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Re: [Xylo-SDR] RFC - Motherboard



I feel that I'm slipping into the USB side of the Janus board, the way
I'm talking. The good thing there is that I have a Xylo which is
practically the same thing. I will need to get my Wolfson lashed up
somehow so that I have a meaningful data source to work with. And
copious spare time, of course.


	Chris - AE6VK
 

-----Original Message-----
From: Phil Harman [mailto:pvharman@arach.net.au] 
Sent: Wednesday, January 25, 2006 4:15 AM
To: Xylo-SDR Discussion
Subject: Re: [Xylo-SDR] RFC - Motherboard

Chris,

You are spot on, that is exactly the plan at the moment. One item to
add. 
Phil C is working on using a LTC2208 A/D converter to digitise directly
at the antenna and down convert to say 200kHz. This may replace the QSD
or used 
for the band scope in conjunction with an 'improved' QSD.   We are also 
looking at using a high speed D/A converter to generate the Tx signal
rather than a QSE.

The first two boards Lionheart and Janus will  initially provide a high
speed and hopefully a high quality USB sound card for SDR1000 and
SoftRock users.  We incrementally build the other features on this
foundation making revisions and changes as we learn.

Phil C also has a great idea for a new type of Tx which I'm sure he will
explain at a later date.

So.... now you understand it so well.........which bit do you want to
volunteer for!

73's  Phil....VK6APH


----- Original Message -----
From: "Christopher T. Day" <CTDay@lbl.gov>
To: "Xylo-SDR Discussion" <xylo-sdr@lists.ae5k.us>
Sent: Wednesday, January 25, 2006 3:26 PM
Subject: Re: [Xylo-SDR] RFC - Motherboard


