Unboxing DRAWS by NW Digital Radio – a Raspberry Pi HAT useful for Amateur radio projects. (DRAWS – Digital Radio Amateur WorkStation).
DRAWS when used with a Raspberry Pi 3B + becomes a single board hardware solution that puts several components together for complete hardware solution for just about any amateur radio project. The DRAWS Pi HAT board has a performance sound chip (CODEC), a GPS with pulse per second (PPS) (SMA connector) that includes a battery backed real-time clock (RTC) and a 12v DC power circuit to power the board and the Pi from a single power source. External ports on the board include 2 mini DIN-6 (PC Keyboard) audio sockets that match the “TNC” specs found on many radios designed for HAM Radio, an SMA connector for a GPS LNA antenna, 12v power connection and a GPIO array for additional I/O functions.
So what can be done with this combo? Think: Any functions in the realm of packet amateur/HAM radio like Direwolf modem, AX.25, APRS along with other digital modes like FLDIGI, WSJT-X, FT8 and digital voice (D-STAR, etc). Since there is on-board GPS it can also function as a Stratum 1 timeserver providing GPS location services and time sync for other network resources. Additional DRAWS info from NW Digital Radio site: http://nwdigitalradio.com/draws/ Support and more is done via Groups.io Subscribe to their sub-group at: https://nw-digital-radio.groups.io/g/udrc
More unboxing photos in the Flickr gallery – https://flic.kr/s/aHskJMUSfk
Initial Setup was easy using a “published” Compass Raspberry Pi image, there will be a pre-built image soon from NW Digital. I had the on-board GPS up and working in no time with all the goodies a Raspberry Pi has including VNC over WiFi for easy over-the-IP-Network access.
David Cappello (KG5EIU) 
December 2, 2018 at 7:42 am
Performance test results when you get the time would be nice.
Nice post, look forward to getting mine someday.
Pi is 5v, though obvious, you shouldmention the DRAWS Hat also has downconveresion from the singular 12v power source to 5v… for PI. Dont want “new to Pi” folk thinking it can take 12v
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June 15, 2019 at 3:53 pm
Have you been able to connect you radio yet? Pictures?
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June 15, 2019 at 6:40 pm
Have not hooked it up to a radio yet – I kinda put it on back burner – they are on Beta 13 now – I was planning on having it all going – for use at field day 2019 to send some traffic. Nothing hooked up yet – when I do I will for sure post some photos and updates.
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May 27, 2020 at 8:27 pm
I found NW Digital a couple days ago. Any luck getting time to hook this up yet? I’m wondering if its worth pulling the cash out for this. Thanks for your blog on getting Dstar going in terminal mode on the ID51A plus 2!
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May 27, 2020 at 8:50 pm
Hi Tommy – I have played around with the DRAWS hardware and it works as advertised – bit of a science project – I have to admit it has been on the shelf for a while now – instead I have been using Pi4 and scripts: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSQhXfGo_68Ta8-2wStAWkw My goal is to have a Pi4 in a go-box running on 5volts and be able to do full digital work as needed – waiting on the Icom 705 to complete that package – my impression with that setup it will be nirvana – but will see.
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