Anyone here have any more info on www.hpsdr.org?
This sounds like a competing open-source SDR effort. It sounds like
Lyle and friends are either
not aware of Gnu Radio, or there’s some politics I’m not aware of…
Marcus L. wrote:
Anyone here have any more info on www.hpsdr.org?
This sounds like a competing open-source SDR effort. It sounds like
Lyle and friends are either
not aware of Gnu Radio, or there’s some politics I’m not aware of…
I don’t think that’s at all accurate – if anything, it’s a
complementary project to GnuRadioP. HPSDR is hardware-oriented and
doesn’t focus (much) on software. While its comparable in some ways to
the USRP, the design is quite different.
The inital goal of HPSDR was to create a no-compromise ADC/DAC
combination (connected to the PC via USB) for use with the SDR-1000 and
similar hardware. The part of the project that’s furthest along (the
“Ozy” and “Janus” boards) provide that functionality.
However, the design is based on a passive backplane (called “Atlas” and
already available for purchase) and is very modular in nature, so it’s
feasible to add all sorts of RF hardware to the mix. Some of those are
in the early development stage.
There’s no reason at all that the HPSDR system couldn’t hook into
GnuRadio, although for the moment the software testing has been done
with a modified version of the PowerSDR software that’s used with the
SDR-1000.
There’s really no politics involved at all, just a design that started
with the idea of a super-duper sound card replacement and just sorta
grew from there.
Two additional points:
-
The HPSDR hardware designs will all be made available under an “Open
Hardware License” that I’m currently working to develop. It’s not quite
the same as the GPL since we’ve discovered that the practical issues
around hardware are quite different, but the spirit is very similar. -
TAPR (http://www.tapr.org) will be making the initial HPSDR modules
available (we may do later ones as well, but we’re going on a
case-by-case basis). Most of the modules are complex enough that they
will be offered only in assembled and (somewhat) tested form, but again,
all the design files will be available under a license that allows you
to reproduce the boards yourself if you want.
John
HPSDR grew up on its on from “Friends of Flex Radio”. It was an
organic happening. It is borrowing heavily from Gnu Radio. It does
have a more amateur radio centric focus. TAPR and AMSAT are both
supporters but we are supporters of Gnu Radio as well. Matt, Eric, and
others belong to AMSAT projects. Matt is the principal investigator on
the digital communications package for our next spacecraft. Lyle is
personally much more interested in the embedded controller applications
(DSP chips) than desktop. He is a Flex Radio owner and user. Frank
Brickle and I do both Gnu Radio and HPSDR. We are heavily involved in
the Sasquatch, Odyssey, and other pieces. If there is competition,
it is friendly and not hostile. I do not perceive any competition and I
am close to both. Eric subscribes to the HPSDR group and contributes
comments on occasion. I comment wherever I am, whether I should or not
;-). HPSDR is using the USB interface approach from Gnu Radio. Hey!
Why reinvent the wheel?
I suspect there will be some competition for customers for the USRP and
the Mercury/Ozy. When the latter becomes real, we can guage it better
then. I hope Matt is doing a USRP-2. I continue to support both
efforts. My feeling is your perception is incorrect. I do suspect that
GnuRadio will be easily adapted to Ozy/Mercury when that becomes
available since HPSDR has borrowed so heavily from GnuRadio.
As you say, HPSDR is an open source open hardware happening and it
serves up everything from source to gerber files in its svn server.
Bob
Marcus L. wrote:
–
AMSAT Director and VP Engineering. Member: ARRL, AMSAT-DL,
TAPR, Packrats, NJQRP, QRP ARCI, QCWA, FRC. ARRL SDR WG Chair
“You see, wire telegraph is a kind of a very, very long cat.
You pull his tail in New York and his head is meowing in Los
Angeles. Do you understand this? And radio operates exactly
the same way: you send signals here, they receive them there.
The only difference is that there is no cat.” - Einstein
On Wed, Nov 01, 2006 at 03:19:36PM -0500, Marcus L. wrote:
Anyone here have any more info on www.hpsdr.org?
This sounds like a competing open-source SDR effort. It sounds like
Lyle and friends are either
not aware of Gnu Radio, or there’s some politics I’m not aware of…
Hello – I’m one of the developers working on HPSDR.org - specifically
the
Janus/Ozy board and the PC pieces inside PowerSDR. As Bob and John
have
stated we started out trying to build a better ADC/DAC, mostly thinking
about using it with Flex-Radio’s SDR 1000 hardware. Over time it’s
turned
into a backplane definition and a modular design of some building blocks
that can be linked together to play radio.
We are certainly aware of GNURadio (I have a USRP and run GNURadio), and
have ‘borrowed’ pieces from it - I believe the cordic from the USRP is
being used in Phil Harman’s initial experiments on Mercury (wideband 130
Ms/sec A/D converter). We also share common USB interface hardware
(FX2)
and software (libusb), We differ a bit on focus - GNURadio is a much
more
ambitious and generic project, most folks interested in HPSDR are
interested mostly in amateur radio applications. Also HPSDR at the
moment
is tied to PowerSDR which is primarily a Windows thing, while GNURadio
is
most at home on Linux.
I don’t know of any politics or bad feelings between the two projects.
I
know some of the folks active here are also active with HPSDR. All the
stuff we’re doing is open source licensed (GPL/LGPL on the software) so
it’s exploitable if folks find is useful. I know I’d like to write a
gr-audio-janus layer at some time to allow one to use the Janus ADC/DAC
board to work with GNURadio - just a matter of finding the time to do it
and learn a bit on coding for GNUradio.
Regards,
Bill Tracey (kd5tfd)
Robert McGwier wrote:
If there is competition, it is friendly and not hostile. I do not
becomes available since HPSDR has borrowed so heavily from GnuRadio.As you say, HPSDR is an open source open hardware happening and it
serves up everything from source to gerber files in its svn server.Bob
Ah, Ok.
I looked at the specs for the Mercury board, and it’s disappointing that
it doesn’t do complex sampling (at least,
according to the diagram). The receiver chips that I care about
produce I and Q outputs, but that’s just
me 
The HPSDR project does look interesting, and I can see why, for some
applications, you’d like to remove the
PC from the picture (satellites come immediately to mind).
–
Marcus L. Mail: Dept 1A12, M/S: 04352P16
Security Standards Advisor Phone: (ESN) 393-9145 +1 613 763 9145
Strategic Standards
Nortel Networks [email protected]
On Wed, Nov 01, 2006 at 03:19:36PM -0500, Marcus L. wrote:
Anyone here have any more info on www.hpsdr.org?
This sounds like a competing open-source SDR effort. It sounds like
Lyle and friends are either
not aware of Gnu Radio, or there’s some politics I’m not aware of…
There’s no politics. They know about GNU Radio. I’m on their mailing
list. They’ve been working on some innovative h/w, mostly targeted at
HF. When they get their h/w sorted out and I can order some, we’ll
make it work with GNU Radio.
Eric