Update the Firmware in the Gd-77 Dmr Radio

Update 10/3/2021

The firmware and related files are back online and can be accessed at

https://world wide web.opengd77.com/downloads/. I volition work to get all the links updated in this article.

The Radioditty GD-77 is a popular entry level DMR capable radio with a reasonable cost point. Notwithstanding the default firmware/software is not really geared towards amateurs, especially if you lot accept a ton of repeaters you want to load onto the radio.

Enter the OpenGD77
firmware
and
CPS
written by Roger Clark. It’south a complete overhaul of the firmware and offers a bunch of features not found in the original firmware while removing the unnecessary ones (like encryption). If yous are going to be using a GD-77 as a ham you need to apply this firmware.

The
User Guide
for OpenGD77 is fantabulous and I would recommend giving information technology a read but I wanted to brand a post specifically about upgrading the firmware on the radio and so ane doesn’t have to go hunting through the user guide.

Prerequisites

• A Radioditty GD-77 running the latest official firmware
• The Radioditty programming cable
• A Windows computer
  • Verified working on Windows x
• An Amateur radio license and DMR Radio ID

Earlier getting into the nitty gritty of everything let’s outset make sure that everything we need is downloaded onto the computer. This includes both the official firmware as well equally the OpenGD77 Firmware and CPS.

Official Firmware:
https://www.radioddity.com/pages/radioddity-download

OpenGD77 Firmware:
https://opengd77.com/downloads/releases/
(Navigate to folder with latest date -> Firmware -> OpenGD77.bin)

OpenGD77 CPS:
https://opengd77.com/downloads/CPS/

OpenGD77 FirmwareLoader:
https://opengd77.com/downloads/releases/
(Navigate to folder with latest date -> sources_and_tools -> OpenGD77_FirmwareLoaders.cipher)

I’d recommend not installing the pre-release/development versions until yous’re comfortable with the installation and use of the CPS and firmware. I never really ran into any problems with the stable releases.

CPS Installation

First we’re going to get the OpenGD77 CPS installed which will besides install the necessary drivers. You may become a Microsoft Defender SmartScreen warning which tin can be safely ignored. To go past it click More than Info and choose Run Anyway.

Click through the pop-up and proceed with the installation. You lot can cull to install it in whatever folder you want but make certain when you lot get to the end of the installation to cull
Install OpenGD77 Comm port commuter.
You lot don’t have to launch the CPS at this time just if you want to you can.

Updating Official Firmware

As of the time of this mail service the latest official firmware is v4.3.vi. You can check this on your radio by going into the menu (green push) then
Set -> Radio Info -> Dev. Info
and then roll down to
Soft-Version. If the latest official firmware you lot tin can download and the version on your radio match then you’re adept to skip this section. Otherwise read on.

First plug in your radio and become it into DFU manner by pressing the S1 and Fn buttons downwards and turning the radio on. Those are the two buttons beneath the PTT button. If you did this correctly the screen volition exist blank and the LED will be lit up greenish.

Unzip the file yous downloaded from Radioditty, open it in Explorer and follow this folder navigation:
$Engagement GD-77 CPS and Firmware Changelog -> Firmware Software $version -> Update Software -> Eng $version
and you should see something similar this.

Run the Update.exe program
equally an Administrator.
I don’t know why but I ran into a lot of issues updating firmware if I didn’t run the updater as an admin. It should cull the correct COM port for you but if you have multiple devices using COM ports you’ll need to select the correct one. For me it’due south COM1.

Click the Browse push button and navigate to the sgl file, information technology should be two directories up. Then press the Download push button which volition ship the file to your radio. It should look something similar this.

Look until you meet the Update Success popup and so you can shut out of the application. Power cycle your radio and verify that the firmware has been updated.

Upgrading to OpenGD77 Firmware

Now that you’re on the latest official firmware you can upgrade to the OpenGD77 firmware. You can utilise either the FirmwareLoader.exe standalone program or the CPS to update the firmware. I’ll run through each below.

Much similar before plug in your radio and get it into DFU mode by pressing the S1 and Fn buttons down and turning the radio on. Those are the 2 buttons beneath the PTT push. If you did this correctly the screen will exist blank and the LED will be lit up green.

