SDC Skimmer with Thetis SDR - a little problem

[Enzo IW7DMH]

Hello Yuri,

I am testing SDC Skimmer with the Thetis SDR program. The CAT control through TCI protocol works flawless and the Skimmer follows very well the VFO.
The only issue I am finding is a shifting between the red triangle indicator and the creeping lines whit relates signal lines.
I hope the pictures below can help to understand  the issue.
It seems the "Offset" value can't help to sinchronyze the indicator and the signal lines. Of course clicking on a lines in SDC skimmer has the effect to loose the signal on the rig.
If I can add a whish, it would be nice if the checkbox IQ-Swaps would be auto-switched according to the CWU-CWL mode.
Thank you very muche for any help
 
Best 73'
Enzo, iw7dmh

[UT4LW Yuri Pavlov]

Enzo, I can assume that there is some error in the transceiver's TCI protocol. The red triangle represents the VFOB frequency. The VFOB frequency on the transceiver is set to a different band (28 MHz), so the red triangle should not be displayed. But it is displayed, this may be due to an error in the TCI program of the transceiver.
I will try to install the Thetis SDR software and see if it works correctly.

[Rick Langford]

One thing that will have to be watched now is to make sure that both thetis and expert are using the same versions of TCI protocol

Just thought thought

N8SDR

On Fri, May 20, 2022, 3:02 PM UT4LW Yuri Pavlov <ur4ix....@gmail.com> wrote:

Enzo, I can assume that there is some error in the transceiver's TCI protocol. The red triangle represents the VFOB frequency. The VFOB frequency on the transceiver is set to a different band (28 MHz), so the red triangle should not be displayed. But it is displayed, this may be due to an error in the TCI program of the transceiver.
I will try to install the Thetis SDR software and see if it works correctly.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "SDC Software Defined Connectors" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to sdc-ut4lw+...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sdc-ut4lw/c2ea9f2a-4b6b-42cc-874e-6eeb9d9bcd7bn%40googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

[Enzo IW7DMH]

Hi Yuri and thank you very much for you answer.

I did a test enabling the TCI LOG panel in SDC and it seems Thetis sends the correct vfo frequency. 
I made the blu VFO-A indicator appears in SDC: it happens only when I enable the CTUN function, as you can see in the pictures below.

There is something odd in this behaviour.

[Enzo IW7DMH]

Hello Richard,

Thetis can emulate both the SunSDR2-Pro protocol and the ExpertSDR3 protocol.

It works fine with both of them.

73' Enzo
iw7dmh 

[UT4LW Yuri Pavlov]

I found a problem with Thetis SDR. It incorrectly forms the IF string for the VFOB.
The SDC Skimmer works by receiving IF commands, not VFO commands.
I will try to introduce VFO command processing in SDC Skimmer...

суббота, 21 мая 2022 г. в 08:56:10 UTC+3, Enzo IW7DMH:

[Enzo IW7DMH]

Great!
Thank you very much for your effort.

Regards
Enzo

[Rune Øye]

Hello Groupe, 

I am testing SDC with Thetis software. It seems is get frequensy readout going to my logbook that use TCI and the same is for SDC. I am not able  to get SDC skimmer to play. Is there anyone that use Thetis that has this going.

Thanks 

73,

Rune LA7THA

[UT4LW Yuri Pavlov]

I have information that Thetis has an error in reporting the center frequency of the IQ stream. Please inform the author of Thetis to correct the error.

суббота, 30 сентября 2023 г. в 07:25:06 UTC+3, rune....@gmail.com:

[Enzo IW7DMH]

Hi Rune,

in the attached pdf you can find my notes about SDC Skimmer and Tethis setup.
Anyaway, at the moment, on Thetis side, it is still present a bug on the IF frequency and Richard is going to solve it on next Thetis release.

I hope this can help
Best 73'
Enzo, iw7dmh 

[Rune Øye]

Hi Enzo and Yuri, 

Thanks a million for your help and support. I will have a look at your pdf notes  and then we will see what will happen on the next release of Thetis.

Thanks again, 

73,

Rune LA7THA 

You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the Google Groups "SDC Software Defined Connectors" group.
To unsubscribe from this topic, visit https://groups.google.com/d/topic/sdc-ut4lw/HGsZaNjCp8k/unsubscribe.
To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to sdc-ut4lw+...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sdc-ut4lw/00f9cbe1-a21d-4abf-a36f-22f92930bdd1n%40googlegroups.com.

[Richard Saue]

Hi, 

I am using SDC latest version with SunSDR2-dx ESDR3 software and Flex-6300 with SmartSDR v3 software, all working great. Kudos to Yuri for the new Contest module, I had great fun using it in the CW WW RTTY contest!

I do also have an ANAN 200D and a Hermes Light 2 which I use with Thetis on windows. I usually download and compile latest master copy from Github http://github.com/ramdor/Thetis 

The latest fix TCI in Thetis master is related to the IF: command, using more than only the CW pitch when Thetis CTUNE is enabled, (CTUNE =allowing the user to move within a panorama without altering its borders). 

