Software Defined Radio A Personal Journey… By Greg Danylchenko, VE3YTZ/VA3GD

Software Defined Radios A Personal Journey… Tonight’s Agenda Intro to SDR Personal experience TAPR DSP-10 SoftRock 40 FlexRadio SDR-1000/5000A High Performance Software Defined Radio

© VE3YTZ/VA3GD- QCWA Presentation Nov What is a Software Defined Radio (SDR)? radio communication system which uses software for the modulation and demodulation of radio signals performs significant amounts of signal processing in a general purpose computer, or in a reconfigurable piece of digital electronics goal is to produce a radio that can receive and transmit a new form of radio protocol just by running new software SDR hardware typically consists of a superheterodyne RF front end which converts RF signals from and to analog IF signals, and analog to digital converter and digital to analog converters which are used to convert a digitized IF signal to and from analog form

© VE3YTZ/VA3GD- QCWA Presentation Nov significant utility for the military, satellite and cell phone services, and any other service which must serve a wide variety of changing radio protocols in real time fully expected to become the dominant technology in radio communications What is a Software Defined Radio (SDR)?

© VE3YTZ/VA3GD- QCWA Presentation Nov What is a Software Defined Radio (SDR)?- Amateur Radio Context transceiver interface to a personal computer that enables reconfigurable system architectures for wireless communications efficient, comparatively inexpensive solution to the problem of building multi-mode, multi-band, multi-functional communications devices can be enhanced or reconfigured by changing software same piece of "hardware" can be modified to perform different functions at different times manufacturer can concentrate development efforts on common hardware platform with software differentiating its use can be open source – many contributors

SDR – Is it for you? Still experimental, not plug and play Must be prepared to tinker, experiment Must be prepared to ask for help/get advice Can be $$$$$ Rapid developments, can lead to short shelf life © VE3YTZ/VA3GD- QCWA Presentation Nov. 2010

Amateur SDR products TAPR DSP-10 – 2 Metre SDR Kit Flex Radio SDR-1000 – originally a semi-kit, now a commercial product, Open Source Windows Software GNU Radio – Linux Based SDR, not very organized, slow progress PICASTAR transceiver – UK amateurs Homebrew SDR project, series of articles in RSGB Radcom Winradio - Commercial Receivers, various models SDR-14 – Commercial Receiver MHz

SDR Products Many other SDR Amateur Radio products now exist, too many to list, see: bin/dir/jump2.cgi?ID=13071 © VE3YTZ/VA3GD- QCWA Presentation Nov. 2010

My journey started with the DSP-10 TAPR Kit an amateur-radio, software-defined 2-meter transceiver to build at home operates on SSB, FM and CW modes tailored for operation with weak signals on VHF, UHF & microwave frequencies

© VE3YTZ/VA3GD- QCWA Presentation Nov DSP-10 - Introduced in QST

© VE3YTZ/VA3GD- QCWA Presentation Nov DSP-10 Project Support reflector – promoted user to user support, essential User web sites – essential, construction tips/ideas Local hams— e.g. Rick (VE3IHI), thanks for your help

© VE3YTZ/VA3GD- QCWA Presentation Nov DSP-10 Construction

© VE3YTZ/VA3GD- QCWA Presentation Nov DSP 10 – the good Excellent project to practice construction skills, Surface Mount Device soldering (big thanks to Mike Kelly VE3FFK) Improvisation/substitution skills Challenging but not overwhelming Introduction to SDR Initially excellent user to user support, but with time dried up

© VE3YTZ/VA3GD- QCWA Presentation Nov DSP 10 – the bad started too late in project life cycle, user to user support became harder to obtain as general interest flagged documentation spotty, not professional, had gaps and ambiguities, not a significant problem as long as user to user support held up no periodic/ongoing testing as construction proceeded; became a major problem

© VE3YTZ/VA3GD- QCWA Presentation Nov DSP 10 – What happened? Project abandoned at 85% complete Other sexier things came around Personally not technically knowledgeable enough to proceed alone

© VE3YTZ/VA3GD- QCWA Presentation Nov FlexRadio SDR What is it? Complete commercial SDR transceiver interfaced to a personal computer provides everything needed to convert a PC into a high performance, 11KHz-65MHz general coverage receiver with 160M-6M (2M optional) amateur radio band transmit capability Commercial hardware with open source software

© VE3YTZ/VA3GD- QCWA Presentation Nov A Software Defined Radio For The Masses: Parts 1, 2, 3, & 4 The SDR-1000 concept was described in detail in a four part article series in QEX Magazine.

