1. Manuals
  2. Brands
  3. SSB-Electronic Manuals
  4. Transceiver
  5. Zeus-1
  6. Operation manual

SSB-Electronic Zeus-1 Operation Manual

Hide thumbs
Table of Contents

Advertisement

Quick Links

Download this manual
Zeus-1
(ZS-1)
Software Defined
Transceiver

Advertisement

Table of Contents
loading
Need help?

Need help?

Do you have a question about the Zeus-1 and is the answer not in the manual?

Questions and answers

Summary of Contents for SSB-Electronic Zeus-1

  • Page 1 Zeus-1 (ZS-1) Software Defined Transceiver...

  • Page 2: Table Of Contents

    Display bandwidth …………………………………………………………….. 54 Time Machine ………………………………………………………..………….. 55 CW mode ……………………………………………………………………………. 57 SSB and AM signal transmission …………………………………………. 58 Digital modes and VAC…………………………………….………………….. 59 Audio file transmission …………………………….………………………… 60 SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 2 of 88 V2.8.1 ontent is protected by Copyright.
  • Page 3 Transceiver frequency correction ………………………………………. 69 Setting of the CAT interface ……….………………………………………. 73 Operation by hotkeys and MIDI devices ….…………..……………… 75 TX predistortion tuning ………………………………………………………. 79 12. ZS-1 Specifications …………………………………….……………………….. 82 SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 3 of 88 V2.8.1 ontent is protected by Copyright.

  • Page 4: Foreword

    ZeusRadio v2.8.1. We recommend to read this manual carefully before installing the software and tak- ing the device into operation. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 4 of 88 V2.8.1 ontent is protected by Copyright.

  • Page 5: Introduction

    The Transceiver ZS-1 is designed for use in radio amateur stations, together with a PC using the operating systems Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 5 of 88 V2.8.1 ontent is protected by Copyright.

  • Page 6: Consumer Notes

    EN 301 489-15 V1.2.1 (2002-08) EN 301 783-2 V1.2.1 (2010-07). EN 60950-1:2006/A1:2010 Manufacturer : SSB-Electronic GmbH Ostenfeldmark 21 59557 Lippstadt Contact: Email: technik@ssb-electronic.de Tel.: +49(0)2941 – 93385 - 0 SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 6 of 88 V2.8.1 ontent is protected by Copyright.

  • Page 7: Technical Data

    28 dBm Output power (transmitter) max. 15W Bandwidth up to 100 kHz Spectrum bandwidth up to 4 MHz PC Interface USB 2.0 Voltage 12-15 V Current consumption (TX) SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 7 of 88 V2.8.1 ontent is protected by Copyright.

  • Page 8: Supplied Accessories

    The Transceiver ZS-1 is supplied with the following accessories: 1. USB 2.0 cable 1 pc. 2. DC cable with connector 1 pc. 3. Ferrite core 1 pc. 4. CD with software 1 pc. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 8 of 88 V2.8.1 ontent is protected by Copyright.

  • Page 9: Panel Description

    When the ZeusRadio is not used or the USB cable is not connected, the LED indicator will go out and the transceiver is in the stand-by mode. 3 TX LED Indicator for transmission mode. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 9 of 88 V2.8.1 ontent is protected by Copyright.
  • Page 10 Please be sure that no electrical contact exists between the outer contact of the connector (negative terminal) and the transceiver chassis. This could lead to increased RFI. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 10 of 88 V2.8.1 ontent is protected by Copyright.
  • Page 11 Switching algorithm of these 8 control lines (open collector outputs) is determined by software. The maximum voltage is 24 V, the maximum current is 150 mА. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 11 of 88 V2.8.1...
  • Page 12 Acceptable input voltage range is 0 to -10 VDC. 9 ANT Connect your 50 Ω antenna here, using type-UHF (PL-259) plug. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 12 of 88 V2.8.1 ontent is protected by Copyright.

  • Page 13: Precautions

     Connect the transceiver only to a stabilized supply voltage with 12-15 V DC and at least 5 A. SSB-Electronic recommends the optional power supply Art.-No. 9371, as it was tested with the Transceiver in continuous operation ...

  • Page 14: Installation

    SOFTWARE HAS TO BE INSTALLED FIRST. The software can be found on the CD which is part of the delivery. The most recent version of the software will be made available for download on SSB-Electronic or PARS LLC web pages: www.ssb.de/product_info.php?info=p3407_Zeus-ZS-1-Transceiver...

