- • - • - - • - - • • • • • • - • - - • • • - • • • • • - •
1
Minding your “I”s and “Q”sMinding your “I”s and “Q”s
Or, how to get an HPSDR up and running.Or, how to get an HPSDR up and running.
Gar Fisher
VA7GRR
- • - • - - • - - • • • • • • - • - - • • • - • • • • • - •
IntroductionIntroduction
HPSDR means High Performance Software Defined Radio. This is a modular, direct sampling, software defined
transceiver. It was designed and built by hams, for hams. You can buy the boards, parts and kits from various
vendors around the world, but the whole thing was conceived, designed and built in the spirit of a homebrew radio.
This project never stands still, it is continuously evolving, and anybody can get involved.
State of the art components have been used, but the cost has been kept low.
- • - • - - • - - • • • • • • - • - - • • • - • • • • • - •
3
A bit about HPSDR Group A bit about HPSDR Group
Started in October 2005 by Phil Covington (N8VB) as the Open_High_Performance_SDR Yahoo group.
This was merged on March 1, 2006 with another group, the Xylo-SDR discussion list.
Initially a small group, there are now over 800 members. All of the hardware and software has been developed by this
group, Phil Harman VK6APH has been the hardware engineering lead on most of these projects. Client software was been developed by various people for different platforms.
All of the hardware and software is completely open. Everything has been developed on a module-by-module basis by
the HPSDR discussion group. Some Modules are finished, others are nearing completion, and others are at the proposal stage.
- • - • - - • - - • • • • • • - • - - • • • - • • • • • - •
4
Block DiagramBlock Diagram
The actual radio consists of a bunch of boards (modules) that you plug into a passive backplane motherboard.
The whole thing runs off of a 13.8 volt power supply.
Not everything you see in this block diagram is available yet, this radio is a work in progress.
Some of these boards are available fully assembled, others are kits only ( with surface mount parts).
- • - • - - • - - • • • • • • - • - - • • • - • • • • • - •
5
What is a Minimum What is a Minimum System?System?
The Atlas Passive Backplane board. The Mercury DDC Rx Board. The Penelope or Pennylane DUC Tx exciter board The LPU power supply( powers all the boards). The Magister/Ozy (USB) or Metis (100/1000 base T
ethernet) communications board to talk to the host computer.
Some form of antenna switchover relay.
- • - • - - • - - • • • • • • - • - - • • • - • • • • • - •
6
AtlasAtlas
Room to plug in six boards. The LPU power supply plugs
into the square connector at the bottom right hand corner of the board. You can also use a standard ATX computer PSU here.
This board is bought as a kit and hand assembled.
Has status LEDs and test points for the various power supply voltages
Will fit into a standard PC enclosure.
- • - • - - • - - • • • • • • - • - - • • • - • • • • • - •
7
Mercury RxMercury Rx
LT2208 16 bit ADC sampling at 122.88 MHz. Good for up to 6m band. Could be used in undersampling mode for higher freqs with suitable anti-aliasing filters.
Has sound outputs right on the card. There are different versions of firmware
available that can support up to four separate receivers.
Digital down converting Rx. Downsamples to 250 kSPS or less to
transfer over the Atlas bus. Has Altera FPGA on board. Purchase fully assembled and tested.
- • - • - - • - - • • • • • • - • - - • • • - • • • • • - •
8
Penelope Tx ExciterPenelope Tx Exciter
.5 watt out for connection to a PA.
Has inputs for keys, mike, etc. Supports all modulation
schemes. Digital up-converting
transmitter. Altera FPGA on board. Good for 160m through 6m
amateur bands. Purchase fully assembled.
- • - • - - • - - • • • • • • - • - - • • • - • • • • • - •
9
MetisMetis
100/1000 baseT ethernet interface for host computer.Talks to the rest of the boards via the Atlas Bus.
Only 100 baseT supported now, 1000 baseT will be supported in a newer version of the FPGA firmware.
One large Altera FPGA to run the interface, with room for future expansion.
Easiest to use, plug the board into your home nework, supports DHCP or a static IP address.
Will also emulate an Altera Byteblaster programmer for updating all the FPGA firmware in the system.
Purchase fully assembled.
- • - • - - • - - • • • • • • - • - - • • • - • • • • • - •
10
Magister/OzyMagister/Ozy
This is the USB host computer interface to the Atlas bus, supports USB 2.0.
Ozy (Ozymandias) is the older version of this board
Altera FPGA with USB interface chip.
This board will also emulate an Altera byteblaster programmer so you can update the firmware in the individual FPGAs.
If you run Windows 7, you MUST use the signed driver available from the openhpsdr.org website.
- • - • - - • - - • • • • • • - • - - • • • - • • • • • - •
11
LPU Power SupplyLPU Power Supply
Linear power supply for the entire HPSDR system.
Only available as a kit, this is a problem child. Make sure to get the errata documents from the openhpsdr.org website.
Needs a fan blowing across the heatsinks to be truly happy.
