Related Manuals for RADIXON Excalibur Sigma
Summary of Contents for RADIXON Excalibur Sigma
- Page 1 WiNRADiO ® by RADIXON ® WR- G65DDC EXCALIBUR SIGMA Software-Defined Communications Receiver User’s Guide Ver. 1.07...
- Page 2 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without the written permission of the publisher. Trademarks WiNRADiO, G3, G65DDC and Excalibur Sigma are trademarks of WiNRADiO Communications All other brand and product names are trademarks of their respective owners. Published in Australia...
- Page 3 WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide FCC Notice The WiNRADiO WR-G65DDC receiver has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation.
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Page 4: Table Of Contents
Grounding ....................11 Getting Started ................... 13 Achieving Best Selectivity ................. 16 Avoiding Front-End Overload ..............17 Inside the Excalibur Sigma ................ 17 Resizing the Application Window ............. 21 Drop-Down Menu Controls ................ 22 Tuning the Excalibur Sigma ..............23 Manual Frequency Entry................ - Page 5 WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide Pause ......................61 Spectrum Scopes ..................63 Zoom Spectrum ..................64 Save and Print Spectrum ................65 Resolution Bandwidth ................65 Spectrum Averaging ................. 66 Waterfall Spectrum ................... 66 Spectrum Markers ..................68 Information Buttons .................. 69 Baseline Level ..................
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Page 6: Introduction
The WiNRADiO Excalibur Sigma will take you right to the leading edge of what is possible with today’s technology. As the name Excalibur Sigma suggests, a magical sword synonymous with power and bravery, this is not just a receiver;... -
Page 7: The Hardware
WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide The Hardware The WiNRADiO G65DDC receiver is presented as an external USB-interfaced design which provides portability and flexibility of use. The WR-G65DDC hardware is contained in a small metal box, encapsulated with transparent plastic. The front of the enclosure contains an indicator LED. The LED also serves for diagnostic purposes and installation trouble-shooting (see Appendix C –... -
Page 8: Installation
WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide Installation The complete WiNRADiO G65DDC receiver package contains the following items: • WiNRADiO G65DDC receiver • Application software, User’s and Installation Guide on a CD ROM • Installation Guide in printed form • Warranty information • AC/DC adapter with power cord •... -
Page 9: Software And Hardware Installation
WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide Software and Hardware Installation 1. Leave the receiver disconnected from the PC and insert the installation CD ROM. The installer should start automatically. If the installation program does not start automatically, choose the Run command from the Windows Start menu and type D:\INSTALL (if the CD ROM is the D: drive on your PC). -
Page 10: Setting Up The Sound Card
WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide Setting up the Sound Card As the digitally down-converted signal from the receiver is transferred to the PC over the USB interface, no external connection to the PC sound card input is necessary. The sound card is only used for the demodulated audio output. On Windows 10, the audio volume can be adjusted using the WR-G65DDC volume slider inside the Applications section and the master volume inside the Device section. -
Page 11: Connecting The Antenna
WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide To get started, make sure the volume is set approximately as shown above. If you find that the maximum volume as set on the 'receiver application panel' is not sufficient, you may then wish to increase the 'sound card' volume later. Connecting the Antenna As the old saying goes, “a good antenna is the best amplifier”. - Page 12 WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide The grounding requirement does not usually apply with antennas which do not require ground as a counterpoise to the “live” terminal. For example, the magnetic field loop antenna, which provides two output terminals, and also some electric field antennas such as dipole, inverted "V", etc.
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Page 13: Getting Started
Detailed operation is described in the subsequent chapters. We do hope you will return to these chapters as the WiNRADiO Excalibur Sigma receiver has many unique and innovative features the usage of which may not be immediately obvious and which would be a shame to miss. - Page 14 WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide The quickest way to get started with this receiver is to check its operation on your local stations. Using the keyboard, type in the frequency of one of your local AM stations: For example, for 774 kHz, type in 7 7 4, then k for kHz, then press Enter. The typed-in frequency will appear on the digital frequency display.
- Page 15 WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide Manual tuning can be done in several ways. Let’s start with the tuning knob: Place the mouse cursor onto the upper half of the tuning knob, at which point you will see the cursor change to a curved double ended arrow. Hold down the right or left mouse buttons to increase or decrease the frequency, and the knob will rotate clockwise or anti-clockwise, respectively.
