Release Notes and Errata PowerSDR v2.3.5 Release

Transcription

1 Release Notes and Errata PowerSDR v2.3.5 Release March 5, 2012 IMPORTANT: Read this document in its entirety before installing the new release of PowerSDR. PowerSDR v2.3.5 is an official general availability (GA) release intended for use with the SDR-1000, FLEX- 1500, FLEX-3000 and FLEX-5000 transceivers. PowerSDR Installation Information PowerSDR 2.x Software Installation/Upgrade Recommendations and Guidelines Please read all of the following guidelines and follow the recommendations to ensure a trouble free upgrade of your software defined radio to PowerSDR v2.x. The instructions below are applicable for users that already have a previous version of PowerSDR v2.x installed on their PC. If you are using an older PowerSDR v1.x installed, please see the Prerequisites for FLEX-x000 Users Upgrading from PowerSDR 1.x to PowerSDR 2.x in the section below. 1. It is not necessary or recommended to uninstall any previous versions of PowerSDR 2.x before installing PowerSDR v In fact, it is not recommended that you uninstall previous versions of PowerSDR unless you uninstall all previous versions so that files installed as dependencies with previous versions are all properly removed before installing PowerSDR v When upgrading from an older 1.x version of PowerSDR, the radio will perform an automated RX image calibration. Disconnect all antennas before performing the installation of PowerSDR so that signals on the antenna do not affect proper image calibration. STOP and START PowerSDR after the RX image calibration has completed. 3. It is not necessary or recommended to manually remove the Firewire driver before installing PowerSDR v2.3.5 Doing so after PowerSDR v2.3.5 is installed may make your FLEX-5000 / FLEX inoperable. 4. Do not change the default installation drive letter or directory as errors may occur when running PowerSDR 2.x. Page 1

2 5. The PowerSDR v2.x installer requires administrator level rights to install the kernel mode device drivers for the various SDR radios. The Installer should automatically elevate to these rights when run regardless of the current user rights, but if you are in doubt that your login has full administrator rights or you are getting errors indicating files cannot be found, you need to right click on the PowerSDR v2.x Integrated Installer application icon and select the Run As option and run the Installer with the administrator account, and not your login account ID. 6. Firmware updates are applied automatically when running the new version of PowerSDR for the first time. Do not stop the firmware installation until it has fully completed or your radio may not operate properly thereafter. 7. See additional operation notes regarding your specific model radio later in this document. 8. If you have a FlexControl connected to your PC, make sure that you choose it in the device selection section of the Integrated Installer to ensure you have the latest drivers and firmware loaded for your FlexControl. 9. If you are installing a FlexControl with PowerSDR v2.3.5 for the first time, please read the FlexControl Installation Errata Sheet shipped with the FlexControl regarding use with Virtual Serial Port software prior to installation. Obtaining Technical Support If you have issues installing or operating PowerSDR v2.3.5 with FlexRadio s software defined radios, please contact FlexRadio Systems technical support by opening a HelpDesk ticket on-line at or by phone at +1 (512) extension #2 Our Technical Support engineers are available by phone Monday Friday from 8:00am-5:30pm Central Time. If you call after business hours or on a holiday or weekend, please leave a detailed message and we will return your call during regular business hours. You may always submit a HelpDesk support ticket at any time. If you need assistance opening a HelpDesk ticket, please refer to the following web page for detailed instructions. Page 2

3 Preparing to Upgrade from PowerSDR 1.x Information Prerequisites for FLEX-x000 Users Upgrading from PowerSDR 1.x to PowerSDR 2. x If you have previously installed and run any 2.x version of PowerSDR with your software defined radio, the following steps are NOT required. If you are upgrading to PowerSDR v2.3.5 from a 1.x version of PowerSDR, the following prerequisites are REQUIRED to ensure that your upgrade will be successful. The following software and firmware components must be installed before attempting the upgrade to PowerSDR v2.x for FLEX-5000 and FLEX users. PowerSDR v Firewire Driver: v FLEX-5000 Firmware: FLEX-3000 Firmware: Upgrade to the Latest 1.x Version of PowerSDR. Before upgrading to PowerSDR 2.x, you must install PowerSDR v following all of the default installation options. You can download PowerSDR v from the FlexRadio Systems web site. Upgrade to Firewire Driver v If you are not running version v of the Firewire driver for PowerSDR v.18.6, you will need to upgrade your Firewire driver. This is to ensure that the firmware upgrade performed in the next step is successful. You can download the Firewire v driver from the FlexRadio Systems web site Upgrade your FLEX-x000 Firmware to the Latest 1.x Version After you have confirmed that the Firewire driver is version or upgraded the Firewire driver to you must upgrade your radio s firmware to the latest 1.x version. You can download the firmware from the FlexRadio Systems web site. FLEX-5000 Firmware: FLEX-3000 Firmware: Once you have brought up your FLEX-5000 and/or FLEX-3000 to the latest versions of 1.x firmware and software, follow the recommendations above in the PowerSDR 2.x Software Installation/Upgrade Recommendations and Guidelines section. Page 3