  • Page 15: Software Installation

    NetFramework\dotNetFx40_Full_x86_x64.exe To install the ZeusRadio software and the drivers for the ZS-1 transceiver start ZS-1\Setup.msi and follow the instructions on the screen. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 15 of 88 V2.8.1 ontent is protected by Copyright.

  • Page 16: Software Description

    PC with the USB 2.0 cable that is part of the delivery. In the main window of the program the most important controls and functions of the operating modes are located. Other controls are located in additional windows. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 16 of 88 V2.8.1 ontent is protected by Copyright.

  • Page 17: Main Window

    Note: For the S-Meter as well as for level measurements in dBm a quasi-peak detector is used by default, what leads to a slightly higher readings, compared to measurements with the RMS detector. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 17 of 88 V2.8.1...
  • Page 18 According to the output power slider setting, the antenna gets a signal of up to 40 mW. Note: In the LPW transmission is possible at any frequency within the HF band. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 18 of 88 V2.8.1...
  • Page 19 HF AGC Min – the HF AGC system uses an algorithm, which evaluates the noise level in selected band and switches the attenuator in a way that ensures the best possible signal/noise ratio. This setting usually will bring the best signal quality . SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 19 of 88 V2.8.1...
  • Page 20 MGT allows limiting of the AGC factor manually to the specified value. This mode can be useful if one or several more powerful stations are in the band, as a selected AGC would substantially reduce the volume level. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 20 of 88 V2.8.1...
  • Page 21 Note: For ZS-1 transceivers shipped to the United States of America the transmission is permitted only in the amateur radio frequency bands, both at full power and in the LPW mode. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 21 of 88 V2.8.1...
  • Page 22 If necessary, will also be an opportunity to increase the output power to the maximum. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 22 of 88 V2.8.1...
  • Page 23 (primary) VFO. The button A <> B causes a change of VFO frequencies: VFO A becomes VFO B, and vice versa. These buttons do not change VFOs modes (AM, SSB, CW). SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 23 of 88 V2.8.1...
  • Page 24 Exceeding the maximum values will lead to a warning message on the screen, the transceiver goes into the standby mode and the ZeusRadio software will be closed automatically. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 24 of 88 V2.8.1 ontent is protected by Copyright.
  • Page 25 Also the use of a too long or inferior USB cable or a PC with an insufficient CPU may be the cause of too low transfer rates. Avoid using of any USB hubs (also active USB Hubs!). SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 25 of 88 V2.8.1...
  • Page 26 By moving the mouse to the left or right with the left button pressed the displayed bandwidth can be changed continuously from 10 kHz up to 4 MHz. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 26 of 88 V2.8.1...
  • Page 27 Clicking this button will replay an audio file; simultaneously this file is transmitted. This allows a comfortable modulation control for the partner station or repeat your call sign some times. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 27 of 88 V2.8.1 ontent is protected by Copyright.
  • Page 28 With the slider on this bar the transceiver can be tuned quickly with the mouse to any frequency, from low frequencies on the left to high frequencies on the right side of the bar. 57 Time Machine slider SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 28 of 88 V2.8.1 ontent is protected by Copyright.

  • Page 29: Cw Panel

    "dots", the middle one – "dashes". IP B inv. – iambic paddle mode B with reversed contacts; closing the tip of the KEY connector to ground creates "dashes", the middle one – "dots". SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 29 of 88 V2.8.1...
  • Page 30 12 buttons with message templates. With a click on one of the buttons the corresponding text will be taken into the message input field. The content of these buttons may be defined by the user. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 30 of 88 V2.8.1...
  • Page 31 14 History of transmitted messages 15 Send/Canсel button After a click on this button „Send“ the text in the input field will be transmitted. A further click will cancel transmission. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 31 of 88 V2.8.1 ontent is protected by Copyright.

