It is a system in which hardware components are replaced with software. I wanted to change to linux software and decided that. These kits are for working amateur radio hf receivers and transceivers. Welcome to the main soft rock software website, where you will find a variety of software mainly for computers running risc os, such as webchange, waituntil, quicksand, and more. The goal of kc6f sdr is to provide a software defined radio package, intended for radio amateurs hams, that is crossplatform, easy to use, readily customizable and supports a wide range of modulationdemodulation modes. The programmable oscillator on the softrock runs in my case at four times the desired mixer frequency. This circuit is a tayloe or quadratue sampling detector. Once completed this rxtx will allow frequency agility without the expense of additional crystals. Much of the software is available as a free download, and full details to be found in the products section of the site.
Extensive construction details are available from the various softrock user sites and yahoo reflector. After doing this you should be able to get powersdr to switch the rxtx from rx to rx mode when you press the mox button. Mar 27, 2012 so at the end of the day, both the softrock ensemble and the djx11 are fantastic values as sdr radios in their price categories. The spec of the radio pc is as follows intel i54440 3.
So, heres some simple loopback test program to test the. This site is devoted to the area of software defined radio sdr, more specifically, the softrock series of technology sampler kits and the genesisradio. After finishing up the receiver part of my softrock ensemble rxtx sdr transceiver with great success, i got really motivated to get the transmitter going. It is valid for ve3nea rocky as well also described on that site. Configuring usb driver, config softrock tool and high definition software defined radio revised 27september2015 the ideal time to install the softrock drivers and software on your windows 7, 8 or 10 pc is now prior to connecting your softrock radio to. Configuring usb driver, config softrock tool and high. Not only there were receivers and software available, but even a transceiver. The brief of my project is to build a software defined radio sdr based around a purpose built pc with a high end soundcard and a softrock ensemble rxtx. Before we attempt this, i would like to provide some background information on using the usbsoftrock software in more detail. This site has information concerning the softrock software defined radios created and kitted by tony parks kb9yig. Im unsure whether it happens because of the rxtx implementation in the application side or rxtx library has internal bug. In my last post, i described how i ended up finally starting with sdr.
This is the first of two posts which take a look at the relatively simple and easy to construct softrock software defined radio sdr that is designed for hf amateur radio use. I know i asked myself the same question when first looking into how to get on the air on with the hf bands. Sr tr line rts pin 7 this will go high when in xmit, low for receive gnd to sr gnd pin 5 there is also support for attaching a keyer and the soft rock tr line to the same serial port. One comment that i had in this site said that the rxtx library is not very reliable in the receiving part using data available event. During this testing phase you will be able to test the upcoming the ruby. Almost all of the software products are for risc os computers. There are problems with this softrock based rig and unfortunately there are no simple follow this guide solutions out there to alleviate the problem quickly and simply. Its current form is in wordpress which is an interesting vehicle, im using it to test the ease of site maintenance and possible use in all my personal web sites. Except for the pcb flying to the opposite side of the kitchen yes, the lever wasnt correctly disabled after all, everything went ok.
Ok so in the last 2 days i built a rxtx kit i purchased 4 years ago, and i have it working, in just hdsdr with a microphone. Introducing softrock ensemble a software defined radio. A simple test to find if you have any chance of receiving is to remove the line input lead from the. Softrock ensemble rx tx vs alinco djx11 ham radio science. The rxtx ensemble is a sdr transceiver with a 1 w pep max in ssb. Configuring usb driver, config softrock tool and high definition software defined radio revised 27september2015 the ideal time to install the softrock drivers and software on your windows 7, 8 or 10 pc is now prior to connecting your softrock radio to your computer for the first time. The gfgsr software that i used only goes from 6 to 160 mhz. The kit came from tony parks, kb9yig, and i cant say enough good about it. Tx record so far is 2400km, rx is over 15,000km as reported on. Describe your experience with the softrock qrp kit radio and tell us why you give it the rating you did required. Jan 09, 20 the softrock lite ii, the sequel to the sr lite v6. Theres not a lot of ham radio software for macos but there is an sdr program called dsp radio from sebastian mrozek.