4 Major New Improvements in PowerSDR v2.3.5 NOTE: A detailed changelog.txt file can be found in the: \Program Files\FlexRadio Systems (x86)\documentation directory for 64-bit operating systems \Program Files\FlexRadio Systems\Documentation directory for 32-bit operating systems. New Features 1. Support for new channelized 60 meter band changes and the addition of a visual Channel Mode for PowerSDR. The FCC has recently made several regulatory changes for the 60m band including changing the frequency of channel 3 and the allowed use of CW and digital modes, including TUNE in the center of each channel. This release of PowerSDR supports all of the new changes in addition to defining a channel based mode of radio operation where the channel boundaries are displayed on the Panadapter. 2. VAC for RX2 (VAC2). VAC2 is available only for use with the FLEX-5000 equipped with a second receiver (RX2). Using VAC2, you can define a VAC input and output audio stream in PowerSDR v2.3.5 for RX2 (VFO-B) that allows for either simplex operation, full duplex operation on cross band (satellite) or SO2R digital mode operation (with the appropriately configured Expert antenna configuration). VAC1 (RX1) and VAC2 (RX2) can be configured for the same or different VAC driver types, Direct IQ options and sampling rates. You can feed wide band IQ spectrum data to CWSkimmer on one receiver using Direct IQ and feed "real audio" to a different digi mode application such as Fldigi on the other receiver at the same time. With the use of the VAC2 input (transmit), you can operate S02R using digital modes when TX is on VFO-B. 3. The maximum VAC sampling rate (SR) has been upgraded to support 96 and 192 KHz (You must configure VAC in PowerSDR to use the WDM-KS driver to achieve these higher sampling rates; MME has a maximum SR of 48K). You can now match your radio's audio sampling rate to the VAC sampling rate to eliminate a sampling rate down conversion step between the radio and VAC or your digital mode program which improves the data stream quality. 4. Expanded TX Profiles now saves all significant transmit related PowerSDR settings. The TX Profiles have been expanded to include additional transmit related parameters such as VAC1/VAC2 parameters, Mixer inputs, VOX, DEXP, DSP TX buffer settings to make the TX Profiles a more operationally functional. A new user selectable option has been added to automatically save the current TX Profile if you change to a different profile to ensure that any changes you have made are saved before changing profiles. 5. RX2 disconnect on transmit. There is a new user configurable parameter to disconnect the RX2 RF signal path (antenna) on transmit to prevent possible overload of the RX2 front end when you have a RX2 antenna in close proximity to the near field of a transmitting antenna when running high power. This feature is enabled by default. 6. TNF improvements. TNF now works properly with ANF so both can be used in a complimentary manner. Additional GUI tweaks and bug fixes have been included. Page 4