  • Page 32: Settings Window

    Color — color of the raster. Transparency — he transparency of the raster lines. Text Color — text color of the frequency bar and the level (axis values). SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 32 of 88 V2.8.1 ontent is protected by Copyright.
  • Page 33 100 kHz only. FFT Window – list for selecting the weighting window for the fast Fourier transform used for spectrum and waterfall display. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 33 of 88 V2.8.1 ontent is protected by Copyright.
  • Page 34 Inverse Colors — on/off switch for the color scheme inversion. Color Scheme — selection of color scheme. Gradient Color — color selection for the „Gradient“ color scheme. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 34 of 88 V2.8.1 ontent is protected by Copyright.
  • Page 35 Frequency History — on/off switch for the horizontal shift of the waterfall display, synchronously to a change of the spectrum bandwidth. Color Scheme — selection of color scheme. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 35 of 88 V2.8.1 ontent is protected by Copyright.
  • Page 36 Low Color Level — signal level, above which the signal is displayed with the "minimum" color of the chosen color scheme. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 36 of 88 V2.8.1 ontent is protected by Copyright.
  • Page 37 "Show ASIO Control Panel" is shown. After a mouse click the window for management of the chosen ASIO driver appears, which allows to select the available devices for the audio input and output. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 37 of 88 V2.8.1...
  • Page 38 Note: In fact the Time Shift slider sets the depth of the stereo effect, and the Channel Mixer slider regulates the location of the apparent source of the spatial sound. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 38 of 88 V2.8.1...
  • Page 39 COM Port will transfer outgoing transceiver parameters (like changes of frequency or modulation mode etc.), but will not recognize control commands sent to the transceiver. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 39 of 88 V2.8.1 ontent is protected by Copyright.
  • Page 40 Note: It may be used the same COM Port as for the CAT Interface. 8 Start CAT button On/off switch for the CAT Interface (with the chosen parameters). SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 40 of 88 V2.8.1 ontent is protected by Copyright.

  • Page 41: External Control

    Note: If this value is negative, the external power amplifier turns off firsts, and then the transceiver goes into receive mode. 4 Predistortion Setup Button By a click, a window to set up predistortion algorithms appears. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 41 of 88 V2.8.1 ontent is protected by Copyright.
  • Page 42 RX PWM - PWM will be turned on in the receive mode. TX PWM – PWM will be turned on in the transmit mode. RX&TX PWM – PWM is turned on in both modes. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 42 of 88 V2.8.1...
  • Page 43 SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 43 of 88 V2.8.1...

  • Page 44: Predistortion Setup

    1 Enable Button Enable / disable the predistortion algorithm. 2 Import Button Button to import configuration from a file. 3 Export Button Button to export configuration to a file. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 44 of 88 V2.8.1 ontent is protected by Copyright.
  • Page 45 The controls located in the section intended for Low Power setting algorithms at a low output power (LPW), to be activated by pressing "LPW" in the main window. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 45 of 88 V2.8.1 ontent is protected by Copyright.

  • Page 46: Tx Signal Settings

    Clicking on the microphone icon starts signal processing algorithms for selected audio input and the result goes to the selected audio output. Thus, one can make adjustments of the algorithms in real-time. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 46 of 88 V2.8.1...
  • Page 47 For each plug-in there are buttons to move it up or down the list, open the settings for the selected plug-in, its inclusion in the transmission path, and remove from the list. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 47 of 88 V2.8.1 ontent is protected by Copyright.
  • Page 48 AGC reacts. AGT button - on/off switch for audio gain threshold (AGT) function. Threshold level is set by the Threshold Level slider. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 48 of 88 V2.8.1...
  • Page 49 Note: Only used in AM mode; does not affect the signal transmission in the other modes. 12 Spectrum display of the audio signal Visual control of the audio signal spectrum. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 49 of 88 V2.8.1 ontent is protected by Copyright.

  • Page 50: Iq Player

    Button for selecting a file for replay. With a mouse click a file selection dialog window opens. 3 Cycle On/off switch for looped replay of a file. 4 Playback scroll bar The slider represents the status of replay within a file. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 50 of 88 V2.8.1 ontent is protected by Copyright.

  • Page 51: Hiqsdr

    HF AGC, Start TX and TUN. These controls will be functional after the TX mode implementation and external devices control update. Note: Soon the BPFs and LNA control will be realized through the External Control window. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 51 of 88 V2.8.1...
  • Page 52 Settings window. More convenient to perform the calibration in the digital mode of the S-meter using the Filter value – the signal level in the filter expressed in dBm. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 52 of 88 V2.8.1...

