control
of the transceiver is also provided on the DB25S connector. The CI-V Aux connector is used for other ICOM devices which may
be under control of the software operating the Navigator.
Full duplex TTL level high true three wire, open collector transistor
output drive, TTL receive.
Full duplex TTL level high true three wire, TTL output drive, TTL receive.
Full duplex TTL level low true
three wire, inverted TTL output and input.
Full duplex RS-232 level low true three wire, RS-232 bipolar levels for input and output.
Other
control signals:
All transceiver interface signals are available at the DB25S connector on the back of the Navigator
interface. Pin outs are compatible with all cables for the older RE, RE Plus and RE Standard interfaces.
Output control
signals include PTT, CW, and FSK. These are all open collector transistor outputs.
Input signals include the DCD input to the
PTT/CW UART, for use with VOIPapplications such as Echolink and IRLP that need to know when the rig Squelch has been activated.