5 7. Multiple Memory enhancements. The management of Memories in PowerSDR has been improved to include an automatic DB backup and recovery mechanism in addition to committing memory changes to the memory DB on copy, add and delete operations. These enhancements have greatly improved the integrity and survivability of memory data when PowerSDR is not shut down properly. 8. PowerSDR database backup and recovery. With this version of PowerSDR, a session specific and previous database backup is created for recovery purposes. When PowerSDR is started a session back up (SBU) is created. If while using PowerSDR (aka in session ) you make changes to the radio s configuration or operating state that you want reverted back to the initial PowerSDR configuration, you perform a database Import from the Setup form and select the session specific database file name of your radio that has the _SBU suffix appended to it. In addition to the SBU backup, there is a 1 st generation backup created that represents the initial operating state of your radio from the previous session of PowerSDR (after PowerSDR is shut down and the current session is terminated). This will allow you to return the radio to the initial operating state if you closed down PowerSDR and did not have an opportunity to utilize the session back up. This backup database has the _BAK suffix appended to it. In general, you use the _SBU backup to recover the radio's operating state *BEFORE* you close PowerSDR and the _BAK backup to recover the radio's operating state *AFTER* you closed PowerSDR. 9. PowerSDR Database import requirement compliance. When importing a database using the Import feature in the Setup form, it is imperative that a database created using a different radio or one that was created with a different version of PowerSDR than the one being used not be allowed for import. The reason for this is there may be database schema changes, EEPROM values and default operating parameters that can result in the improper operation of your radio and/or application crashes which could cause damage to the radio hardware. Compliance restricting the import of a database created from a different version of PowerSDR is not strictly enforced. There is a user selectable option in the Setup form to override the database import version compliance rules. 10. New Skins. There are six (6) new PowerSDR skins available. There are five new IK3VIG 2012 skins and a new default skin that is sourced from IK3VIG s excellent work. Grazie tante, Beppe (IK3VIG). 11. New CAT commands to support PowerSDR features. See PowerSDR CAT Command Reference Guide ( for detailed information. 12. Updated FLEX-1500 USB driver. This release contains an update to the streaming USB driver for the FLEX-1500 that has better stability and performance characteristics.. Page 5

6 Enhancements and Bug Fixes Incorporated in Release v2.3.5 DE685: 1500: Fixed Mixer settings not saved if Mixer form was open when PowerSDR was closed US943: 60M: Support for new FCC US 60M channel allocation, modes and power level US988: 60M: Created a new visual channel mode of operation for the 60M band US966: Bandplan: Added CHU, RWM & EBC frequencies to default band plan US976: CAT: Added commands to support VAC2 US868: CAT: Expand ZZTFx to encompass DIGx modes US783: CAT: Auto Mute RX1 & RX2 on transmit CAT commands US793: CAT: Add CAT control for ATU and BYP on/off US976: CAT: Added CAT commands for VAC2 operation and FM Mic gain US980: ComPorts: Added logic to prevent com port conflicts with FlexControl and other error conditions US942: Console: Added new IK3VIG 2012 skins, added DL3UXI Green skin and created new default skin DE497: Console: Fixed Variable Filters (VAR1 & VAR2) were not set to save by default US836: Console: Changed "Report Bug" to "Get Help" in the menu bar. US62: DB: Added automatic backup feature that creates a current and previous session DB backups DE376: DB: Prevent the import of databases created from different radio models to prevent errors US62: DB: Create an automatic backups of the database for recovery US134: DB: Restrict the import of databases not created from the running version of PowerSDR (default) US963: Driver: Updated the FLEX-1500 streaming USB driver to latest version DE138: DSP: Removed unused CW TX DSP filter depth from Setup->DSP tab DE603: ESC: Fixed turning off ESC does not release the VFO Sync US761: ESC: Add a Reset button to ESC form to return cursor to center position DE635: ESC: Fixed UHE when recording in PowerSDR with ESC DE643: FC: Fixed FlexControl Comport conflict / crash in certain instances. DE658: FC: Fixed FlexControl form uses same key combo as Wider Filter US718: HEROS: Preselector feature now available as a menu option. DE634: HEROS: Fixed UHE when selecting HEROS preselector feature for 1500 DE578: Memory: Fixed database reset if corrupted using automatic backup and recovery of memory DB DE664: Memory: Fixed HUE error if invalid repeater offset valued is entered into a memory record US726: Memory: Add the VFO-A frequency as the default "name" for new memory records US973: Memory: Add the ability to auto save memories after add, copy and delete operation DE666: Memory: "Close on Select" option did not save memories on Memory form close US561: Profiles: Save additional TX options in Transmit Profile; VAC1/VAC2, Mixer, VOX, DEXP US444: Profiles: Added new TX Profiles for DIGI modes that complement the default Digi RX filters US977: Profiles: Added auto save of current profile option on profile change US974: Profiles: Change the "expert" check box label to "More Profiles" US965: RX2: Provide an option to disconnect RX2 RF signal path when transmitting (default) US763: TNF: Place ANF after TNF in RX signal path so both can be used together properly DE633: TNF: Fixed notch is obscured when using AM, DSB and FM DE619: TNF: Fixed UHE when enabling TNF in DRM mode US511: VAC: Added RX2 VAC capability for FLEX RX2 equipped SDRs US790: VAC: Increase the max sampling rate to 192 KHz for WDM-KS driver US975: VAC: DIGx mode controls modify VAC2 parameters when enabled for TX US776: VOX: Change threshold slider resolution for better control DE629: Fixed Tuning Step fails to tune upward past even numbered ^2 frequencies DE637: Fixed 100 watt carrier on AM mode. Now 25W by default DE640: Fixed PowerSDR freezes when "always on top" is enabled and the About menu is selected DE653: Allow TUNe near band edges for 60m operation. Page 6

