[FUNcube] New release (4.24) of MULTIPSK

[David Tanks]

New release of MultiPSK, now works with some SDR's.

73,  David AD4TJ

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Patrick Lindecker <f6...@free.fr>
To: mult...@yahoogroups.com; multip...@yahoogroups.com; digita...@yahoogroups.com; UD...@yahoogroups.com; fun...@yahoogroups.co.uk
Sent: Sunday, June 2, 2013 3:44 PM
Subject: [FUNcube] New release (4.24) of MULTIPSK

Pour les francophones: la version française de ce message se trouve sur mon site (http://f6cte.free.fr). Il suffit de cliquer sur le lien "Principales modifications (courriel avertissant de la sortie de la nouvelle version)".

Hello to all Ham and SWL,

 

The new release of MultiPSK (4.24) is on my Web site (http://f6cte.free.fr).
The mirror site is Earl's, N8KBR: http://www.eqth.info/multipsk/index.html (click on "United States Download Site").

Multipsk associated to Clock are freeware programs but with functions submitted to a licence (by user key).

 

The main improvements of MULTIPSK 4.24 are the following:

 

1) Decoding of the RDS mode (on broadcast FM)

 

The VHF mode RDS (for "Radio Data System") is used to transmit digital data (about the station, the program...) in parallel to the audio signal (mono or, possibly, stereo) of each FM transmission (wide band, 200 KHz) of the FM commercial band from 87.5 to 108 MHz.

For Hams and SWL, it must be received with a VHF SdR receiver (FunCube Dongle Pro+, RTL SDR,...) and directly demodulated by Multipsk.

 

See general specifications further on.

 

2) Decoding/coding of the THOR mode

This Incremental Frequency Keying mode created by Dave Freese (W1HKJ) in 2008

derives from DominoEXE FEC with the following differences:

·                     the number of interleavings is 10 instead of 4,

·                     the secondary table is independent from the MFSK16 type primary table. It is reminded that it is automatically transmitted the information "Call", "Locator"...type, during moments when nothing is sent, the QSO being in progress, as a sort of "intelligent idling".

For more details, see http://www.w1hkj.com/Modes/THORdesc.htm

 

3) Decoding/coding of the MFSK32 and MFSK64 modes

MFSK32 and MFSK64 modes are identical to the MFSK16 mode but at baud speeds and bandwidths multiple.

 

4) Decoding of the APT faxes transmitted by NOAA satellites (first attempt of decoding)

"APT" is worth for "Automatic Picture Transmission". It is a mode allowing transmission of fax pictures, used by the NOAA satellites 15 (137.620 MHz), 18 (137.9125 MHz) et 19 (137.100 MHz). It is transmitted a pair of fax pictures (one done during daylight and one in infra-red) in amplitude modulation of a 2400 Hz carrier, this one transmitted in FM on a 30 KHz bandwidth. For more details, see: http://www.canarysatellite.com/apt_format.html

 

The receiver can be an SdR (FunCube Dongle for example). In this case, the FM demodulation can be done directly by Multipsk. It can be also used a demodulator connected to Multipsk via a virtual sound card, for example.

 

5)  Improvements:

5.1 Direct interface with Funcube, RTL-SDR and Softrock SdR,

From the Configuration screen, according to the SdR, the corresponding button will have to be be pushed: "RTL/SDR key", "Funcube" or "Softrock". Once pushed, from the "I/Q interface for SdR" panel,  the "Direct via the sound card" option will be automatically activated. Although not strictly indispensable, the "+Speaker" button can be pushed to listen to the demodulated sound.

 

Note: the use of a RTL-SDR key is a bit experimental as a specific installation procedure is required and different files are indispensable (see the Multipsk manual for details). Moreover, the gain anf frequency control is not very reliable (it is sometimes necessary to double the command).

 

5.2 Control of the FunCube Dongle and the RTL/SDR receivers from the "Transceiver" window ("Transceiver" button)

Multipsk proposes the possibility to control the frequency and the gain of a FunCube or a RTL/SDR receiver. The frequency is controlled as with Commander with the increment/decrement buttons and with the wheel mouse. The gain is controlled with a spinbutton.