Softrock rxtx software installation notes ve7vv last. Setting it up as a suitable wspr transmitter seemed quite difficult, until came across some settings. Recent test results with rxtx ensemble prototype units gives me. Softrock ensemble rxtx with dsp radio on macos x ive enjoyed the ensemble rxtx kit build but im having a devil of a time with audio under windows xp. Looking for a cheap hf alternative, i picked up one of the softrock ensemble rxtx kits and spent the last several weeks slowly putting the kit together. As luck would have it, i located another pandaboard es on ebay that was a steal of a deal, so instead of odroid as i originally intended for this rig, i have another pandaboard es that is running the new rig.
Softrock rxtx ensemble hardware and building illruminations. Your source for softrock radio kits softrock rxtx ensemble transceiver kit the softrock rxtx ensemble transceiver kit provides a 1 watt sdr transceiver that can be built for one of the following five band groups. After soldering in all the component, the testing went according to plan, until taking resistance readings of the power rail. Aug 28, 2008 i used a variac and an ammeter to control the current and temperature. The softrock began as a winter project, ive built a number of rigs both from scratch and kit with good results. This setup is not the best tool for this calibration task, but i think i came pretty close in my effort.
This is for digital modes psk, jt65hf, wspr, rtty only. My immediate interest is in testing and playing with several areas that are not often used by hams. Its a joy to build, straightforward to troubleshoot and understand, and the receive performance is fantastic. Setting up powersdr for digital modes with the softrock. This site will contain information and references to projects and subjects im interested in such as softrock software defined radios. The poor things have been setting a lot and not being used very much except for cw qrp during the winter. It features a usb interface which allows setting the frequency and keying the. I have rewired the db9 socket for operation with powersdr. Softrock rxtx modification for 2200, 630 and 160 metre operation 20 february 2017 last revised 28 june 2018 roger graves, ve7vv the frequencies that can be selected with a softrock rxtx1 are limited by the division ratio of the si570 clock. A few photographs of my latest tinkeringa softrock ensemble rxtx. Each stage is selfcontained and outlines the steps to build and test the stage.
Softrock ensemble rxtx calibration and rx test youtube. Introduction this is the home page for the detailed builders notes for the softrock rxtx v6. The audio labels are ambiguous, line in means this connection goes to your line in. With tony parks kb9yig on softrock softwaredefined ham radio. All smt components are mounted on the bottom of the board. The driver pa stage shapes and amplifies the modulated rf output from the tx. Currently supports softrock si570 radios, including the rxtx. The softrock lite ii, the sequel to the sr lite v6. Posts about softrock rxtx written by grant mcduling. May 30, 2015 after finishing up the receiver part of my softrock ensemble rxtx sdr transceiver with great success, i got really motivated to get the transmitter going. Software defined radio sdr software written in matlab. One way of testing can be to lift the end of l4 that goes to q10 q11.
Softrock rxtx modification for 2200, 630 and 160 metre. Free download bho 7db2d5a072414e79b68d6309f01c5231 c program files mcafee virusscan scriptsn. So now, i had the experience to try it for real with the rxtx. In summary, the hardware provides the signal, leaving the computer software to do the heavy lifting. In order to test and later, operate, your rig, you must download and install required. Software defined radio sdr is a radio communication system in which the hardware components, such as mixer, amplifiers, and filters are implemented using a computer. August 25, 2008 the transceiver main board is built and i now await the usb controller board for the si570 and the tx pabandbass filter board for 10m. As i use radio to do digimodes, this involves precisely always having a laptop pc available, so depending on it wasnt a problem for me, while a transceiver would allow me to do radio wherever i.
Software defined radio kit tutorial build test softrock lite ii duration. Audio files to test software without a sdr and a few links to some of the many sdrs on the web. This kit is a transceiver with 1 watt output, definitely qrp. I already have a case and some ideas for what i want to do with the ensemble, so expect to hear about it more in the future. This has been a work in progress, as the author moved through an actual build. Well ok i have a newer monster hp laptop that should more then handle this software. Build and test log of the softrock lite ii receiver kit. This is the successor website for the ensemble rxtx, originally documented on the site introduction general info. Softrock ensemble rxtx kit built for 403020 meters the first testng done with the unit after building and configuring the software was with wspr weak signal propagation reporter if youre looking for a kit that will help you learn about sdr software. Aug 29, 2010 usbsoftrock has an interactive mode that lets you change the frequency through a curses text interface, which is helpful for testing.
