Homebrew Software to Control Multiple HPSDR Radios either Locally or from a Remote Location

by W3SZ 2/27/2015

C# application running under Windows 8.1.  It will control up to 8 HPSDR radios are simultaneously .  It is interfaced with N1MM Logger Plus

One of my interests in Amateur Radio is designing and implementing single-user multiband contest station setups.  My specific area of interest is in systems for use during the VHF/UHF/microwave contests, covering the Amateur bands from 50 MHz through 24 GHz inclusive.  I want to be able to run multiple software defined radios [SDRs] from a single computer, using the same screen/keyboard/mouse and also the same microphone/footswitch/speaker for all of them.  The goal is to have individual, always-on bandscopes that simultaneously view the 50, 144, 222, 432, 903, and 1296 MHz bands, as well as a selected microwave band on a seventh SDR that covers each of the bands 2.3 through 24 GHz inclusive, to have another bandscope/controller for the HF bands, and to have the "radio be the bandscope".  This minimizes the operational complexity of the system, by allowing the operator to instantly switch the "active radio" frequency to be that frequency on which an interesting signal has been spotted, on any one of the  eight "bands", by clicking on the appropriate radio/bandscope.  Also, I want all eight SDRs to appear as a single radio to the N1MM+ logging program, and for N1MM+ to automatically select the correct SDR when the operator switches bands within the N1MM+ program.

The paradigm is to have 8 radio GUI-bandscopes, one for each "band" as defined above.  When not selected by the operator, the individual bandscopes appear as smaller windows, as you can see in the image above.  When selected as either [1] the main radio or [2] the aux (liaison) radio, the selected bandscope will enlarge and move to the preselected screen position for the main or aux radio, depending upon which spot was selected for that band.

The software can either be used with the operator at the location of the radios, or with the operator at a remote location connected to the radio site by an ethernet link, either wired or wireless.

The software I've put together to accomplish this is based on the fantastic KISS Konsole software by Phil Harman, VK6PH, which works with the excellent HPSDR hardware.  I wrote/modified/compiled the software using Visual Studio 2013, which is now a free product.  The software was targeted at .NET Framework 4.

With the client software I wrote, there are 3 ways for the operator to select which band (radio) is active as either the main or the aux radio.  The first way of selecting a band for operation is by mouse-clicking on the spectrum/waterfall of the small bandscope for a given band.  Left-clicking will move the radio to the main radio position.  Right-clicking will move the radio to the aux radio position. 

The bands to be selected as main and aux radios can also be selected from the Main Controller Bar, which as you can see in the image above, is placed at the bottom of the screen.  It is shown in more detail below.

Clicking a "Radiobutton" for a band on the row of the bar labeled "Main" will bring that radio to the Main Radio position on the screen, and the expanded radio window thus exposed gives access to all of the main radio controls.  This action will also make this band the main radio in N1MM+.  Similarly, clicking a "Radiobutton" for a band on the "Aux" row of the bar will bring that radio to the Aux Radio position on the screen, and the expanded radio window thus exposed gives access to all of the aux radio controls.  This action will also make this band the aux radio in N1MM+.

The third way of moving a radio to the main or auxiliary radio position is through N1MM+.  Typing a frequency into the main radio entry window of N1MM+ will select the appropriate radio and place it in the main radio position on the screen and put it on that frequency.  Similarly, typing a frequency into the aux radio entry window of N1MM+ will select the appropriate radio and place it in the aux radio position on the screen and put it on that frequency.

 As you can see above, on the right side of the Main Controller Bar are Radiobuttons on both the Main Radio and the Aux Radio rows for "L Foot" (the left footswitch), "R Foot" (the right footswitch), the Microphone, the (CW) Key, and two audio channels ("Audio 1" and "Audio 2").  If the "L Foot" button on the Main Radio row is selected, then the left footswitch will be assigned to whichever radio is assigned as the main radio.  Similarly for the "R Foot", "Mic", "Key", and the two audio channels.  Of course, if the "L Foot" Radiobutton on the Aux Radio row is selected, then the left footswitch will be assigned to whichever radio is assigned as Aux Radio.  For the operator using N1MM+, the experience is that of having a single radio with always-on bandscopes for all of the bands described above that covers every band from 50 MHz through 24 GHz, inclusive, with automatic bandswitching not only of antennas, but also of footswitches, microphone, key, and receive audio.  The Main Controller Bar also allows the operator to mute either audio channel, or both [or none].  There are slight variations in the Main Controller Bar when the station is operated remotely.  Only one footswitch is then used, and the audio channels are automatically assigned, so the right footswitch and the audio select radiobuttons do not appear on the Main Controller Bar when remote operation is selected.

I placed a video on YouTube that shows me running the client software through its paces. 

The video is here.  It is silent.

Basically, the design of the software does the following:

1. Splits KISS Konsole (written by Phil Harman VK6PH with important contributions by others) into a server and a client, designed for VHF and microwave use.
2. The client controls multiple [up to 8 as configured] HPSDR Radios/servers:
50 MHz
144 MHz
222 MHz
432 MHz
903 MHz
1296 MHz
2-3-5-10-24 GHz
HF
3. The server sends Spectrum/Waterfall data to client
4. The server sends CW sidetone data to client
5. The client controls the server, to provide remote control [via ethernet] of all important radio functions
6. The client interfaces with N1MM+, appearing to N1MM+ as one multiband radio covering HF through 24 GHz
7. The client switches CW key/mic/2 footswitches/2 receive audio channels between radios, either by using a separate USB hardware device or more recently, with the remote capability added, via the ethernet with no need for the separate USB hardware device
8. N1MM+ switches antennas among radios based on band data sent to N1MM+ from client
9.  Added Adjustable FFT size 4096 to 524288 added to server
10. Added "Wisdom" optimization of FFT calculations, performed first time program is run
11. Added multiple waterfall palettes to client
12. Added computer receive audio to server so that audio can be obtained without connection to radio headphone jack, via Windows sound
13. Added zoom of spectrum/waterfall to both server and client
14. Added CW sidetone to to both client and server.  CW works with hand key or WinKeyer output, or with typed CW from N1MM+ via WinKeyer.
15. Up/Down arrows in client will move frequency up/down by "Step Size".  This also allows the ShuttlePRO v2 to act as a "knob" for frequency control.
16.  Step Size can also be set from the ShuttlePRO.  The software is set up with the following key assignments: a=1 Hz; b=10 Hz; c=100 Hz; d=1 kHz.
17.  Mode can be set from the ShuttlePRO.  The software is set up with the following key assignments: e=FM; f=USB; g=LSB; h=CWU; i=CWL.

18.  Full remote operation using wired or wireless ethernet connection.  Connections for CW, microphone audio, receive audio, footswitches are all made to the computer at the operator's location and these are "connected" via the ethernet to the ethernet ports of the individual radios.  No physical connections to the microphone, CW key, or receive audio ports of the radios are needed.  This remote capability makes unnecessary the OSX system that I had previously designed, and which I have used for hardware control for a number of years with earier versions of this software.  That system is described here

The radio hardware used with the current system is very similar to that used with the older system:

50 MHz SDR:  HPSDR Hermes with the server running on a 3.2 GHz Pentium 4
144 MHz SDR:  Elecraft K3 with an HPSDR bandscope running on a 3.1 GHz Core 2 Duo
222 MHz SDR: HPSDR Atlas/Ozy/Penelope/Mercury stack running on a 3.1 GHz Core 2 Duo
432 MHz SDR: HPSDR Atlas/Ozy/Penelope/Mercury stack running on a 3.1 GHz Core 2 Duo
903 MHz SDR: HPSDR Atlas/Ozy/Penelope/Mercury stack running on a 3.1 GHz Core 2 Duo
1296 MHz SDR: HPSDR Atlas/Ozy/Penelope/Mercury stack running on a 3.1 GHz Core 2 Duo
2.3-24 GHz SDR: HPSDR Atlas/Ozy/Penelope/Mercury stack running on a 3.1 GHz Core 2 Duo

 

 

 

The second setup screen available from the Main Controller Bar of the client software is labeled "Transverters", as shown here.  It allows the user to set the LO frequency and offset for each transverter.

The third setup screen, not shown here, allows the user to set the transmitter Band Gain for each HF, VHF, UHF, and microwave band. 

 

 

 

The fourth setup screen is used to choose whether CW keying,  receive audio, microphone audio, and MOX control are via the ethernet or via hardwired connections to each radio. Additionally, this form allows the user to set CW sidetone pitch and volume and to choose the COM ports for WinKeyer control (if used), CW input, and footswitch control. Finally, this form allows one to choose the location of the program "Tight VNC" and the VNC password for the remote computers. If this is done, the operator can quickly "VNC" into any of the server computers at the remote site by just clicking on the VNC button on the radio's GUI.

The window shown here and labeled "Setupform" is the first server-side setup tab.  My additions to the original KISS Konsole form allow the user to set the IP address of the client computer, to specify the frequency band assigned to the server by the client software, to set the FFT size to be used for the bandscope and spectrum display, to set CW sidetone pitch and volume, and to select whether or not to route local audio to the local computer, and whether or not to use ethernet for microphone and receive audio and CW keying.

I almost forgot to show a picture of the server software.  Here it is, with Mercury receiving on 40 meters in the CW portion of the band.  The display is zoomed in somewhat, and the benefits of a larger FFT are clearly evident.

For switching of ancillary hardware, this system originally used the same Parallax Propeller USB Proto Boards that I used for the original OSX-based control system.  This system can still be used for local operation, but it is not necessary as all of the switching and signal control is now done by software and ethernet communication.  This USB control system runs custom Spin applications on the Propellers to set the assignments of the footswitch, microphone, CW keys and receive audio channels to the main and aux HPSDR radios.  This hardwired system uses a USB connection between the client computer and the Parallax Propellers, and thus is applicable only to local operation.  One Propeller (lets call it the RadioManager) is used to control the footswitches, mic, and key, and a second Propeller (lets call it the AudioManager) controls the receive audio channels. 

Each of the RadioManager Propeller's 28 outputs drives, through a 22K resistor, a 2N2222a which controls a G6L-1P-DC12 relay that provides the necessary switching between the radios of the left and right footswitches, microphone, and CW key [4 banks of 7 outputs each, to connect Left Footswitch, Right Footswitch, Microphone, and CW Key each to one of the 7 radios (the HF radio is not controlled by this device)].  A single small printed circuit board from Express PCB  is used for each bank of 7 outputs.  The ExpressPCB PCB file for the RadioManager boards is here.  The ExpressPCB schematic file for the RadioManager boards is here.

I made the audio control interface a separate hardware controller because a single Propeller did not have enough outputs to handle of the the control channels.  The "custom Spin application on the AudioManager Propeller drives, through 22K resistors, 2N2222a transistors that control 3 banks of 7 G5V-2-H1-DC12 DPDT 12VDC relays each, so that I can switch each of the 7 radios to any one of 3 audio output ports.  There is one "extra" relay bank available for expansion to 7 radios.  The Express PCB boards used for this task are similar to, but not identical to, those used for the input device switching described above.  Each of the two audio channels can be independently muted, as well.  The ExpressPCB PCB file for the Audio Controller boards is here.  The ExpressPCB schematic file for the Audio Controller boards is here. Again, note that this hardware has been made redundant by the addition of remote capability to this software.