  • Page 53: Basic Operation

    With the horizontal slider at the bottom of the window the transceiver can be set quickly to any frequency within the complete range. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 53 of 88 V2.8.1 ontent is protected by Copyright.

  • Page 54: Rit, Xit And Split Modes

    By clicking the A <-> B button the assignments of the frequencies of VFO A and VFO B are reversed regarding reception and transmission. The chosen modulation modes of the VFOs are not influenced hereby. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 54 of 88 V2.8.1...
  • Page 55 The same way hold the Shift on the keyboard and use your mouse to move the transmission frequency in SPLIT mode. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 55 of 88 V2.8.1 ontent is protected by Copyright.

  • Page 56: The Receiving Filter Bandwidth

    CW and SSB (AM mode uses the same values as set for SSB). The higher the steepness is set, the better neighboring stations are suppressed, but the latency of the audio signal will become higher. Basic operation SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 56 of 88 V2.8.1 ontent is protected by Copyright.

  • Page 57: Display Bandwidth

    To compensate this effect, the function "FFT Rate Balancing" is implemented, which can be switched on in the Settings window. When switched on, the spectrum are calculated with a substantial overlap, what demands more CPU power. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 57 of 88 V2.8.1 ontent is protected by Copyright.

  • Page 58: Time Machine

    Holding down the Ctrl and Alt keys, the position of the marker and the frequency of the active VFO can be set by the mouse click in the selected position of the waterfall. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 58 of 88 V2.8.1...
  • Page 59 100 kHz is selected. For bandwidths above 100 kHz only the time can be shifted (the signal is „rewound“ backwards), while the receiver frequency is not changed. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 59 of 88 V2.8.1 ontent is protected by Copyright.

  • Page 60: Cw Mode

    The quality of the CW side tone as well as its delay (not of the transmitted signal) depends upon the sound card characteristics and the used audio driver. The slightest delay and the highest quality signal can be achieved using ASIO drivers. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 60 of 88 V2.8.1...

  • Page 61: Ssb And Am Signal Transmission

    10 W. If a AM Depth value of 100% is selected at the same time, the carrier power is 2,5 W. And with 60% AM Depth the carrier power is 5 W. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 61 of 88 V2.8.1...

  • Page 62: Digital Modes And Vac

    For this purpose the VAC software has to be installed on the PC. The most popular is VAC by Eugene Muzychenko: Basic operation SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 62 of 88 V2.8.1 ontent is protected by Copyright.
  • Page 63 Signal Settings for processing the signal transmission does not interfere. After enabling Digi, the transmission path automatically disables EQ and compressors, turns on AGC with fast rise and slow decay, and the value of AGT is set to 10. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 63 of 88 V2.8.1...

  • Page 64: Audio File Transmission

    (Mic DSP A, Mic DSP B) are applied to the signal during the file playback. For replay, any 16-bit WAV file with no more than 5 minutes total length may be selected. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 64 of 88 V2.8.1 ontent is protected by Copyright.

  • Page 65: Software Settings

    VST plugins): - adjusting the Microphone Gain is necessary to achieve the level of the signal slightly in the red area which does not cause an overload; SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 65 of 88 V2.8.1 ontent is protected by Copyright.
  • Page 66 Note: Most often one regulates treble, increase their levels, which leads to overloading of the output signal of the equalizer. To prevent overloading, reduce the Microphone Gain value or move all sliders of the equalizer to a lower level. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 66 of 88 V2.8.1...
  • Page 67 In cooperation with external programs via the virtual audio cable the activated AGC allows that you do not have to worry about volume adjustments, so that the software receives an adequate signal. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 67 of 88 V2.8.1...
  • Page 68 (does not glow green), the signal passes this plug-in; 4 – sets the monitor signal output from this plug-in; 5 – button to delete the plug-in from the processing chain. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 68 of 88 V2.8.1 ontent is protected by Copyright.
  • Page 69 Examples of the usage and setting of the VST plug-ins can be found at www.essb- labs.com and others resources devoted to the subject of high-quality SSB signal and audio processing in general. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 69 of 88 V2.8.1...

