AH!
Might help people if you posted the functions dedicated to each of those 6
processors.
----- Original Message -----
From: "George, W5YR" <w5yr@att.net>
To: <tentec@contesting.com>
Sent: Friday, November 07, 2003 18:16
Subject: Re: [TenTec] audio
> Grant, as usual, we largely agree on this.
>
> My notion is that the ORION should not be promoted as a software-defined
> radio with all that implies without providing some indication of its
> software-defined capabilities as opposed to those which are embedded in
the
> hardware.
>
> When a product is advertised and promoted as "software-defined" that
raises
> expectations, especially among those with comparatively little experience
> with the more esoteric radios.
>
> The Icom PRO2 contains more control computers (at least six, each with it
> own dedicated function set and firmware) and software than the ORION yet
> Icom never presents it as a software-defined radio. Both radios *are*
> substantially software-defined within their DSP processing sections, but
> everything else depends upon dedicated hardware. Icom operators are of the
> mindset that what they radio can do is what it can do and nothing will be
> changed unless a new model is brought out. There are good and bad sides to
> this situation, but rarely does the Icom owner complain and expect Icom to
> provide a new capability to an existing radio. Thus, no expectations for
the
> future are raised for a particular model.
>
> True, a balance has to be struck between what is reasonable and feasible
to
> allow the user to select and set up and what is cast in silicon as it
were.
> But, over-promotion does raise expectations and that in turn causes
> confusion and disappointment when things are not as one would reasonably
> expect them to be.
>
> As to "appliance" - yes, the majority of users today could be termed
> "appliance operators." I mean that with no disrespect, since not every ham
> should be expected to have an engineering level of understanding of his
> equipment. But, the nature of an appliance is that it has certain
specified
> features and capabilities. And in the layman's experience, most appliances
> have relatively fixed capabilities with only a few operator inputs
required.
>
> When, instead, the "appliance" is marketed with the implied promise that
> virtually any feature or capability can be provided by a firmware upgrade,
> then the confusion mounts and disappointment results.
>
> I have been exploring the nearest thing to a true software-defined radio
> with the SDR-1000 developed by FlexRadio. The system was written up in
four
> installments in QEX and may be reviewed in QST shortly. In my mind, it is
a
> work in progress and not a finished operational radio, but 99% of what it
> does and how it does it is specified and controlled by software.
>
> The other 1% is almost transparent hardware required to get from r-f to
> audio for subsequent soundcard digitization and computer processing and
back
> to r-f for transmitting. An exciting little radio and a giant concept for
> simplicity and very high performance. Details at www.flex-radio.com if
you
> are interested.
>
> Finally, "the support mess" is inevitable, I think, once a radio is given
as
> much configurability as the ORION or the PRO2. Novice users can quickly
get
> into trouble with inappropriate selections of operating parameters, etc.
> This trend is likely to grow, I would expect, as our radios become even
more
> configurable with even more software control.
>
> Thanks for the note, Grant - good to hear from you.
>
> 73/72, George
> Amateur Radio W5YR - the Yellow Rose of Texas
> Fairview, TX 30 mi NE of Dallas in Collin county EM13QE
> "Starting the 58th year and it just keeps getting better!"
> w5yr@att.net
>
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Grant Youngman" <nq5t@comcast.net>
> To: <tentec@contesting.com>
> Sent: Friday, November 07, 2003 11:00 AM
> Subject: Re: [TenTec] audio
>
>
> >
> > > One would expect that, as a software-defined radio, the functions of
> > > the ORION ACCY pins would be determined by the control program. In
> > > that way, given the proper menu provisions, the operator could define
> > > the pin functions as needed for a specific application.
> >
> > Maybe. But I'm not sure total user definition of everything is a
> reasonable
> > expectation at all. Interfacing in particular, is an area that it seems
> to me
> > should be standardized. I can't even begin to imagine the support mess
> > that would occur if there were a thousand radios out there, with a
> > thousand variations on control assignments, pin assignments, etc. -- and
> > then something didn't work.
> >
> > I see the problem in a slightly different way. We have a radio with
many
> > new capabilities (and a lot of software defined stuff, a lot, but not
> > everything). And we're constantly thinking of things it COULD do, but
> > doesn't, and then grumble about how shortsighted the designers were for
> > not anticipating our every "golly, wonder if it can do THIS?" epiphany.
> >
> > In the old days, we'd go off and build a simple control box to handle
> > amplifier switching the way we'd like it to be (if it wasn't in the
> appliance),
> > or we'd build our own interface to manage differences between interface
> > pin assignments (if they weren't to our liking in the appliance), or
we'd
> > interface the headphone output to a little external box that would let
us
> > plug in the phones AND route Main/Sub signals to different places (if
the
> > appliance didn't do it the way we wanted on the connector we preferred),
> > etc.
> >
> > Perhaps we expect too much of the appliance. Or maybe it's the whole
> > notion of "appliance" that's the problem ...
> >
> >
> >
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>
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