SDR – SOFTWARE DEFINED RADIO

SDR RECEIVER DEMOAndy, VE3FYAChip, VA3KGB

Kingston Amateur Radio Club7 Jan 2015

WHAT IS SDR?

• SDR – Software Defined Radio• Hardware is used to receive/transmit a

signal• Software is used to process the signal• The computer does all the hard work so

the radio can be of simpler design

ADVANTAGES

• Upgrades or features can be added or expanded through software/firmware updates

• Hardware of the radio in most cases does not need to be changed unless going outside the original design specs

• Software upgrade will access newer features

ADVANTAGES

• For example:– A radio’s hardware is designed to work certain

bands including future bands that are currently not available.

– The initial software/firmware release would not allow transmitting on the future bands

– When future bands become legal software/firmware upgrade would allow transmit function

SDR EXAMPLES

• Flex Radio series of transceivers:– Expensive but very versatile

• SDR Receivers– Dedicated SDR Receivers costing up to

$1,000 or more, for example Perseus• SDR USB Dongle Receivers

– Based on R820T– Cheap $10 up– Does not receive HF without an Upconverter

RTL-SDR RECEIVER

• 100KHz-1.7GHz • R820T+8232• Built in upconverter

for HF• USB for power and

connection• 2 antenna

connectors• $60 Cdn

SDR SOFTWARE

• Variety of FREE software• Examples:

– SDR# (SDRSharp)– HDSDR– Gqrx SDR– SeeDeR– SDR Touch (Android) – Requires OTG cable– And others

• Windows Driver: Zadig

SDR SOFTWARE

• READ and FOLLOW the instructions for the software you are using especially the Zadig driver installation.

• Turn up the RF Gain or you will not receive anything!

• For HF you need to use the “Q” parameter• See RTL-SDR.com Quick Start User

Guide• “Run as Administrator” for Win 7/8

SDR# (SDR Sharp)

HAM USES of SDR RCVR• General purpose receiver to listen to signals• Panoramic display of frequencies to see where

other stations are– can also be tapped into IF of your transceiver, kits

available for some radios • Connect to other software to decode various

modes such as CW, PSK31, APRS, ACARS, SSTV, etc– Requires a virtual cable software such as:

• VB-Cable (Free, max sample rate of 96k)• Virtual Audio Cable ( $25+, max sample rate of 192k)

LINKS

• SDR# (SDRSharp) - www.sdrsharp.com• HDSDR – www.hdsdr.de• Gqrx SDR – www.gqrx.dk• SeeDeR -

www.southernstars.com/skycube/seeder.html• SDR Touch (Android)- www.sdrtouch.com• Windows Driver: Zadig if not provided with

SDR program download: http://zadig.akeo.ie/

LINKS• VB-Cable –

http://vb-audio.pagesperso-orange.fr/Cable/• Virtual Cable –

http://software.muzychenko.net/eng/vac.htm• Panoramic Adaptor Tap Board –

http://g4hup.com/PAT.htm• RTL-SDR USB Tuner Receiver –

- type rtl-sdr usb tuner receiver:– www.ebay.ca– www.google.ca

LIVE DEMO

• In the true spirit of Amateur Radio, on this cold night of -30 with the wind chill, an expedient antenna has been deployed!

• And now for the SDR live demo.