DMR Pi-Star Configuration Instructions (TGIFSpot + Nextion Screen)

A) Setup Micro Sd Card
B) Setup WIFI
C) Setup WIFI via AP Mode (if Required)
D) Setup Pi-Star Basics
E) Setup Mitch and Jame’s Nextion Driver/Screen.
F) Complete Pi-Star Hotspot Configuration.

If doing a full install, these steps have to be done in the exact order. Do NOT Skip any steps, or you may find that your hotspot does not work as expected.

Links to the programs you will need are at the bottom of the Robert’s Web Page at https://tgifspot.com/index.php

Section A – Prepare Micro SD Card for Pi-Star

Download pi-star v 4.1.5 from the pistar.uk website. (under Downloads/P-Star Downloads)
a) Select Pi-Star_RPi_V4.1.5_30-Oct-2021.zip
Download a program called Balena etcher. This is used to flash pi-star to the sdcard
Format the sd card with the sd formatter program ( do the overwrite format not the quick format)
Flash the microsd card with balena etcher using the file in a1 above
Use the wifi builder program located on the pistar.uk web site. (Under Pi-Star Tools)
Drop the resultant wpa_supplicant file onto the micro sd card.
Put the micro sd card into the hotspot and boot up.(The screen will not function at this point.)

Section B – WIFI Setup

Look at your list of connected wifi devices in your router. (Pi-Star)
Locate the ip address of pi-star and connect to it with your browser.
If you cannot find it, Jump to Section C
The pistar dashboard will start up in Dashboard Mode
Select the Configuration tab and enter the username(pi-star) and password(raspberry) when prompted.
You should now be in the Configuration Page, and it should now indicate that there is no mode defined.
Select the DMR mode and apply changes.
Jump to Section D

Section C- AP Mode (Only required if wifi does not startup per Section A)

Wait 2 minutes for wifi to fail and AP Mode to initialize.
Look for Pi-Star in your computers list of available wifi hotspots.
Log into Pi-Star (pi-star/raspberry)
Connect your browser to 192.168.50.1)
The pi-star dashboard will start up in Dashboard Mode
Select the Configuration tab and enter the username(pi-star) and password(raspberry) when prompted.
Scroll down to the Wireless Configuration Section
Select Configure WiFi
Select Scan for Networks – Wait 10 seconds
Select your SSID
Enter your Password when prompted.
Select Save and Connect
Select Apply Changes
Reboot the Hotspot

Section D – Initial Pi-Star Setup – Putty

If you don’t have Putty – Download it from www.putty.org
Using Putty log into your hotspot (pi-star/raspberry) and do a ‘sudo su’ and rpi-rw
Do a pi-star ‘pistar-expand’
Reboot
Log into your hotspot and do a ‘sudo su’ and rpi-rw
Do a ‘pistar-update’ 2 times
Do a ‘pistar-upgrade’ This will update Pi-Star Dashboard version from 4.1.5 to 4.1.6
Do a ‘pistar-update’ one last time

Section E – Nextion Screen Configuration

Go to configuration page turn on DMR and select Display type Nextion and the screen type to on7ldshs and apply changes.
You will be prompted to select the modem type. Select it and apply changes.
Typically this will be ‘STM32-DM /MMDVM_HS – Rasperry Pi Hat (GPIO)’.
Putty back into pi-star do a ‘rpi-rw’ then do a ‘sudo su’.
Do a git clone https://github.com/EA7KDO/Scripts.
Do a ‘cd Scripts’
Do a ‘./gitcopy2.sh’ to load the nextion screen support scripts.. You will be prompted to select your screen type.
Do a ‘./IND.sh’ to install the Nextion Driver, BC and Firewall Rule
1. Start with Option 2 (Install Driver)
2. Say Y(es) at the first prompt
3. Say Y(es) to the Reboot Option
Putty back into pi-star do a ‘rpi-rw’ then do a ‘sudo su’
do a ‘cd Scripts’
Do a ‘./IND.sh’ again and this time select Option 3
1. Select TTL to USB when prompted
2. Select Fahrenheit when prompted
The script will now install BC and the firewall rule, and reboot

Section F – Complete Pi-Star configuration

Go back to the Pi-Star configuration and complete the General Configuration Section
Complete the DMR Configuration Section