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Page 16: Achieving Best Selectivity
WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide Achieving Best Selectivity In any software-defined receiver, the maximum achievable selectivity is a function of the processing power of the host computer: The greater the CPU power, the “longer” and therefore the sharper its digital filters can be made. The selectivity of your receiver can be adjusted using the function Filter length under the top bar menu Options. -
Page 17: Avoiding Front-End Overload
Appendix D – Dealing with Interference. Inside the Excalibur Sigma Let’s have a look at what’s inside this receiver and how it relates to the graphical user interface of the control application. Here is a simplified... - Page 18 WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide The Preselector contains a bank of user-configurable filters that can be used to filter out strong frequencies in the vicinity of the received signal, and so reduce overloading and intermodulation distortion. The attenuator is adjustable from zero to 21 dB in 3 dB increments and serves to reduce signal levels in the proximity of strong stations.
- Page 19 DDC bandwidth is limited to 16 MHz due to limited throughput of the Gigabit Ethernet connection. In the WiNRADiO Excalibur Sigma receiver, the chunk of the input spectra that is processed by the DDC can be recorded and played back by the PC, making it possible to “re-receive”...
- Page 20 This is equivalent to the IF Shift function of conventional receivers. Clicking on any of the three spectrum scopes will cause the receiver to tune to the corresponding frequency. But as the WiNRADiO Excalibur Sigma consists of three receivers in one, this does have some ramifications which will be further explained in the following chapters.
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Page 21: Resizing The Application Window
WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide Resizing the Application Window The WiNRADiO Excalibur Sigma application is fully resizable, which means you can drag its edges, corners and some internal boundaries to maximize the available screen space. The application panel also supports being resized over two or more monitors: You can literally surround yourself with a complete panorama of radio spectrum. -
Page 22: Drop-Down Menu Controls
WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide Drop-Down Menu Controls The WiNRADiO Excalibur Sigma receiver employs an innovative type of "drop- down menu controls" that work slightly differently from standard Windows controls. To illustrate this, let’s try, for example, the DEM BW (demodulator filter... -
Page 23: Tuning The Excalibur Sigma
Any invalid keystrokes are ignored. The same principle of changing the displayed frequency units is applied anywhere in the Excalibur Sigma application where frequency is to be entered – if you prefer to display or enter the frequency in different units simply terminate the entry with “h”... - Page 24 WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide Release the Shift key to exit this mode. Under the main frequency display there is a Band description window: This window shows the band allocation of the currently tuned frequency. While the displayed band descriptions are specific to the North American standard band allocation, they are based on international treaties and therefore are generally applicable worldwide with minor differences, and can be easily edited by the user.
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Page 25: Tuning Knob
WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide Tuning Knob The Tuning knob provides adjustment of the frequency in fixed 1 kHz, 100 Hz, 10 Hz or 1 Hz steps. To use the tuning knob, position the mouse cursor over the knob (the cursor will turn into a curved double ended arrow) and click using either the left or right mouse button. -
Page 26: Multiple Receiver Operation
WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide Multiple Receiver Operation With the WiNRADiO Excalibur Sigma you can tune to three stations at once, listening to one (or all of them mixed together). Listen to one while recording the others (into separate files). The only condition is that all of these frequencies must fit inside the DDC1 bandwidth. -
Page 27: Point-And-Click Tuning
WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide of the currently recorded DDC1 spectrum. Any such attempt will be ignored and the recording button above the DDC spectrum will flash to indicate the reason why this operation failed. You would need to stop the recording first. If tuning to a new frequency causes a receiver to be disabled, this disabled receiver’s audio will be muted, and the tuned frequency shown in the corresponding receiver tab will turn 'red' to indicate that this receiver is... - Page 28 WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide Dragging the gray area in the wideband spectrum will relocate the DDC1 passband to a new frequency. However, it is not possible to drag beyond the current spectrum boundaries; you will need to stay within the current frequency range.