  • Page 70: Setting Of Audio Devices

    When selecting the ASIO driver, audio input and output selection is done through the driver settings window, which may look different and will be shown by clicking the Show ASIO Control Panel button. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 70 of 88 V2.8.1 ontent is protected by Copyright.
  • Page 71 ZeusRadio, and also the same virtual audio cable as output device in the sound processor settings, while the microphone is the input device. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 71 of 88 V2.8.1 ontent is protected by Copyright.
  • Page 72 The same settings have to be chosen in the JT65-HF software. In this case also the CAT-Interface has to be configured to manage PTT line, the VFO frequency, etc. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 72 of 88 V2.8.1 ontent is protected by Copyright.

  • Page 73: Transceiver Frequency Correction

    You need an external reference oscillator with a nominal frequency (5 MHz, 10 MHz or any other) or use one of the reference frequencies on shortwave (4996 kHz, 9996 kHz, etc.) SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 73 of 88 V2.8.1 ontent is protected by Copyright.
  • Page 74 Correction window the measured values are displayed: Ref - the value of the reference frequency (set by the user), Meas - the measured frequency, Temp - current temperature of the transceiver, SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 74 of 88 V2.8.1 ontent is protected by Copyright.
  • Page 75 5-7˚C above ambient temperature, and the second measurement after a rise of the transceiver temperature of another 5-7˚C. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 75 of 88 V2.8.1 ontent is protected by Copyright.
  • Page 76 Due to the aging of the reference oscillator it is recommended to repeat the frequency correction once every 4 months during the first year of operation, and then approximately 2 times a year. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 76 of 88 V2.8.1...

  • Page 77: Setting Of The Cat Interface

    In ZeusRadio a command system is realized, which is compatible with Kenwood transceivers. That is why in the settings of the connected program, the following transceiver type has to be chosen: Kenwood TS-590. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 77 of 88 V2.8.1...
  • Page 78 In the settings of the PTT ports please specify that the RTS signal is used to control the PTT line, and the DTR signal – to control the CW key line. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 78 of 88 V2.8.1 ontent is protected by Copyright.

  • Page 79: Operation By Hotkeys And Midi Devices

    4, 10 Export Settings Buttons Reset Buttons to reset Hotkey and MIDI devices to its original state. 6 Refresh Button Button to update the list of MIDI devices. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 79 of 88 V2.8.1 ontent is protected by Copyright.
  • Page 80 NR On/Off – Noise reduction switch; NR Up/Down – Noise reduction level adjustment; ANF On/Off – Automatic notch filter switch; ANF Up/Down – Automatic notch filter level adjustment; SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 80 of 88 V2.8.1 ontent is protected by Copyright.
  • Page 81 – change the tuning frequency by 100 Hz; VFO 10 Hz Up/Down – change the tuning frequency by 10 Hz; Frequency Blocking On/Off – lock receiving frequency; SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 81 of 88 V2.8.1 ontent is protected by Copyright.
  • Page 82 Time Machine Up/Down – shift adjustment Time Machine; Time Machine Reset – reset Time Machine; CW Template 1-12 – transmitting of CW template; Setup CW Template 1-12 – editing of CW template. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 82 of 88 V2.8.1 ontent is protected by Copyright.

  • Page 83: Tx Predistortion Tuning

    It is important to ensure that the signal level at the input of the reference receiver will not lead to its failure. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 83 of 88 V2.8.1 ontent is protected by Copyright.
  • Page 84 – using this setting makes it impossible to set higher power levels with the power sliders in the main window. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 84 of 88 V2.8.1 ontent is protected by Copyright.
  • Page 85 30 dB. If the Predistortion algorithm is configured correctly, it will not reduce the output power by more than 1 dB. SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 85 of 88 V2.8.1 ontent is protected by Copyright.

  • Page 86: Zs-1 Specifications

    15 m, 12 m and 10 m is 15 watts, but in the range of 30 m maximum output power is 8W. Minimum system requirements: Windows XP/Vista/7/8 x32 / x64. USB2.0 Port.; Intel Core 2 Duo 1,5 GHz with 2GB RAM, OpenGL 1.5 or higher SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 86 of 88 V2.8.1...
  • Page 87 Memo SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 87 of 88 V2.8.1 ontent is protected by Copyright.
  • Page 88 SSB-Electronic wishes you much joy with your ZS-1! You have questions, suggestions or comments? Please let us know: By Email: sdr@ssb.de or by telephone: 02941 - 93385-118 SSB-Electronic GmbH © Page 88 of 88 V2.8.1 ontent is protected by Copyright.

Table of Contents