BATC Wiki - User contributions [en-gb]

Receiver upconverters

2020-05-09T17:59:52Z

G8PEF: Tidy up

Standard free-to-air (FTA) set-top boxes (STBs) and early versions of the MiniTiouner using the Sharp tuner module, only cover the frequency range 650—2400 MHz. Whilst this is fine for the 23cms (1.3 GHz) and 13cms (2.3 GHz) amateur bands it does not provide coverage of the 146 MHz (2m) or 437 MHz (70cm) bands, where the majority of ATV operation takes place.<br />
In order to provide coverage on these lower bands we need to use an upconverter in front of the tuner which converts 146 MHz or 437 MHz up to an L-band frequency that is within the coverage range of standard FTA STBs and early MiniTiouners.

The page list details of receive upconverters used to convert 146 MHz or 437 MHz ATV signals up to L-band:

*146 MHz to L-band receive converters:

*437MHz to L-band receive converters:

[[SUP2400 mods]] - 70cms to L-band receive upconverter hardware modifications

[[SUP2400 DiSEqC]] - 70cms to L-band receive upconverter DiSEqC control PCBs

Custom DATV Firmware for the Pluto

2019-10-21T17:35:47Z

G8PEF: /* System Integration */

===Foreword===

This is a preview of an article due for publication in CQ-TV 266, published here to promote early experimentation. Thanks to Paul M0EYT for writing it.

Before loading the custom firmware, it may be necessary to extend the frequency range of the Pluto. The instructions for this can be found on this web page: https://wiki.analog.com/university/tools/pluto/users/customizing. Scroll down to the bottom section "Updating to the AD9364".

You may also wish to enable the second CPU core as described here: https://www.ph4x.com/pluto-sdr-hack-2nd-cpu-core/

You can download the firmware from the VIVA DATV forum, after registration, from http://www.vivadatv.org/viewtopic.php?f=60&t=692

===Introduction===

Firstly, I'm not a DATV expert but have played with a number of SDR's over the years since my first SDR-14 back in 2005. I dabble in GHz stuff so have a rough idea what I'm doing but that’s about it! I like to make sure I learn something new related to technology every day, so both DATV and the PLUTO SDR fulfil this. I got the PLUTO after borrowing one from Jules, G0NZO and being super impressed by it, for the price you really cannot go wrong. It works out of the box, has TX+RX and with a few minutes work, can have its frequency range extended to cover 70MHz to 6GHz, not bad at all, plus it runs Linux internally (Linux pluto 4.14.0-g387d584d434e). The receiver is great and I used the loan unit to listen to all Bell Hill beacons up to 5.7GHz with something akin to a paperclip pushed into the RX port.

[[File:Pluto.png|105px]]

This is the unit in question, shown to the left, it’s very compact at 5"X3"X1" with separate transmit and receive SMA sockets and a pair of micro USB sockets for I/O and power. It draws 400-420mA when idle or transmitting. When the QO100 narrow band transponder was used with PLUTO SDR's for TX, some frequency drift was apparent. It turns out that the integral TCXO wasn’t particularly good, so it's worth replacing it with a decent TCXO such as the ASTX-13-C-40.000MHz-I05-T which you can get from Mouser. This solves all frequency stability issues (well most...). For the ultimate stability, external GPSDO reference is still recommended.

===First Steps===

I've built the Portsdown filter/modulator unit for DVBS which performs really well, but was looking for a non-Lime-SDR method (it’s a long story) of generating DVBS28PSK and 16/32APSK DATV. I saw on Twitter that OM Evariste, F5OEO (@F5OEOEvariste) of RPiTX fame was developing replacement firmware for the PLUTO that would provide DATV capabilities as well as some other goodies, so I pinged him a message and asked if I could beta-test the firmware. The firmware arrived quickly.The 'pluto.frm' file is copied into the root directory of the PLUTO mass storage memory, where the configuration files exist. Once copied up, 'eject' the device, don’t unplug the USB but use the software eject. The blue LED1 in the PLUTO will rapidly flash for 3 or 4 minutes then reboot and the mass storage device will reappear. Full details on this process are at https://wiki.analog.com/university/tools/pluto/users/firmware - don't unplug it during the flash process for obvious reasons; you might brick it. With the SDR still plugged into your PC, you can browse to the internal web-server by pointing a browser at http://192.168.2.1 with all being well you should see something similar to the next screenshot:

[[File:Screenshot.png|450px]]

Having updated the firmware and confirmed that it was working, next was the start of a massive learning curve…What would I need to use to generate some 'digital stream' with video in it? What software should be used? How does the stream get from the PC to the SDR? How do you set all the parameters needed to generate DATV? How do I get video from my phone camera into the PC? The list of questions was growing the more I looked into this stuff....

===Digital Video Source===

I know John, GI7UGV, as we work in the same industry and know that he's really into DATV, so had a chat with him and within minutes had VMIX (https://www.vmix.com/) installed – this looked like the easiest initial method of doing what I needed; make a PC generate some stream to control the PLUTO. This was pretty intuitive and within half an hour I had a test card source, spitting out the relevant data to the PLUTO. This was done by setting an external RTMP stream target with the following parameters:

URL : rtmp://192.168.2.1:7272/,437,DVBS2,QPSK,333,23,Pass : ,M0EYT,

The above parameters form part of the URL and are parsed by the F5OEO firmware to set the various DATV transmission parameters:

Frequency in MHz: 437
Mode (DVBS/DVBS2): DVBS2
Constellation (QPSK,8PSK,16APSK): QPSK (only QPSK is valid in DVBS)
SymbolRate in KS (33-2000): 333
FEC (12,23,34,67,78...): 23
CALLSIGN: M0EYT

It's particularly important to look at the RTMP stream definition syntax, probably best to cut & paste the above URL / pass text and then modify to suite your own requirements. With the PLUTO SDR plugged into the USB port of the PC running VMIX, it worked right away and a QPSK carrier was being generated at 437MHz, receivable on the Minitiouner. I had noted that VMIX was not free, so rather than spending hours with IDA, and having noted what John 'UGV had said, I decided to uninstall VMIX and give OBS (Open Broadcaster Software https://obsproject.com/download) a try. Since this is open source, there are no licensing 'difficulties' and although it's not as polished as VMIX, it's fully functional and just works.

===OBS Basics===

In OBS the first thing to do is to define the output stream so it points at the PLUTO SDR, so go to settings, stream, and type in the following; obviously tweaking the IP address, modulation parameters and callsign to suit your own environment:

[[File:OBS.png|606px]]

You will be able to see a 'Controls' box docked at the bottom of the OBS window, this is where you press 'start streaming' to enable the PLUTO's DATV output. A green block should appear in the status bar indicating that streaming to the PLUTO is occurring.
Before you jump in and press 'start streaming', you will need to set the streaming bitrate to avoid any overflows between OBS and the PLUTO. Visit http://www.satbroadcasts.com/DVB-S_Bitrate_and_Bandwidth_Calculator.html type in your DVBS/S2 parameters, press calculate, and make a note of the 'Netto TS bitrate' – you want to set your streaming bit rate to about 65% to 70% of this figure. So if the Net TS bitrate is 440Kbps you will want to set your video bitrate to say 286Kbps, better to set it on the lower side. This means that the video plus transport overheads will not cause overflows when streaming data into the PLUTO. Once you are familiar with the various bitrates, and your favourite settings, you will be able to guesstimate the video bitrate in OBS. It is set via 'settings', then 'output', then under the 'streaming' section type your bitrate. I have my encoder set to x264 compression and my audio bitrate set to 64Kbps. With these settings, there are no interruptions in the audio stream and everything works fluidly.
Next, you will need a picture source, so the easiest method in OBS is to go to the 'scenes' dock, press +, enter a name for your scene, such as 'test card'. Next in the 'sources' dock, press +, select video capture device, create new, type in some name and press OK. You should see a 'colour bar / grey fade / bar' test card appear in the 'Preview' window. Ensure that in the 'Controls' dock, you have pressed 'Studio Mode' so you see Preview and Program windows.
Whatever you see in the 'Program' window is the video that is being streamed to your PLUTO.
You can set a number of 'scenes' so that you can quickly select and fade or cut between them. If you have desktop video files these are easy to add. You can create an additional scene and for example put a JPG/PNG image there, or add some desktop video. I found that my camcorder dumped its video out in a .VRO file, never heard of that, but OBS could ingest it and stream it correctly including the stereo audio tracks.
You can also easily add scrolling text messages to overlay across your images, various analogue and digital clocks, inputs from webcams, RTSP CCTV cameras, dancing chicken / cat overlays etc., there are a lots of choices. You probably want to spend a few hours clicking through the various menus to get a handle on the software options and what it can do. I found it fairly easy to set up sources and to be able to chop and change parameters whilst watching the DVB-S2 stream on another laptop. Within OBS it's also worth looking at the various extensions / add-ons that others have written for the platform, these basically are additional features for you to use. You will end up with something similar to my instance:

[[File:OBS Screen.png|585px]]

In my OBS 'scenes' I have an 'rtmp streamer' input, this allows me to use the camera / microphone in my Android mobile phone, along with software called Larix Broadcaster https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.wmspanel.larix_broadcaster - what this does is streams the video from the phone, but you cannot ingest this directly into OBS since you need an RTMP streaming server. You could use this mobile app to directly stream to the PLUTO SDR but then all the nice video processing features of OBS are lost. Luckily there is a thread at https://forum.batc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=69&t=6179 detailing what needs to be done to make build such a server, you can drop this onto one of your Raspberry PI's and it consumes very little CPU. Basically it uses NGINX HTTP server with an RTMP streamer plugin and just works. Point your phone and OBS at the PI's IP with the port defined in the configuration file, press the various go buttons and video / audio will be streamed from the phone into OBS.
If you can get away from having any analogue video sources in your setup, your overall stream output will be digital from the sensor through to the display at the other end of your QSO. This means that quality will be maintained and you won't have poor quality audio with earth loops / buzzing or video that suffers from typical analogue artifacts.

If you want to stream from a Windows desktop into the RTMP server, that is also easy to set up. Firstly download FFMpeg from https://ffmpeg.zeranoe.com/builds/ - you will then need the capture drive which you can get from http://www.umediaserver.net/components/index.html search for UScreenCapture and download the appropriate version. Once both packages are installed, open a command shell and execute the following;

ffmpeg -f dshow -i video="UScreenCapture" -r 10 -c:v libx264 -b:v 300k -preset ultrafast -b 300k -s 1280x800 -x264opts keyint=50 -g 25 -pix_fmt yuv420p -f flv "rtmp://1.2.3.4:1936/live1/desktop"

the -b:v and -b parameters are video bitrate. -s is capture size and -r is 10 frames per second, adjust to suite your particular setup. I tested this with 333Ksps QPSK and it renders nicely. In OBS you should set up a steam source pointing to rtmp://1.2.3.4:1936/live1/desktop to be able to see your desktop image.

Obviously set the target RTMP server IP address to the appropriate address. If you are using John GI7UGV's nginx RTMP server, you can add another directive to support multiple streams. Your /etc/nginx/nginx.conf might look as follows;

worker_processes auto;
rtmp_auto_push on;
events {}
rtmp {
server {
listen 1935;
application live {
live on;
record off;
}
listen 1936;
application live1 {
live on;
record off;
}
}
}

===System Integration===

Having thought briefly about how to integrate the PLUTO into my existing QO100 narrow band system, I decided that it would be better to place all of the needed equipment into the ODU since there are already mains, 10MHz ref, LAN, 70cms IF, etc. connections to the outdoor box.

[[File:Pluto Network.png|313px]]

I found an old USB<>Ethernet adapter and an OTG adapter, plugged it into the PLUTO's USB IO port, and a phone charger battery into the PSU USB port, the PLUTO defaults to DHCP so quickly obtains an IP address once its internal Linux OS has booted.

Network operation really is the way to go as it eliminates lots of USB issues and allows multiple sources to use the SDR without having to continually mess around with USB cables and fragile micro-USB connectors.

Matthias DD1US has written up his PLUTO LAN experiences at https://tinyurl.com/y4qtcmau which is worth digesting.

In the final system iteration here at the M0EYT ground station, I'll use a good de-noised 5V PSU, the PLUTO will go in a metal box for mechanical stability purposes, and I'll mount SMA sockets with back to back connectors that have the same hole spacing as the SDR, this should ensure that nothing gets broken.

===RF Topics===

The RF output level of the PLUTO is pretty low, about -15dBm at 2.4GHz so clearly this needs some amplification to do anything useful with.I decided to look at some of the random amplifier modules I had laying around and see what each did to the output spectrum, in particular the spectral regrowth / shoulders.
All measurements below are taken with the PLUTO generating DVBS2 at 2409.750MHz centre, 8PSK, 333Ksps, 2/3 FEC.