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Page 29: If Shift And Passband Tuning
WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide IF Shift and Passband Tuning Dragging the grayed-out demodulator filter passband in the demodulator spectrum will result in tuning the receiver in a manner somewhat similar to the IF Shift function in conventional receivers. The passband will move inside the displayed spectrum and the tuned frequency will change accordingly. -
Page 30: Frequency Stepping
WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide invoked simply by dragging the filter passband with the right mouse button instead of the left one. This makes it possible to finely adjust the filter position in the AMS, LSB, USB, ISB, DSB and CW modes without the whistle effect, because the internal “digital BFO”... -
Page 31: Frequency Display Offset
WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide Frequency Display Offset It is possible to connect the Excalibur Sigma to a down-converter to receive frequencies which are normally beyond the Excalibur Sigma’s frequency range. In this scenario, it is convenient to see the actual received frequency rather than having to manually transpose the displayed frequency to the down- converter’s input signal. -
Page 32: Mode Selection
WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide If the frequency of one of the other receivers does not fit into the current DDC1 spectrum bandwidth, that receiver becomes disabled and the frequency in the tab turns red to indicate the disabled condition. The position of all virtual receivers (or rather their demodulator DDC2 bandwidths) is shown as dark blue areas inside the DDC1 spectrum scope, with the currently selected receiver highlighted. -
Page 33: Ams Mode
WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide Frequency Shift Keying User Definable Mode In addition to the standard AM, LSB, USB, CW and FM modes, the Excalibur Sigma receiver is equipped with several special modes, AMS, ISB, DSB, DRM, FSK and UDM. AMS Mode The AMS mode is used to improve reception quality of amplitude-modulated signals, especially those affected by selective fading which occurs over a large distance. -
Page 34: Isb And Dsb Modes
WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide Both the Tune capture range and the Sync. lock range values are user- definable, under the Options | AMS capture range menu: When the signal is locked in synchronization, this is indicated using a "lock" symbol located in the top left corner of the frequency display: ISB and DSB Modes ISB (independent sideband) is quite similar to the AMS mode and makes it possible to receive independent information in the two sidebands of an AM-... -
Page 35: Drm Mode
WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide In the DSB (dual sideband) mode, both side-bands carry the same information, but the carrier is either entirely or partially suppressed. The controls and operation are similar to the AMS mode. DRM Mode The DRM mode is a new broadcasting system designed to introduce digital broadcasting to medium and short waves, commonly referred to as DRM30. - Page 36 WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide When a DRM station is successfully received, on top of the demodulator spectrum (DDC2), there will be a text display that shows a continuously running “ticker” text which is usually transmitted by the station along with the audio, and which typically contains the station ID and program information associated with the broadcast.
- Page 37 (no noise at all coming from the speaker), as the decoded signal would not render any usable audio. The Excalibur Sigma’s DRM decoder can also decode multimedia content, which is audiovisual information that may be broadcast by some DRM stations.
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Page 38: Fsk Mode
Note that as there are three receivers in the Excalibur Sigma, each receiver can have its mode set independently. The current mode setting for each receiver will be remembered when the user exists the program. -
Page 39: Tuning Tab
WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide Tuning Tab The Tuning tab contains controls for Passband tuning, BW presets, demodulator spectrum Centering, AFC (Automatic Frequency Control), TTP (Tune to Peak) and Stepping controls. For the AMS, ISB and DSB modes, it also contains lower or upper sideband selection, and for the UDM mode there is also a mode selection. - Page 40 WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide The numbers on the buttons represent the bandwidth in kHz. These preset bandwidths change depending on the selected mode, offering an optimum choice of typical values applicable to that mode. These buttons do not appear when DRM is selected because the bandwidth is fixed. To change the demodulator bandwidth continuously, you can use the DEM BW control located above the demodulator spectrum scope: There are two ways you can use this control: Either click on the box and...
- Page 41 WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide Frequency Stepping Another facility available under the tuning tab is Frequency stepping: The Step control selects the stepping size. The following convenient step sizes are available: 1 Hz, 10 Hz, 100 Hz, 1 kHz, 3.125 kHz, 5 kHz, 6.25 kHz, 10 kHz, 12.5 kHz, 25 kHz, 50 kHz, 100 kHz.
- Page 42 WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide In LSB and USB modes, the success of this facility will depend on the type of modulation signal. It may be useful for certain types of data modulation (fax), but is not usually recommended for voice modulation. Band Selection In the AMS, ISB and DSB modes, the tuning tab also includes Band selection controls:...
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Page 43: Audio Tab
WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide Audio Tab The Audio tab contains functions specific to the parameters of the output sound, for example volume and audio filtering. Audio Filter The Filter button turns on the Audio filter. The audio filter is a bandpass filter with continuously adjustable lower and upper cut-off frequencies: When the audio filter is enabled, its low and high cut-off frequencies can be adjusted using the Low and High controls. - Page 44 WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide The filter can be also adjusted graphically, by dragging either edge of the audio filter passband: Clicking the RF button while the audio spectrum is displayed will return the spectrum scope to the default RF spectrum mode. Volume Control The Volume control is also located under the Audio tab.
- Page 45 To use the mute control, simply click on this button. Click again to release. Audio Mixer The WiNRADiO Excalibur Sigma includes an audio mixer, which makes it possible to combine audio outputs from the three virtual receivers in various ways. For example, you could simply listen to all three signals mixed together.
