About the SQUARE clone

[Jean-Baptiste GALLAUZIAUX]

Did a member test this evolution of HL2?

https://www.wideservis.cz/square-sdr/

73 - Pierre - FK8IH

[Ronald Meier]

Yes, same as HL2 but in a ncicer looking box. Do not forget that the magic happens in the software.

73 Ronald PH7R

Op donderdag 31 oktober 2024 om 03:29:05 UTC+1 schreef Jean-Baptiste GALLAUZIAUX:

[Jean-Baptiste GALLAUZIAUX]

Thanks Ronald, I am totally satisfied with my HL2 bought 3 years ago. I will just add the IO Board and I guess I will have the same transceiver as the SQUARE SDR in another box! I like QRP but I will probably also add a HardRock 50 with ATU and QSK board.

73 - Pierre - FK8IH

[Steve Haynal]

Hi All,

I am not a supporter of the Square SDR. I don't mind people enhancing the HL2. I do mind when they don't publish their enhancements as open source. The HL2 was created to be entirely open source and open hardware, even down to the PCB design and all FPGA gateware. There are now a couple of efforts which have duplicated or extended the HL2 without contributing back to open source. Without any easy legal recourse, this has pretty much discouraged me from ever releasing a 100% open source and open hardware design again.

The Square SDR places all components on one side of the PCB. This changes the original ground plane and may lead to additional noise. The Square SDR removes the N2ADR board connection so HL2 companion cards using that expansion header will not work.

Just to highlight what a HL2 derivative project should look like, check out the radioberry. This is a much larger modification than what was done with the Square SDR as it includes significant modifications to the FPGA gateware, a completely new host interface and a completely new PCB.  All files are still open source and open hardware as they should be. This is why the radioberry is supported in the main HL2 github repository as a variant. 

 

https://github.com/pa3gsb/Radioberry-2.x

73,

Steve

kf7o