[[File:6 Avantek.png|400px]]
Avantek SA82-2340

[[File:7 SPF.png|400px]]
SPF5043 + 10dB Pad on o/p

[[File:8 LNA4.png|400px]]
LNA4ALL + 10dB Pad on o/p

[[File:9 3x.png|400px]]
3 X amp 30~dB gain (+ 10dB Pad on o/p)

[[File:11 Pluto Direct.png|400px]]
PLUTO direct output 8PSK baseline

[[File:10 Pluto 8.png|400px]]
PLUTO 8PSK baseline

From the tests of LNA's to get the PLUTO output up a bit, it appears the more modern devices do not add significant IMD to the xPSK providing they are not over driven.
My current experimental TX line up is a dual FET pre-amp taking the PLUTO output to +5dBm, a secondary PA rated at 20watts running at 30dBm, and then a Spectrian PA, modified as per the CQ-TV article to deliver 45dBm, about 30 watts. Looking at the PSK constellation shows that its relatively clean, and the shoulders either side of the 8PSK are 35dB down which should just about be acceptable. I will try to find one of the Axis-NT amplifiers as that would solve all power problems.

===Wrapping Up===

The PLUTO SDR with the F5OEO firmware certainly does offer a simple way to generate DATV from VHF up to the lower microwave bands. For QO100 with a suitable amplifier chain it is ideal and should result in many more users appearing on the wideband transponder. There are no annoying pre-transmission calibration carriers to spatter over the transponder which is nice. A great amount of credit should be given to Evariste F5OEO for his amazing work on this firmware, and I would recommend you donate to his efforts via https://www.paypal.me/f5oeo - something for a decant bottle of wine or two for example! I'm sure that many hundreds of man-hours have been put in to this project so a bit of support won't go a-miss and might even encourage further enhancements.See you on the transponder! Thanks to John GI7UGV for sanity checking this write up ;-)

Custom DATV Firmware for the Pluto

2019-10-21T17:28:14Z

G8PEF: /* OBS Basics */

===Foreword===

This is a preview of an article due for publication in CQ-TV 266, published here to promote early experimentation. Thanks to Paul M0EYT for writing it.

Before loading the custom firmware, it may be necessary to extend the frequency range of the Pluto. The instructions for this can be found on this web page: https://wiki.analog.com/university/tools/pluto/users/customizing. Scroll down to the bottom section "Updating to the AD9364".

You may also wish to enable the second CPU core as described here: https://www.ph4x.com/pluto-sdr-hack-2nd-cpu-core/

You can download the firmware from the VIVA DATV forum, after registration, from http://www.vivadatv.org/viewtopic.php?f=60&t=692

===Introduction===

Firstly, I'm not a DATV expert but have played with a number of SDR's over the years since my first SDR-14 back in 2005. I dabble in GHz stuff so have a rough idea what I'm doing but that’s about it! I like to make sure I learn something new related to technology every day, so both DATV and the PLUTO SDR fulfil this. I got the PLUTO after borrowing one from Jules, G0NZO and being super impressed by it, for the price you really cannot go wrong. It works out of the box, has TX+RX and with a few minutes work, can have its frequency range extended to cover 70MHz to 6GHz, not bad at all, plus it runs Linux internally (Linux pluto 4.14.0-g387d584d434e). The receiver is great and I used the loan unit to listen to all Bell Hill beacons up to 5.7GHz with something akin to a paperclip pushed into the RX port.

[[File:Pluto.png|105px]]

This is the unit in question, shown to the left, it’s very compact at 5"X3"X1" with separate transmit and receive SMA sockets and a pair of micro USB sockets for I/O and power. It draws 400-420mA when idle or transmitting. When the QO100 narrow band transponder was used with PLUTO SDR's for TX, some frequency drift was apparent. It turns out that the integral TCXO wasn’t particularly good, so it's worth replacing it with a decent TCXO such as the ASTX-13-C-40.000MHz-I05-T which you can get from Mouser. This solves all frequency stability issues (well most...). For the ultimate stability, external GPSDO reference is still recommended.

===First Steps===

I've built the Portsdown filter/modulator unit for DVBS which performs really well, but was looking for a non-Lime-SDR method (it’s a long story) of generating DVBS28PSK and 16/32APSK DATV. I saw on Twitter that OM Evariste, F5OEO (@F5OEOEvariste) of RPiTX fame was developing replacement firmware for the PLUTO that would provide DATV capabilities as well as some other goodies, so I pinged him a message and asked if I could beta-test the firmware. The firmware arrived quickly.The 'pluto.frm' file is copied into the root directory of the PLUTO mass storage memory, where the configuration files exist. Once copied up, 'eject' the device, don’t unplug the USB but use the software eject. The blue LED1 in the PLUTO will rapidly flash for 3 or 4 minutes then reboot and the mass storage device will reappear. Full details on this process are at https://wiki.analog.com/university/tools/pluto/users/firmware - don't unplug it during the flash process for obvious reasons; you might brick it. With the SDR still plugged into your PC, you can browse to the internal web-server by pointing a browser at http://192.168.2.1 with all being well you should see something similar to the next screenshot:

[[File:Screenshot.png|450px]]

Having updated the firmware and confirmed that it was working, next was the start of a massive learning curve…What would I need to use to generate some 'digital stream' with video in it? What software should be used? How does the stream get from the PC to the SDR? How do you set all the parameters needed to generate DATV? How do I get video from my phone camera into the PC? The list of questions was growing the more I looked into this stuff....

===Digital Video Source===

I know John, GI7UGV, as we work in the same industry and know that he's really into DATV, so had a chat with him and within minutes had VMIX (https://www.vmix.com/) installed – this looked like the easiest initial method of doing what I needed; make a PC generate some stream to control the PLUTO. This was pretty intuitive and within half an hour I had a test card source, spitting out the relevant data to the PLUTO. This was done by setting an external RTMP stream target with the following parameters:

URL : rtmp://192.168.2.1:7272/,437,DVBS2,QPSK,333,23,Pass : ,M0EYT,

The above parameters form part of the URL and are parsed by the F5OEO firmware to set the various DATV transmission parameters:

Frequency in MHz: 437
Mode (DVBS/DVBS2): DVBS2
Constellation (QPSK,8PSK,16APSK): QPSK (only QPSK is valid in DVBS)
SymbolRate in KS (33-2000): 333
FEC (12,23,34,67,78...): 23
CALLSIGN: M0EYT

It's particularly important to look at the RTMP stream definition syntax, probably best to cut & paste the above URL / pass text and then modify to suite your own requirements. With the PLUTO SDR plugged into the USB port of the PC running VMIX, it worked right away and a QPSK carrier was being generated at 437MHz, receivable on the Minitiouner. I had noted that VMIX was not free, so rather than spending hours with IDA, and having noted what John 'UGV had said, I decided to uninstall VMIX and give OBS (Open Broadcaster Software https://obsproject.com/download) a try. Since this is open source, there are no licensing 'difficulties' and although it's not as polished as VMIX, it's fully functional and just works.

===OBS Basics===

In OBS the first thing to do is to define the output stream so it points at the PLUTO SDR, so go to settings, stream, and type in the following; obviously tweaking the IP address, modulation parameters and callsign to suit your own environment:

[[File:OBS.png|606px]]

You will be able to see a 'Controls' box docked at the bottom of the OBS window, this is where you press 'start streaming' to enable the PLUTO's DATV output. A green block should appear in the status bar indicating that streaming to the PLUTO is occurring.
Before you jump in and press 'start streaming', you will need to set the streaming bitrate to avoid any overflows between OBS and the PLUTO. Visit http://www.satbroadcasts.com/DVB-S_Bitrate_and_Bandwidth_Calculator.html type in your DVBS/S2 parameters, press calculate, and make a note of the 'Netto TS bitrate' – you want to set your streaming bit rate to about 65% to 70% of this figure. So if the Net TS bitrate is 440Kbps you will want to set your video bitrate to say 286Kbps, better to set it on the lower side. This means that the video plus transport overheads will not cause overflows when streaming data into the PLUTO. Once you are familiar with the various bitrates, and your favourite settings, you will be able to guesstimate the video bitrate in OBS. It is set via 'settings', then 'output', then under the 'streaming' section type your bitrate. I have my encoder set to x264 compression and my audio bitrate set to 64Kbps. With these settings, there are no interruptions in the audio stream and everything works fluidly.
Next, you will need a picture source, so the easiest method in OBS is to go to the 'scenes' dock, press +, enter a name for your scene, such as 'test card'. Next in the 'sources' dock, press +, select video capture device, create new, type in some name and press OK. You should see a 'colour bar / grey fade / bar' test card appear in the 'Preview' window. Ensure that in the 'Controls' dock, you have pressed 'Studio Mode' so you see Preview and Program windows.
Whatever you see in the 'Program' window is the video that is being streamed to your PLUTO.
You can set a number of 'scenes' so that you can quickly select and fade or cut between them. If you have desktop video files these are easy to add. You can create an additional scene and for example put a JPG/PNG image there, or add some desktop video. I found that my camcorder dumped its video out in a .VRO file, never heard of that, but OBS could ingest it and stream it correctly including the stereo audio tracks.
You can also easily add scrolling text messages to overlay across your images, various analogue and digital clocks, inputs from webcams, RTSP CCTV cameras, dancing chicken / cat overlays etc., there are a lots of choices. You probably want to spend a few hours clicking through the various menus to get a handle on the software options and what it can do. I found it fairly easy to set up sources and to be able to chop and change parameters whilst watching the DVB-S2 stream on another laptop. Within OBS it's also worth looking at the various extensions / add-ons that others have written for the platform, these basically are additional features for you to use. You will end up with something similar to my instance:

[[File:OBS Screen.png|585px]]

In my OBS 'scenes' I have an 'rtmp streamer' input, this allows me to use the camera / microphone in my Android mobile phone, along with software called Larix Broadcaster https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.wmspanel.larix_broadcaster - what this does is streams the video from the phone, but you cannot ingest this directly into OBS since you need an RTMP streaming server. You could use this mobile app to directly stream to the PLUTO SDR but then all the nice video processing features of OBS are lost. Luckily there is a thread at https://forum.batc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=69&t=6179 detailing what needs to be done to make build such a server, you can drop this onto one of your Raspberry PI's and it consumes very little CPU. Basically it uses NGINX HTTP server with an RTMP streamer plugin and just works. Point your phone and OBS at the PI's IP with the port defined in the configuration file, press the various go buttons and video / audio will be streamed from the phone into OBS.
If you can get away from having any analogue video sources in your setup, your overall stream output will be digital from the sensor through to the display at the other end of your QSO. This means that quality will be maintained and you won't have poor quality audio with earth loops / buzzing or video that suffers from typical analogue artifacts.

If you want to stream from a Windows desktop into the RTMP server, that is also easy to set up. Firstly download FFMpeg from https://ffmpeg.zeranoe.com/builds/ - you will then need the capture drive which you can get from http://www.umediaserver.net/components/index.html search for UScreenCapture and download the appropriate version. Once both packages are installed, open a command shell and execute the following;

ffmpeg -f dshow -i video="UScreenCapture" -r 10 -c:v libx264 -b:v 300k -preset ultrafast -b 300k -s 1280x800 -x264opts keyint=50 -g 25 -pix_fmt yuv420p -f flv "rtmp://1.2.3.4:1936/live1/desktop"

the -b:v and -b parameters are video bitrate. -s is capture size and -r is 10 frames per second, adjust to suite your particular setup. I tested this with 333Ksps QPSK and it renders nicely. In OBS you should set up a steam source pointing to rtmp://1.2.3.4:1936/live1/desktop to be able to see your desktop image.

Obviously set the target RTMP server IP address to the appropriate address. If you are using John GI7UGV's nginx RTMP server, you can add another directive to support multiple streams. Your /etc/nginx/nginx.conf might look as follows;

worker_processes auto;
rtmp_auto_push on;
events {}
rtmp {
server {
listen 1935;
application live {
live on;
record off;
}
listen 1936;
application live1 {
live on;
record off;
}
}
}

===System Integration===

Having thought briefly about how to integrate the PLUTO into my existing QO100 narrow band system, I decided that it would be better to place all of the neededequipment into the ODU since it already has mains,10MHz ref, LAN, 70cms IFetc. feeding the outdoor box.

[[File:Pluto Network.png|313px]]

I found an old USB<>Ethernet adapter and an OTG adapter plugged it into the PLUTO's USB IO port, and a phone charger battery into the PSU USB port, the PLUTO defaults to DHCP so quickly obtains an IP address once its internal Linux OS has booted.