- Page 46 RX2+RX3 from right channel Virtual Sound Card The Excalibur Sigma receiver is equipped with an interface to the WiNRADiO Digital Bridge™ Virtual Sound Card. The Virtual Sound Card (VSC) is a software option designed to transfer digitized audio signal streams from WiNRADiO receivers directly to other applications.
- Page 47 WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide digitized data (either undemodulated IF signal or demodulated audio) directly from the WiNRADiO receiver, eliminating unnecessary conversions between the digital and analog domains, reducing distortion and improving signal quality. For more information about the VSC, please refer to the webpage www.winradio.com/vsc The VSC control buttons become available once the VSC is installed: Engaging the VSC button connects the selected receiver to the virtual sound...
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Page 48: Memory Tab
The number of frequencies that can be stored in Excalibur Sigma memories is limited only by the size of your computer’s hard disk. Storing a Frequency into Memory... - Page 49 WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide At the top of the window is the Callsign edit box. That’s where you would store a callsign or a name of the station whose frequency you are storing. The next line contains a Description where you can type your comments regarding the station.
- Page 50 This setting relates to the Scanner facility. If this checkbox is ticked, this will cause this frequency to be skipped while scanning. Note that as although the Excalibur Sigma does not have the scanner facility, the memory format is the same for a range of WiNRADiO receivers and some of the support memory scanner facility.
- Page 51 WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide To select a frequency, click on an item in the list on the right, and the frequency will be tuned. Then close the window. Frequencies which have been set for Memory scan lockout are indicated by symbol at the left-hand side.
- Page 52 WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide select Delete from the right-click menu). You will be asked to confirm that you wish to delete this frequency from memory. To delete all frequencies in a particular folder, click on the Delete button at bottom left (under the folders). You will be asked to confirm that you want to clear all the frequencies in the folder.
- Page 53 Save user memory as from the top bar File menu. A dialog box will pop up allowing you to specify the file name. When you exit the WiNRADiO Excalibur Sigma application, all memory changes are automatically saved; there is no need to use the Save command before exit.
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Page 54: Notch
WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide Opening the User Memory File When the WiNRADiO Excalibur Sigma receiver application starts up, the most recently used memory file will be opened automatically. To open a different memory file, select Load user memory from the File menu. -
Page 55: Squelch
WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide (the large peak to the right of center, at the cursor position). In the resulting audio, typically there would be a strong buzzing sound. After applying the notch filter, adjusting its center and bandwidth (by dragging the blue area center and edges) to fall exactly over the interfering signal, the situation will look like this: This results in significantly reduced interference and a much more pleasing... - Page 56 The WiNRADiO Excalibur Sigma has five different types of squelch, suited for different types of scenarios: Level squelch refers to the received signal strength, as indicated by the S-meter.
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Page 57: Gain
WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide To adjust the level squelch control, first tune to an unoccupied frequency that produces only noise. Increase the squelch until the receiver is muted. You will see the red-colored segment of the S-meter growing until it gets higher than the current S-meter value. - Page 58 IF signal prior to demodulation. The difference is that in a conventional receiver, this is implemented in hardware, while with the Excalibur Sigma it is a software function. The AGC has six speed settings: Slow, Medium, Fast, User 1, User 2 and User 3.
- Page 59 WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide The higher the AGC reference level, the stronger will be the signal at the input of the demodulator. If this level is too high and the input signal too strong, distortion may appear. On the other hand, decreasing the AGC reference level will generally result in lower audio levels.
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Page 60: Noise Blanker
WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide Useful notes about AGC to remember: 1. In AM, AMS, LSB, USB, ISB, DSB and CW modes, the gain setting affects loudness. If the receiver volume appears too low (and yet the volume control is all the way up), make sure that AGC is enabled 2. -
Page 61: Pause
WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide ADC are compared to a threshold value, and if greater, then these samples are zeroed. The Short Time DDC averaging method is preferable and will yield improvement in most cases of atmospheric or man-made interference. It is activated by pressing the Enable DDC averaging button located under the Noise Blanker tab. - Page 62 WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide Pressing the Pause button activates this function. The audio will be muted and the DDC2 spectrum will freeze. The DDC2 signal stream will be saved into the buffer instead of going through the usual demodulation process. In this state, the Current delay display will show the increasing amount of saved signal in terms of the time delay, while the Pause time display will show the time when the pausing started.