7 Firmware Update Information PowerSDR v2.3.5 requires updated firmware for the FLEX-5000, FLEX-3000 and FLEX-1500 Beginning with PowerSDR v2.0.22, drivers and firmware specific for the model of SDR you are operating are automatically installed as part of the software installation & startup process. Do not attempt to manually install a hardware driver or firmware update unless specifically requested by FlexRadio Customer Support. Do not power off your radio or shut down PowerSDR if a firmware or device driver installation is being executed. Database Import Recommendations and Cautions This new version of PowerSDR contains significant database schema and default parameter changes that could adversely affect the operation of PowerSDR v2.3.5 or result in un-handled exception errors (UHE) if an earlier or later database is imported into PowerSDR v To mitigate the possibility of adverse operation or UHEs the default setting for the new Strict DB Import Compliance option is checked or enabled which will restrict the import of databases that are not created from the same version of PowerSDR currently running. You can over-ride the default compliance behavior, but you do so at your own risk as it is not a recommended best practice. Importing a database created using a different radio than what is currently operational is no longer permitted using the Setup import feature. It may be possible to import some database settings from previous versions using the third-party K9DUR SDR Data Transfer Utility. Please verify PowerSDR version compatibility before using. For more information regarding the K9DUR SDR Data Transfer Utility and its compatibility with PowerSDR v2.3.5 please refer to the following KB article: If your experience any anomalous behavior with your radio after importing data from a database that was created from an earlier version of PowerSDR v2.3.5, reset your database immediately using the Factory Defaults feature in the Setup form and do not re-import any data or contact FlexRadio Systems support. Known Issues or Recommendations with New Features Included in this Release VAC Cable Configuration: With PowerSDR v2.3.5 you can have VAC sampling rates as high as 192 KHz. To properly support this new capability, you may need to change the VAC cable definitions to accept the higher sampling rates or a PortAudio error will occur. It is recommended that you change all of your VAC cable parameter to the following for all VAC 4.x versions: Recommended VAC Cable Parameters Sample Rate (low): 8000 BPS (high): 16 Connected Source Lines: check Line only Sample Rate (high): NC (low): 1 Ms per Int: 5 BPS (low): 8 NC (high): 2 Stream Fmt Limit: Cable Range Once you set your VAC cables using the recommended values above, you should not have to make any further changes to use any real audio or complex audio (IQ) based digital mode programs. Page 7