Network operation really is the way to go as it eliminates lots of USB issues and allows multiple sources to use the SDR without having to continually mess around with USB cables and fragile micro-USB connectors.

Matthias DD1US has written up his PLUTO LAN experiences at https://tinyurl.com/y4qtcmau which is worth digesting.

In the final system iteration here at the M0EYT ground station, I'll use a good de-noised 5V PSU, the PLUTO will go in a metal box for mechanical stability purposes, and I'll mount SMA sockets with back to back connectors that have the same hole spacing as the SDR, this should ensure that nothing gets broken.

===RF Topics===

The RF output level of the PLUTO is pretty low, about -15dBm at 2.4GHz so clearly this needs some amplification to do anything useful with.I decided to look at some of the random amplifier modules I had laying around and see what each did to the output spectrum, in particular the spectral regrowth / shoulders.
All measurements below are taken with the PLUTO generating DVBS2 at 2409.750MHz centre, 8PSK, 333Ksps, 2/3 FEC.

[[File:6 Avantek.png|400px]]
Avantek SA82-2340

[[File:7 SPF.png|400px]]
SPF5043 + 10dB Pad on o/p

[[File:8 LNA4.png|400px]]
LNA4ALL + 10dB Pad on o/p

[[File:9 3x.png|400px]]
3 X amp 30~dB gain (+ 10dB Pad on o/p)

[[File:11 Pluto Direct.png|400px]]
PLUTO direct output 8PSK baseline

[[File:10 Pluto 8.png|400px]]
PLUTO 8PSK baseline

From the tests of LNA's to get the PLUTO output up a bit, it appears the more modern devices do not add significant IMD to the xPSK providing they are not over driven.
My current experimental TX line up is a dual FET pre-amp taking the PLUTO output to +5dBm, a secondary PA rated at 20watts running at 30dBm, and then a Spectrian PA, modified as per the CQ-TV article to deliver 45dBm, about 30 watts. Looking at the PSK constellation shows that its relatively clean, and the shoulders either side of the 8PSK are 35dB down which should just about be acceptable. I will try to find one of the Axis-NT amplifiers as that would solve all power problems.

===Wrapping Up===

The PLUTO SDR with the F5OEO firmware certainly does offer a simple way to generate DATV from VHF up to the lower microwave bands. For QO100 with a suitable amplifier chain it is ideal and should result in many more users appearing on the wideband transponder. There are no annoying pre-transmission calibration carriers to spatter over the transponder which is nice. A great amount of credit should be given to Evariste F5OEO for his amazing work on this firmware, and I would recommend you donate to his efforts via https://www.paypal.me/f5oeo - something for a decant bottle of wine or two for example! I'm sure that many hundreds of man-hours have been put in to this project so a bit of support won't go a-miss and might even encourage further enhancements.See you on the transponder! Thanks to John GI7UGV for sanity checking this write up ;-)

Custom DATV Firmware for the Pluto

2019-10-21T17:27:11Z

G8PEF: /* Digital Video Source */

===Foreword===

This is a preview of an article due for publication in CQ-TV 266, published here to promote early experimentation. Thanks to Paul M0EYT for writing it.

Before loading the custom firmware, it may be necessary to extend the frequency range of the Pluto. The instructions for this can be found on this web page: https://wiki.analog.com/university/tools/pluto/users/customizing. Scroll down to the bottom section "Updating to the AD9364".

You may also wish to enable the second CPU core as described here: https://www.ph4x.com/pluto-sdr-hack-2nd-cpu-core/

You can download the firmware from the VIVA DATV forum, after registration, from http://www.vivadatv.org/viewtopic.php?f=60&t=692

===Introduction===

Firstly, I'm not a DATV expert but have played with a number of SDR's over the years since my first SDR-14 back in 2005. I dabble in GHz stuff so have a rough idea what I'm doing but that’s about it! I like to make sure I learn something new related to technology every day, so both DATV and the PLUTO SDR fulfil this. I got the PLUTO after borrowing one from Jules, G0NZO and being super impressed by it, for the price you really cannot go wrong. It works out of the box, has TX+RX and with a few minutes work, can have its frequency range extended to cover 70MHz to 6GHz, not bad at all, plus it runs Linux internally (Linux pluto 4.14.0-g387d584d434e). The receiver is great and I used the loan unit to listen to all Bell Hill beacons up to 5.7GHz with something akin to a paperclip pushed into the RX port.

[[File:Pluto.png|105px]]

This is the unit in question, shown to the left, it’s very compact at 5"X3"X1" with separate transmit and receive SMA sockets and a pair of micro USB sockets for I/O and power. It draws 400-420mA when idle or transmitting. When the QO100 narrow band transponder was used with PLUTO SDR's for TX, some frequency drift was apparent. It turns out that the integral TCXO wasn’t particularly good, so it's worth replacing it with a decent TCXO such as the ASTX-13-C-40.000MHz-I05-T which you can get from Mouser. This solves all frequency stability issues (well most...). For the ultimate stability, external GPSDO reference is still recommended.

===First Steps===

I've built the Portsdown filter/modulator unit for DVBS which performs really well, but was looking for a non-Lime-SDR method (it’s a long story) of generating DVBS28PSK and 16/32APSK DATV. I saw on Twitter that OM Evariste, F5OEO (@F5OEOEvariste) of RPiTX fame was developing replacement firmware for the PLUTO that would provide DATV capabilities as well as some other goodies, so I pinged him a message and asked if I could beta-test the firmware. The firmware arrived quickly.The 'pluto.frm' file is copied into the root directory of the PLUTO mass storage memory, where the configuration files exist. Once copied up, 'eject' the device, don’t unplug the USB but use the software eject. The blue LED1 in the PLUTO will rapidly flash for 3 or 4 minutes then reboot and the mass storage device will reappear. Full details on this process are at https://wiki.analog.com/university/tools/pluto/users/firmware - don't unplug it during the flash process for obvious reasons; you might brick it. With the SDR still plugged into your PC, you can browse to the internal web-server by pointing a browser at http://192.168.2.1 with all being well you should see something similar to the next screenshot:

[[File:Screenshot.png|450px]]

Having updated the firmware and confirmed that it was working, next was the start of a massive learning curve…What would I need to use to generate some 'digital stream' with video in it? What software should be used? How does the stream get from the PC to the SDR? How do you set all the parameters needed to generate DATV? How do I get video from my phone camera into the PC? The list of questions was growing the more I looked into this stuff....

===Digital Video Source===

I know John, GI7UGV, as we work in the same industry and know that he's really into DATV, so had a chat with him and within minutes had VMIX (https://www.vmix.com/) installed – this looked like the easiest initial method of doing what I needed; make a PC generate some stream to control the PLUTO. This was pretty intuitive and within half an hour I had a test card source, spitting out the relevant data to the PLUTO. This was done by setting an external RTMP stream target with the following parameters:

URL : rtmp://192.168.2.1:7272/,437,DVBS2,QPSK,333,23,Pass : ,M0EYT,

The above parameters form part of the URL and are parsed by the F5OEO firmware to set the various DATV transmission parameters:

Frequency in MHz: 437
Mode (DVBS/DVBS2): DVBS2
Constellation (QPSK,8PSK,16APSK): QPSK (only QPSK is valid in DVBS)
SymbolRate in KS (33-2000): 333
FEC (12,23,34,67,78...): 23
CALLSIGN: M0EYT

It's particularly important to look at the RTMP stream definition syntax, probably best to cut & paste the above URL / pass text and then modify to suite your own requirements. With the PLUTO SDR plugged into the USB port of the PC running VMIX, it worked right away and a QPSK carrier was being generated at 437MHz, receivable on the Minitiouner. I had noted that VMIX was not free, so rather than spending hours with IDA, and having noted what John 'UGV had said, I decided to uninstall VMIX and give OBS (Open Broadcaster Software https://obsproject.com/download) a try. Since this is open source, there are no licensing 'difficulties' and although it's not as polished as VMIX, it's fully functional and just works.

===OBS Basics===

In OBS the first thing to do is to define the output stream so it points at the PLUTO SDR, so go to settings, stream, and type in the following, obviously tweaking the IP address, modulation parameters and callsign to suite your own environment:

[[File:OBS.png|606px]]

You will be able to see a 'Controls' box docked at the bottom of the OBS window, this is where you press 'start streaming' to enable the PLUTO's DATV output. A green block should appear in the status bar indicating that streaming to the PLUTO is occurring.
Before you jump in and press 'start streaming', you will need to set the streaming bitrate to avoid any overflows between OBS and the PLUTO. Visit http://www.satbroadcasts.com/DVB-S_Bitrate_and_Bandwidth_Calculator.html type in your DVBS/S2 parameters, press calculate, and make a note of the 'Netto TS bitrate' – you want to set your streaming bit rate to about 65% to 70% of this figure. So if the Net TS bitrate is 440Kbps you will want to set your video bitrate to say 286Kbps, better to set it on the lower side. This means that the video plus transport overheads will not cause overflows when streaming data into the PLUTO. Once you are familiar with the various bitrates, and your favourite settings, you will be able to guesstimate the video bitrate in OBS. It is set via 'settings', then 'output', then under the 'streaming' section type your bitrate. I have my encoder set to x264 compression and my audio bitrate set to 64Kbps. With these settings, there are no interruptions in the audio stream and everything works fluidly.
Next, you will need a picture source, so the easiest method in OBS is to go to the 'scenes' dock, press +, enter a name for your scene, such as 'test card'. Next in the 'sources' dock, press +, select video capture device, create new, type in some name and press OK. You should see a 'colour bar / grey fade / bar' test card appear in the 'Preview' window. Ensure that in the 'Controls' dock, you have pressed 'Studio Mode' so you see Preview and Program windows.
Whatever you see in the 'Program' window is the video that is being streamed to your PLUTO.
You can set a number of 'scenes' so that you can quickly select and fade or cut between them. If you have desktop video files these are easy to add. You can create an additional scene and for example put a JPG/PNG image there, or add some desktop video. I found that my camcorder dumped its video out in a .VRO file, never heard of that, but OBS could ingest it and stream it correctly including the stereo audio tracks.
You can also easily add scrolling text messages to overlay across your images, various analogue and digital clocks, inputs from webcams, RTSP CCTV cameras, dancing chicken / cat overlays etc., there are a lots of choices. You probably want to spend a few hours clicking through the various menus to get a handle on the software options and what it can do. I found it fairly easy to set up sources and to be able to chop and change parameters whilst watching the DVB-S2 stream on another laptop. Within OBS it's also worth looking at the various extensions / add-ons that others have written for the platform, these basically are additional features for you to use. You will end up with something similar to my instance:

[[File:OBS Screen.png|585px]]

In my OBS 'scenes' I have an 'rtmp streamer' input, this allows me to use the camera / microphone in my Android mobile phone, along with software called Larix Broadcaster https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.wmspanel.larix_broadcaster - what this does is streams the video from the phone, but you cannot ingest this directly into OBS since you need an RTMP streaming server. You could use this mobile app to directly stream to the PLUTO SDR but then all the nice video processing features of OBS are lost. Luckily there is a thread at https://forum.batc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=69&t=6179 detailing what needs to be done to make build such a server, you can drop this onto one of your Raspberry PI's and it consumes very little CPU. Basically it uses NGINX HTTP server with an RTMP streamer plugin and just works. Point your phone and OBS at the PI's IP with the port defined in the configuration file, press the various go buttons and video / audio will be streamed from the phone into OBS.
If you can get away from having any analogue video sources in your setup, your overall stream output will be digital from the sensor through to the display at the other end of your QSO. This means that quality will be maintained and you won't have poor quality audio with earth loops / buzzing or video that suffers from typical analogue artifacts.

If you want to stream from a Windows desktop into the RTMP server, that is also easy to set up. Firstly download FFMpeg from https://ffmpeg.zeranoe.com/builds/ - you will then need the capture drive which you can get from http://www.umediaserver.net/components/index.html search for UScreenCapture and download the appropriate version. Once both packages are installed, open a command shell and execute the following;

ffmpeg -f dshow -i video="UScreenCapture" -r 10 -c:v libx264 -b:v 300k -preset ultrafast -b 300k -s 1280x800 -x264opts keyint=50 -g 25 -pix_fmt yuv420p -f flv "rtmp://1.2.3.4:1936/live1/desktop"

the -b:v and -b parameters are video bitrate. -s is capture size and -r is 10 frames per second, adjust to suite your particular setup. I tested this with 333Ksps QPSK and it renders nicely. In OBS you should set up a steam source pointing to rtmp://1.2.3.4:1936/live1/desktop to be able to see your desktop image.