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Page 63: Spectrum Scopes
Spectrum Scopes We have already touched on the spectrum scopes in some of the preceding paragraphs, but there is much more to the WiNRADiO Excalibur Sigma spectrum scopes than just the ability to “point-and-click” tune or drag the demodulator filter passband. -
Page 64: Zoom Spectrum
WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide The gray shaded area in the wideband spectrum represents the DDC bandwidth. The gray shaded areas in both the DDC and demodulator spectrum both represent the currently selected demodulator filter bandwidth. Even though their functionality is different, all these three spectrum scopes utilize some common controls. -
Page 65: Save And Print Spectrum
WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide The Spectrum centering button , when used in the DDC1 and DDC2 spectrum scopes, shifts the spectrum so that the demodulated frequency is in the center of the spectrum display (or as close as possible). In the wideband spectrum, this button shifts the spectrum so that the DDC1 passband will be as close to the wideband display center as possible. -
Page 66: Spectrum Averaging
WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide Spectrum Averaging The AVG control employs time averaging to smooth the spectrum trace. The trace is averaged over the selected time period, variable from 0 to 2 seconds. This makes the viewing of the spectrum easier on the eyes, reducing the noise floor fluctuations while leaving the useful signal clean and steady. - Page 67 WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide To invoke the palette menu simply click on the dBm scale on the left. This will reveal three selectable parameters, using which the waterfall can be made more informative. The palette Top and Bottom parameters can be understood as optical limits, or baselines.
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Page 68: Spectrum Markers
WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide The Passband reveal button can be interesting. When activated in the wideband spectrum scope, it will show the DDC1 passband inside the waterfall. When activated in the DDC1 spectrum scope, it will show the DDC2 passband. Spectrum Markers This facility exists in the wideband, DDC1 and audio spectrum scopes, making it possible to mark frequencies of interest, set reference points and calculate... -
Page 69: Information Buttons
WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide markers. The reference marker will be marked with an R next to its displayed frequency. The differential value with respect to the reference marker will be displayed next to the other markers: Cancel marker reference – this will remove the marker’s status as a reference and the differential frequencies will not be displayed for the other markers. -
Page 70: Baseline Level
WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide In the DDC2 spectrum, this function reveals particulars about the received signal, such as frequency error, modulation depth, SINAD, THD, etc. Baseline Level The wideband spectrum scope provides adjustment for the baseline level using the Min. Level control. This adjusts the minimum displayed signal strength level, and serves to maximize the useful display space in situations where the noise floor would occupy too large proportion of the displayed spectrum (for example in noisy environments or with large antennas):... - Page 71 WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide Markers (when the spectrum is right-clicked) are also available in the Audio Spectrum display mode. When the Audio filter is enabled (using the Filter button under the Audio tab), its passband will be shown as a gray area superimposed over the audio spectrum.
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Page 72: Activity Search
WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide Activity Search If the Activity button is engaged, this will put the receiver into the Activity search mode: In this mode, the wide-band display does not show a contiguous spectrum, but rather “hits” on discreet frequency channels. In other words, the receiver will operate like a conventional scanner. - Page 73 WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide three self-explanatory buttons (start Starting, stopping and pausing is controlled by / stop / pause): The AVG option in the activity mode (at the bottom of the window) averages the specified number of spectra before they are used. This may reduce short time interference or noise in the final spectrum but it reduces the speed of the activity search as well.
- Page 74 WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide Tune - tune the receiver to the selected frequency. Store to memory - store the frequency to the default activity memory group. Change activity memory group – specify the default activity memory group (any listed frequencies which have been stored in the default activity memory group will be displayed with reduced brightness).
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Page 75: Recording Functions
WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide To activate frequency exclusions in the activity search, press the Enable button. Excluded bands are highlighted in the activity spectrum. Recording Functions At the top of the DDC1 and DDC2 spectrum scopes there are Recorder buttons that serve to reveal their respective recording facilities. - Page 76 WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide Pressing the Recorder button (DDC1 or DDC2) will reduce the height of the spectrum scope at the bottom and utilize the extra space for the recorder controls. The recording controls of the DDC1 and DDC2 spectrum scopes appear identical.
- Page 77 WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide The Prebuffer control sets the time for pre-buffering, which means that the recorder will include the specified number of seconds of recording before you press the recording start button. This is in order 'not to miss' the start of an interesting transmission.
- Page 78 WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide rec-12.345678MHz-^001.ddc, where the “^” symbol denotes a split section. Recording will then automatically continue into a file called rec-12.345678MHz-^002.ddc. When the file is played back, the recorder will automatically assemble the related split sections and play them back seamlessly.