8 Database Import: In previous versions of PowerSDR, the specific radio model associated with a database cannot be definitively determined, so if the strict database import compliance option has been disabled allowing you to import databases from different versions of PowerSDR and you are importing a pre v2.3.5 database that was created by the same radio model that you are using, the import of that database will be denied because it will not be able to properly identify the radio model used to create that database. TX Profile Settings: The settings and parameter that control the transmit characteristics of the radio have been greatly expanded. The full listing of TX Profile parameters are listed in the table below. Since there are more parameters being saved in the TX profile, you may want to automatically save the changes if you change your current TX profile to a different one. There is a user selectable option, Auto Save TX Profiles on Change check box (off by default) in Setup -> Transmit tab that will allow you to enable the auto save feature. If you use multiple TX Profiles, it is strongly recommended to enable this option as it is not on by default. This will ensure any changes you make are saved to the TX Profile and are not lost when changing to a different profile If you do not enable the Auto Save TX Profiles on Change option, make sure to manually save your TX Profiles after making changes to any the parameters listed below to retain them for future operating sessions. TX Profile Parameters TX Filter High Cut TX Filter Low Cut TX EQ Enabled TX EQ Settings TX EQ Preamp Setting Compander DX On Compander DX Level Compander On Compander Level Mic Gain Level FM Mic Gain Level Leveler On Leveler Slope Leveler Max Gain Leveler Attack Leveler Hang Leveler Threshold ALC Slope ALC Max Gain ALC Attack ALC Decay ALC Hang ALC Threshold PA Drive Level TX Slew Limit On TX Monitor Level DEXP On DEXP Threshold DEXP Attenuate % VOX On VOX Threshold VOX Hang Time AM Carrier Level Show TX Filter On Tune Power level Tune Meter Type VAC1 On VAC1 Auto On VAC1 RX Gain VAC1 TX Gain VAC1 Stereo On VAC1 Sample Rate VAC1 Buffer Size VAC1 Direct IQ On VAC1 Direct IQ Correct VAC1 PTT Override On VAC1 Combine Channels VAC1 Latency On VAC1 Latency Duration VAC2 On VAC2 Auto On VAC2 RX Gain VAC2 TX Gain VAC2 Stereo On VAC2 Sample Rate VAC2 Buffer Size VAC2 Direct IQ On VAC2 Direct IQ Correct VAC2 Combine Channels VAC2 Latency On VAC1 Latency Duration Phone RX DSP Buffer Phone TX DSP Buffer DIGI RX DSP Buffer DIGI TX DSP Buffer CW RX DSP Buffer FLEX-5000 Mic Input Mixer Select On FLEX-5000 Mic Input Mixer Level FLEX-5000 Line Input Mixer Select On FLEX-5000 Line Input Mixer Level FLEX-5000 Balanced Line Input Mixer Select On FLEX-5000 Balanced Line Input Mixer Level FLEX-5000 FlexWire Input Mixer Select On FLEX-5000 FlexWire Input Mixer Level FLEX-3000 Mic Input Mixer Select On FLEX-3000 Mic Input Mixer Level FLEX-3000 FlexWire Input Mixer Select On FLEX-1500 FlexWire Input Mixer Select On FLEX-3000 FlexWire Input Mixer Level FLEX-1500 FlexWire Input Mixer Level FLEX-1500 Mic Input Mixer Select On FLEX-1500 Mic Input Mixer Level Page 8

9 FLEX-1500 Operation Notes 1. Do not boot your computer with the FLEX-1500 powered up or the streaming USB drivers may not properly load. Us the following Power Up / Power Down sequence a.) Power off or make sure the FLEX-1500 is powered off b.) Boot the PC and allow Windows to completely initialize c.) Power on the FLEX-1500 and wait several seconds for Windows to load the drivers d.) Start PowerSDR e.) Shut down PowerSDR and wait several seconds for the database to close. f.) Power off the FLEX-1500 g.) Shut down Windows 2. Performance optimization: The FLEX-1500 utilizes a real time driver to communicate between PowerSDR and the radio via USB. There are two steps to optimize the streaming performance of the USB interface. This varies by PC. Just because you have the fastest processor out today does not automatically mean that your PC s USB controller will achieve maximum performance. We have created a control to match the USB driver buffer streaming to your specific hardware. There are two steps to this process. a. USB Driver Buffer control: The USB Driver Buffer control allows optimization of the low level USB stream. This control is found on the Setup/General/Options form as seen below. Note that PowerSDR must be in standby in order to change this control. The default setting has been chosen to allow successful startup of PowerSDR on most machines but may not provide optimal performance on your specific PC. More aggressive settings reduce latency and improve keying performance in CW. More conservative settings will allow lower performing USB controllers and/or CPUs to function smoothly. Choose the most aggressive setting that provides stable operation without popping or distortion of the received signal. Page 9