Using todays Thetis master with latest TCI fixes, and Enzos setup (+ Direct output to VAC), I have had very little success syncing SDC with Thetis. The  frequency marker follows that on Thetis, but does not match activity on waterfall / audiostream, but always off with approx 1,2 khz when in close proximity to the pointer. 

The activity on SDC band span looks mirrored to the activity on Thetis Panorama. E.g. when tuned to 14.014 kHz with the pointer at the same QRG in SDC:  When a strong CW signal show up in Thetis panorama at approx 14.003 kHz , it shows  up at 14.035 on SDC panorama. Likewise, band traffic above the dialed frequency shows up lower than the dialed frequency in SDC panorama. 

I am no programmer, and can not read code in Thetis to figure out what is going on. 

I did two real life comparisons;

 At the first, I started my SunSDR2-DX using ESDR3 and added the VAC to the RAdiosync IQ output, keeping the same settings in  SDC as with Thetis. Now all worked ok. As a layman this tells me that SDC works OK... 

secondly, back with Thetis, i used the same audio setup in Thetis as with SDC, now with CW Skimmer 2.21. This worked all OK with channels Left/Right = I /Q and 0 Samples Shift.  

I bit of lost where to pick up the pen to write a bug report to Richie on Thetis. 

Anyone?

73 de LB2EG Richard

[Enzo IW7DMH]

Hi, 
I already reported the problem when I noticed the difference (after giving a look at the source code and fixing it in a quickly way).

https://community.apache-labs.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=4383&p=22227&hilit=iw7dmh#p22227

If you look into the latest Tetis source code, Richard as already fixed it but, there is something else that isn't working fine.

I read the bug is already fixed and will be available in a next release.

Lastly, I am sorry for the inaccuracy of my notes where actually, the Direct output to VAC flag must be checked.

Best 73'

iw7dmh

[Richard Saue]

Hi Enzo, 

I relayed your findings as bug report # 62 that was reported fixed last winter [BUG] TCI - Frequency offset when using SDC (Software Defined Connectors) · Issue #62 · ramdor/Thetis (github.com). 

I sendt in a new bug report # 162 a few days ago that is reported fixed a few days ago. [BUG] TCI Server does not give correct IF: commands: Sends CW pitch instead of IF QRG inside panorama upon QRG changes · Issue #162 · ramdor/Thetis (github.com)

I compile my install of Thetis from github master. And my findings are with fixes included in code... 

73 de LB2EG Richard

[Richard Saue]

Hi All,

Thetis works now OK with SDC Skimmer

In the latest development branch Richie has added SWAP IQ to the Direct I/Q option, and it looks like this was the last issue to make SDC Skimmer work with Thetis. 

Those of of you who do not compile the code for themselves, must look for compiled versions to show up (later than v. 2.10.2.2)....

ramdor/Thetis: The main working repo for changes to Thetis for the Apache Labs line of radios (github.com)

73 de LB2EG Richard 

[Bob Auiler]

That's great news, can't wait for the compiled version!

73, de Bob, W4QLF

[Вячеслав]

Здравствуйте. В программу приходит очень высокий уровень сигнала IQ. Это приводит к сбоям в декодировании. Могу в трансивере уменьшить уровень RF, но тогда слабо слышно эфир. Средствами Виндоус уменьшить уровень не получается.

Трансивер Wolf

[UT4LW Yuri Pavlov]

SDC-Skimmers работают в относительных величинах, поэтому уровень сигнала IQ потока не должен сказаться на качестве декодирования.

Как проверить качество потока: подайте сигнал от кварцевого генератора на вход трансивера и смотрите на водопад в скиммере. Должна быть одна полоска сигнала. Если сигналов много, то ищите проблемы на пути следования IQ потока в трансивере, и/или операционной системе.

[Alan Artt]

I am running the latest Thetis version along with the New (yesterday) MI0BOT version for Hermes HL2.

The Swap IQ is checked but I still have a difference between the decoded frequency in the SDC window and the actual frequency where I hear the CW signal.
Maybe I have an incorrect setting soemwhere in Thetis or SDC but I am not sure what else to check. I checked that there is no Audio Offset in the SDC Skimmer settings.

Here is a screenshot.  The station is decoding fine if I click on the Spot, but the audio cannnot be heard unless I click onto the true frequency on the waterfall.

[Enzo IW7DMH]

Hi,

maybe you are on the wrong sideband: be sure to select CWU from 20m and above and CWL from 30m and below.

Everything is fine on this side, but I am using a 7000DLE.

73' Enzo,
iw7dmh

[Alan Artt]

Thanks Enzo, I will check that out.  The problem has been there on the Hermes Lite for some time and has been solved apparently by adding the swap IQ function which has been implemented in the latest updates.

[Alan Artt]

I checked the correct sideband was selected and it was OK.  The offset as far as I can see is equal to the sidetone frequency (600hz)

[Richard Saue]

This might eventually be a Hermes lite (and maybe Hermes) problem. 

SDC Skimmer works well with my ANAN-200D and Thetis 2.10.3.3. 

73 de LB2EG Richard