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Page 79: Attenuator
WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide Attenuator The Attenuator is used to reduce the signal coming to the ADC and therefore the receiver’s sensitivity. This is useful in situations where strong signals cause overload. Overload is indicated by the words “ADC CLP” appearing in the S-meter: The attenuator is variable from zero to 21 dB, in 3 dB steps. -
Page 80: Rf Filter
S-meter The WiNRADiO Excalibur Sigma receiver is equipped with a very sensitive and selective Signal Strength Meter (S-meter) which makes it possible to measure peak or RMS signal level in dBm, µV or S-units, within the demodulator filter passband. -
Page 81: Top Menu Bar
WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide The squelch value is always indicated in dBm (even if the signal strength is displayed in S-units or microvolts). The Peak and RMS buttons select between displays of peak and RMS values. The AVG button applies a floating average with a one second time interval to smooth the S-meter movement. - Page 82 WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide figures fed into calculating machines, holds them in storage while it memorizes new ones - speeds intelligent solutions through mazes of mathematics." User memory files are of a special format with the extension “.r7m”. Scheduler files have the extension “.r7s”. Activity monitor data (refer to the Activity search chapter) has the extension “.g65ddcact”.
- Page 83 WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide “Folder”, “Callsign”, “Description”, “Frequency”, “Mode”, “Bandwidth”, “Level squelch”, “Noise squelch”, “Voice squelch”, “CTCSS squelch “, ”DCS squelch”, “Audio filter low”, “Audio filter high”, “Audio filter de-emphasis” Folder can also include subfolders (groups), which are separated by slash signs “/”, for example as follows: "Memory/SW stations/Australia"...
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Page 84: Options
WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide Options The Options menu contains a number of user settings making it possible to customize the receiver’s look and behavior, adjust its numerous operational parameters, activate various test and measurement displays, calibrate the receiver, as well as restore factory defaults for user-definable parameters. - Page 85 Otherwise the dialog is displayed in read-only mode with a short explanation. Filter Length This facility makes it possible to adjust the digital filter “length” (which directly translates into selectivity) for three types of filter used in the Excalibur Sigma:...
- Page 86 WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide The Demodulator filter length has a direct influence upon the overall 'receiver selectivity'. Greater length produces better selectivity. The maximum achievable selectivity is limited by the processing power of your computer: The greater the CPU power, the “longer” (and therefore sharper) the filter can be made.
- Page 87 WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide are useful for installing the receiver and debugging possible interface problems (see Appendix C). However, as the flashing LED may be distracting, the behavior of this LED in its normal "receiver ready" state can be controlled by the user, making it possible to keep the LED continuously on or off, to suit the user's preference: Display Offset This feature makes it possible to introduce a fixed offset to the displayed...
- Page 88 WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide Time The time information displayed in the top-right menu bar can be either the local time (as provided by the PC) or UTC (Coordinated Universal Time). This can be selected by the user via this option. It is also possible to select 12 or 24 hour time display format, or the default format determined by the Windows “locale”...
- Page 89 WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide Keyboard Shortcuts Keyboard shortcuts make it possible to use keyboard keys instead of the mouse to select the most common functions. The keyboard shortcuts are also very useful for blind and visually impaired radio operators as a preferred alternative to a graphical user interface.
- Page 90 WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide This function makes it possible to set sampling rates for both the VSC audio and IF outputs independently, to match the requirements of the target application. The VSC audio data is always 16 bit mono, the IF data is 16 bit stereo (each of the "I and Q"...
- Page 91 WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide The Min. buffer size and Max. buffer size parameters can be adjusted to minimize the latency for a particular computer system. The Min. buffer size parameter can be adjusted to the minimum acceptable value before significant distortion or drop-outs develop. The Max. buffer size parameter determines the maximum allowable latency.
- Page 92 WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide the other hand, if the Sync. lock range is too wide, then there is an increased possibility of losing sync due to a nearby strong signal. When the signal is locked in synchronization, a "lock" symbol located in the top-left corner of the frequency display confirms successful lock: Audio Output The audio output function makes it possible to allocate the audio output of the...
- Page 93 Filter length setting under Options. Show Measurements The Test and Measurement functions of the Excalibur Sigma receiver make it possible to indicate the ADC input level (in percentage of the entire ADC range), Frequency error of the received signal (assuming the receiver is...
- Page 94 Measuring your Excalibur Sigma’s sensitivity using your Excalibur Sigma: Using the SINAD measurement facility, you can measure the sensitivity of the WiNRADiO Excalibur Sigma receiver very easily. All you need is a calibrated signal generator. For example, to measure AM sensitivity, connect the signal...
- Page 95 Even though in theory using SINAD should result in the sensitivity figures being somewhat worse than if S+N/N is used, in practice, with a good receiver such as the Excalibur Sigma, there is no noticeable difference. Note: When measuring sensitivity using SINAD, it is very important that...