Obviously set the target RTMP server IP address to the appropriate address. If you are using John GI7UGV's nginx RTMP server, you can add another directive to support multiple streams. Your /etc/nginx/nginx.conf might look as follows;

worker_processes auto;
rtmp_auto_push on;
events {}
rtmp {
server {
listen 1935;
application live {
live on;
record off;
}
listen 1936;
application live1 {
live on;
record off;
}
}
}

===System Integration===

Having thought briefly about how to integrate the PLUTO into my existing QO100 narrow band system, I decided that it would be better to place all of the neededequipment into the ODU since it already has mains,10MHz ref, LAN, 70cms IFetc. feeding the outdoor box.

[[File:Pluto Network.png|313px]]

I found an old USB<>Ethernet adapter and an OTG adapter plugged it into the PLUTO's USB IO port, and a phone charger battery into the PSU USB port, the PLUTO defaults to DHCP so quickly obtains an IP address once its internal Linux OS has booted.

Network operation really is the way to go as it eliminates lots of USB issues and allows multiple sources to use the SDR without having to continually mess around with USB cables and fragile micro-USB connectors.

Matthias DD1US has written up his PLUTO LAN experiences at https://tinyurl.com/y4qtcmau which is worth digesting.

In the final system iteration here at the M0EYT ground station, I'll use a good de-noised 5V PSU, the PLUTO will go in a metal box for mechanical stability purposes, and I'll mount SMA sockets with back to back connectors that have the same hole spacing as the SDR, this should ensure that nothing gets broken.

===RF Topics===

The RF output level of the PLUTO is pretty low, about -15dBm at 2.4GHz so clearly this needs some amplification to do anything useful with.I decided to look at some of the random amplifier modules I had laying around and see what each did to the output spectrum, in particular the spectral regrowth / shoulders.
All measurements below are taken with the PLUTO generating DVBS2 at 2409.750MHz centre, 8PSK, 333Ksps, 2/3 FEC.

[[File:6 Avantek.png|400px]]
Avantek SA82-2340

[[File:7 SPF.png|400px]]
SPF5043 + 10dB Pad on o/p

[[File:8 LNA4.png|400px]]
LNA4ALL + 10dB Pad on o/p

[[File:9 3x.png|400px]]
3 X amp 30~dB gain (+ 10dB Pad on o/p)

[[File:11 Pluto Direct.png|400px]]
PLUTO direct output 8PSK baseline

[[File:10 Pluto 8.png|400px]]
PLUTO 8PSK baseline

From the tests of LNA's to get the PLUTO output up a bit, it appears the more modern devices do not add significant IMD to the xPSK providing they are not over driven.
My current experimental TX line up is a dual FET pre-amp taking the PLUTO output to +5dBm, a secondary PA rated at 20watts running at 30dBm, and then a Spectrian PA, modified as per the CQ-TV article to deliver 45dBm, about 30 watts. Looking at the PSK constellation shows that its relatively clean, and the shoulders either side of the 8PSK are 35dB down which should just about be acceptable. I will try to find one of the Axis-NT amplifiers as that would solve all power problems.

===Wrapping Up===

The PLUTO SDR with the F5OEO firmware certainly does offer a simple way to generate DATV from VHF up to the lower microwave bands. For QO100 with a suitable amplifier chain it is ideal and should result in many more users appearing on the wideband transponder. There are no annoying pre-transmission calibration carriers to spatter over the transponder which is nice. A great amount of credit should be given to Evariste F5OEO for his amazing work on this firmware, and I would recommend you donate to his efforts via https://www.paypal.me/f5oeo - something for a decant bottle of wine or two for example! I'm sure that many hundreds of man-hours have been put in to this project so a bit of support won't go a-miss and might even encourage further enhancements.See you on the transponder! Thanks to John GI7UGV for sanity checking this write up ;-)

Custom DATV Firmware for the Pluto

2019-10-21T17:24:09Z

G8PEF: /* Digital Video Source */

===Foreword===

This is a preview of an article due for publication in CQ-TV 266, published here to promote early experimentation. Thanks to Paul M0EYT for writing it.

Before loading the custom firmware, it may be necessary to extend the frequency range of the Pluto. The instructions for this can be found on this web page: https://wiki.analog.com/university/tools/pluto/users/customizing. Scroll down to the bottom section "Updating to the AD9364".

You may also wish to enable the second CPU core as described here: https://www.ph4x.com/pluto-sdr-hack-2nd-cpu-core/

You can download the firmware from the VIVA DATV forum, after registration, from http://www.vivadatv.org/viewtopic.php?f=60&t=692

===Introduction===

Firstly, I'm not a DATV expert but have played with a number of SDR's over the years since my first SDR-14 back in 2005. I dabble in GHz stuff so have a rough idea what I'm doing but that’s about it! I like to make sure I learn something new related to technology every day, so both DATV and the PLUTO SDR fulfil this. I got the PLUTO after borrowing one from Jules, G0NZO and being super impressed by it, for the price you really cannot go wrong. It works out of the box, has TX+RX and with a few minutes work, can have its frequency range extended to cover 70MHz to 6GHz, not bad at all, plus it runs Linux internally (Linux pluto 4.14.0-g387d584d434e). The receiver is great and I used the loan unit to listen to all Bell Hill beacons up to 5.7GHz with something akin to a paperclip pushed into the RX port.

[[File:Pluto.png|105px]]

This is the unit in question, shown to the left, it’s very compact at 5"X3"X1" with separate transmit and receive SMA sockets and a pair of micro USB sockets for I/O and power. It draws 400-420mA when idle or transmitting. When the QO100 narrow band transponder was used with PLUTO SDR's for TX, some frequency drift was apparent. It turns out that the integral TCXO wasn’t particularly good, so it's worth replacing it with a decent TCXO such as the ASTX-13-C-40.000MHz-I05-T which you can get from Mouser. This solves all frequency stability issues (well most...). For the ultimate stability, external GPSDO reference is still recommended.

===First Steps===

I've built the Portsdown filter/modulator unit for DVBS which performs really well, but was looking for a non-Lime-SDR method (it’s a long story) of generating DVBS28PSK and 16/32APSK DATV. I saw on Twitter that OM Evariste, F5OEO (@F5OEOEvariste) of RPiTX fame was developing replacement firmware for the PLUTO that would provide DATV capabilities as well as some other goodies, so I pinged him a message and asked if I could beta-test the firmware. The firmware arrived quickly.The 'pluto.frm' file is copied into the root directory of the PLUTO mass storage memory, where the configuration files exist. Once copied up, 'eject' the device, don’t unplug the USB but use the software eject. The blue LED1 in the PLUTO will rapidly flash for 3 or 4 minutes then reboot and the mass storage device will reappear. Full details on this process are at https://wiki.analog.com/university/tools/pluto/users/firmware - don't unplug it during the flash process for obvious reasons; you might brick it. With the SDR still plugged into your PC, you can browse to the internal web-server by pointing a browser at http://192.168.2.1 with all being well you should see something similar to the next screenshot:

[[File:Screenshot.png|450px]]

Having updated the firmware and confirmed that it was working, next was the start of a massive learning curve…What would I need to use to generate some 'digital stream' with video in it? What software should be used? How does the stream get from the PC to the SDR? How do you set all the parameters needed to generate DATV? How do I get video from my phone camera into the PC? The list of questions was growing the more I looked into this stuff....

===Digital Video Source===

I know John, GI7UGV, as we work in the same industry and know that he's really into DATV, so had a chat with him and within minutes had VMIX (https://www.vmix.com/) installed – this looked like the easiest initial method of doing what I needed; make a PC generate some stream to control the PLUTO. This was pretty intuitive and within half an hour I had a test card source, spitting out the relevant data to the PLUTO. This was done by setting an external RTMP stream target with the following parameters:

URL : rtmp://192.168.2.1:7272/,437,DVBS2,QPSK,333,23,Pass : ,M0EYT,

The above parameters form part of the URL and are parsed by the F5OEO firmware to set the various DATV transmission parameters:

Frequency in MHz: 437
Mode (DVBS/DVBS2): DVBS2
Constellation (QPSK,8PSK,16APSK): QPSK (only QPSK in valid in DVBS)
SymbolRate in KS (33-2000): 333
FEC (12,23,34,67,78...): 23
CALLSIGN: M0EYT

It's particularly important to look at the RTMP stream definition syntax, probably best to cut & paste the above URL / pass text and then modify to suite your own requirements. With the PLUTO SDR plugged into the USB port of the PC running VMIX, it worked right away and a QPSK carrier was being generated at 437MHz, receivable on the Minituner. I had noted that VMIX was not free, so rather than spending hours with IDA, and having noted with John UGV had said, I decided to uninstall VMIX and give OBS (Open Broadcaster Software https://obsproject.com/download) a try.Since this is open source, there are no licensing 'difficulties' and although it's not as polished as VMIX, it's fully functional and just works.

===OBS Basics===

In OBS the first thing to do is to define the output stream so it points at the PLUTO SDR, so go to settings, stream, and type in the following, obviously tweaking the IP address, modulation parameters and callsign to suite your own environment:

[[File:OBS.png|606px]]

You will be able to see a 'Controls' box docked at the bottom of the OBS window, this is where you press 'start streaming' to enable the PLUTO's DATV output. A green block should appear in the status bar indicating that streaming to the PLUTO is occurring.
Before you jump in and press 'start streaming', you will need to set the streaming bitrate to avoid any overflows between OBS and the PLUTO. Visit http://www.satbroadcasts.com/DVB-S_Bitrate_and_Bandwidth_Calculator.html type in your DVBS/S2 parameters, press calculate, and make a note of the 'Netto TS bitrate' – you want to set your streaming bit rate to about 65% to 70% of this figure. So if the Net TS bitrate is 440Kbps you will want to set your video bitrate to say 286Kbps, better to set it on the lower side. This means that the video plus transport overheads will not cause overflows when streaming data into the PLUTO. Once you are familiar with the various bitrates, and your favourite settings, you will be able to guesstimate the video bitrate in OBS. It is set via 'settings', then 'output', then under the 'streaming' section type your bitrate. I have my encoder set to x264 compression and my audio bitrate set to 64Kbps. With these settings, there are no interruptions in the audio stream and everything works fluidly.
Next, you will need a picture source, so the easiest method in OBS is to go to the 'scenes' dock, press +, enter a name for your scene, such as 'test card'. Next in the 'sources' dock, press +, select video capture device, create new, type in some name and press OK. You should see a 'colour bar / grey fade / bar' test card appear in the 'Preview' window. Ensure that in the 'Controls' dock, you have pressed 'Studio Mode' so you see Preview and Program windows.
Whatever you see in the 'Program' window is the video that is being streamed to your PLUTO.
You can set a number of 'scenes' so that you can quickly select and fade or cut between them. If you have desktop video files these are easy to add. You can create an additional scene and for example put a JPG/PNG image there, or add some desktop video. I found that my camcorder dumped its video out in a .VRO file, never heard of that, but OBS could ingest it and stream it correctly including the stereo audio tracks.
You can also easily add scrolling text messages to overlay across your images, various analogue and digital clocks, inputs from webcams, RTSP CCTV cameras, dancing chicken / cat overlays etc., there are a lots of choices. You probably want to spend a few hours clicking through the various menus to get a handle on the software options and what it can do. I found it fairly easy to set up sources and to be able to chop and change parameters whilst watching the DVB-S2 stream on another laptop. Within OBS it's also worth looking at the various extensions / add-ons that others have written for the platform, these basically are additional features for you to use. You will end up with something similar to my instance:

[[File:OBS Screen.png|585px]]

In my OBS 'scenes' I have an 'rtmp streamer' input, this allows me to use the camera / microphone in my Android mobile phone, along with software called Larix Broadcaster https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.wmspanel.larix_broadcaster - what this does is streams the video from the phone, but you cannot ingest this directly into OBS since you need an RTMP streaming server. You could use this mobile app to directly stream to the PLUTO SDR but then all the nice video processing features of OBS are lost. Luckily there is a thread at https://forum.batc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=69&t=6179 detailing what needs to be done to make build such a server, you can drop this onto one of your Raspberry PI's and it consumes very little CPU. Basically it uses NGINX HTTP server with an RTMP streamer plugin and just works. Point your phone and OBS at the PI's IP with the port defined in the configuration file, press the various go buttons and video / audio will be streamed from the phone into OBS.
If you can get away from having any analogue video sources in your setup, your overall stream output will be digital from the sensor through to the display at the other end of your QSO. This means that quality will be maintained and you won't have poor quality audio with earth loops / buzzing or video that suffers from typical analogue artifacts.

