Introduction

This is an amateur radio project, intended to explore the use of Digital Signal Processing (DSP) as the i-f and a-f processing of a transceiver. The primary application is weak-signal work on the bands above 2-meters. Interestingly the transceiver also operates at 2-meters as presently built and can also be used on that band. Transverters are used ahead of the transceiver for the higher frequencies allowing operation into the microwave range. The control and the front panel for the transceiver is any PC running DOS and having VGA graphics. The keyboard controls the transceiver. Status information, along with spectral and signal strength displays, are on the screen. Audio comes from the DSP, not the PC. No internal sound card is required.

Background for this project is available in the three-part article by Bob Larkin, W7PUA, "The DSP10---An All-Mode 2-Meter Transceiver Using DSP I-F and PC Front Panel," QST Sept, Oct and Nov 1999, and "A DSP Based Transceiver for UHF and Microwaves."

This manual has been assembled from the program notes for versions 1.6 and 2.0 of the software, that have long been available. In addition, material that is new to version 3.0 of the program is also included. Thus this document is the basic operating manual for the transceiver. It does not include the hardware assembly information, nor the software source code and background. That collection of information is quite extensive and remains available from the Internet

Feedback - Please email corrections, comments and suggestions to this manual to kd7ts'at sign'ispwest.com. Program bugs should be reported to W7PUA boblark'at sign'proaxis.com.

Software License - Here are a few important administrative details. The software for the project is being made available as "free software." This includes both the source code and the executable files for both the DSP and the PC. A license is required for the Program (referring to the total DSP-10 software package.) This license is the GNU General Public License. You do NOT send me any money to use the software. The software is available for download from the Internet. However, you do have obligations under the license and it is important to read it. It is attached and can be read as is, or as part of starting up the DSP-10 software. By the way, this license file must be in the same directory as the executable program file, uhfa.exe, for the program to run.

What is this all about? We will never be able to explain the philosophy of "free software" as well as the GNU people do. So look at the license for the general idea and, if you are so inclined, take a look at http://www.gnu.org web site for so in-depth discussions. In simple terms, though, the reason for this is that as soon as these sorts of programs get into the world of commerce, they are given a cloak-of-secrecy, all efforts for information exchange cease and the spirit of the project is lost. You need to help keep this from happening!

In addition, as a member of the "community," you will need to share any changes that you make to the programs. We will try to help to get this information spread about to interested users.

BECAUSE THE PROGRAM IS LICENSED FREE OF CHARGE, THERE IS NO WARRANTY FOR THE PROGRAM, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW. EXCEPT WHEN OTHERWISE STATED IN WRITING THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND/OR OTHER PARTIES PROVIDE THE PROGRAM "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE PROGRAM IS WITH YOU. SHOULD THE PROGRAM PROVE DEFECTIVE, YOU ASSUME THE COST OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR OR CORRECTION.

IN NO EVENT UNLESS REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE LAW OR AGREED TO IN WRITING WILL ANY COPYRIGHT HOLDER, OR ANY OTHER PARTY WHO MAY MODIFY AND/OR REDISTRIBUTE THE PROGRAM AS PERMITTED ABOVE, BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR DAMAGES, INCLUDING ANY GENERAL, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE PROGRAM (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF DATA OR DATA BEING RENDERED INACCURATE OR LOSSES SUSTAINED BY YOU OR THIRD PARTIES OR A FAILURE OF THE PROGRAM TO OPERATE WITH ANY OTHER PROGRAMS), EVEN IF SUCH HOLDER OR OTHER PARTY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

Organization - This User's Manual is intended for on-line use, either over the Internet, or by placing all associated files in a common directory on a computer. In order to not need to download excessive material, it is divided into smaller units (files) that are linked to the following table of contents. Try to identify the topic of interest and clicking on that item will bring up the proper portion of the manual.

Chapter 1 - Transceiver Operation
Loading Software - Hints on getting the DSP and PC programs into operation
SSB_Operation Getting started with using the DSP10.
CW Operation Frequency Readouts, sending CW, loops, stored messages
FM_Operation Conventional NBFM operation, including repeaters
Help Screens Access help information from the program
Front Panels Select either slide-rule dial or spectral display and waterfall.
"Beacon" Overlay Automatic T/R control and more
Keyboard Commands These are the knobs and switches
   Transmit
   Upper spectral display Customizing the spectral graphs
   Lower spectral display Customizing the spectral waterfall
   Frequency control and band change
   RIT
Cursor Keys The extra tuning knob and audio gain
Filters Audio, Receiver equalizer, I-F, Adaptive De-Noise and Notching and Design-A-Filter
Screen Saves Making graphics files of the screen
Moon Data for EME calculations Moon data can be used in any mode for Doppler corrected reception
Vertical Cursors Marks the various frequencies on the display