> Thanks. I think this is clarifying in my brain a little.
>
> Looking functionally from the outside of it, we have a box with a
USB-2
> interface on it that is the digital conduit to whatever is inside the
> box. There are two proposals for Software Defined Transceivers that
> could be in the box, where an SDX has, from the USB point of view,
four
> audio data streams.
>
> 1) a high sample rate, high resolution, two channel PCM audio data
> stream out of the box for I/Q received signals. The Janus board
produces
> this stream from a QSD analog stream from either the SDR-1000 or a
> Softrock or something similar. For PhilC's board, this stream comes
from
> a down-sampling of the direct RF digital converter output.
>
> 2) a perhaps more modest, possibly single channel PCM audio data
stream
> into the box for post-processed received signals to be converted to
> analog sound for speaker/headphones. This stream feeds a DAC on either
> the Janus board or one on the PhilC board; so far this is the DAC part
> of the TI codec in both instances, or maybe a 1-bit sigma-delta in an
> FPGA.
>
> 1) & 2) make up the receiver audio data chain.
>
> 3) a perhaps modest, possibly single channel PCM audio data stream out
> of the box from a microphone for transmitted signals. This from the
ADC
> half of the codec in both examples.
>
> 4) a better, two channel PCM audio data stream into the box for
> post-processed transmitted signals. This could be I/Q to the QSE of
the
> SDR-1000 or a QSE from the Softrock folks. In PhilC's case, this could
> be A/phi for a Class E modulator.
>
> 3) & 4) make up the transmitter audio data chain.
>
> For the SWL folks, someone could make a board with just 1) & 2).
>
> All four audio data streams could be made to conform to the USB Audio
> Device Class spec and be supported by the generic driver that comes
with
> your OS.
>
> Cool. So we have two/three ways of filling the box without changing
too
> much what it looks like from the USB side.
>
> As I understand it, which is none too well, the keyer proposal would
> have a component that, based on key closures
> 1) generates and feeds a digital side-tone internally to the DAQ
> of stream 2) for monitoring and
> 2) generates and feeds the I/Q or A/phi keyed digital streams
> into the dual DAC of stream 4) for transmission.
>
> Neither of these audio data streams comes out of the box for latency
> reasons, so they do not represent USB Audio Data Streams. However, the
> process of selecting/mixing the keyer stream 1) into the receiver
stream
> 2) and selecting keyer stream 2) instead of transmitter stream 3) as
> input to transmitter stream 4) fall well within the scope of a USB
Audio
> Device Unit in the USB Audio Device spec. Maybe we can again leverage
> generic drivers for controlling it.
>
> Then there is the frequency locking stuff which feels to me like a USB
> Reflock II-type board with USB data stream out of the box representing
> the error count. For the SDR-1000, this is used by PowerSDR to send a
> frequency correction back over the USB control channel to the PIO
> replacement card. Others can do other exciting things with the digital
> error signal.
>
> All these guys may have FPGAs on them [I agree with PhilC. There could
> easily be one per board] => firmware => downloads, so up pops the USB
> Device Firmware Update Device spec.
>
> And, finally, there is the crew that want the box to be a
free-standing
> radio with no attached computer. They need a DSP card that inside the
> box connects audio data streams 1) to 2) and 3) to 4) doing processing
> along the way. They still need the Device Firmware Update Device spec
to
> load the DSP modules.
>
> Lots of USB activity, and that's what the Lionheart board does.
>
>
> Sorry for the ramble, but it's starting to gel for me, anyway.
>
>
> Chris - AE6VK
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Eric Ellison [mailto:ecellison@comcast.net]
> Sent: Tuesday, January 24, 2006 9:30 PM
> To: 'Xylo-SDR Discussion'
> Subject: Re: [Xylo-SDR] RFC - Motherboard
>
> Chris
>
> That's ok, so have I! I just know that no one has spent any money till
> we get it all sorted out and firmed up. We don't have a name for the
> motherboard connection but Sherwood has been suggested.
>
> Let me give it a shot, since in the next few days it will get a bit
more
> focus. Phil_H has been trying all evening to post his concept drawing.
>
> The Janus is basically SDR-1000 glue ideas. Things that have been
> mentioned and some things which Phil - VK6APH and Bill - KD5TFD have
> proven in concept
> are:
>
> High quality A/D chip and streaming wideband digitized I/Q audio to
> PowerSDR.
> High quality D/A and A/D to microphone input, speaker/earphone output,
> side tone etc.
> High speed Iambic Keying to PowerSDR.
> Control of the relays in SDR.
> GPS clock reference to the SDR.
> (More coming I think)
>
> The Lionheart is the FPGA/USB Cyclone-FX2xx pulse of the system. Named
> for and by Leon - G1HSM who is designing. It is still being defined,
and
> will forever be used to define programmable hardware in this project.
> Stand alone or bus mounted utility.
>
> So far it has Cyclone II (var) chip. (A logic hardware
'etch-a-sketch')
> Programmable via USB to a memory chip.
> FX2 USB connector.
> A reset switch.
> A couple of indicator LEDs
> I2C connector? (I hope)
> Ethernet connector (I hope)
>
> Phil_C is doing a high speed A/D front end radio which he has the
honors
> of naming (hopefully soon). Concept description is in the last couple
of
> messages.
>
> News yesterday at 11!
>
> Eric
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: xylo-sdr-bounces@lists.ae5k.us
> [mailto:xylo-sdr-bounces@lists.ae5k.us]
> On Behalf Of Christopher T. Day
> Sent: Tuesday, January 24, 2006 11:55 PM
> To: Xylo-SDR Discussion
> Subject: Re: [Xylo-SDR] RFC - Motherboard
>
> Sorry, could someone post a brief description of what's on the Janus
and
> what's on the Lionhart? I've lost track. Thanks.
>
>
> Chris - AE6VK
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Philip Covington [mailto:p.covington@gmail.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, January 24, 2006 8:27 PM
> To: Xylo-SDR Discussion
> Subject: Re: [Xylo-SDR] RFC - Motherboard
>
> On 1/24/06, Eric Ellison <ecellison@comcast.net> wrote:
>> Phil
>>
>> You are right. I ceased to panic after the first flurry on that
> matter.
>> FPGA's in the capability range we are talking about are not that
> expensive.
>>
>> However, in this exchange which you have explained well right here:
>>
>> If you used ALL the resources on the Lions 'heart' can you do what
you
>
>> are planning below? Your project does NOT have to co-exist with any
>> others, just a different FPGA program and leverage of programs in
>> common with other projects like FX2. Other slots used for the BPF
>> board etc. If so, that WOULD make the daughter card + Buss concept
>> viable. After all the Janus is a totally different project, and will
> never need to co-exist with your radio!
>> It would also make the Lionheart a little more flexible in that it
>> would allow for a 'squatter'. I realize it depends on physical space,
>> but 'squatting' on cleverly spaced pins could do it. Nothing has all
>> that much height, in any of these projects except front panel stuff.
>>
>> Just wondering.
>>
>> Eric
>
> Eric,
>
> Actually the Janus will probably be a part of my project.  I will need
a
> way to get audio out for RX and audio in for TX - I'll need at least
the
> TI CODEC part of it.  Also, I can envision having both a LTC2208 board
> and a QSD based board in one radio.  The LTC2208 could be used to scan
> big chunks of spectrum and direct the QSD based board to tune to a
> signal of interest while the LTC2208 continues the scan.  I also need
to
> be able to decode command signals via USB to an IO controller board -
> that function will be handled by the Lionheart board.
>
> Phil C
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