Installing FT2232H driver for BATC "FT2232H for NIMtuner" module

[KenW6HHC]

I can not easily find instructions for installing the driver for the “FT2232H for NIMtuner” pre-programmed USB module from BATC. Most of the driver instructions on vivaDATV describe the procedure for dealing with not-programmed FT2332H modules. The MiniTiouner MTK1 instruction sheet only says “…scroll down for driver installation details by G8GTZ at http://www.batc.org.uk/forum/viewtopic. ... t=40#p9134 “

but, I spent an hour looking through 14 pages of postings without success.

I have pieced-together a plan that may work:
1) download a FT2232H device driver from the FTDichip website
2) also download a tool called FTPROG (also from the FTDI site) that will be used to check the configuration of the FT2232H to confirm it contains the BATC programming
3) plug-in Minitiouner board and install FT2232H driver
4) use FTPROG tool to now confirm that the USB-module contains the BATC programming (Direct D2XX mode ??)
5) make necessary adjustments to minitiounr.ini file
6) Start-up MiniTioune_V0_4c executable file


Am I close to the correct installation steps??

Thank you for any help that anyone can provide…de Ken W6HHC

[G8GKQ]

Hi Ken

That looks about right to me.

How far have you got? Where are you having problems? We need a bit more info....

Dave, G8GKQ

[KenW6HHC]

Hi Dave G8GKQ,

No problems yet. I just want to make sure that I am heading off in the correct direction for installing the FT-2232H driver

Thanks for your confirmation...de Ken W6HHC

[KenW6HHC]

Installing the FT2232H driver on Windows10 for the BATC-preprogrammed "USB-for-NIMtuner" turned out to be far more simple than I had imagined. Because the FTDi driver is certified by Microsoft, FTDi Driver App Note recommends to just plug the MiniTiouner hardware into a USB port...and allow Windows to "silently search and install" the correct drivers and D2XX.dll files....took about 4 minutes over the internet. Now I am ready to perform steps 7 and 8 below.

My refined steps for installing the FTDi driver at:
1) download a FT2232H device driver from the FTDichip website
(the FTDI CDM driver : http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/CDM/CDM21218_Setup.zipI)
2) also download a tool called FT_PROG (also from the FTDI site) that will be used to check the configuration of the FT2232H module to confirm it contains the BATC programming
3) plug-in Minitiouner board and install FT2232H driver by allowing an internet connection to find the driver (it is all done silently on Windows 10...wait perhaps 5 minutes for installation)
4) download the FT_PROG app note AN_124 User Guide for FTDI FT_PROG Utility
5) install and use FT_PROG tool to now confirm that the USB-module contains the BATC programming (and is in Direct D2XX mode)
5A) select “Scan and Parse” from the “EEPROM -> Devices” menu of FT_PROG
5B) select HARDWARE SPECIFIC….first PORT A HARDWARE should be already set as RS232 and DRIVER can be set to VCP or D2XX
Next PORT B HARDWARE should already be set as 245 FIFO and DRIVER should be set to D2XX DIRECT
6) If FT_PROG shows everything is correct in step 5...go directly to steps 7 and 8
ELSE...install the driver manually per the CDM21218_Setup.zipI file you previously downloaded
7) make necessary adjustments to minitiounr.ini file
8) Start-up MiniTioune_V0_4c executable file

Thank you to the BATC for making the installation of the USB module so easy...and of course thank you to F6DZP for designing and programming this wonderful DATV receiver and very useful DATV analyzer...de Ken W6HHC

[KenW6HHC]

Looks like the MiniTiouner installation steps have continued to be confusing (to me).

In attempting my Step (7) above ...it appears that the minitiounr.ini file no longer needs to be modified to describe which NIM manufacturer that I am using. Perhaps the newer software now auto-detects the type of NIM (as opposed to what was outlined in the MiniTiouner article inside CQ-TV248)? Is that correct?

In getting ready for my Step (8) above...I ran into a posting on VivaDATV that described that Windows10 needed to have CODECs added. Researching my old TuTioune/S2-1600 installation notes from years ago...reminded me that before running MiniTiouner software that I probably had to first:
(1) install LAV decoders
(2) perhaps install decoders from MainConcepts
(3) download and install GraphStudioNext
(4) download DSFMgr
Are these steps still required to run the v0.4c software on Win10?

Thank you for any help that anyone can provide…de Ken W6HHC

[F6DZP]

Hello Ken,

When you have your Minitiouner ready with the good FT2232H setup and driver,

1) you can test your MiniTiouner using teh software "TestMyMini Tiouner_v1_3b"
you must have 0 errors

2) be sure that you have the good codec : install LAVfilters.
3) be sure you have regstered "usrc.ax"

4) test that all is good using "CheckMiniTiouneDriverAndFilters V0_2b"

5)if all leds are green you can now run "Minitiounev0.4c"
(any kind of "acceptable" NIM is automatically detected)

That's all

Next version will receive also DVB-S2 PQSK 8PSK codec Mpeg2 H264 and H265
so you could try it with the DATVexpress

Jean-Pierre F6DZP

[KenW6HHC]

Hi Jean-Pierre F6DZP,

Thank you for describing these steps to run MiniTiouner.