If you want to stream from a Windows desktop into the RTMP server, that is also easy to set up. Firstly download FFMpeg from https://ffmpeg.zeranoe.com/builds/ - you will then need the capture drive which you can get from http://www.umediaserver.net/components/index.html search for UScreenCapture and download the appropriate version. Once both packages are installed, open a command shell and execute the following;

ffmpeg -f dshow -i video="UScreenCapture" -r 10 -c:v libx264 -b:v 300k -preset ultrafast -b 300k -s 1280x800 -x264opts keyint=50 -g 25 -pix_fmt yuv420p -f flv "rtmp://1.2.3.4:1936/live1/desktop"

the -b:v and -b parameters are video bitrate. -s is capture size and -r is 10 frames per second, adjust to suite your particular setup. I tested this with 333Ksps QPSK and it renders nicely. In OBS you should set up a steam source pointing to rtmp://1.2.3.4:1936/live1/desktop to be able to see your desktop image.

Obviously set the target RTMP server IP address to the appropriate address. If you are using John GI7UGV's nginx RTMP server, you can add another directive to support multiple streams. Your /etc/nginx/nginx.conf might look as follows;

worker_processes auto;
rtmp_auto_push on;
events {}
rtmp {
server {
listen 1935;
application live {
live on;
record off;
}
listen 1936;
application live1 {
live on;
record off;
}
}
}

===System Integration===

Having thought briefly about how to integrate the PLUTO into my existing QO100 narrow band system, I decided that it would be better to place all of the neededequipment into the ODU since it already has mains,10MHz ref, LAN, 70cms IFetc. feeding the outdoor box.

[[File:Pluto Network.png|313px]]

I found an old USB<>Ethernet adapter and an OTG adapter plugged it into the PLUTO's USB IO port, and a phone charger battery into the PSU USB port, the PLUTO defaults to DHCP so quickly obtains an IP address once its internal Linux OS has booted.

Network operation really is the way to go as it eliminates lots of USB issues and allows multiple sources to use the SDR without having to continually mess around with USB cables and fragile micro-USB connectors.

Matthias DD1US has written up his PLUTO LAN experiences at https://tinyurl.com/y4qtcmau which is worth digesting.

In the final system iteration here at the M0EYT ground station, I'll use a good de-noised 5V PSU, the PLUTO will go in a metal box for mechanical stability purposes, and I'll mount SMA sockets with back to back connectors that have the same hole spacing as the SDR, this should ensure that nothing gets broken.

===RF Topics===

The RF output level of the PLUTO is pretty low, about -15dBm at 2.4GHz so clearly this needs some amplification to do anything useful with.I decided to look at some of the random amplifier modules I had laying around and see what each did to the output spectrum, in particular the spectral regrowth / shoulders.
All measurements below are taken with the PLUTO generating DVBS2 at 2409.750MHz centre, 8PSK, 333Ksps, 2/3 FEC.

[[File:6 Avantek.png|400px]]
Avantek SA82-2340

[[File:7 SPF.png|400px]]
SPF5043 + 10dB Pad on o/p

[[File:8 LNA4.png|400px]]
LNA4ALL + 10dB Pad on o/p

[[File:9 3x.png|400px]]
3 X amp 30~dB gain (+ 10dB Pad on o/p)

[[File:11 Pluto Direct.png|400px]]
PLUTO direct output 8PSK baseline

[[File:10 Pluto 8.png|400px]]
PLUTO 8PSK baseline

From the tests of LNA's to get the PLUTO output up a bit, it appears the more modern devices do not add significant IMD to the xPSK providing they are not over driven.
My current experimental TX line up is a dual FET pre-amp taking the PLUTO output to +5dBm, a secondary PA rated at 20watts running at 30dBm, and then a Spectrian PA, modified as per the CQ-TV article to deliver 45dBm, about 30 watts. Looking at the PSK constellation shows that its relatively clean, and the shoulders either side of the 8PSK are 35dB down which should just about be acceptable. I will try to find one of the Axis-NT amplifiers as that would solve all power problems.

===Wrapping Up===

The PLUTO SDR with the F5OEO firmware certainly does offer a simple way to generate DATV from VHF up to the lower microwave bands. For QO100 with a suitable amplifier chain it is ideal and should result in many more users appearing on the wideband transponder. There are no annoying pre-transmission calibration carriers to spatter over the transponder which is nice. A great amount of credit should be given to Evariste F5OEO for his amazing work on this firmware, and I would recommend you donate to his efforts via https://www.paypal.me/f5oeo - something for a decant bottle of wine or two for example! I'm sure that many hundreds of man-hours have been put in to this project so a bit of support won't go a-miss and might even encourage further enhancements.See you on the transponder! Thanks to John GI7UGV for sanity checking this write up ;-)

Custom DATV Firmware for the Pluto

2019-10-21T17:18:54Z

G8PEF: /* First Steps */

===Foreword===

This is a preview of an article due for publication in CQ-TV 266, published here to promote early experimentation. Thanks to Paul M0EYT for writing it.

Before loading the custom firmware, it may be necessary to extend the frequency range of the Pluto. The instructions for this can be found on this web page: https://wiki.analog.com/university/tools/pluto/users/customizing. Scroll down to the bottom section "Updating to the AD9364".

You may also wish to enable the second CPU core as described here: https://www.ph4x.com/pluto-sdr-hack-2nd-cpu-core/

You can download the firmware from the VIVA DATV forum, after registration, from http://www.vivadatv.org/viewtopic.php?f=60&t=692

===Introduction===

Firstly, I'm not a DATV expert but have played with a number of SDR's over the years since my first SDR-14 back in 2005. I dabble in GHz stuff so have a rough idea what I'm doing but that’s about it! I like to make sure I learn something new related to technology every day, so both DATV and the PLUTO SDR fulfil this. I got the PLUTO after borrowing one from Jules, G0NZO and being super impressed by it, for the price you really cannot go wrong. It works out of the box, has TX+RX and with a few minutes work, can have its frequency range extended to cover 70MHz to 6GHz, not bad at all, plus it runs Linux internally (Linux pluto 4.14.0-g387d584d434e). The receiver is great and I used the loan unit to listen to all Bell Hill beacons up to 5.7GHz with something akin to a paperclip pushed into the RX port.

[[File:Pluto.png|105px]]

This is the unit in question, shown to the left, it’s very compact at 5"X3"X1" with separate transmit and receive SMA sockets and a pair of micro USB sockets for I/O and power. It draws 400-420mA when idle or transmitting. When the QO100 narrow band transponder was used with PLUTO SDR's for TX, some frequency drift was apparent. It turns out that the integral TCXO wasn’t particularly good, so it's worth replacing it with a decent TCXO such as the ASTX-13-C-40.000MHz-I05-T which you can get from Mouser. This solves all frequency stability issues (well most...). For the ultimate stability, external GPSDO reference is still recommended.

===First Steps===

I've built the Portsdown filter/modulator unit for DVBS which performs really well, but was looking for a non-Lime-SDR method (it’s a long story) of generating DVBS28PSK and 16/32APSK DATV. I saw on Twitter that OM Evariste, F5OEO (@F5OEOEvariste) of RPiTX fame was developing replacement firmware for the PLUTO that would provide DATV capabilities as well as some other goodies, so I pinged him a message and asked if I could beta-test the firmware. The firmware arrived quickly.The 'pluto.frm' file is copied into the root directory of the PLUTO mass storage memory, where the configuration files exist. Once copied up, 'eject' the device, don’t unplug the USB but use the software eject. The blue LED1 in the PLUTO will rapidly flash for 3 or 4 minutes then reboot and the mass storage device will reappear. Full details on this process are at https://wiki.analog.com/university/tools/pluto/users/firmware - don't unplug it during the flash process for obvious reasons; you might brick it. With the SDR still plugged into your PC, you can browse to the internal web-server by pointing a browser at http://192.168.2.1 with all being well you should see something similar to the next screenshot:

[[File:Screenshot.png|450px]]

Having updated the firmware and confirmed that it was working, next was the start of a massive learning curve…What would I need to use to generate some 'digital stream' with video in it? What software should be used? How does the stream get from the PC to the SDR? How do you set all the parameters needed to generate DATV? How do I get video from my phone camera into the PC? The list of questions was growing the more I looked into this stuff....

===Digital Video Source===

I know John GI7UGV as we work in the same industry and know that he's really into DATV, so had a chat with him and within minutes had VMIX (https://www.vmix.com/) installed – this looked like the easiest initial method of doing what I needed; make a PC generate some stream to control the PLUTO. This was pretty intuitive and within half an hour I had a test card source, spitting out the relevant data to the PLUTO. This was done by setting an external RTMP stream target with the following parameters:

URL : rtmp://192.168.2.1:7272/,437,DVBS2,QPSK,333,23,Pass : ,M0EYT,

The above parameters form part of the URL and are parsed by the F5OEO firmware to set the various DATV transmission parameters:

Frequency in MHz: 437
Mode (DVBS/DVBS2): DVBS2
Constellation (QPSK,8PSK,16APSK): QPSK (only QPSK in valid in DVBS)
SymbolRate in KS (33-2000): 333
FEC (12,23,34,67,78...): 23
CALLSIGN: M0EYT

It's particularly important to look at the RTMP stream definition syntax, probably best to cut & paste the above URL / pass text and then modify to suite your own requirements. With the PLUTO SDR plugged into the USB port of the PC running VMIX, it worked right away and a QPSK carrier was being generated at 437MHz, receivable on the Minituner. I had noted that VMIX was not free, so rather than spending hours with IDA, and having noted with John UGV had said, I decided to uninstall VMIX and give OBS (Open Broadcaster Software https://obsproject.com/download) a try.Since this is open source, there are no licensing 'difficulties' and although it's not as polished as VMIX, it's fully functional and just works.

===OBS Basics===

In OBS the first thing to do is to define the output stream so it points at the PLUTO SDR, so go to settings, stream, and type in the following, obviously tweaking the IP address, modulation parameters and callsign to suite your own environment:

[[File:OBS.png|606px]]

You will be able to see a 'Controls' box docked at the bottom of the OBS window, this is where you press 'start streaming' to enable the PLUTO's DATV output. A green block should appear in the status bar indicating that streaming to the PLUTO is occurring.
Before you jump in and press 'start streaming', you will need to set the streaming bitrate to avoid any overflows between OBS and the PLUTO. Visit http://www.satbroadcasts.com/DVB-S_Bitrate_and_Bandwidth_Calculator.html type in your DVBS/S2 parameters, press calculate, and make a note of the 'Netto TS bitrate' – you want to set your streaming bit rate to about 65% to 70% of this figure. So if the Net TS bitrate is 440Kbps you will want to set your video bitrate to say 286Kbps, better to set it on the lower side. This means that the video plus transport overheads will not cause overflows when streaming data into the PLUTO. Once you are familiar with the various bitrates, and your favourite settings, you will be able to guesstimate the video bitrate in OBS. It is set via 'settings', then 'output', then under the 'streaming' section type your bitrate. I have my encoder set to x264 compression and my audio bitrate set to 64Kbps. With these settings, there are no interruptions in the audio stream and everything works fluidly.
Next, you will need a picture source, so the easiest method in OBS is to go to the 'scenes' dock, press +, enter a name for your scene, such as 'test card'. Next in the 'sources' dock, press +, select video capture device, create new, type in some name and press OK. You should see a 'colour bar / grey fade / bar' test card appear in the 'Preview' window. Ensure that in the 'Controls' dock, you have pressed 'Studio Mode' so you see Preview and Program windows.
Whatever you see in the 'Program' window is the video that is being streamed to your PLUTO.
You can set a number of 'scenes' so that you can quickly select and fade or cut between them. If you have desktop video files these are easy to add. You can create an additional scene and for example put a JPG/PNG image there, or add some desktop video. I found that my camcorder dumped its video out in a .VRO file, never heard of that, but OBS could ingest it and stream it correctly including the stereo audio tracks.
You can also easily add scrolling text messages to overlay across your images, various analogue and digital clocks, inputs from webcams, RTSP CCTV cameras, dancing chicken / cat overlays etc., there are a lots of choices. You probably want to spend a few hours clicking through the various menus to get a handle on the software options and what it can do. I found it fairly easy to set up sources and to be able to chop and change parameters whilst watching the DVB-S2 stream on another laptop. Within OBS it's also worth looking at the various extensions / add-ons that others have written for the platform, these basically are additional features for you to use. You will end up with something similar to my instance:

[[File:OBS Screen.png|585px]]

In my OBS 'scenes' I have an 'rtmp streamer' input, this allows me to use the camera / microphone in my Android mobile phone, along with software called Larix Broadcaster https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.wmspanel.larix_broadcaster - what this does is streams the video from the phone, but you cannot ingest this directly into OBS since you need an RTMP streaming server. You could use this mobile app to directly stream to the PLUTO SDR but then all the nice video processing features of OBS are lost. Luckily there is a thread at https://forum.batc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=69&t=6179 detailing what needs to be done to make build such a server, you can drop this onto one of your Raspberry PI's and it consumes very little CPU. Basically it uses NGINX HTTP server with an RTMP streamer plugin and just works. Point your phone and OBS at the PI's IP with the port defined in the configuration file, press the various go buttons and video / audio will be streamed from the phone into OBS.
If you can get away from having any analogue video sources in your setup, your overall stream output will be digital from the sensor through to the display at the other end of your QSO. This means that quality will be maintained and you won't have poor quality audio with earth loops / buzzing or video that suffers from typical analogue artifacts.