Chapter 2 - Weak Signal Operation
EME-2 Mode Automatically measure your EME capability
PUA43 Mode Multi-tone FSK for weak signal communication
LHL-7 Mode Seven-tone code based on Morse code
LTI Mode Long Term Integration for detection and measurement of very weak signals
Setting the Screen Clock The precision clock for LTI, PUA43 and LHL-7
Sun Noise Measurements Accurate evaluation of system sensitivity
Signal Simulation Use your transmitter as a noisy signal generator!

Chapter 3 - Background Information
Frequency Conventions for setting frequencies
Windowing of Spectral Data Understanding more about measuring spectra of signals with the DSP-10
Using the ADSP Audio processor The DSP-10 can be operated without the RF hardware!

Chapter 4 - DSP-10 Software Setup
Loading the DSP-10 Software
Automating the boot  and loading
Configuration File the key to customizing the DSP-10
T/R Sequencing Software driven, fully programmable
Pallette and Colors Methods and ideas for customizing the screen colors
Diagnostics Screen information to peek inside the DSP-10
Time Zones Let the PC figure Universal Time
Call String Your Call in the corner
Reference Frequency Calibration Correct the 10 MHz Oscillator in Software
Setting the freq offset of the EZ-Kit A minor refinement in frequency accuracy
RF Gain Configuration Calibrate your S-meter reading at reduced RF Gain
Transmit Audio Equalizer. Add sparkle to your microphone response.

Chapter 5 - DSP-10 Hardware for Users
Hardware Connections Interconnecting with the DSP10, a checklist
External 10 MHz Reference A key element of the weak-signal operation
Fast Push-to-Talk Hardware Important for SSB/FM users
Birdies You shouldn't have many!

Chapter 6 - Reference sections
Errors Descriptions of Errors and Warnings
Notes on Source Code
Known Bugs

Download this Manual as a ZIP File

Changes

CREDITS - (This is a personal note from W7PUA, the program coder). I will probably forget someone here, but I must attempt to thank and credit the many people that have helped during this project. Johan Forrer KC7WW, has been of great help with the DSP side and has graciously shared his wizardry in real time DSP programming. The LMS code also came from Johan. Kirk Bailey N7CCB has supplied ideas throughout the project and improved the product in many areas. Gary Oliver WA7SHI has contributed ideas and programming wisdom in the area of weak signal DSP going back to 1987 when he wrote a 32010 assembler because nothing was available within ham budgets. Andy Baranski, PE1ROE, has provided many useful ideas and lot's of fun discussion. Bob Rullman K7MSH, Deane Kidd W7TYR and Merle Cox W7YOZ have all helped with the weak signal ideas. Conversations at the Microwave Update in Phoenix have certainly been influential. The same goes for the recent Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) relay experiment where this equipment and software was used to detect the spacecraft at 437 MHz. Various people on the MGS net were informative and helpful. Thee GIF routines from Sverre Huseby, the ASYNC routines from David Kessner and the DSP loading routines EZLD and EZFAST from Dwight Elvey all were great time savers. Analog Devices has provided considerable assistance through their application manuals.

After the initial issue at version 1.6, Ernie Manly, W7LHL, Beb Larkin, W7SLB, Larry Liljeqvist, W7SZ and Mike Reed, KD7TS, have spent huge amounts of time beta testing versions of both programs. This has included discovering a wide range of "bugs" that I introduced. They and their computers all survived the experience and the usefulness and relatively good reliability of the programs is in a major way attributable to their efforts. Roger Rehr, W3SZ, has provided considerable assistance as well as a broad perspective in applicability of this technology. The influences of Wes Hayward, W7ZOI, Roger Hayward, KA7EXM, Rick Campbell, KK7B, Ed Hare, W1RFI, Russ Carpenter, AA7QU, and Paul Pagel, N1FB, show up in many places in this project. The credits would not be complete without acknowledging several individuals that had no contact with the project, but influenced it in major ways. Starting with Jack Wolf, an NYU EE professor of the early 1960s who introduced me to all the concepts involved.Then there were the developers of the Piccolo project, pioneer weak signal experimenter Victor Poor, K3NIO, and the two amateurs that collaborated with me in many non-coherent-integration experiments of the early 60s, Carl Scheideler, W2AZL and Bill Ashby, K2TKN.

Thanks to all for their ideas,
Bob Larkin W7PUA.