 

5.3 KISS mode proposed for 141A and ALE400 in APRS

From UIVIEW, it is now possible to send and receive APRS positions (position reports only, without any acknowledgment) through an internal protocol transformation (FAE to/from PACKET).

141A and, above all, ALE400 modes being sensitive modes, APRS frames can be sent at long distance, with UI-VIEW.

Refer to the "141A and ALE400 APRS with UI-VIEW through Multipsk, easy" paper available on my WEB site, to use this function easily.

 

5.4 Automatic correction of Doppler in BPSK31 (with the button called "Doppler"). In case of big ionospheric Doppler preventing the decoding of a powerful BPSK31 signal, this feature can help to counterbalance the Doppler drift and permits a decoding. So this button will be pushed if the decoding is not possible even with a powerful signal. This feature is interesting for low modulation speed (<=31 bauds but not beyond).

 

5.5 APRS

The APRS Packet, PAX/PAX2 and FAE in ALE ("141A") or ALE400 coding/decoding functions are no more limited in time.

 

5.6 AIS

Transmission of AIS positions to MarineTraffic.com can be done in UDP (in top of TCP, in connected mode). In UDP, there is no guarantee that all positions reach the WEB site http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/, but there is no connection to maintain, as in TCP.

 

5.7 DGPS

Possibility to only display the rare DGPS messages 3, 7 and 16.

 

5.8 JT65

Improvement of the sensitivity.

 

5.9 Improvement of the SDR AM (for ACARS) and "FM 12 KHz" (for AIS) demodulation

 

5.10 "SSB", "USB", "LSB", "FM" and "AM" accepted in the Mode field of the QSO panel, for those who wants use the Multipsk log book also to note their phone QSO.

 

 

6)  Miscellaneous

Note about translation of Multipsk.exe and Clock .exe:  the 4.23 version of Multipsk/Clock has been completly translated to Spanish by Joachin (EA4ZB), from French. The translation file is on my Web site (http://f6cte.free.fr/Translation_files.htm).

 

Note about the ACARS/HFDL/GMDSS-Display programs from Mike Simpson
Interested users can get details/download the program at the WEB address: http://www.rstools.info/DL.html
These three programs extracts TCP/IP data from MultiPSK, respectively, in VHF Acars mode, HF Acars mode (HFDL) and GMDSS mode.

Note about the JNOS program from Maiko (VE4KLM)

This program downloadable on http://www.langelaar.net/projects/jnos2/win32 is able to transform a PC in Packet BBS (through Multipsk).

 

73

Patrick

 

RDS (VHF)

 

Description :

Baud rate: 1187.5 symbols/second.

Modulation : each "biphase" symbol at 1187.5 bauds is composed of 2 "bits" out of phase. A symbol is equal to "1" if there is a phase change compared to the previous symbol, and "0" reversely (differential estimate). The symbols go through a square root of elevated cosine filter (with index=1 to reduce the necessary bandwidth). The flow of RDS symbols modulate at 57 KHz, in DSB, the audio carrier (mono+ stereo), this before the FM modulation. There is no interference between this RDS signal and the stereo part.

Reception mode: FM

Character set : basically ASCII + different symbols tables

Shape of pulse : square root of elevated cosine (index=1)

Bandwidth : about 5 KHz

Demodulation : coherent

Synchronization : for symbols: automatic using the signal, for blocks: using the detection code and the offset particular to each type of block ("A", "B", "C", "C' " or "D").

Detection code: yes on 10 bits.

Interleaving : no

Each RDS group contains four data blocks (each one followed by a detection code on 10 bits):

* a block called "A" transmitting the PI (Program Identification) identifying the station,

* a block called "B" defining the message number for the group (0 to 15 with for most, a version A and a version B),

* a block called "C" (version A) or "C' " (version B) and a block "D" transmitting data relative to the type of message defined in the block "B".

Note: in North America, the RDS used is called RBDS and is slightly different (mainly on PI codes and program types).

 

The messages decoded by Multipsk are only the following (but there are others not decoded by Multipsk):

* 0A et 0B: program service name and alternative frequencies

* 2A and 2B: radiotext

* 4A : date, UTC and local times

 

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