If you want to stream from a Windows desktop into the RTMP server, that is also easy to set up. Firstly download FFMpeg from https://ffmpeg.zeranoe.com/builds/ - you will then need the capture drive which you can get from http://www.umediaserver.net/components/index.html search for UScreenCapture and download the appropriate version. Once both packages are installed, open a command shell and execute the following;

ffmpeg -f dshow -i video="UScreenCapture" -r 10 -c:v libx264 -b:v 300k -preset ultrafast -b 300k -s 1280x800 -x264opts keyint=50 -g 25 -pix_fmt yuv420p -f flv "rtmp://1.2.3.4:1936/live1/desktop"

the -b:v and -b parameters are video bitrate. -s is capture size and -r is 10 frames per second, adjust to suite your particular setup. I tested this with 333Ksps QPSK and it renders nicely. In OBS you should set up a steam source pointing to rtmp://1.2.3.4:1936/live1/desktop to be able to see your desktop image.

Obviously set the target RTMP server IP address to the appropriate address. If you are using John GI7UGV's nginx RTMP server, you can add another directive to support multiple streams. Your /etc/nginx/nginx.conf might look as follows;

worker_processes auto;
rtmp_auto_push on;
events {}
rtmp {
server {
listen 1935;
application live {
live on;
record off;
}
listen 1936;
application live1 {
live on;
record off;
}
}
}

===System Integration===

Having thought briefly about how to integrate the PLUTO into my existing QO100 narrow band system, I decided that it would be better to place all of the neededequipment into the ODU since it already has mains,10MHz ref, LAN, 70cms IFetc. feeding the outdoor box.

[[File:Pluto Network.png|313px]]

I found an old USB<>Ethernet adapter and an OTG adapter plugged it into the PLUTO's USB IO port, and a phone charger battery into the PSU USB port, the PLUTO defaults to DHCP so quickly obtains an IP address once its internal Linux OS has booted.

Network operation really is the way to go as it eliminates lots of USB issues and allows multiple sources to use the SDR without having to continually mess around with USB cables and fragile micro-USB connectors.

Matthias DD1US has written up his PLUTO LAN experiences at https://tinyurl.com/y4qtcmau which is worth digesting.

In the final system iteration here at the M0EYT ground station, I'll use a good de-noised 5V PSU, the PLUTO will go in a metal box for mechanical stability purposes, and I'll mount SMA sockets with back to back connectors that have the same hole spacing as the SDR, this should ensure that nothing gets broken.

===RF Topics===

The RF output level of the PLUTO is pretty low, about -15dBm at 2.4GHz so clearly this needs some amplification to do anything useful with.I decided to look at some of the random amplifier modules I had laying around and see what each did to the output spectrum, in particular the spectral regrowth / shoulders.
All measurements below are taken with the PLUTO generating DVBS2 at 2409.750MHz centre, 8PSK, 333Ksps, 2/3 FEC.

[[File:6 Avantek.png|400px]]
Avantek SA82-2340

[[File:7 SPF.png|400px]]
SPF5043 + 10dB Pad on o/p

[[File:8 LNA4.png|400px]]
LNA4ALL + 10dB Pad on o/p

[[File:9 3x.png|400px]]
3 X amp 30~dB gain (+ 10dB Pad on o/p)

[[File:11 Pluto Direct.png|400px]]
PLUTO direct output 8PSK baseline

[[File:10 Pluto 8.png|400px]]
PLUTO 8PSK baseline

From the tests of LNA's to get the PLUTO output up a bit, it appears the more modern devices do not add significant IMD to the xPSK providing they are not over driven.
My current experimental TX line up is a dual FET pre-amp taking the PLUTO output to +5dBm, a secondary PA rated at 20watts running at 30dBm, and then a Spectrian PA, modified as per the CQ-TV article to deliver 45dBm, about 30 watts. Looking at the PSK constellation shows that its relatively clean, and the shoulders either side of the 8PSK are 35dB down which should just about be acceptable. I will try to find one of the Axis-NT amplifiers as that would solve all power problems.

===Wrapping Up===

The PLUTO SDR with the F5OEO firmware certainly does offer a simple way to generate DATV from VHF up to the lower microwave bands. For QO100 with a suitable amplifier chain it is ideal and should result in many more users appearing on the wideband transponder. There are no annoying pre-transmission calibration carriers to spatter over the transponder which is nice. A great amount of credit should be given to Evariste F5OEO for his amazing work on this firmware, and I would recommend you donate to his efforts via https://www.paypal.me/f5oeo - something for a decant bottle of wine or two for example! I'm sure that many hundreds of man-hours have been put in to this project so a bit of support won't go a-miss and might even encourage further enhancements.See you on the transponder! Thanks to John GI7UGV for sanity checking this write up ;-)

Custom DATV Firmware for the Pluto

2019-10-21T17:11:19Z

G8PEF: /* First Steps */

===Foreword===

This is a preview of an article due for publication in CQ-TV 266, published here to promote early experimentation. Thanks to Paul M0EYT for writing it.

Before loading the custom firmware, it may be necessary to extend the frequency range of the Pluto. The instructions for this can be found on this web page: https://wiki.analog.com/university/tools/pluto/users/customizing. Scroll down to the bottom section "Updating to the AD9364".

You may also wish to enable the second CPU core as described here: https://www.ph4x.com/pluto-sdr-hack-2nd-cpu-core/

You can download the firmware from the VIVA DATV forum, after registration, from http://www.vivadatv.org/viewtopic.php?f=60&t=692

===Introduction===

Firstly, I'm not a DATV expert but have played with a number of SDR's over the years since my first SDR-14 back in 2005. I dabble in GHz stuff so have a rough idea what I'm doing but that’s about it! I like to make sure I learn something new related to technology every day, so both DATV and the PLUTO SDR fulfil this. I got the PLUTO after borrowing one from Jules, G0NZO and being super impressed by it, for the price you really cannot go wrong. It works out of the box, has TX+RX and with a few minutes work, can have its frequency range extended to cover 70MHz to 6GHz, not bad at all, plus it runs Linux internally (Linux pluto 4.14.0-g387d584d434e). The receiver is great and I used the loan unit to listen to all Bell Hill beacons up to 5.7GHz with something akin to a paperclip pushed into the RX port.

[[File:Pluto.png|105px]]

This is the unit in question, shown to the left, it’s very compact at 5"X3"X1" with separate transmit and receive SMA sockets and a pair of micro USB sockets for I/O and power. It draws 400-420mA when idle or transmitting. When the QO100 narrow band transponder was used with PLUTO SDR's for TX, some frequency drift was apparent. It turns out that the integral TCXO wasn’t particularly good, so it's worth replacing it with a decent TCXO such as the ASTX-13-C-40.000MHz-I05-T which you can get from Mouser. This solves all frequency stability issues (well most...). For the ultimate stability, external GPSDO reference is still recommended.

===First Steps===

I've built the Portsdown filter/modulator unit for DVBS which performs really well, but was looking for a non-Lime-SDR method (it’s a long story) of generating DVBS28PSK and 16/32APSK DATV. I saw on Twitter that OM Evariste, F5OEO (@F5OEOEvariste) of RPiTX fame was developing replacement firmware for the PLUTO that would provide DATV capabilities as well as some other goodies, so I pinged him a message and asked if I could beta-test the firmware. The firmware arrived quickly.The 'pluto.frm' file is copied into the root directory of the PLUTO mass storage memory, where the configuration files exist. Once copied up, 'eject' the device, don’t unplug the USB but use the software eject. The blue LED1 in the PLUTO will rapidly flash for 3 or 4 minutes then reboot and the mass storage device will reappear. Full details on this process are at https://wiki.analog.com/university/tools/pluto/users/firmware - don't unplug it during the flash process for obvious reasons; you might brick it. With the SDR still plugged into your PC, you can browse to the internal web-server by pointing a browser at http://192.168.2.1 with all being well you should see something similar to the next screenshot:

[[File:Screenshot.png|450px]]

Having updated the firmware and confirmed that it was working, next was the start of a massive learning curve…What would I need to use to generate some 'digital stream' with video in it? What software should be used?How does the stream get from the PC to the SDR? How do you set all the parameters needed to generate DATV? How do I get video from my phone camera into the PC? The list of questions was growing the more I looked into this stuff....

===Digital Video Source===

I know John GI7UGV as we work in the same industry and know that he's really into DATV, so had a chat with him and within minutes had VMIX (https://www.vmix.com/) installed – this looked like the easiest initial method of doing what I needed; make a PC generate some stream to control the PLUTO. This was pretty intuitive and within half an hour I had a test card source, spitting out the relevant data to the PLUTO. This was done by setting an external RTMP stream target with the following parameters:

URL : rtmp://192.168.2.1:7272/,437,DVBS2,QPSK,333,23,Pass : ,M0EYT,

The above parameters form part of the URL and are parsed by the F5OEO firmware to set the various DATV transmission parameters:

Frequency in MHz: 437
Mode (DVBS/DVBS2): DVBS2
Constellation (QPSK,8PSK,16APSK): QPSK (only QPSK in valid in DVBS)
SymbolRate in KS (33-2000): 333
FEC (12,23,34,67,78...): 23
CALLSIGN: M0EYT

It's particularly important to look at the RTMP stream definition syntax, probably best to cut & paste the above URL / pass text and then modify to suite your own requirements. With the PLUTO SDR plugged into the USB port of the PC running VMIX, it worked right away and a QPSK carrier was being generated at 437MHz, receivable on the Minituner. I had noted that VMIX was not free, so rather than spending hours with IDA, and having noted with John UGV had said, I decided to uninstall VMIX and give OBS (Open Broadcaster Software https://obsproject.com/download) a try.Since this is open source, there are no licensing 'difficulties' and although it's not as polished as VMIX, it's fully functional and just works.

===OBS Basics===

In OBS the first thing to do is to define the output stream so it points at the PLUTO SDR, so go to settings, stream, and type in the following, obviously tweaking the IP address, modulation parameters and callsign to suite your own environment:

[[File:OBS.png|606px]]

You will be able to see a 'Controls' box docked at the bottom of the OBS window, this is where you press 'start streaming' to enable the PLUTO's DATV output. A green block should appear in the status bar indicating that streaming to the PLUTO is occurring.
Before you jump in and press 'start streaming', you will need to set the streaming bitrate to avoid any overflows between OBS and the PLUTO. Visit http://www.satbroadcasts.com/DVB-S_Bitrate_and_Bandwidth_Calculator.html type in your DVBS/S2 parameters, press calculate, and make a note of the 'Netto TS bitrate' – you want to set your streaming bit rate to about 65% to 70% of this figure. So if the Net TS bitrate is 440Kbps you will want to set your video bitrate to say 286Kbps, better to set it on the lower side. This means that the video plus transport overheads will not cause overflows when streaming data into the PLUTO. Once you are familiar with the various bitrates, and your favourite settings, you will be able to guesstimate the video bitrate in OBS. It is set via 'settings', then 'output', then under the 'streaming' section type your bitrate. I have my encoder set to x264 compression and my audio bitrate set to 64Kbps. With these settings, there are no interruptions in the audio stream and everything works fluidly.
Next, you will need a picture source, so the easiest method in OBS is to go to the 'scenes' dock, press +, enter a name for your scene, such as 'test card'. Next in the 'sources' dock, press +, select video capture device, create new, type in some name and press OK. You should see a 'colour bar / grey fade / bar' test card appear in the 'Preview' window. Ensure that in the 'Controls' dock, you have pressed 'Studio Mode' so you see Preview and Program windows.
Whatever you see in the 'Program' window is the video that is being streamed to your PLUTO.
You can set a number of 'scenes' so that you can quickly select and fade or cut between them. If you have desktop video files these are easy to add. You can create an additional scene and for example put a JPG/PNG image there, or add some desktop video. I found that my camcorder dumped its video out in a .VRO file, never heard of that, but OBS could ingest it and stream it correctly including the stereo audio tracks.
You can also easily add scrolling text messages to overlay across your images, various analogue and digital clocks, inputs from webcams, RTSP CCTV cameras, dancing chicken / cat overlays etc., there are a lots of choices. You probably want to spend a few hours clicking through the various menus to get a handle on the software options and what it can do. I found it fairly easy to set up sources and to be able to chop and change parameters whilst watching the DVB-S2 stream on another laptop. Within OBS it's also worth looking at the various extensions / add-ons that others have written for the platform, these basically are additional features for you to use. You will end up with something similar to my instance:

[[File:OBS Screen.png|585px]]

In my OBS 'scenes' I have an 'rtmp streamer' input, this allows me to use the camera / microphone in my Android mobile phone, along with software called Larix Broadcaster https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.wmspanel.larix_broadcaster - what this does is streams the video from the phone, but you cannot ingest this directly into OBS since you need an RTMP streaming server. You could use this mobile app to directly stream to the PLUTO SDR but then all the nice video processing features of OBS are lost. Luckily there is a thread at https://forum.batc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=69&t=6179 detailing what needs to be done to make build such a server, you can drop this onto one of your Raspberry PI's and it consumes very little CPU. Basically it uses NGINX HTTP server with an RTMP streamer plugin and just works. Point your phone and OBS at the PI's IP with the port defined in the configuration file, press the various go buttons and video / audio will be streamed from the phone into OBS.
If you can get away from having any analogue video sources in your setup, your overall stream output will be digital from the sensor through to the display at the other end of your QSO. This means that quality will be maintained and you won't have poor quality audio with earth loops / buzzing or video that suffers from typical analogue artifacts.

