SDR From the Ukraine?

[WB4JFI]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: tacos-bounces+wb4jfi=amrad.org at amrad.org
> [mailto:tacos-bounces+wb4jfi=amrad.org at amrad.org]On Behalf Of Michael
> O'Dell
> Sent: Monday, November 24, 2008 11:46 AM
> To: WB4JFI
> Cc: Frank Gentges; tacos; Terry Fox
> Subject: Re: SDR From the Ukraine?
>
>
> WB4JFI wrote:
>    Flex had a USB-to-parallel
> > adaptor available, but it's discontinued.  You can
> occassionally get one on
> > ebay, I did.
> >
> > Terry
> >
>
> when did USB-Parallel port converters become rare?
> or is the statement "a USB-Parallel converter demonstrated
> by Flex to work with their radio is hard to find"?
>
> it's interesting watching Ham's trying to hold-off
> adopting new technology.  for example:
>
> USB 'soundcard' chips are readily
> available, cheap, and provide knowable performance
> in a design, while using a random soundcard function
> in a white-box computer is the fastest way to make
> a great SDR design into a mediocre one. it's
> taken *forever* to get a rig interface that actually
> does everything through USB *the way it's supposed
> to be done* (at least one interface out there does
> seriously bizarre stuff running audio over a
> USB-serial chip!). i wonder how long it will
> be before someone publishes a QEX article that
> gets a good USB-audio chip running so that bit
> of logic can be cut-n-pasted into a bunch
> of other designs?
>
> maybe that's an interesting AMRAD project -
> it's infrastructure after all. get a USB
> subsystem going that provides high-quality
> audio I/O and some control signals that
> minimalist SDR designs can cut-n-paste.
>
> "Let's you and him fight!"
>
> 	cheers,
> 	-mo
> _______________________________________________
> Tacos mailing list
> Tacos at amrad.org
> http://www.amrad.org/mailman/listinfo/tacos
>
Mike:
 USB-to-parallel adaptors are easy to come by - but most do not work with
the Flex SDR-1000.  First, it needs to be fully bidirectional.  Second, it
needs to be 100% compatible with a "real" parallel port, most are not.
PowerSDR (the Flex software) and the SDR-1000 hardware interface uses all
the available parallel port pins, and even does a software UART on some pins
if the fourth board exists.  The Flex software talks directly to the
parallel port hardware.  If you try to use most USB adaptors, they don't
work the same way, and PowerSDR won't work.

The Flex USB adaptor had special code inside the buried chip, that the
PowerSDR software handshakes with.  If a different USB adaptor is used, the
software won't work.

In fact, some of the time the Flex USB adaptor flakes out as well.

Also, there is not a driver for the SDR-1000 USB adaptor for 64-bit Vista at
this time.  Another problem.

The new Flex radios use firewire for both control and audio/IF data passing
between the box and the comptuer.

Keep in mind the SDR-1000 is an older radio, in computer terms.  Legacy
stuff that is very difficult to find anymore on new computers.  Next week,
firewire, SATA, and USB are going the way of the Do-Do bird as well... hi hi

I tried a year or so to get the group interested in doing a decent SDR USB
intertface.  No interest.... just some pot shots at the idea.

Terry