P3, what lies ahead?

[Edward R Cole]

Jack,

Firstly, my knowledge of PSDR is second-hand as I have not downloaded
it or used it (yet).  It was compared to other sw by a fellow eme ham
for sensitivity and found lacking when compared to other sw.  I am
aware it was expressly written for Flex radios so some features will
not be applicable to other radios.  As I understand there is a
"stripped" version for use on the LP-Pan.

I was not suggesting to export analog signals from the P3.  Instead
digital I/Q data-stream is what is desirable as that can be directly
input to sw running in a PC.  As far as I know the P3 has no D/A, but
directly converts the K3 IF to I/Q baseband which is converted to digital data.

For example my SDR-IQ can be connected to the K3 and does not use a
soundcard input to the PC (it uses USB2.0).  Spectravue provides
demodulation for input to the PC soundcard for audio output.

The LP-pan is a simpler device having no A/D so one must use a
soundcard with their limitations (but I am hoping that it will be
adequate for dual-polarity diversity reception up to 96-kHz
bandwidth).  I am using the 4-port Delta-44 sound card with two
LP-Pan.  One can probably design a better SDR than the LP-Pan, these days.

If one only wants to export the P3 as a panadaptor on  PC, then your
scheme is fine.  Some of use have use for the I/Q datastream for
input to other DSP sw which is more effective/powerful for signal
processing and signal detection/demod.  That is why I lean toward the
export of the I/Q datastream.  I suppose remote control of the P3/K3
via an USB connection might be added do what you want.

SDR that are restricted to running only the in-house sw (firmware)
miss the boat on the promise of open-source SDR.  As far as I know
the SDR-IQ, Flex-SDR's and the K3 do not allow for alternative sw to
be written for them.  If I am wrong in this impression then please tell us all.

------------------------------

Message: 12
Date: Mon, 28 Feb 2011 11:19:13 -0600
From: Jack Brabham <[hidden email]>
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] P3, what lies ahead?
To: [hidden email]
Message-ID: <[hidden email]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

Ed,

I run LP-PAN and PSDR/IF and find them indispensable, particularly
during contests.   These days it doesn't feel like the K3 is fully "ON"
until PSDR/IF comes up.   On the other hand, I'm always looking for ways
to reduce the number of boxes and software packages in use.

Exporting analog IQ signals from the P3 does not appear to be terribly
useful as this just makes the P3 an equivalent to LP-PAN and would still
require PSDR/IF and EMU 0202 or something similar.

  From my limited understanding, one of the operational advantages of the
P3 is that it is not tied to traditional sound card scan frequencies,
192 kb, 96 kb, etc., a big P3 plus that would be lost.

My idea is more along the line of leaving everything except the display
and user interface physically in the P3 "Blackbox" and replacing those
with a PC application that provides the display and controls.    That
way the tight integration with the K3 is maintained and is enhanced by
the addition direct integration with the PC.  For instance the "point
and click" tuning that is sooo useful when S&P'ing a band would become a
P3 feature (I realize that it can "sort of" do that now).   Point and
click tuning combined with the P3's unique ability to fix the displayed
segment and let the VFO cursors "float" would a wet dream setup for RTTY
contesting.

PSDR/IF makes a valiant effort  to "approach" that idea, but has some
significant limitations due to being fundamentally designed for a
different radio.   IMHO it also suffers from being too "SDR-centric",
for example when there are conflicts between the radio's setting and
PSDR/IF's, PSDR/IF will resolve them in it's favor rather than following
the K3.    Consequently I have to leave a some of PSDR/IF's "features"
disabled to get it to "follow" instead of "lead".   The base program was
designed to support a blackbox SDR (Flex) with no physical controls, so
that is understandable but still a problem.

While I'm wishing, if the blackbox P3 fit inside the K3 it would be
really great.  Maybe with a new KIO3 that had (gasp) a USB connector.

  From a customer perspective, I would find a blackbox P3 with an
associated PC application a much more compelling and valuable product.

73 Jack KZ5A



















73, Ed - KL7UW, WD2XSH/45
======================================
BP40IQ   500 KHz - 10-GHz   www.kl7uw.com
EME: 144-1.4kw, 432-100w, 1296-testing*, 3400-winter?
DUBUS Magazine USA Rep [hidden email]
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[n7ws]

--- On Wed, 3/2/11, Edward R. Cole <[hidden email]> wrote:

> Jack,
>
 
> SDR that are restricted to running only the in-house sw
> (firmware)
> miss the boat on the promise of open-source SDR.  As
> far as I know
> the SDR-IQ, Flex-SDR's and the K3 do not allow for
> alternative sw to
> be written for them.  If I am wrong in this impression
> then please tell us all.

Okay.  The SDR-IQ is supported with "SpectraVue" (http://www.moetronix.com/svdownload.htm) and SDR Console, (http://www.sdr-radio.com/Home/Introduction/tabid/384/language/en-US/Default.aspx).  

I use SpectraVue as it does everything I need with a clean interface.  SDR-Console is still being tested and there is a new version (or two) every day.  It's way too cluttered and complicated for me, but I guess some folks who think Hamradio Deluxe is fine, probably love it.

QUISK (http://james.ahlstrom.name/quisk/) is another one, but I haven't tried it.

Winrad (http://www.winrad.org/) is another one I haven't tried and may have died by now.

The interface spec and architecture is documented for all to see.

Wes  N7WS


     
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