10 b. Audio Buffer Size: We recommend use of the smallest audio buffer setting on the Setup/Audio/Primary form that provides un-distorted audio and smooth CW keying. These will reduce latency to a minimum. The exact settings are dependent on your computer hardware but will usually be 512 or Using the FLEX-1500 on the same USB controller as low-speed devices, such as a mouse or keyboard will result in the FLEX-1500 be forced to a lower data transfer rate which will significantly affect the performance of the radio in regards to latency which is most evident when operating CW. Refer to this KB article regarding the use of USBDeview to determine if the FLEX is using the same USB controller as other USB devices ( 4. The IF offset default is set to 9 khz in this software release. This causes the centering of the received passband to be slightly off to the side. If you want better centering, you may check the "Expert" box in Setup/General/Hardware Config and set the IF in Hz to some value between 500 Hz and 4500 Hz for better centering. 5. The SPUR REDUCTION (SR) control is default "ON." The frequency span of the Panadapter screen will be wider with SR turned off. Since there are extremely few spurs visible on the FLEX-1500, the recommended normal use of SR is "OFF." 6. You can run a FLEX-x000 SDR and a FLEX-1500 on the same PC at the same time. A radio Chooser will appear to allow you to select which radio you would like to operate. The software now keeps track of the database files for you. Just click USE next to the radio you want. If USE is grayed out, then check to make sure the radio is properly powered up. NOTE: Currently you must start the FLEX-1500 FIRST for multiple radios to operate properly. Also, you can only have one (1) USB-based radio and one (1) FireWire based radio operating at one time. 7. To prevent the possibility of a conflicted hardware state with the USB controller and the FLEX resulting in a system crash or hang, set your Windows Power Options for High Performance so the PC does not go to sleep or into hibernation mode while the SDR is connected and powered up. Page 10

11 FLEX-5000 and FLEX-3000 Operation Notes 1. If the FLEX FireWire driver fails to load properly after installing PowerSDR v2.3.5, it will prevent previous version(s) of PowerSDR from working correctly. On rare instances, a previous FireWire driver install can prevent the Integrated Installer from properly installing the FireWire driver. If this condition exists after installing PowerSDR v2.3.5, remove all previous FireWire driver installations and perform a new driver installation by running the following procedure. Shut down PowerSDR and power off your software defined radio. If the FLEX FireWire control panel is open, close it. Run the PowerSDR v2.3.5 Integrated Installer and select the REMOVE option. Using the Windows Control Panel, select the Remove Program applet. Look for any instances of the FLEX FireWire driver. They will be listed as FlexRadio or FlexRadio Remove all instances of the FlexRadio FireWire driver. Reboot your PC. Run the PowerSDR v2.3.5 Integrated Installer Suite setup program. After the PowerSDR v2.3.5 Integrated Installer has completed, reboot your PC if requested. After the PC has completely booted up, power on the FLEX-x000 and allow the FireWire driver to complete its installation. For Vista and Win7 operating systems this is performed silently without any user intervention. For XP systems, the user will have to confirm three sub-driver installations (see the PowerSDR v2.0 Quick Start Guide for your particular SDR for additional details on installing the FireWire driver). Verify that the FireWire driver is properly installed by opening the FLEX FireWire Driver Control Panel. The FLEX-x000 should be a recognized device. Start PowerSDR v2.3.5 and proceed with the initial setup wizard. 2. You can run a FLEX-x000 SDR and a FLEX-1500 on the same PC at the same time. A radio Chooser will appear to allow you to select which radio you would like to operate. The software now keeps track of the database files for you. Just click USE next to the radio you want. If USE is grayed out, then check to make sure the radio is properly powered up. NOTE: Currently you must start the FLEX-1500 FIRST for multiple radios to operate properly. Also, you can only have one (1) USB-based radio and one (1) FireWire based radio operating at one time. 3. To prevent the possibility of a conflicted hardware state with the Firewire card and the FLEX or FLEX-3000 resulting in a system crash or hang, set your Windows Power Options for High Performance so the PC does not go to sleep or into hibernation mode while the SDR is connected and powered up. Page 11

12 SDR-1000 Operation Notes 1. The new CW keyer provided in PowerSDR versions starting with v require a microprocessor inside the radio to achieve the real time performance levels needed for break-in CW using attached paddles. The SDR-1000 does not incorporate such a microprocessor. Therefore, beginning with v2.0.22, attached paddles are no longer supported on the SDR From this point forward CW paddles are supported on the SDR-1000 only through the use of COM port keying. Please refer to the SDR-1000 Operating Manual pages for setup and operation using this method. 2. To prevent the possibility of a conflicted hardware state with the parallel port/usbio adapter and the SDR-1000 resulting in a system crash or hang, set your Windows Power Options for High Performance so the PC does not go to sleep or into hibernation mode while the SDR is connected and powered up. Page 12