Aura: Open-source third-party firmware (pre-release test version) for BaoFeng UV-K61, developed in Rust.
This is not a QuanSheng UVK6!
Hello everyone, I recently spent some time developing an open-source third-party firmware for the BaoFeng UV-K61 series radios. Aura。
The project is currently in Pre-release testing phaseThis is primarily aimed at those who enjoy tinkering and are willing to try new things. If you have some experience with flashing ROMs and are willing to help test, we welcome your participation and feedback.
Project address:
https://github.com/sophiel-meow/bf-k61-firmware-aura
Currently supported features
Aura was developed from scratch using Rust and does not rely on any official firmware code from Baofeng. Currently, the following features have been implemented:
- Basic radio functions such as dual VFO/channel operation.
- CW mode
- Spectrum graph
- APRS transmission (AX.25 AFSK)
- Robot 36 SSTV color image transmission
- Doppler correction
- Customize boot logo and startup music
- CHIRP programming support
Current version details
The current version is not yet the official release version for general users, primarily because:
- Currently, to flash (or update) a device, you need to use a flashing tool that supports the Rust version.https://github.com/sophiel-meow/BF-K6x-flash
Since I don't have a Windows computer readily available, I can't currently provide pre-compiled Windows flashing tools. Please compile them yourselves or use the official Baofeng flashing program. We will later develop a web-based flashing tool similar to k5web and make it available to all users.
- The functions of SPI flash backup, SSTV image writing, and satellite parameter programming require the use of Python scripts. A Python environment (PySerial and Pillow) is required.
- Although I have been using it for a while, there may still be unknown bugs.
These tools are currently under development. It is expected that web-based tools will be completed first, which will lower the barrier to entry and allow more users to easily experience them.
Once the web tools and related processes are fully developed, we will provide a formal introduction.
⚠️ Please read carefully before flashing.
The most important thing to keep in mind right now:
Baofeng did not publicly release the official binary firmware file for the UV-K61.
Therefore, once third-party firmware like Aura has been flashed, there is currently no official method to restore the original factory firmware.
If friends are able to obtain official firmware from new devices or other sources in the future, it will greatly facilitate recovery for everyone.
Additionally:
- The first time Aura is started, it will format a portion of the SPI Flash memory.
- It is recommended to first use the method indicated in the startup instructions.
tools/dump_aura_spiflash.py Back up the SPI flash.
The backup process may take a few minutes, so please be patient.
Aura will not proactively delete key parameters such as machine calibration data, but for safety reasons, it is strongly recommended to back up before flashing.
Who should try this?
Currently, Aura is more suitable for:
- For those who enjoy tinkering with radio firmware.
- Friends with embedded development experience;
- Friends who are willing to test new features and provide bug reports.
Personally, I think the BaoFeng radio has just as much playability as the QuanSheng UV-K5/K6, with 2MB of SPI Flash that hasn't been fully utilized yet. Furthermore, I haven't delved deeply into its hardware, but I believe it's likely possible to modify it to work with the SI4732 shortwave receiver, just like the K5. I'll research it further when I have time.
Finally, I would like to thank all the contributors to open-source radio projects, and also thank everyone for their attention and support of domestic radio ecosystems and free software.
Welcome to test, discuss, and provide feedback!
BG4KNN 73.
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