Run FirmwareLoader.exe
every bit an Administrator.
Cull your radio type (GD-77) and select either
Download & Update
or
Select a File & Update.
If you choose the Download option it volition automatically download the latest stable version and install it for y’all. Otherwise navigate to the firmware file you downloaded.

This process should simply take a infinitesimal or two and when it’southward finished ability cycle the radio. Verify the firmware version by going into the carte (green button) and navigating to Firmware Info in the carte.

The procedure using the CPS is similar. Later getting the radio into DFU mode run the OpenGD77 CPS
as an Ambassador.
It volition either open a blank codeplug or whatever codeplug you last had open up.

Navigate to Extras -> Firmware Loader and cull your radio version. In this example select
Download & Update.
Navigate to the latest
Stable
version and choose
Select and Continue.

Similar earlier this procedure should just take a infinitesimal or two and when information technology’s finished ability wheel the radio. Verify the firmware version past going into the card (light-green push button) and navigating to
Firmware Info
in the menu.

Next upwards is an extremely important function that y’all must not skip.

Backing Up The Of import Bits

Before doing anything else you need to back up the “important $.25” of your radio and put them somewhere safe. This includes the EEPROM, the Flash and the MCU ROM. If you don’t back these upwardly you lot may non be able to get back to the “stock” firmware.

Plug in your radio, plow it on and modify to a channel that isn’t in use. Open up upwardly the OpenGD77 CPS and navigate to
Extras -> OpenGD77 Support. It should expect something like this.

Select Fill-in EEPROM and when it finishes select a location for the saved file. Give it unique proper noun with the date you backed it upwards. Do the same affair with the Flash and MCU ROM.

Put these files somewhere safe like on a network drive or Google Drive or OneDrive or something similar. You don’t want to lose them in case y’all need them.

Downloading a Make clean Codeplug

Before making any changes to the radio with either a codeplug you downloaded from the internet or edifice your ain I would recommend downloading the information from the radio and creating a “clean” codeplug. Sometimes things tin get weird with a codeplug and having a clean one you can load to reset things can be helpful.

Thankfully the process is pretty simple. Plug in your radio, plow information technology on and switch to a channel that isn’t in apply. Navigate to
Program -> Read
or press
Ctrl-R. This will read the data from the radio into the CPS. You tin can and then save this codeplug out somewhere safe if you need it after.

Adjacent Steps

From hither you can showtime building your own codeplug based off the “make clean” one or you can load a codeplug yous’ve downloaded. I created a variation on the codeplug that K1ST created and it can be establish
hither. His original version tin exist found
here
besides.

Mine contains the NEDECN DMR repeaters and some analog repeaters in the surface area. The zones are split up by land and include all possible talkgroups for each country. Refer to published TG lists for your repeaters. Experience free to modify this codeplug as well!

If you are using an external codeplug make sure you change the
Callsign
and
Radio ID
from whatever it is in the codeplug. You should as well make sure you lot set up these values if you are building your own.

If you don’t accept a Radio ID delight sign upwards at
https://www.radioid.net/#! and become your ain before continuing. This requires a valid amateur radio license.

For assistance with programming and using the radio please refer to the official User Guide linked in a higher place.

Going Back To The Original Firmware

If y’all ever find yourself wanting to go back to the original firmware the process is relatively easy assuming you backed upward the EEPROM and Flash earlier you programmed the radio.

Similar before plug in your radio, turn it on and change to a channel that isn’t in use. Open the OpenGD77 CPS and navigate to Extras -> OpenGD77 Back up. Information technology should await something like this.

All the same instead of Backup EEPROM/Wink we’re choosing Restore EEPROM/Wink. Showtime with EEPROM and navigate to where you restored the file and cull Open. Make sure you’re selecting the EEPROM file and not the Wink file as they’re both .bin files.

Echo the process with the Flash file. This process will take slightly longer than the EEPROM restore.

Your radio should now be back to the state information technology was in before you loaded whatever Codeplugs onto information technology. Yous can at present install the original firmware onto the radio post-obit the steps from

Updating Official Firmware

above.

If you lot have any questions shoot me an electronic mail (kc1oip AT arrl DOT net) or detect me on the NEDECN DMR network with callsign KC1OIP.