I have one question about "registering usrc.ax" .
1) there is an executable inside of the Minitiounev04c_pack folder called: install_usrc_ax_winXP.exe ...I am concerned that perhaps this executable will NOT run correctly in Windows10 system?? Is it OK to use install_usrc_ax_winXP.exe on Win10 to register usrc.ax ???
2) I have also seen using "run regsvr32 filename.ax" after Copy AX files into system32 folder [ C:\Windows\System32 ]

73...de Ken W6HHC

[F6DZP]

Hi Ken,

Is it OK to use install_usrc_ax_winXP.exe on Win10 to register usrc.ax ???
Yes, run it as administrator.

Jean-Pierre F6DZP

[KenW6HHC]

Hi Jean-Pierre F6DZP,

I have MiniTioune_V0_4c running...BUT no video yet....MER is very good.
I had some errors along way during installation steps...including windows10 reporting "installation may not have been successful" after the install_usrc_ax_winXP tool reported "successful".
Also there is NO "Newdecod Mpeg2.grf" file created on my PC.

I have moved this debug conversation over to vivaDATV (English) website with details....at http://www.vivadatv.org/viewtopic.php?f=80&t=394 called "No video installing MiniTioune_V0_4c on Win10"


Many thanks...de Ken W6HHC

[KenW6HHC]

Good news that I am now running my MiniTiouner with MiniTioune_V0_4c successfully with video. I have a unique setting/problem on my Win10 notebook that prevented the MiniTioune_V0_4c software from creating a DirectShows graph. But a simple work-around change was made by F6DZP to the MiniTioune “decod Mpeg2.GRF” file on my machine and now all is well. A very large "Thank You” to F6DZP for his help.



Below I have listed the steps that I took for installing the driver and getting ready to run the Minitioune_v0_4c software on Windows10 (32-bit):

1) download a FT2232H device driver from the FTDichip website
(the FTDI CDM driver : http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/CDM/CDM21218_Setup.zipI)
2) also download a tool called FT_PROG (also from the FTDI site) that will be used to check the configuration of the FT2232H module to confirm it contains the BATC programming
3) plug-in MiniTiouner board and install FT2232H driver by allowing an internet connection to find the driver (it is all done silently on Windows 10...wait perhaps 5 minutes for installation to become completed)
…ELSE…follow the driver-installation manual steps in FTDichip drivers Application Note AN_396 (for Win10)
4) download the FT_PROG app note AN_124 User Guide for FTDI FT_PROG Utility
5) install and use FT_PROG tool to now confirm that the USB-module contains the BATC programming (and is in Direct D2XX mode)
5A) select “Scan and Parse” from the “EEPROM -> Devices” menu of FT_PROG
5B) select HARDWARE SPECIFIC….first PORT A HARDWARE should be already set as RS232 and DRIVER can be set to VCP or D2XX
5C) Next PORT B HARDWARE should already be set as 245 FIFO and DRIVER should be set to D2XX DIRECT
6) If FT_PROG shows everything is correct in step 5...go directly to steps 7 and 8
ELSE...if necessary, there is excellent procedure to fully re-program the FT2232H module memory contents on the vivaDATV website at
http://www.vivadatv.org/viewforum.php?f=80 (English)
7) make necessary adjustments to the minitiounr.ini file
…(note: software now automatically detects any kind of "acceptable" NIM )
8) Get prepared to use MiniTioune_V0_4c executable file in the steps below
8A) move the downloaded Minitiounev04c_pack folder to a convenient document location. DO NOT install the Minitiounev04c_pack folder in the Windows Program Files area because MiniTioune_V0_4c does not have admin rights to run there
8B) you can test your MiniTiouner using the software "TestMyMini Tiouner_v1_3b"
you must have 0 errors
8C) be sure that you have the good codec : install LAVfilters
…… http://www.videohelp.com/software/LAV-Filters (currently version 0.68.1 )
8D) be sure you have registered the "usrc.ax" file in the windows registry
by running the file “install_usrc_ax_winXP.exe“ as an administrator
(NOTE this tool will work OK on any version of Windows from WinXP to Win10)
8E) test that all is good using the software "CheckMiniTiouneDriverAndFilters V0_2b"
8F) if all LEDs are green you can now run "Minitioune_v0_4c" executable file
9) Make sure the there is a transmitted DVB-S signal out there available to be received, then power up the MiniTiouner board…and start the "Minitiounev0.4c" executable file. Make any adjustments to frequency and the expected SymbolRate etc until you see the modulation constellation displayed by the MiniTioune software screen.

[Note: steps (3) and (6) were revised for clarity on 2016-12-19)

73…de Ken W6HHC