- Page 96 WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide Calibration Since the Excalibur Sigma uses an accurate and stable temperature compensated crystal oscillator with 0.1 ppm (parts per million) tuning stability, there is no real need for calibration for most practical purposes. However, for the most demanding user, a calibration facility still remains available:...
- Page 97 This feature may be useful if a frequency of interest is found and you wish to record or monitor it, and then tune the Excalibur Sigma to a frequency outside the currently tuned DDC1 bandwidth.
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Page 98: Memory
WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide Memory The memory functions are described in full detail in the chapter Memory tab (under Function tabs). Selecting this top bar menu function is equivalent to pressing the Recall button under the memory tab. The top menu bar function Memory contains the following facilities:... -
Page 99: Scheduler
WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide Show user memory makes it possible to display and edit the entire frequency memory structure. Memory Search Range is used to adjust the accepted offset from stored frequencies. In this example, only stations that fall within ± 1 kHz of the tuned frequency are shown in the callsign display. - Page 100 WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide You can add new recording tasks by pressing the New button at the bottom- left. This opens the New task window.
- Page 101 WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide At the top of the window, you can add the task description or name in the Description edit box which will then appear in the task list. The next item to specify is the Frequency for the receiver to be tuned to. The next items are Start time and Start date.
- Page 102 WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide If the task is to be performed only on particular days of week, you can select those days of the week on which the task is to be performed. (By default, initially all days are selected, so you will have to deselect the unwanted days.) Then there are three choices for the type of action for the Scheduler to perform: You can either run a special-purpose plug-in, an external application program, or make a recording.
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Page 103: Logger
My Documents/WiNRADiO/G65DDC folder but you can change this using the file browser function when entering the recorded file name. Logger The Excalibur Sigma receiver is equipped with a simple logging function which makes it possible to log signal strength on up to three frequencies at the same time. -
Page 104: Plugins
Plugins The last item (except Help) in the top bar menu is Plugins. Like many other WiNRADiO products, the Excalibur Sigma has the capability to integrate with WiNRADiO’s XRS (Extensible Radio Specification) plug-ins that can extend the receiver’s capability in many respects. - Page 105 WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide the PC clock. The time difference is determined by a setting in your Windows Control Panel (Date and Time setting, Time Zone tab). Did you know? Coordinated Universal Time is abbreviated “UTC”. The International Telecommunication Union wanted Coordinated Universal Time to have a single abbreviation for all languages.
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Page 106: Appendix A - Sdr And Ddc Primer
This note is intended to help “traditional” radio enthusiasts understand the technology differences between old style analog receivers and the new generation of Software Defined Radio (SDR), especially with reference to the WiNRADiO Excalibur Sigma. Analog Receivers Prior to the era of computer-interfaced radio receivers, a block diagram of a typical HF receiver would look similar to that below. - Page 107 WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide WR-1000e shortly followed suit. These receivers were little more than software controlled (rather than software defined): Their functionality, especially those critical filtering and demodulation functions, was still very much defined by and dependent on hardware. The software portion of these products was limited to only two basic functions: To provide a convenient graphical user interface and to process the audio via a computer sound card.
- Page 108 WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide hardware remains the same. Plus of course, there is a benefit of performance consistency: With the same input, a software routine will always produce the same result, not depending in variations and aging of components such as diodes, resistors and capacitors.
- Page 109 (see www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyquist_frequency). So, with 210 MSPS (mega samples per second) we have the potential with the Excalibur Sigma to sample almost 105 MHz of spectrum at once. However, one ADC does not yet make an SDR, and more software processes are involved.
- Page 110 ‘modern’ PC, typically with at least a four core CPU of later generation. With slower CPUs, it may not be possible to achieve the entire potential of the Excalibur Sigma, in particular the ability to process the entire 64 MHz wide DDC bandwidth.
- Page 111 If the external hard drive is USB-interfaced and connected via a USB hub shared with the Excalibur Sigma, the total USB data transfer speed has to be shared, thus reducing the performance of both devices. So far we have discussed the clever digital ‘bits’ of SDRs, but we should not ignore the RF issues associated with direct sampling, such as the effect of the ADC performance.
- Page 112 195 MHz is present at the input, this would appear on 15 MHz due to the aliasing effect and potentially mask a wanted signal there. In the Excalibur Sigma, this effect is significantly reduced by the use of a high quality low-pass filter preceding the ADC and effectively removing the 195 MHz signal before it is presented to its input.