If you want to stream from a Windows desktop into the RTMP server, that is also easy to set up. Firstly download FFMpeg from https://ffmpeg.zeranoe.com/builds/ - you will then need the capture drive which you can get from http://www.umediaserver.net/components/index.html search for UScreenCapture and download the appropriate version. Once both packages are installed, open a command shell and execute the following;

ffmpeg -f dshow -i video="UScreenCapture" -r 10 -c:v libx264 -b:v 300k -preset ultrafast -b 300k -s 1280x800 -x264opts keyint=50 -g 25 -pix_fmt yuv420p -f flv "rtmp://1.2.3.4:1936/live1/desktop"

the -b:v and -b parameters are video bitrate. -s is capture size and -r is 10 frames per second, adjust to suite your particular setup. I tested this with 333Ksps QPSK and it renders nicely. In OBS you should set up a steam source pointing to rtmp://1.2.3.4:1936/live1/desktop to be able to see your desktop image.

Obviously set the target RTMP server IP address to the appropriate address. If you are using John GI7UGV's nginx RTMP server, you can add another directive to support multiple streams. Your /etc/nginx/nginx.conf might look as follows;

worker_processes auto;
rtmp_auto_push on;
events {}
rtmp {
server {
listen 1935;
application live {
live on;
record off;
}
listen 1936;
application live1 {
live on;
record off;
}
}
}

===System Integration===

Having thought briefly about how to integrate the PLUTO into my existing QO100 narrow band system, I decided that it would be better to place all of the neededequipment into the ODU since it already has mains,10MHz ref, LAN, 70cms IFetc. feeding the outdoor box.

[[File:Pluto Network.png|313px]]

I found an old USB<>Ethernet adapter and an OTG adapter plugged it into the PLUTO's USB IO port, and a phone charger battery into the PSU USB port, the PLUTO defaults to DHCP so quickly obtains an IP address once its internal Linux OS has booted.

Network operation really is the way to go as it eliminates lots of USB issues and allows multiple sources to use the SDR without having to continually mess around with USB cables and fragile micro-USB connectors.

Matthias DD1US has written up his PLUTO LAN experiences at https://tinyurl.com/y4qtcmau which is worth digesting.

In the final system iteration here at the M0EYT ground station, I'll use a good de-noised 5V PSU, the PLUTO will go in a metal box for mechanical stability purposes, and I'll mount SMA sockets with back to back connectors that have the same hole spacing as the SDR, this should ensure that nothing gets broken.

===RF Topics===

The RF output level of the PLUTO is pretty low, about -15dBm at 2.4GHz so clearly this needs some amplification to do anything useful with.I decided to look at some of the random amplifier modules I had laying around and see what each did to the output spectrum, in particular the spectral regrowth / shoulders.
All measurements below are taken with the PLUTO generating DVBS2 at 2409.750MHz centre, 8PSK, 333Ksps, 2/3 FEC.

[[File:6 Avantek.png|400px]]
Avantek SA82-2340

[[File:7 SPF.png|400px]]
SPF5043 + 10dB Pad on o/p

[[File:8 LNA4.png|400px]]
LNA4ALL + 10dB Pad on o/p

[[File:9 3x.png|400px]]
3 X amp 30~dB gain (+ 10dB Pad on o/p)

[[File:11 Pluto Direct.png|400px]]
PLUTO direct output 8PSK baseline

[[File:10 Pluto 8.png|400px]]
PLUTO 8PSK baseline

From the tests of LNA's to get the PLUTO output up a bit, it appears the more modern devices do not add significant IMD to the xPSK providing they are not over driven.
My current experimental TX line up is a dual FET pre-amp taking the PLUTO output to +5dBm, a secondary PA rated at 20watts running at 30dBm, and then a Spectrian PA, modified as per the CQ-TV article to deliver 45dBm, about 30 watts. Looking at the PSK constellation shows that its relatively clean, and the shoulders either side of the 8PSK are 35dB down which should just about be acceptable. I will try to find one of the Axis-NT amplifiers as that would solve all power problems.

===Wrapping Up===

The PLUTO SDR with the F5OEO firmware certainly does offer a simple way to generate DATV from VHF up to the lower microwave bands. For QO100 with a suitable amplifier chain it is ideal and should result in many more users appearing on the wideband transponder. There are no annoying pre-transmission calibration carriers to spatter over the transponder which is nice. A great amount of credit should be given to Evariste F5OEO for his amazing work on this firmware, and I would recommend you donate to his efforts via https://www.paypal.me/f5oeo - something for a decant bottle of wine or two for example! I'm sure that many hundreds of man-hours have been put in to this project so a bit of support won't go a-miss and might even encourage further enhancements.See you on the transponder! Thanks to John GI7UGV for sanity checking this write up ;-)

Custom DATV Firmware for the Pluto

2019-10-21T17:08:23Z

G8PEF: /* Introduction */

===Foreword===

This is a preview of an article due for publication in CQ-TV 266, published here to promote early experimentation. Thanks to Paul M0EYT for writing it.

Before loading the custom firmware, it may be necessary to extend the frequency range of the Pluto. The instructions for this can be found on this web page: https://wiki.analog.com/university/tools/pluto/users/customizing. Scroll down to the bottom section "Updating to the AD9364".

You may also wish to enable the second CPU core as described here: https://www.ph4x.com/pluto-sdr-hack-2nd-cpu-core/

You can download the firmware from the VIVA DATV forum, after registration, from http://www.vivadatv.org/viewtopic.php?f=60&t=692

===Introduction===

Firstly, I'm not a DATV expert but have played with a number of SDR's over the years since my first SDR-14 back in 2005. I dabble in GHz stuff so have a rough idea what I'm doing but that’s about it! I like to make sure I learn something new related to technology every day, so both DATV and the PLUTO SDR fulfil this. I got the PLUTO after borrowing one from Jules, G0NZO and being super impressed by it, for the price you really cannot go wrong. It works out of the box, has TX+RX and with a few minutes work, can have its frequency range extended to cover 70MHz to 6GHz, not bad at all, plus it runs Linux internally (Linux pluto 4.14.0-g387d584d434e). The receiver is great and I used the loan unit to listen to all Bell Hill beacons up to 5.7GHz with something akin to a paperclip pushed into the RX port.

[[File:Pluto.png|105px]]

This is the unit in question, shown to the left, it’s very compact at 5"X3"X1" with separate transmit and receive SMA sockets and a pair of micro USB sockets for I/O and power. It draws 400-420mA when idle or transmitting. When the QO100 narrow band transponder was used with PLUTO SDR's for TX, some frequency drift was apparent. It turns out that the integral TCXO wasn’t particularly good, so it's worth replacing it with a decent TCXO such as the ASTX-13-C-40.000MHz-I05-T which you can get from Mouser. This solves all frequency stability issues (well most...). For the ultimate stability, external GPSDO reference is still recommended.

===First Steps===

I've built the Portsdown filter/modulator unit for DVBS which performs really well, but was looking for a non-Lime-SDR method (it’s a long story) of generating DVBS28PSK and 16/32APSK DATV. I saw on Twitter that OM EvaristeF5OEO(@F5OEOEvariste) of rpitx fame was developing replacement firmware for the PLUTO that would provide DATV capabilities as well as some other goodies, so I pinged him a message and asked if I could beta-test the firmware. The firmware arrived quickly.The 'pluto.frm' file is copied into the root directory of the PLUTO mass storage memory, where the configuration files exist. Once copied up, 'eject' the device, don’t unplug the USB but use the software eject. The blue LED1 in the PLUTO will rapidly flash for 3 or 4 minutes then reboot and the mass storage device will reappear. Full details on this process are at https://wiki.analog.com/university/tools/pluto/users/firmware - don't unplug it during the flash process for obvious reasons; you might brick it. With the SDR still plugged into your PC, you can browse to the internal web-server by pointing a browser at http://192.168.2.1 with all being well you should see something similar to the next screenshot:

[[File:Screenshot.png|450px]]

Having updated the firmware and confirmed that it was working, next was the start of a massive learning curve…What would I need to use to generate some 'digital stream' with video in it? What software should be used?How does the stream get from the PC to the SDR? How do you set all the parameters needed to generate DATV? How do I get video from my phone camera into the PC? The list of questions was growing the more I looked into this stuff....

===Digital Video Source===

I know John GI7UGV as we work in the same industry and know that he's really into DATV, so had a chat with him and within minutes had VMIX (https://www.vmix.com/) installed – this looked like the easiest initial method of doing what I needed; make a PC generate some stream to control the PLUTO. This was pretty intuitive and within half an hour I had a test card source, spitting out the relevant data to the PLUTO. This was done by setting an external RTMP stream target with the following parameters:

URL : rtmp://192.168.2.1:7272/,437,DVBS2,QPSK,333,23,Pass : ,M0EYT,

The above parameters form part of the URL and are parsed by the F5OEO firmware to set the various DATV transmission parameters:

Frequency in MHz: 437
Mode (DVBS/DVBS2): DVBS2
Constellation (QPSK,8PSK,16APSK): QPSK (only QPSK in valid in DVBS)
SymbolRate in KS (33-2000): 333
FEC (12,23,34,67,78...): 23
CALLSIGN: M0EYT

It's particularly important to look at the RTMP stream definition syntax, probably best to cut & paste the above URL / pass text and then modify to suite your own requirements. With the PLUTO SDR plugged into the USB port of the PC running VMIX, it worked right away and a QPSK carrier was being generated at 437MHz, receivable on the Minituner. I had noted that VMIX was not free, so rather than spending hours with IDA, and having noted with John UGV had said, I decided to uninstall VMIX and give OBS (Open Broadcaster Software https://obsproject.com/download) a try.Since this is open source, there are no licensing 'difficulties' and although it's not as polished as VMIX, it's fully functional and just works.

