Re: [TenTec] What's an SDR?

["Ten-Tec Inc. Amateur Radio Sales" <sales@tentec.com>]

The Orion and Jupiter are SDR's.

This discussion comes up every several months or so here on the 
reflector.  I'll refer back to a post I made here in June 2004 when it came 
up last time, which in turn referenced the discussion on the same of 
November 2003.

http://lists.contesting.com/_tentec/2004-06/msg00250.html

Back in November of 2003, I posted a definition of SDR in response to
another discussion that went on here about "What's an SDR?"

The original post was titled "SDR vs. SDR" and is located at URL:
http://lists.contesting.com/archives/html/TenTec/2003-11/msg00547.html

Here it is repeated:
--------------------------------
"What's an SDR?"

I'll take the U.S. government's opinion, as they - more than any other 
entity - have been vitally interested in the topic. There is endless 
reading available by surfing the Internet. One of the better explanations 
I've read recently that anyone can understand is located on the NTIA 
website at this URL:

http://www.ntia.doc.gov/osmhome/newsletr/fall01/SDR.html

Excerpt:

"While there are differing opinions as to what an SDR actually is, a good 
general definition of an SDR is found in the recently adopted American 
National Standard, Telecom Glossary 2000. An SDR consists of a receiver 
and/or transmitter with the following properties: (a) the received signal 
is digitized and then processed using software-programmable digital signal 
processing techniques (digitization may occur at the RF, IF, or baseband); 
and (b) the modulated signal to be transmitted is generated as a digital 
signal using software-programmable digital signal processing techniques. 
The digital signal is then converted to an analog signal for transmission 
(the conversion to analog may occur at baseband, IF, or RF)."
--------------------------

The key being the statement "software-programmable" - that software 
(firmware) is used to change
modulation characteristics.

SDR is the future of all radio services - amateur, commercial, military. 
For some really interesting reading
on the possibilities for SDR's in the future, have a look at some of the 
discussion on cognitive radio.
A sample is here: http://www.fcc.gov/oet/cognitiveradio/ - the applications 
for amateur radio are a
question mark at the moment, but this is clearly where the future of 
two-way radio is headed.
A Google search on "cognitive radio" may also be instructive.

73
Scott Robbins W4PA
Amateur Radio Product Manager, Ten-Tec, Inc.


At 09:14 PM 12/13/04 -0800, you wrote:
> OK, I'll bite.  BQF says Orion is not an "SDR", but
> many other people do use that term for our favorite
> big black box.  I have wondered about this.
>
> A "software defined radio", we are told, is one where
> the analog signal is sampled as close to the antenna
> input as practical.  From then on, filtering and
> detection are done in software - or firmware or DSPs
> if you like.
>
> The Orion uses conventional local oscillators and IF
> filters.  The third IF, at 14 kHz, is sampled, and
> filtering and detection are "software".  So we have a
> 14 kHz SDR, at least.
>
> Whether the Orion is really an "SDR" is a semantic
> issue.  It's probably not yet quite practical
> (economical) to sample at the antenna input jack.
> Some analog filtering, amplification, and conversion
> is needed.  Orion has quite a bit.
>
> Whatever else it is, Orion is enough of an SDR to be
> totally reliant on its Sharc DSPs, its Dragonball, and
> its firmware, for better or worse.
>
> I still have my TS-520S, just in case.
>
> 73, Martin AA6E
>
>
> --- Tommy <aldermant@alltel.net> wrote:
>
> >
> > I'm not sure why John is referring to the Orion and
> > Jupiter as an
> > SDR, as they certainly are not.
> >
> > Tom - W4BQF


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