Runs off of 13.8 volts. Plugs into the ATX psu
connector on the Atlas board.
- • - • - - • - - • • • • • • - • - - • • • - • • • • • - •
12
Other HardwareOther Hardware
Alexiares: Preselector and transmit filters (Coming Soon)
Pennywhistle: 10 watt linear amplifier (kit)
Excalibur: A high accuracy frequency ref for the entire radio that plugs in to Atlas. Has an input for an external 10 MHz reference such as a GPS disciplined oscillator (a poor man’s atomic clock). This is only available as a SMT kit.
Janus: A sound card.
Hermes: a complete transceiver on one board (coming soon).
Pandora: A box to throw all the electronics in.
Many more projects currently under development.
- • - • - - • - - • • • • • • - • - - • • • - • • • • • - •
13
Client SoftwareClient Software
Linux, MacOS and Windows are all supported, with various levels of functionality
Some client packages, such as those for Windows and the Mac are simple install and run type apps.
The clients for Linux require a bit more programming savvy, you download the C++ source code using Subversion( linux version control software), and build them on your machine( this is not as hard as it sounds!)
- • - • - - • - - • • • • • • - • - - • • • - • • • • • - •
14
PowerSDRPowerSDR
This is the easiest way to get a fully functional radio with HPSDR, latest version is 1.19.3
Adapted by Bill Tracey KD5TFD and Doug Wigley W5WC to work with HPSDR.
Those choosing to use USB and Windows 7 64bit, MUST use the signed driver available from the openhpsdr.org website.
Also install PowerSDR-IF Stage to get the skins for the radio.
Works with both USB ( magister) and ethernet (metis)
There is a version available that supports receive diversity ( multiple mercury cards with different antennas).
- • - • - - • - - • • • • • • - • - - • • • - • • • • • - •
15
MacHPSDR/HeterodyneMacHPSDR/Heterodyne
Written by Jeremy McDermond NH6Z Receive only. Install it and run it, simple and clean. MacHPSDR is the USB version and Heterodyne is the
ethernet version. Heterodyne is great for casual listening on a laptop, but I
guarantee that you will hear something that will make you run for your shack!
Heterodyne is very easy to use, it has a built in utility for keeping the FPGA firmware up to date.
- • - • - - • - - • • • • • • - • - - • • • - • • • • • - •
Ghpsdr/ghpsdr3Ghpsdr/ghpsdr3
Ghpsdr is a stand alone version, ghpsdr3 uses a client server architecture
Written by John Melton G0ORX/N6LYT
Mainly for the linux world, but can be adapted to run anywhere.
Not available as a pre-compiled binary, you must download the source and build on your own Linux box.
The client/server architecture makes it particularly well suited for on-line radios.
Works with both USB ( magister) and ethernet (metis).
Requires linux expertise to make work.
- • - • - - • - - • • • • • • - • - - • • • - • • • • • - •
Ghpsdr3 ArchitectureGhpsdr3 Architecture
Ghpsdr3 is actually three pieces of independent software.
They can run on the same machines, or all different machines.
The server simply talks to the hpsdr hardware via USB or ethernet.
The dspserver does all the digital signal processing on the data from the server. This is only used for a simple low bandwidth internet client such as an on line receiver
A receiver client on the same computer doesn't need the dsp server, it will typically do it’s own dsp.
Communication is Internet protocol, if it is all on one machine, localhost is used.
Setting up an online radio can be fairly complicated, but the process has been fairly well documented
- • - • - - • - - • • • • • • - • - - • • • - • • • • • - •
Other SoftwareOther Software
The K.I.S.S. Console for Windows ( source code only) this is an hpdsr client with extremely well documented code ( written in C# using the free VS2008 IDE). It is intended to be a tutorial on how to write an hpsdr receiver.
Various FPGA programmers that use USB or ethernet to program the FPGAs with updated firmware from your host computer( Windows, MacOS, and Linux).
- • - • - - • - - • • • • • • - • - - • • • - • • • • • - •
19
Is HPSDR for me?Is HPSDR for me?
This is not your daddy’s ham radio.
This is a tinker’s and experimenter’s radio.
You must be comfortable with assembling some boards with surface mount technology.
Not yet refined enough to be a serious contester’s radio, it is very much a work in progress.
You must be comfortable with computers and software.
Somewhat rough around the edges.
Technical support is easy to get via the openhpsdr.org website and the hpsdr dicussion list.
- • - • - - • - - • • • • • • - • - - • • • - • • • • • - •
ResourcesResources
www.openhpsdr.org the main website
www.tapr.org Tucson Amateur Packet Radio-place to buy HPSDR boards and kits.
iquadlabs.com new company, making many of the boards that TAPR is sold out of.
www.openhpsdr.org/reflector.php The discussion list for all things HPSDR.
leapsecond.com/time-nuts.htm information on precision frequency references, GPSDOs and atomic clocks, and the time-nuts mailing list.