© VE3YTZ/VA3GD- QCWA Presentation Nov Typical SDR-1000 Configuration

© VE3YTZ/VA3GD- QCWA Presentation Nov SDR Boards

© VE3YTZ/VA3GD- QCWA Presentation Nov SDR-1000 Interior

© VE3YTZ/VA3GD- QCWA Presentation Nov SDR-1000 Rear Panel

© VE3YTZ/VA3GD- QCWA Presentation Nov PowerSDR Console Greatly updated, and still used today with all the Flex Radios/HPSDR

© VE3YTZ/VA3GD- QCWA Presentation Nov SDR Filter Spectrum- Brick Walls 500 Hz Filter 2.6 KHz Filter

Took a look at Soft-Rock 40 Sold as kits or preassembled Initially receivers only, but exciters became available as well Inexpensive, good intro to SDR © VE3YTZ/VA3GD- QCWA Presentation Nov. 2010

Soft Rock 40 Assembled in a couple of hours Still don’t fool yourself, comfort around the computer necessary Was fun to get it up and running, but limited potential for growth Lots of info on Web – Google Soft Rock Kit © VE3YTZ/VA3GD- QCWA Presentation Nov. 2010

What’s Next? – Flex 5000A © VE3YTZ/VA3GD- QCWA Presentation Nov Current generation SDR Transceiver, also sold by FlexRadio are the SDR- 3000, and their QRP transceiver the SDR 1500, still uses PowerSDR open source software

Flex 5000A Observations Top notch receiver Rather complex to set up, many adjustments to make Very susceptible to RF, have had the radio shut down in transmit – but now fixed after many chokes and new ground Automatic Antenna Tuner does not tune radio over a wide range of SWR Currently my transceiver of choice © VE3YTZ/VA3GD- QCWA Presentation Nov. 2010

What’s next for me? - HPSDR The HPSDR Project is based on a series of boards, and other hardware, which, when combined, create the SDR transceiver Some parts are sold as kits; others as completed boards Available from TAPR © VE3YTZ/VA3GD- QCWA Presentation Nov The HPSDR board set outside its case

Flex vs HPSDR Closed source hardware Open source software Commercial product with warranty, company & user support, © VE3YTZ/VA3GD- QCWA Presentation Nov Open source hardware Open source software Non-commercial product, volunteer backed project, user support only Complex to set-up, some kit assembly required, includes SMT parts Board unavailability issues

Basic Board Set ATLAS: The Backplane Metis a high speed Ethernet PC interface (coming soon) Penelope: Transmitter/Exciter Mercury: Direct Sampling Receiver LPU: Linear Power Unit © VE3YTZ/VA3GD- QCWA Presentation Nov. 2010

Atlas Backplane (Kit) © VE3YTZ/VA3GD- QCWA Presentation Nov Six slots, ATX power supply input, LED power indicators The heart of the Project and the first completed board released in 2006

Metis Gateway- Ethernet interface to Atlas bus © VE3YTZ/VA3GD- QCWA Presentation Nov. 2010

Penelope Transmitter/Exciter Complete Board © VE3YTZ/VA3GD- QCWA Presentation Nov Digital Up Conversion (DUC) ½ W transmitter/exciter With only.5 watt output, you’ll need help to be heard

Mercury Direct Sampling Receiver Complete Board © VE3YTZ/VA3GD- QCWA Presentation Nov MHz direct sampling receiver Now just recently sold out, new diversity reception capability, which required 2 boards, caused a run on available units More boards promised

LPU Kit © VE3YTZ/VA3GD- QCWA Presentation Nov Linear Power Unit

Pandora Enclosure © VE3YTZ/VA3GD- QCWA Presentation Nov HPSDR Chassis produced by TenTec for TAPR

Pennywhistle 20W PA Kit © VE3YTZ/VA3GD- QCWA Presentation Nov W Power Amplifier

What’s next for HPSR? Many new boards are in various stages of development, e.g: Cyclops - 1GHz Spectrum Analyzer © VE3YTZ/VA3GD- QCWA Presentation Nov. 2010

What’s next for HPSDR? To address the issue of board unavailability, new supplier arrangements have been made. TAPR will make and will sell first run to cover its costs, subsequent batches will be responsibility of third party manufacturer, who will make boards under the Open Licensing arrangement © VE3YTZ/VA3GD- QCWA Presentation Nov. 2010

What is next for me? I will continue to ride the HPSDR wave until it dries up or something better comes along. © VE3YTZ/VA3GD- QCWA Presentation Nov. 2010

Thank you! Project information at: Interest list at: Boards available at: