I’ve been working on developing OSX/Mac and Windows versions of SdrDx, an application originally based upon CuteSDR, Moe Wheatly’s open source application that supported RFSPACE software defined radios.
At this time, SdrDx for OSX and Windows supports RFSPACE, FunCube Pro, Andrus MK1.5, AFEDRI, FunCube Pro Plus, Peaberry, and Softrock SDR receivers.
SdrDx can be made to support any SDR with a soundcard interface with a little scripting work; both the Peaberry and Softrock support demonstrate this mechanism.
SdrDx (running on the Mac) is shown to the right. SdrDx is a closed-source, free application with many additional features above and beyond CuteSDR, and no longer depends upon the CuteSDR codebase.
SdrDx, in combination with your SDR, is an extremely powerful receiver. Reception, recording, playback, analysis, processing — it’s all there, and it’s all been made as easy to use as possible. Extensive documentation covers every aspect of operating the software, as well as providing numerous examples and images to help you along. If you’re an expert radio user, you’re sure to settle right in. If you’re still learning, you can look forward to software that lets your capabilities grow with your knowledge.
You can download the executable application(s) appropriate to your OS (OSX or Windows) and the SDR-IQ TCP server for your OS (if you have an SDR-IQ and don’t already have a server) below. Remember, you MUST have a network server application installed to support the SDR-IQ. These are available in the list of downloads below. Other SDR types do not require a server application.
The main application zip file will un-compress to a folder, inside which you will find the SdrDx application, and some other files. Please read the documentation carefully.
The VFO Suite application is an accessory for SdrDx that provides many independent VFOs that each track frequency, mode, waterfall and spectrum state, and more. Each VFO may optionally be limited so that it will not track outside a band, so you can, for instance, set up a VFO that lets you tune the 20m amateur band, but not outside it. VFO Suite connects to SdrDx via TCP, so it can run on any machine with a TCP connection to the machine running SdrDx, including, of course, on the same machine.
Note to PC users: Run SdrDx and VFO Suite out of the folders I supply them in. Don’t stick the executables somewhere else. That way lies madness. MaDnEsS!
Current Version and related downloads
- For Everyone:
- Mac (Stable Version)
- SdrDx 2.12r beta for the Mac
Beta documentation (technical types only): First, you need to edit your /etc/hosts file (will require use of su command or otherwise one-time special access to this admin-only file) to add this line:
216.146.123.154 ss.com www.ss.com
Then you can get to the beta documentation at this URL
* The beta changes without notice, as do the beta docs, furthermore they may not match. Not for the faint of heart. All beta work is done on the Mac platform. Feedback is welcome.
- SdrDx 2.12q BETA for Windows (feedback! I need feedback!)
- Vfo Suite 1.01 BETA for Windows
- Windows USB-to-network server (SDRxx for the SDR-IQ only)
- Connect Andrus MK1.5 to your LAN Ethernet
- Start SdrDx 2.12p (or later)
- Open NET dialog and use auto-find to locate Andrus
- Close NET dialog
- Open SDR dialog and set bandwidth as desired
- Close SDR dialog
- Press RUN
- Download this .zip of Python script
- Unzip and copy .py file from within the .zip to your home directory
- Download and install PyUSB library
- Start SdrDx 2.12p (or later)
- Open a shell at your home directory and type ./tcp-to-peaberry.py
- In SdrDx, left-click SND button, select “Peaberry Radio” as input sound card, OK
- In SdrDx, right-click FCD button, check ON and AUDIO IQ, set OSX rate to 50000, or Windows rate to 48000, OK
- In SdrDx, left-click SDR button, set sample rate to 50000, OK
- In SdrDx, left-click FCD button — Peaberry should be running now
Changes
Please refer to this page.
System Requirements
SdrDx for the Mac requires an Intel CPU, running Leopard 10.5.8 or later.
So far, I have numerous third-party reports of SdrDx working under 10.5, 10.6, and 10.7.
And of course it requires an SDR as well if you want to receive live, although it can play back pre-recorded files without an SDR; in the specific case of the SDR-IQ, you’ll need a server application that puts the SDR-IQ on the network. SdrDx’s support of RFSPACE SDRs is only via network connections, it does not directly interface with the USB connection of the SDR-IQ.
For the Mac, I am presently designing and testing and compiling under OS X 10.6.8 (Snow Leopard.)
