Query about some 7000DLE features

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neoklis
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Query about some 7000DLE features

Postby neoklis » Thu Jan 17, 2019 2:00 pm

Hi all,

I have been reading the 7000DLE user manual and I would like to know where some of the advertised features "reside" as it were. Specifically I would like to know which, if any, of the following features: PureSignal Predistortion Algorithm, Operating Modes (CW, SSB, NFM, AM ...), Digital Hardware support for independent receivers, Wideband Noise Blankers and Spectral Noise Blanker, are implemented by firmware in the Transceiver or by the user space SDR application (like PowerSDR etc).

The reason I am asking is that I use Linux and some of these features may not be available, if they are implemented specifically in PowerSDR (for Windows). Moreover, I wonder if an API is available for the development of home brew software, if this is not too much of an ambition! (I have some experience as an amateur developer).

Thanks in advance!

Neoklis

5B4AZ
http://www.5b4az.org/
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w-u-2-o
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Re: Query about some 7000DLE features

Postby w-u-2-o » Thu Jan 17, 2019 10:10 pm

All of the features you are asking about are located in the client software (or not, depending on the client). Hence I have taken this thread out of the firmware sub-forum and moved it to the most popular client sub-forum, PowerSDR mRX.

The "thick client" architecture originally chosen by the openHPSDR design team, and carried over into the Apache Labs hardware, places the IF boundary (and there is only a single IF, remember it's "direct conversion") at the Ethernet interface. To the antenna side of the IF you have only the most basic functions:

- Preselection filtering
- Preamplification
- Analog to digital conversion
- Digital conversion to/from IF
- Ethernet communications
- Digital to analog conversion
- RF amplification and low pass filtering
- Some RF signal routing including T/R switching

That's it. That's all. With a few minor exceptions, everything else, all other functions, are located in the client software. This is why the client software is so important.

The reality is that if you want the most capable radio, you need to use the most capable software, which is PowerSDR mRX or its likely successor, Thetis. Both are Windows applications. LinHPSDR simply does not (yet) have the depth and breadth of features that exist in the Windows app's.

If you want to develop I know the community would love to have you. I'd suggest developing against the Protocol 2 API. LinHPSDR is open source, you could develop with that, or start from scratch. I believe the full WDSP library has been ported from Windows to Linux.

If I might be so bold as to offer an opinion, what our community needs the most is to have the thick client architecture split into a client/server architecture. If this can be done in a way that preserves all current PowerSDR mRX features, it wouldn't be a Flex killer, but it'd be close. The single biggest discriminator on the Flex side is how easily the radio can be operated remotely. That can't be done so easily with a thick client architecture. The new 7000DLE MKII with the built in NUC would be an ideal platform, the server could run on the NUC. However any small form factor or mini-PC could be placed on top of any radio and do the same thing.

Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have more questions.

73,

Scott
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neoklis
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Re: Query about some 7000DLE features

Postby neoklis » Fri Jan 18, 2019 6:20 am

Hi Scott

Thank you for the detailed answer to my query. I can see now that all the "fancy" hi-tech work is done in the client applications. I am only a teach-your-self programmer (retired radio engineer, 70+y OM!) so I don't think I could match powerful software written by experts! But now I also fully understand that Apache rigs are a development of the HPSDR project and software written for the project may be used with ANAN rigs.

73's
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w-u-2-o
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Re: Query about some 7000DLE features

Postby w-u-2-o » Fri Jan 18, 2019 2:10 pm

Exactly. And please allow me to point out again: on the mic and speaker side of the IF, every Apache Radio is essentially the same because the same software is used by all. The only differences are those performance parameters associated with hardware (amp power, isolation from internal crosstalk, 1 or 2 ADCs, signal routing options, preselection, etc.)

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