Installing and using HDSDR


Transmit and Receive IQ balance (Link) Including RX DC Removal (Centre spike) if present.
Digital Modes CAT to HDSDR
Use with Conventional Equipment. CAT 
Look here for help with other radios. http://www.hdsdr.de/hardware.html

HDSDR is a derivative of Alberto's Winrad, parts of these notes apply to this and any other derivatives.
HDSDR is still being developed, new features added. We are promised a version 3 at some time.
My experience covers SDRs using the Si570 like the Softrock.
HDSDR may be used with many other SDRs including the Funcube and RTL dongles.

Installing HDSDR:-
Download HDSDR from here http://www.hdsdr.de/index.html
While you are there read the other pages, note the link to Alberto's  original help and You Tube.

Execute the installation. 
Later versions of Windows have security features that make altering the contents of "Program Files" difficult. A way round this might be to change the default and install HDSDR somewhere different "C:\HDSDR" perhaps. 
Note the folder  where it  installs, you will usually need to find it in order to place a DLL file in there.

Look here http://hdsdr.de/hardware.html for DLLs and instructions for use with many radios, SDR and conventional .



Click "Start" or press F2.

Look at http://www.hdsdr.de/faq.html Read the mouseovers. Also keyboard shortcuts, see an HTM file link in the Start Menu, actually located in the program folder. The keys affecting tuning can be particularly useful.
Look at all the Options.



Make sure that the IQ Swap is set correctly. Ensure that SSB signals are on the correct sideband and that tuning is correct, that higher frequencies ARE actually to the right.
Note if you have not set "Options - Channel Skew Calibration" (Image rejection) you will see images on strong signals. Do not be confused.


Options - Channel Skew (Image Rejection) Calibration
This shows the important TX image rejection panel seen when in transmit mode. The RX panel is similar.
For receive the image has to be set manually. Maybe an automatic system will eventually be implemented.
"Sample Delay" is only needed for a few, mainly old Creative, soundcards. Try various combinations if you see very little difference in the two signals.



Tuning HDSDR
SDR beginners:- Note that "LO" sets the centre of a band of frequencies. "Tune" shows where you are within that range. Simply changing "Tune" with the mouse will not move from that range. The LO must be changed by the mouse or by any of the other tuning methods.
Fixed frequency SDRs:- Set the LO to the exact crystal frequency then use "Tune".
At the centre of the display you may see a sharp spike. The effects of this spike may be hidden. Options - Input Channel Calibration.. and set RX DC Removal to "Auto". Do not use this centre area unless you have to.
 
 Place the mouse cursor on a digit. The mousewheel  or left/right clicks will set it. Set LO to, say, 10KHz from the required frequency. See Options.

 Look on the waterfall for the signal, click on it.
Drag the shaded area that represents the signal bandwidth.
Drag the frequency scale to move up/down.

Click the red arrow at the end of the tuning scale to increase LO frequency by the visible spectrum bandwidth or use Ctrl+PageUp on the keyboard.

Note the two VFOs. Click the "A" or "B" next to the LO frequency.

Look at keyboard shortcuts, some useful tuning aids.  Details in the htm linked in the Start Menu. Or a link shown when you click the "Info/Update" button. (F1)

And direct entry with the numeric keypad. 
 Quick Tune:- Type KHz - Enter
Or type MHz, for example 14.2 - letter "M"
  This will give you a fixed  offset from the centre. This is recommended for TX operation, you set your TX image calibration at a fixed audio frequency so TX image rejection will not vary so much across a band. (Like PSDR). 
Or tune with the mouse over a band, find a station, or frequency, you wish to call, right click. Or, left click and press "C" on the keyboard, the offset is then applied.
Then TX image will not need much tweaking once set for the band in use. This should also help for receive image rejection.

Lock Tuning and LO.
Right click on "Tune" and "LO" will lock either or both so the frequency is fixed.

AFC and "Tune" legend next to the tuned frequency.
When the AFC button is clicked the colour of "Tune" shows whether the AFC is locked (green)  or not (red). Yellow shows when loosing lock after having once locked.
When AFC is not activated it acts as a tuning indicator, green when exactly tuned.

