v0.2.0-alpha.5

OrcSDR v0.2.0-alpha.5

Hardware-testing release for the M5Stack Tab5 and RTL-SDR Blog V4. Native ESP-IDF only.

Highlights

• Live FM RDS on air: sequential A–B–C–D groups, confirmed PS slots, voted PTY, Radio Text from the winning lock.
• Last tuned FM station is saved as the channel (not the 13 kHz LO command). Power-button restart lands on Home and that station.
• Home no longer walks the LO every second, which had chopped music and frozen the scope.
• Root installer: install-orcsdr.ps1 installs requirements.txt, flashes the P4, and checks that ESP-Hosted host/slave are both 2.12.6.
• TV Mission Control / Hosted+speaker DRAM split from the same mainline.

Before installing

• Windows PC with Espressif ESP-IDF 5.5.3.
• M5Burner ESP-Hosted 2.12.6 on the Tab5 C6 (the P4 image cannot update the C6).
• Tab5 on the PC USB Serial/JTAG port. Keep the RTL-SDR disconnected while flashing.

Copy/paste install

git clone https://github.com/hardcoreerik/OrcSDR.git
Set-Location .\OrcSDR
git checkout v0.2.0-alpha.5
Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope Process Bypass
.\install-orcsdr.ps1

The script finds the Tab5 COM port (VID 303A PID 1001) if you omit -Port. To pass the port explicitly:

.\install-orcsdr.ps1 -Port COM17

If the C6 is still on a different Hosted version, the installer prints the M5Burner steps. After you burn 2.12.6 on the C6, re-check without rebuilding:

.\install-orcsdr.ps1 -CheckHostedOnly -Port COM17

A matching boot line looks like:

RTL_WIFI_HOSTED host=2.12.6 slave=2.12.6 match=1

Saved NVS settings and Wi-Fi profiles are preserved. After flash, unplug the PC USB Serial/JTAG cable for living-room use.

Alpha limitations

• Hardware still varies with power, USB devices, antennas, and local RF.
• Encrypted P25 voice is not decoded.
• Bluetooth speaker audio is not available on the Tab5 C6.
• Back up SD recordings before testing a new alpha.