The audio input on this fancy hp media center laptop is mono. Many people have contributed to the design and testing of the various kits to lower. Setting up powersdr for digital modes with the softrock ensemble rxtx this is how i set up powersdr psdr with the softrock ensemble rxtx using a single sound card. Trying to use the cat feature from wsjtx setup as ts2000 for cat and it will rxtx and even use split set to fake it but it always transmits. Continuing my exploration of sdr and the softrock rxtx ensemble you can catch the beginning of those posts here. The term softrock is used for the software defined radio sdr system that uses softrock ensemble. For more information on softrock softwaredefined ham radio, visit s. Sdr softrock ensemble rxtx remote using sdrradio via ipad duration. This site is now the officially maintained site for the ensemble rxtx kit. The softrock rxtx ensemble transceiver kit provides a 1 watt sdr.
Levels measured in a softrock tx, diode probe, 1db point, faultfinding. Nov 12, 2011 a few photographs of my latest tinkeringa softrock ensemble rxtx. Unboxing the softrock rxtx amateur radio sdr transceiver kit duration. The last weeks i have followed ab4ugs progress building his own rxtx with great interest, and i got even more motivated to finish my own kit when i saw that he got the last component soldered on his rxtx. Mic inputs are usually mono, older laptops may only have mono inputs. Wspr is an excellent choice for testing out a freshly built transceiver since it gives immediate. I have been running rocky under winxp for several years. Please note the socket marked line in on a softrock refers to where it is. They are kitted in batches of 20100 every few weeks and usually sell out within 2448 hours. Choosing a backup generator plus 3 legal house connection options transfer switch and more duration. This is the home page for the detailed builders notes for the softrock rxtx v6. This page was created to document my project to build and operate a softrock rxtx version 6. After a visit to a local hamfast and talking to some very helpful hams, i was turned onto the softrock sdr. Softrock ensemble rxtx kit built for 403020 meters the first testng done with the unit after building and configuring the software was with wspr weak signal propagation reporter if youre looking for a kit that will help you learn about sdr software defibed radio and possibly up for a challenge with smt components and ics, winding.
Levels measured in a softrock tx, diode probe, 1db point. Availability, pricing, and ordering can be found at. My initial test showed basic function on the rocky software screen ie nice big spike that moved around based on frequency input. Trying to use the cat feature from wsjtx setup as ts2000 for cat and it will rxtx and even use split set to fake it but it always transmits on the lo freq, not the tune freq. Newer laptops often do have stereo inputs a list started further down. Almost all of the software products are for risc os computers while some development work has been carried out on software for pcs running microsoft windows, this has generally been done on behalf of clients and, therefore, it is not software that can made generally available at the present time. For the nonexpert builders among us, this site takes you through a stagebystage build of the kit. The rtlsdr operated in a software direct sampling mode to make it work on the 20m band. Time to see if it really is working now that you know that you can communicate with the softrock, it might be a good idea to see if it is really working and you can pick up signals. The driverpa stage shapes and amplifies the modulated rf output from the tx. Other useful information would include your experience with similar products, infomation on a product that you would purchase instead of this one, and so on. Softrock rxtx modification for 2200, 630 and 160 metre operation 20 february 2017 last revised 28 june 2018 roger graves, ve7vv the frequencies that can be selected with a softrock rxtx1 are limited by the division ratio of the si570.
That should be enough software to get you through the build. This unit provides all of the hardware necessary to have a softwaredefined radio sdr transceiver that uses a computer soundcard for adc and dac. If you have a rxtx then learn receive with hdsdr on this page. Softrock is a term for a software defined radio sdr which consists of three major. Levels in the ensemble rxtx this also covers all other softrock tx stages. And i made a test first with a piece of pcb and a drop of the paste.
Wspr weak signal propagation reporter i built a couple of softrock rxtx ensembles when tony first introduced them in the spring of 2010. So at the end of the day, both the softrock ensemble and the djx11 are fantastic values as sdr radios in their price categories. Softrock rxtx transmit on lo, not tune for hdsdr, wsjtx. These notes are also available in pdf form here, thanbks to craig ab9iv. Next, how i was able to actually receive signals using the softrock and linux software. Softrock ensemble rxtx with dsp radio on macos x marxy. You pay serious money for a media laptop and you get a mono input insert lots of cussing here. Soft rock software has a number of products available, most of which is software, but there is currently also one piece of hardware.
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