CW Zap
Click this to net perfectly.


CW Offset:- CW Pitch
Hold the keyboard control key and left hand mouse button to drag the centre line of the CW filter. OR Control-Click when the green cursor is on the required frequency.
Or just click on the yellow "CW Pitch =" and a box appeas.


Filter Widths
The red lines on the lower spectrum are the filter limits. You will not see the right one if zoomed in. 
Drag them.



S Meter calibration 

Calibration:- Options - Misc Options - S Meter...shows this.

"OK" sets HDSDR to signal calibration mode.
Note "Right Click to end."

You may find the Keyboard shortcuts easier than multiple mouse clicks. When in setting mode Shift - up and Shift - down sets the calibration. Shift - Home resets to default.
The normal calibration is at -73dBm, 50uV into 50 Ohms, 
S9
. But any known value may be used.
Precise measurements may be made by zooming the Spectrum Scaling, the two lower controls.
Also available on main spectrum. 



Squelch, click on S Meter scale.
Level shown by red line on the scale. Care! Sometimes an accidental click is the reason for no audio!

Notch - Noise Blanker - Noise Reduction
Read the mouseovers, this applies to most of the buttons.Clicking on one of these buttons brings up its adjustment slider. A right click on the button hides the slider.

Volume
Even this has a mouseover!


Frequency Manager
Radio Bands, User defined entries and EIBI shortwave list. 
EIBI is placed in your documents, for example C:\Documents and Settings\User\My Documents\HDSDR\CSV This is done automatically, Select EIBI and use the drop-down menu on this button. Or you can download the latest yourself. http://www.eibi.de.vu/ 
User:- Type in at bottom - Add.

Waterfall/Spectrum Display.
Note the sliders and controls under the waterfalls. Again mouseovers to explain. Adjust spectrum upper/lower dB limits, waterfall speed and definition. Zoom in on the frequency in use.

Visualization

All options now here
"Show Upper Display" Removes everything except the upper spectrum and waterfall. "Esc" returns to normal.
De-selecting both the upper and lower display just leaves the controls, no spectrum or waterfalls.

Within certain limits the HDSDR window may be resized by dragging the edge or corner. For a wide display it can be dragged to span two monitors.
Right click-drag on the frequency scale alters the spectrum/waterfall ratio, as far as selecting one or the other.  



Record
Right Click a choice of formats, examine the whole spectrum later if you wish.
Note, you may use this to schedule frequency changes, just set a 2 second recording time.


Do not use HDSDR's calibration feature with a Si570 controlled Softrock. See above link.
For receivers that do not have a calibration facility use the above tab. When the phase indicator stays still check that the two boxes at the top show correctly and click "Calculate". Check the tuning is correct, if not "Reset" cancels, try again.
Other settings on this tab are for fixed IF use, transverters and SDR hardware.

Autocorrelate.
A specialist addition for closely examining signals.
The AF spectrum is used. Note that a click on "Spectrum" will activate this mode, further clicks will restore normal operation.



Select a DLL when starting HDSDR
One way to do this is just to drag the DLL to the shortcut. 
HDSDR will start using that DLL



Set Different Profiles.

HDSDR can use completely different settings for each profile. These are stored in the Windows' registry at  HKEY_CurrentUser\Software\HDSDR\<optional profile>\. This allows
HDSDR to be started with many different configurations.

Custom profiles (for example per receiver) using a command line option "-p profilename" (the profile name should not contain spaces or other local characters)

Make a shortcut to HDSDR.exe, rename it. Right Click -Properties. To the end of "Target" add -p your profile name - Apply.
When opened with that shortcut all settings are saved under that profile.
Any number of profiles can be saved to avoid changing settings. 

(There are usually spaces in the Path so inverted commas have to be used as in the example below. These will be present if needed.)

Uninstalling HDSDR:- If you have more than one installation then I found that uninstalling one will reset all other HDSDR installations and profiles to default.
Advanced users may wish to save the registry key.