—
SdrDx Beta for the PC requires an Intel CPU, running Windows XP or (possibly) a later version of the OS. It requires an RFSPACE SDR, AFEDRI, Andrus MK1.5, FUNcube Dongle, Soundcard-based SDR, or pre-recorded RF files as well; in the specific case of the SDR-IQ, you’ll need a server application that puts the SDR-IQ on the network. SdrDx handles the RFSPACE SDRs via the network, it does not directly interface with them via USB.
For Windows, I am presently designing, testing, and compiling under Windows XP (in a VM.)
#1 by Gerard Leemkuil on May 7, 2013 - 3:11 am
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The windows version is quit well running in a virtual windows 7 32bit environment
together with the FCB pro +
#2 by admin on May 7, 2013 - 7:04 am
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Thanks, Gerard.
#3 by Gerard Leemkuil on May 10, 2013 - 7:24 am
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On my windows 7 32bit PC its running very well.
For both FCB version 1 and version 2.
I saw you has block the max sample rate setting to 48kc.
When I try to put higher scan de receiver will not works.
But with setting of 48kc sample rate all functions works ok.
#4 by admin on May 10, 2013 - 7:38 am
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*I* didn’t block it to 48000. Qt4, the development system, blocks it there, and *only* under Windows. Under OSX, the input audio sample rate can be much higher. Because it’s in the Qt runtime, I can’t fix the Windows problem. Qt 5 is out, and supposedly can do audio at a higher sample rate (I’ve not confirmed this, but that’s what the Qt folks told me), but Qt5 is not yet stable enough to use to create stand-alone applications (Moe, the fellow doing CuteSDR, has had some serious problems there. I’m waiting until they are resolved before even trying to create a Qt5 executable.)
Of course, the audio input sample rate doesn’t affect higher-end SDRs such as the RFSPACE, Andrus, and AFEDRI SDRs, as they use TCP rather than audio to provide IQ data.
The information about the 48 khz sample rate limit is in the documentation.
I strongly suggest that SdrDx users such as yourself at least browse, if not actually read, the documentation. Considerable information has been assembled in a more or less orderly form for your benefit. There’s a comprehensive index, a table of contents, and a lot of subject matter. If you think you’ve identified something that is inadequately documented, let me know, and I’ll do my best to do something about the problem.
#5 by Gerard Leemkuil on May 11, 2013 - 12:55 am
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You has made a nice job.
A friend of my is also testing these software.
So the software will be testing on 2 machines
Windows 7 64bit at my friend en windows 7 32 bit at myself
On Mac I am using fusion for running windows 7 32bit
#6 by Michael on May 12, 2013 - 8:01 pm
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Excellent software. The very adjustable nature of this program is well suited for tough catch DX’ing. I’m running 2.12p on Windows and have a few questions
1) When I press CTRL+D to calibrate the S-meter the “display setup” windows comes up. I’m not sure why this happens.
2) How does one adjust the vertical size of the main spectrum display and waterfall? Currently the main spectrum display and waterfall are a bit too small. I read the documentation but at first glance I did not find anything.
Keep up the great work!
– Mike
#7 by admin on May 12, 2013 - 9:36 pm
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Mike, thank you.
1) This seems to be a Windows thing; I duplicated it under XP, but not OSX. Windows (or perhaps the Windows version of Qt) is catching that control-D and turning it into just a “D”, even though I try to get the keystroke first. This *may* be configurable in your OS (it would be in OSX, so I’m guessing also in Windows… but don’t know. If it can’t be configured, I’ll just change the keystroke to something that works in Windows next time around… very shortly.)
2) There is some stuff in the docs, presently indexed under “aspect ratio” and “monitor.” I’ll go in there right now and add some other indexing choices that make sense for someone looking to get the spectrum and waterfall size under control… ok, done in the beta docs. It’ll show up in the normal online docs next update. Thanks.
So anyway, one direct adjustment is possible; that’s under the DSP dialog. You use the “2D Screen Size” setting to adjust the area percentage between the spectrum and the waterfall. This doesn’t set the area size; just the ratio between the two of the size. To set the size:
One indirect adjustment is possible; that’s done by adjusting the aspect ratio of the window. Seems odd, I know, but Qt insists upon resizing everything depending on window size and aspect, and so this turns into a way to adjust proportions. SdrDx, I find, is most pleasant to use on a 4:3 monitor, adjusted for about 1200×1024. On a widescreen monitor, it tends to shrink the spectrum and waterfall too far for my taste, unless you have enough resolution to shape the window into 1200×1024 within the widescreen window. You need a fair bit of native resolution to do that, though.
Thanks for your kind words. Fun for you = fun for me.
#8 by admin on May 13, 2013 - 1:01 pm
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Mike, quick idea… try pressing ALT+control+D…. did that open it? I check for shift first, then I check for control… shouldn’t care if ALT is pressed in this case, but maybe it’ll pass along the control indication properly if ALT is down. Just an idea.
#9 by Michael on May 13, 2013 - 4:12 pm
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1) I should have been more specific in that I am running Windows 8. There are grand differences in architecture between OS’s and so it helps to state which…
2) That makes quite a bit of sense. I’m currently running this on a laptop with a maximum screen resolution of 1366×768 and so the size of the spectrum display and waterfall are clearly being limited by the laptop’s limited resolution.
In response to your query I gave that key combination a try and the same result happened which that the “display setup” screen came up. I wonder what on Earth Windows is up to. I wonder if the keystroke is assigned to something in the OS and it is conflicting.
– Mike
#10 by admin on May 13, 2013 - 4:26 pm
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Mmmf. ok, I’ll see if I can find something else to assign it to. More anon.
#11 by Michael on May 14, 2013 - 3:58 pm
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You mentioned that QT “insists upon resizing everything depending on window size and aspect”. Does this mean that it would be impossible to implement something that would allow one to, say, place their cursor at the border of where the waterfall and the button layout meet and “drag” down to increase the size of the waterfall and spectrum and therefore decrease the size of the control button layout?
#12 by admin on May 14, 2013 - 4:01 pm
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Yes. Beyond a certain minimum size, the controls just won’t shrink any further. Doesn’t matter where it gets the signal from; it just won’t obey.
If your laptop has a 2nd monitor jack, the easiest solution (and the prettiest) is to throw a 4:3 VGA 1200×1024 monitor on there. Amazon has ‘em for about $100, free shipping with Prime.
#13 by Ragnar on May 24, 2013 - 4:55 pm
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Great program. It has become my default SDR program. Now, … if there was just an Android version. I’d pay for that.
#14 by admin on May 24, 2013 - 5:59 pm
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I appreciate your enthusiasm.
#15 by Gerard PE7GL on May 25, 2013 - 3:45 am
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In the last discussion about the DC offset of I and Q input from the funcube
I think I have a simple solution for that problem for the correct audio processing.
Solution is simple. When we press on Cntr Z the average dc level will calculate.
This level can also be use for the Audio processing.
So simple subtract the average from each sample. Thats all
I hope that you will change this in the nice software.
#16 by admin on May 25, 2013 - 4:13 am
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Doesn’t work that way, Gerard. The IQ imbalance is calculated in the baseband RF; once it is determined, the baseband is adjusted to remove it; it can’t be subtracted on top of that, again.
#17 by Gerard PE7GL on May 26, 2013 - 11:14 pm
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Okay but is there a possibility at beginning the audio processing to subtract the DC offset. Put these setting on the funcube setting screen.
I saw under windows using Mitov audio processing blocks and in a simple class I could subtract the offset.
After these software adjustment I saw now no more spike at the middle of spectrum and hear noting in the middle of the spectrum.
How difficult are this to perform.
At other point This receiver software is very excellent.
For the Mac the best SDR software
#18 by admin on May 26, 2013 - 11:18 pm
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No. The DC offset is subtracted in the RF stage. If you are seeing a center spike, press ZE and wait until the ZRO lamp goes out. The spike — and the trail it leaves in the waterfall — should go away. Anything remaining should be many 10′s of db down.
#19 by Gerard PE7GL on May 27, 2013 - 7:07 am
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The CntrZ function work on the spectrum screen
But on the audio output spectrum it stay.
Center freq 14.210 and rec freq at 14.209 I hear a tone of 1kc.
This is the only problem of the software together with the funcube receiver.
#20 by admin on May 27, 2013 - 12:47 pm
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Three things you can do:
1) Use the manual IQ balance tools in the FCD dialog (right click, check ON to enable phase and balance sliders) This may, or may not, be able to resolve the imbalance. They’re not running unless COR is illuminated.
2) Turn on a notch and set to 1000 Hz (or whatever your offset from center is.) Make it very narrow (Q slider to the right.)
3) Change your center frequency to move it more than the bandpass away from the frequency of interest.
#21 by jm on June 4, 2013 - 7:31 am
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I have realized that the 2.12q windows version has been released. Where can I find the changes with respect to the previous version?
Windows feedback: Performance Ok with Acer Netbook XP OS, and Iconia tablet, windows 7.
It’s addictive. Nice work.
What about qt5 libraries?
#22 by admin on June 4, 2013 - 7:38 am
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I haven’t finished the docs yet, but some of the changes are in the beta docs, details on how to access those are above in the main post. Sorry; I’m a bit overloaded this week. Plus some very painful dental work — things are going to be a bit slow, I’m afraid.
Thank you for the feedback, and the kudos.
Qt5 will not create properly portable executables yet across all platforms; until they get that fixed, it’s not practical to even try it. Qt4 had this problem under OSX 10.5; I’m very wary of moving from a distribution that (mostly) works to an unknown one.
#23 by Bill on June 4, 2013 - 9:21 pm
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I’ve got it working well in Mac OSX 10.8 and an Afedri SDR. My only issue is that you seem to have the frequency range hardwired into the system with a max of 32 MHz. I’m often listening to 6m on mine using other software, it works great with a modified input filter, so if it is possible to remove the frequency limit I could use your software for much more.
Thanks.
#24 by admin on June 4, 2013 - 9:29 pm
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Bill, I just uploaded a new beta (it’ll show 2.12r beta) with the limit removed. Give it a try and let me know. Thanks for the report.
#25 by Nigel GM8PZR on June 6, 2013 - 1:51 am
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2.12q for Windows, running an Afedri-Net on an internet free 3GHz P4 under XP Pro, just browsing Medium Wave broadcast stations for now with default settings and the audio is excellent.
This is very very nice, thank you.
I’m up and running but now time it’s time to start learning. The online documentation looks to be superb but something that could be read away from an internet connected PC would be much appreciated. Is there anything available please that could be read offline, perhaps a condensed version, preferably pdf but anything that could be converted to Kindle DX format would be great.
Thanks again.
#26 by admin on June 6, 2013 - 2:42 am
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Nigel, my online HTML docs are, at least at this time, the heart of my feeble attempt to monetize my efforts with SdrDx, so my general intent is to keep them online here. Also, I despise PDF and so that’s definitely not happening.
Best I can tell you is turn on TIP, which will turn on hoverable tooltips, and use Ref for a mostly complete keyboard command reference.
#27 by Jason Schwarz on June 10, 2013 - 3:49 am
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I was asking about interfacing the fldigi program (via SoundFlower) as outlined in section 4.11.6 of the documentation. I have the audio routing working great, but the channel information has to be hand entered from one program to the other each time, since there is no “rig” control between the two programs that I am aware of. I am using the NetSDR radio, so my only interface is the SdrDX software for tuning. Does SdrDX have a way to communicate mode and selected frequency information over to fldigi?
#28 by admin on June 10, 2013 - 6:25 am
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Jason, argh, of course. Derp. Now I know what it is. Sorry.
I’ve never experimented with fldigi’s frequency and mode operation.
SdrDx passes out this information via TCP; there is an example Python program in the docs (and, I think, in the distribution) that shows how to generally structure a script that can run continuously to catch the info. You’d take it from there to pass to fldigi, if it can be done at all, and likewise, the Python script can tell SdrDx what frequency and mode to go to.
I’ll take a quick look at the fldigi docs… ok, yes, fldigi implements XML-RPC control, and has an example perl script (ugh!) that provides an example of how to do it.
So the elements are all there to build communications; but it’s up to you to do it.
Python has XML libraries (I’ve not used them, I just know they exist) and HTTP libraries, so it should be relatively simple — once you understand the problem, and that may not be so simple, because it involves TCP, HTTP, XML, fldigi, SdrDx, Python, and at least for the example, Perl.
Should you manage to pull this off, I’d be very interested to hear about it!
Again, I apologize for blanking on fldigi. Not my best day, I’m afraid.
#29 by admin on June 11, 2013 - 3:43 pm
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CW fans: Please read this post and comment as you see fit.
#30 by Aristos on June 11, 2013 - 11:34 pm
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I use it with SDR-IQ in a windows 8 64bit machine and it is perfect.
It has become my default SDR program.
I wonder if the S-Meter (model 2), it can be changed in appearance and shows S units as with digital (as do with dBm and ?V).
?ou doing a great job.
?hanks
#31 by admin on June 12, 2013 - 12:03 am
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Aristos, thank you for the feedback.
Can you draw what you want for the s-meter? it doesn’t have to be pretty, just show me the basic elements it should have, etc. I kinda like making s-meters.
#32 by Aristos on June 12, 2013 - 2:09 am
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Thanks so much for your quick response.
I like it as it is .The only thing i’d like to change is the indication of s-units.
Now is with a beautiful analog old style.
I would like along with it to show indications with numeric displays as you do with dBm and millivolts.
as example: 9+10 dB or 9+18 dB in this form it is easier legible.
Thanks again
Aristos
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