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Page 113: Appendix B - Troubleshooting
WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide Appendix B – Troubleshooting Problem Solution Upon installation, WR-G65DDCe (USB/LAN model): the software says that the receiver is Check that receiver is turned on. The blue LED should not found and flash. offers to run in demo mode only. - Page 114 WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide Problem Solution The receiver When you tune to a known station, you should be able application runs to see a peak on the demodulator spectrum scope. If OK, but there is you can’t see any peak, make sure your antenna is no sound coming properly connected.
- Page 115 WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide Problem Solution Make sure that AGC under the Gain tab is enabled I can hear the and set to medium speed. Try to adjust the Gain audio and tune the parameter under the Audio tab (excessive audio gain receiver, but the can cause distortion).
- Page 116 WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide Problem Solution Make sure the Attenuator is disabled and the I can hear the Preamplifier is engaged. Check that your antenna is audio and tune the properly connected, the connector is not loose and receiver, but the that the antenna cable is not damaged.
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Page 117: Appendix C - Usb And Lan Interface Diagnostics
WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide Appendix C – USB and LAN Interface Diagnostics The flashing pattern of the blue LED on the WR-G65DDCe receiver’s front panel has a diagnostics meaning. Normally, when the receiver is powered up and the application running, the blue LED should flash in a dih-dah pattern (i.e. a short flash followed by a long one). -
Page 118: Appendix D - Dealing With Interference
One significant source of man-made electromagnetic interference is the personal computer. Since the WiNRADiO Excalibur Sigma receiver requires a personal computer to operate, this creates a potential paradox. The receiver itself is designed to be substantially immune to computer-generated interference. - Page 119 ‘quieter’ one, or you can try to relocate your antenna further away from your computer. While the WiNRADiO Excalibur Sigma receiver has been designed to minimize interference-related problems, switched-mode computer power supplies sometimes still present a challenge. This type of interference would usually...
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Page 120: Appendix E - Waterfall Spectrum Palettes
WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide Appendix E – Waterfall Spectrum Palettes The Waterfall spectrum (wide band and DDC1) use color palettes, selectable using the Palette control: The color palettes reside in ordinary text files with an extension “.pal”, located in the application installation folder, i.e. typically C:/Program files (x86)/WiNRADiO/G65DDC/Defs The existing files are named Blue.pal, Cold.pal, DeepBlue.pal, Gray.pal, Hot.pal, Magenta.pal, Rainbow.pal, Sepia.pal and Yellow.pal. -
Page 121: Appendix F - Recording File Formats
WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide Appendix F – Recording File Formats The DDC recorder can record the DDC stream in a standard WAV file format, but saves the files with an extension “.ddc” in order to avoid confusion with audio wave files. The proprietary WiNRADiO RXW file format (extension “.rxw”) is often a better choice, because it also contains additional data such as the current DDC center frequency, date, time and internal compensation data, which makes it possible to simulate original conditions during the... - Page 122 WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide DDC Bandwidth DDC Recording (kHz) Sampling Rate (kHz) 2000 2500 2500 3333.3 3200 4000 4000 5000 5000 6250 6000 8333.3 8000 10000 10000 12500 12500 16666.67 16000 20000 20000 25000 25000 33333.33 32000 40000 40000 50000 50000 66666.67 64000...
- Page 123 WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide $001.ddc. The file name includes a “counter” prefixed by the “$” sign. With each new created file, this counter will be incremented. If you engage the Split button and the file size reaches 2 GB, the existing file will be automatically closed and named rec-12.345678MHz-$001-^001.ddc, where the “^”...
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Page 124: Appendix G - G65Ddce Connections
WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide Appendix G – G65DDCe Connections All connectors are located on the rear panel of the receiver. Some of the connectors may not be installed depending upon the customer's requirements. 1. Frequency reference output (optional) 2. Frequency reference input (optional) 3. -
Page 125: Appendix H - Compliance Declarations
WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide Appendix H – Compliance Declarations CE Conformity Radixon Group Pty.Ltd. declares that the WiNRADiO G65DDC Excalibur Sigma receiver complies with the following EC standards: EN 60950 ETSI EN 301489-1 ETSI EN 300113 FCC Compliance This device, trade name WiNRADiO Communications Receiver, model number WR-G65DDC complies with FCC part 15B and ICES-003. -
Page 126: Appendix I - Safety Disposal
WiNRADiO G65DDC User’s Guide Appendix I – Safety Disposal 1. When this crossed-out bin symbol is attached to a product it means that the product is covered by the European Community directive 2002/96/EC. 2. All electrical and electronic products should be disposed of separately from the municipal waste stream via designated collection facilities appointed by the government or by the local authorities. - Page 127 WiNRADiO ® C O M M U N I C A T I O N S w w w . w i n r a d i o . c o m...