Select a DLL with a Shortcut
Provided you have put the required DLL is in the HDSDR folder just enter the name before the -p entry. This one is for the RTL dongle.
HDSDR starts with the RTL DLL selected and with the "RTL=VHF" profile.

Rather than putting the DLLs in the program folder you may store DLL files elsewhere. In that case the whole path must be entered like:-  ....\HDSDR.exe "C:\my files\extios\ExtIO_FCDplus.dll"




And top left of the HDSDR window reminds you of which profile you are using. "HF-USB" in this case.
If this looks wrong it is because I prefer "Misc Options" Swap Spectrum/Waterfall. And I have increased the relative size of the spectrum display by right clicking and dragging the frequency scale.
And also I have set the "Spectrum Scaling" sliders to suit my purpose.
TRANSMIT


When in TX mode IQ swap and image rejection for TX is enabled and the Volume/AGC sliders change to mic gain and power output. 

An external receiver is required to check IQ swap and setup TX rejection.

 PE0FKO produced a DLL, with CFGSR V2.6, to go with the latest version of HDSDR,  ALL THIS DOES IS PUT A SOFTROCK TO TX, so far no CW keying.
The only way at the moment is to use the "Return" key for CW. But see "CW Operators" below.

Two soundcards required but do not forget VAC acts as a soundcard. No ASIO for TX. Spacebar works PTT 
to TX.

Below, set to use a COM port to set HDSDR to transmit.
This can be a virtual port connected to other software.

In "Options" you will find that PTT may use CAT via a virtual COM port. 3rd party software may be connected with VAC. WSPR, for example can be used with CAT (TS2000) to set the Softrock to TX and change frequency. 

Below, sets the Mic input, one or both channels. The IQ mode is for special uses.




Here:- CW-Skimmer using HDSDR's IQ out facility https://sites.google.com/site/g4zfqradio/hdsdr-cwskimmer-and-Other-Digimodes This page details how many digital modes may be used with HDSDR including more on interfacing with a conventional transceiver.


USING HDSDR with digital mode software, Fldigi and WSPR shown
. 


Running HDSDR and the FCD Dashboard Simultaneously

For a visual display with Doppler correction, lots of information here. http://forum.funcube.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=99&sid=92cb4aac8829b4d0a011d7583e8e2d7e



And below WSPR-X and HDSDR. And use of HDSDR with CAT interface of a transceiver.

This uses CAT to control HDSDR.
After setting the required COM port and baud rate go back and Click "activated"


And this is WSPRX set up so it tunes HDSDR and puts a Softrock to TX.
HDSDR's audio in/out is connected to WSPRX via VAC.
And the CAT is connected by a Virtual Serial port. For example COM0COM http://com0com.sourceforge.net/
WSPRX is available on wsprnet.org Windows v0.7r2960 19 Jan 2013.


Another HDSDR setup page 
http://www.crystalradio.us/projects/ts-590s-panadaptor.htm Shows how HDSDR may be set to follow a conventional transceiver using Omni Rig. 

And the transceiver also controls HDSDR and hence the Ensemble.

Click on image for full size.
This is a composite showing HDSDR tuned to 7.186,550 my FT847 also tuned by HDSDR.
Also the OmniRig settings. To activate, bring up OmniRig setup and click OK.
Make sure the Ensemble is working correctly with HDSDR first. Then all that is needed is to setup the CAT as shown.

Use HDSDR With a SDR Connected to the IF of a Receiver or Transceiver
Panoramic display, wideband SDR receive for voice and data, click on a signal and transmit. 


CW Operators. Try this 
http://sites.google.com/site/g4zfqradio/hdsdr-and-extio_srlite-for-softrock-rxtx This is suited for earlier RXTX Softrocks. But I give information how the Ensemble could be used. 

Delete Settings
In the program folder is delete_settings.cmd This will restore default operation if you have problems. Double Click to execute.

Probably more hidden... Let me know.


A cheap dongle may be used as a wideband SDR. Different tuners will work from 25MHz to 2GHz some with a L band gap. Performance is not outstanding but can be adequate. Ebay is a good source.
For use with HDSDR:- The Zadig driver has to be installed and the RTL DLL placed in the HDSDR program folder. Select this when starting HDSDR.

Driver installation on HDSDR's site http://hdsdr.de/RTLSDR_with_HDSDR.pdf

More if needed:- Instructions and a link to HDSDR ExtIO for RTL USB dongles — Read more
DLL https://github.com/josemariaaraujo/ExtIO_RTL At the top, select "Zip". 
Zadig driver 
http://wiki.spench.net/wiki/USRP_Interfaces If you are new to this read carefully and use the install package. At the top 1 "Download the self-contained installer" 
This shows Zadig setup. http://rtlsdr.org/softwarewindows

HDSDR's ExtIO button brings up the dongle controls.
The important dongle RF Gain adjustment is available on a slider by clicking "RF" by the control buttons.

Here https://sites.google.com/site/g4zfqradio/hdsdr-use-with-rtl-dongle HDSDR and a dongle SDR used with an HF upconverter.
https://sites.google.com/site/g4zfqradio/hdsdr-if-pano RTL dongle used as an IF panadaptor with HDSDR.
Funcube Dongle
The Pro and ProPlus may be used. The correct DLL has to be placed in the program file. There are HDSDR DLLs which integrate the FCD controls with HDSDR. Found here http://www.hdsdr.de/hardware.html
Alternatively you may use the FCD DLLs found in the files section of the Yahoo group. These are not integrated with HDSDR. You have to join the groups but I do not advise getting them anywhere else.

HDSDR's ExtIO button brings up the dongle controls.
 http://www.funcubedongle.com/ is the main site. Look at the drop-down menus when you hover over the headings in the black bar. The Yahoo! groups may be an easier place to find information. 


Fundamental settings for digimodes beginners, receive only. https://sites.google.com/site/g4zfqradio/hdsd r_receive_digimodes 

This page, still not completed https://sites.google.com/site/g4zfqradio/hdsdr_digi-modes gives many details about HDSDR and digimodes. With examples of CAT and DDE (Orbitron controlling HDSDR for Doppler compensation).

My preferred way for a HF panadaptor. Ideally take the Ensemble antenna connection from the transceiver. Using an Ensemble with a conventional transceiver as a panadaptor. 

Using with a conventional receiver or transceiver as an IF panadaptor. 
http://sites.google.com/site/g4zfqradio/hdsdr-if-pano  Ham Radio deluxe controlling HDSDR with DDE .

Using HDSDR with a RTL dongle 
https://sites.google.com/site/g4zfqradio/hdsdr-use-with-rtl-dongle And using the dongle as an IF panadaptor with a conventional rig.
How to set HDSDR for measuring signal levels, can be reasonably accurate if you have a standard. Using HDSDR for signal measurements, the S meter and Spectral Display. 

Autocorrelation (and Cepstrum), new features November 2013. If you want to use this feature you probably know more about it than I! https://sites.google.com/site/g4zfqradio/hdsdr-autocorrelation


RX and TX Image adjustment for HDSDR
 https://sites.google.com/site/g4zfqradio/hdsdr-iq-balance This page should help for other software.

Alberto's Winrad help with illustrations updated to HDSDR.
To be completed one day..




Softrock:- you need CFGSR and the USB driver  but may well already have them. Driver  http://www.pe0fko.nl/SR-V9-Si570/#install Read carefully. CFGSR Current version 2.6  which you download from http://home.ict.nl/~fredkrom/pe0fko/CFGSR/  with automatic installer and new guide on that web page. (Click on "msi" ....download the correct msi file...) Note instructions on that page.
As things develop my screenshots may show an earlier version of CFGSR or HDSDR but all features will be found.

Download HDSDR from here http://www.hdsdr.de/index.html
While you are there read the other pages, note the link to Alberto's  original help and You Tube.

Execute the installation. 
Later versions of Windows have security features that make altering the contents of "Program Files" difficult. A way round this might be to change the default and install HDSDR somewhere different "C\HDSDR" perhaps. 
Note the folder  where it  installs, you will need to find it in order to place a DLL file in there.

The paragraph below is to install Softrock type SDRs, look here http://hdsdr.de/hardware.html for DLLs and instructions for use with many other radios, SDR and conventional .
Softrocks and others using the USB ATTiny controller.
Winrad and its derivatives need ExtIO_Si570.DLL to be placed in the program folder. There is a shortcut to it in the CFGSR Start Menu folder.  COPY it to the Program folder. (Drag with RIGHT mouse button) Or navigate to the program file, eg C:\Program Files\CFGSR\ExtIO_Si570

Note the links in the HDSDR Start Menu. Keyboard Shortcuts may be useful. Direct frequency entry, shifting up and down bands in defined steps. Many other features.

When starting you probably will NOT get this.
But if you do select the DLL and "Open"

Current versions of HDSDR open in a window. This window may be resiz  ed. the original Winrad has a fairly basic interface, when first started it will fill the screen, some versions can be made to start in a window. 

In the set up you must select the Input Source as 'SoftRock V9.0 Si570'.
MME drivers will work with all cards.
If you have ASIO it may be used only for receive.
For use with transmit a second soundcard (or VAC) is required MME drivers only. Some raise concerns about this, ASIO drivers are better but perhaps the actual advantage is small.


You probably will not have so many sound systems, here I have selected 3 different ones. For transmit two are required, one may be VAC for data modes.
You may need to set your soundcard mixer to set the correct input, keep the RX input as low as possible so the HDSDR noise level rises only slightly. Disable all special effects.


Only select a sample rate your card is able to use. 48000 is a good start, all will be able to use this.

Press keyboard "H" or click "ExtIO
The green dot should be present, bottom left. and the connected information Note the Manufacturer and other fields do not always show any entries. 

If the USB is not connected got to the USB tab, check it is present, select it and "Open"
If there is nothing here you will have to diagnose the problem.
https://sites.google.com/site/g4zfqradio/attiny_usb

Make sure that the Options - Swap I and Q Channel for RX is set correctly. It normally needs to be ticked but ensure that SSB signals are on the correct sideband and that tuning is correct, that higher frequencies ARE actually to the right.
Note if you have not set "Options - Channel Skew Calibration" (Image rejection) you will see images on strong signals. Do not be confused.



UNFINISHED PAGE
This page is my start at updating Alberto's original "Winrad" instructions to suit HDSDR. As I say it is just a start there is a lot more to do but it does include some features I have not mentioned on this page.

G4ZFQ January 2013
alan4alan at googlemail com
More of my pages related to SDR
Setting up CFGSR for different versions of the Softrockhttp://sites.google.com/site/g4zfqradio/extio-or-cfgsr-some-notes

All aspects of the Softrock SDR a big page with lots of links but you should find answers to most questions. http://homepages.wightcable.net/~g4zfq/Si570.htm

 1 The Si570        
2 Getting and Making Softrocks What computer?          
3 Building a Softrock. Or look at http://www.wb5rvz.com/sdr/        
4 For Information Surrounding the Softrock  VHF converter, MOBO, PAs, Panadapter for use with conventional rigs etc.    
5 Soundcards Setting up, USB, problems.      
6 PIC/PICAXE control of the  Si570, Tony's first method. switched control without a computer. Reprogramming the PIC (and PICAXE)          
7 Parallel Port Control of the SI570.        
8 USB Control of the SI570  Information, driver installation. BPF control.       
9 Serial (COM) Control of the Si570.         
10 Some Stand-alone Controller Kits Control the Si570 independently. Links to other SDR kits.       


http://sites.google.com/site/g4zfqradio/soundcard_sdr_software Notes and links for all soundcard SDR software I know. 
Including Modes not yet Supported by these SDR Programs.  Audio Files to Test Software Without a SDR And a few links to some of the many SDRs on the web. Check them out without owning one.     

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