===OBS Basics===

In OBS the first thing to do is to define the output stream so it points at the PLUTO SDR, so go to settings, stream, and type in the following, obviously tweaking the IP address, modulation parameters and callsign to suite your own environment:

[[File:OBS.png|606px]]

You will be able to see a 'Controls' box docked at the bottom of the OBS window, this is where you press 'start streaming' to enable the PLUTO's DATV output. A green block should appear in the status bar indicating that streaming to the PLUTO is occurring.
Before you jump in and press 'start streaming', you will need to set the streaming bitrate to avoid any overflows between OBS and the PLUTO. Visit http://www.satbroadcasts.com/DVB-S_Bitrate_and_Bandwidth_Calculator.html type in your DVBS/S2 parameters, press calculate, and make a note of the 'Netto TS bitrate' – you want to set your streaming bit rate to about 65% to 70% of this figure. So if the Net TS bitrate is 440Kbps you will want to set your video bitrate to say 286Kbps, better to set it on the lower side. This means that the video plus transport overheads will not cause overflows when streaming data into the PLUTO. Once you are familiar with the various bitrates, and your favourite settings, you will be able to guesstimate the video bitrate in OBS. It is set via 'settings', then 'output', then under the 'streaming' section type your bitrate. I have my encoder set to x264 compression and my audio bitrate set to 64Kbps. With these settings, there are no interruptions in the audio stream and everything works fluidly.
Next, you will need a picture source, so the easiest method in OBS is to go to the 'scenes' dock, press +, enter a name for your scene, such as 'test card'. Next in the 'sources' dock, press +, select video capture device, create new, type in some name and press OK. You should see a 'colour bar / grey fade / bar' test card appear in the 'Preview' window. Ensure that in the 'Controls' dock, you have pressed 'Studio Mode' so you see Preview and Program windows.
Whatever you see in the 'Program' window is the video that is being streamed to your PLUTO.
You can set a number of 'scenes' so that you can quickly select and fade or cut between them. If you have desktop video files these are easy to add. You can create an additional scene and for example put a JPG/PNG image there, or add some desktop video. I found that my camcorder dumped its video out in a .VRO file, never heard of that, but OBS could ingest it and stream it correctly including the stereo audio tracks.
You can also easily add scrolling text messages to overlay across your images, various analogue and digital clocks, inputs from webcams, RTSP CCTV cameras, dancing chicken / cat overlays etc., there are a lots of choices. You probably want to spend a few hours clicking through the various menus to get a handle on the software options and what it can do. I found it fairly easy to set up sources and to be able to chop and change parameters whilst watching the DVB-S2 stream on another laptop. Within OBS it's also worth looking at the various extensions / add-ons that others have written for the platform, these basically are additional features for you to use. You will end up with something similar to my instance:

[[File:OBS Screen.png|585px]]

In my OBS 'scenes' I have an 'rtmp streamer' input, this allows me to use the camera / microphone in my Android mobile phone, along with software called Larix Broadcaster https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.wmspanel.larix_broadcaster - what this does is streams the video from the phone, but you cannot ingest this directly into OBS since you need an RTMP streaming server. You could use this mobile app to directly stream to the PLUTO SDR but then all the nice video processing features of OBS are lost. Luckily there is a thread at https://forum.batc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=69&t=6179 detailing what needs to be done to make build such a server, you can drop this onto one of your Raspberry PI's and it consumes very little CPU. Basically it uses NGINX HTTP server with an RTMP streamer plugin and just works. Point your phone and OBS at the PI's IP with the port defined in the configuration file, press the various go buttons and video / audio will be streamed from the phone into OBS.
If you can get away from having any analogue video sources in your setup, your overall stream output will be digital from the sensor through to the display at the other end of your QSO. This means that quality will be maintained and you won't have poor quality audio with earth loops / buzzing or video that suffers from typical analogue artifacts.

If you want to stream from a Windows desktop into the RTMP server, that is also easy to set up. Firstly download FFMpeg from https://ffmpeg.zeranoe.com/builds/ - you will then need the capture drive which you can get from http://www.umediaserver.net/components/index.html search for UScreenCapture and download the appropriate version. Once both packages are installed, open a command shell and execute the following;

ffmpeg -f dshow -i video="UScreenCapture" -r 10 -c:v libx264 -b:v 300k -preset ultrafast -b 300k -s 1280x800 -x264opts keyint=50 -g 25 -pix_fmt yuv420p -f flv "rtmp://1.2.3.4:1936/live1/desktop"

the -b:v and -b parameters are video bitrate. -s is capture size and -r is 10 frames per second, adjust to suite your particular setup. I tested this with 333Ksps QPSK and it renders nicely. In OBS you should set up a steam source pointing to rtmp://1.2.3.4:1936/live1/desktop to be able to see your desktop image.

Obviously set the target RTMP server IP address to the appropriate address. If you are using John GI7UGV's nginx RTMP server, you can add another directive to support multiple streams. Your /etc/nginx/nginx.conf might look as follows;

worker_processes auto;
rtmp_auto_push on;
events {}
rtmp {
server {
listen 1935;
application live {
live on;
record off;
}
listen 1936;
application live1 {
live on;
record off;
}
}
}

===System Integration===

Having thought briefly about how to integrate the PLUTO into my existing QO100 narrow band system, I decided that it would be better to place all of the neededequipment into the ODU since it already has mains,10MHz ref, LAN, 70cms IFetc. feeding the outdoor box.

[[File:Pluto Network.png|313px]]

I found an old USB<>Ethernet adapter and an OTG adapter plugged it into the PLUTO's USB IO port, and a phone charger battery into the PSU USB port, the PLUTO defaults to DHCP so quickly obtains an IP address once its internal Linux OS has booted.

Network operation really is the way to go as it eliminates lots of USB issues and allows multiple sources to use the SDR without having to continually mess around with USB cables and fragile micro-USB connectors.

Matthias DD1US has written up his PLUTO LAN experiences at https://tinyurl.com/y4qtcmau which is worth digesting.

In the final system iteration here at the M0EYT ground station, I'll use a good de-noised 5V PSU, the PLUTO will go in a metal box for mechanical stability purposes, and I'll mount SMA sockets with back to back connectors that have the same hole spacing as the SDR, this should ensure that nothing gets broken.

===RF Topics===

The RF output level of the PLUTO is pretty low, about -15dBm at 2.4GHz so clearly this needs some amplification to do anything useful with.I decided to look at some of the random amplifier modules I had laying around and see what each did to the output spectrum, in particular the spectral regrowth / shoulders.
All measurements below are taken with the PLUTO generating DVBS2 at 2409.750MHz centre, 8PSK, 333Ksps, 2/3 FEC.

[[File:6 Avantek.png|400px]]
Avantek SA82-2340

[[File:7 SPF.png|400px]]
SPF5043 + 10dB Pad on o/p

[[File:8 LNA4.png|400px]]
LNA4ALL + 10dB Pad on o/p

[[File:9 3x.png|400px]]
3 X amp 30~dB gain (+ 10dB Pad on o/p)

[[File:11 Pluto Direct.png|400px]]
PLUTO direct output 8PSK baseline

[[File:10 Pluto 8.png|400px]]
PLUTO 8PSK baseline

From the tests of LNA's to get the PLUTO output up a bit, it appears the more modern devices do not add significant IMD to the xPSK providing they are not over driven.
My current experimental TX line up is a dual FET pre-amp taking the PLUTO output to +5dBm, a secondary PA rated at 20watts running at 30dBm, and then a Spectrian PA, modified as per the CQ-TV article to deliver 45dBm, about 30 watts. Looking at the PSK constellation shows that its relatively clean, and the shoulders either side of the 8PSK are 35dB down which should just about be acceptable. I will try to find one of the Axis-NT amplifiers as that would solve all power problems.

===Wrapping Up===

The PLUTO SDR with the F5OEO firmware certainly does offer a simple way to generate DATV from VHF up to the lower microwave bands. For QO100 with a suitable amplifier chain it is ideal and should result in many more users appearing on the wideband transponder. There are no annoying pre-transmission calibration carriers to spatter over the transponder which is nice. A great amount of credit should be given to Evariste F5OEO for his amazing work on this firmware, and I would recommend you donate to his efforts via https://www.paypal.me/f5oeo - something for a decant bottle of wine or two for example! I'm sure that many hundreds of man-hours have been put in to this project so a bit of support won't go a-miss and might even encourage further enhancements.See you on the transponder! Thanks to John GI7UGV for sanity checking this write up ;-)

Custom DATV Firmware for the Pluto

2019-10-21T17:06:41Z

G8PEF: /* Forward */ >>>. /*Foreword*/ (Spelling correction)

===Foreword===

This is a preview of an article due for publication in CQ-TV 266, published here to promote early experimentation. Thanks to Paul M0EYT for writing it.

Before loading the custom firmware, it may be necessary to extend the frequency range of the Pluto. The instructions for this can be found on this web page: https://wiki.analog.com/university/tools/pluto/users/customizing. Scroll down to the bottom section "Updating to the AD9364".

You may also wish to enable the second CPU core as described here: https://www.ph4x.com/pluto-sdr-hack-2nd-cpu-core/

You can download the firmware from the VIVA DATV forum, after registration, from http://www.vivadatv.org/viewtopic.php?f=60&t=692

===Introduction===

Firstly, I'm not a DATV expert but have played with a number of SDR's over the years since my first SDR-14 back in 2005. I dabble in GHz stuff so have a rough idea what I'm doing but that’s about it! I like to make sure I learn something new related to technology every day, so both DATV and the PLUTO SDR fulfil this.I got the PLUTO after borrowing one from Jules, G0NZO and being super impressed by it, for the price you really cannot go wrong. It works out of the box, has TX+RX and with a few minutes work, can have its frequency range extended to cover 70MHz to 6GHz, not bad at all, plus it runs Linux internally (Linux pluto 4.14.0-g387d584d434e). The receiver is great and I used the loan unit to listen to all Bell Hill beacons up to 5.7GHz with something akin to a paperclip pushed into the RX port.

[[File:Pluto.png|105px]]

This is the unit in question, shown to the left, it’s very compact at 5"X3"X1" with separate transmit and receive SMA sockets and a pair of micro USB sockets for I/O and power. It draws 400-420mA when idle or transmitting. When the QO100 narrow band transponder was used with PLUTO SDR's for TX, some frequency drift was apparent. It turns out that the integral TCXO wasn’t particularly good, so it's worth replacing it with a decent TCXO such as the ASTX-13-C-40.000MHz-I05-T which you can get from Mouser. This solves all frequency stability issues (well most...). For the ultimate stability, external GPSDO reference is still recommended.

===First Steps===

I've built the Portsdown filter/modulator unit for DVBS which performs really well, but was looking for a non-Lime-SDR method (it’s a long story) of generating DVBS28PSK and 16/32APSK DATV. I saw on Twitter that OM EvaristeF5OEO(@F5OEOEvariste) of rpitx fame was developing replacement firmware for the PLUTO that would provide DATV capabilities as well as some other goodies, so I pinged him a message and asked if I could beta-test the firmware. The firmware arrived quickly.The 'pluto.frm' file is copied into the root directory of the PLUTO mass storage memory, where the configuration files exist. Once copied up, 'eject' the device, don’t unplug the USB but use the software eject. The blue LED1 in the PLUTO will rapidly flash for 3 or 4 minutes then reboot and the mass storage device will reappear. Full details on this process are at https://wiki.analog.com/university/tools/pluto/users/firmware - don't unplug it during the flash process for obvious reasons; you might brick it. With the SDR still plugged into your PC, you can browse to the internal web-server by pointing a browser at http://192.168.2.1 with all being well you should see something similar to the next screenshot:

[[File:Screenshot.png|450px]]

Having updated the firmware and confirmed that it was working, next was the start of a massive learning curve…What would I need to use to generate some 'digital stream' with video in it? What software should be used?How does the stream get from the PC to the SDR? How do you set all the parameters needed to generate DATV? How do I get video from my phone camera into the PC? The list of questions was growing the more I looked into this stuff....

===Digital Video Source===

I know John GI7UGV as we work in the same industry and know that he's really into DATV, so had a chat with him and within minutes had VMIX (https://www.vmix.com/) installed – this looked like the easiest initial method of doing what I needed; make a PC generate some stream to control the PLUTO. This was pretty intuitive and within half an hour I had a test card source, spitting out the relevant data to the PLUTO. This was done by setting an external RTMP stream target with the following parameters:

URL : rtmp://192.168.2.1:7272/,437,DVBS2,QPSK,333,23,Pass : ,M0EYT,

The above parameters form part of the URL and are parsed by the F5OEO firmware to set the various DATV transmission parameters:

Frequency in MHz: 437
Mode (DVBS/DVBS2): DVBS2
Constellation (QPSK,8PSK,16APSK): QPSK (only QPSK in valid in DVBS)
SymbolRate in KS (33-2000): 333
FEC (12,23,34,67,78...): 23
CALLSIGN: M0EYT

It's particularly important to look at the RTMP stream definition syntax, probably best to cut & paste the above URL / pass text and then modify to suite your own requirements. With the PLUTO SDR plugged into the USB port of the PC running VMIX, it worked right away and a QPSK carrier was being generated at 437MHz, receivable on the Minituner. I had noted that VMIX was not free, so rather than spending hours with IDA, and having noted with John UGV had said, I decided to uninstall VMIX and give OBS (Open Broadcaster Software https://obsproject.com/download) a try.Since this is open source, there are no licensing 'difficulties' and although it's not as polished as VMIX, it's fully functional and just works.

===OBS Basics===

In OBS the first thing to do is to define the output stream so it points at the PLUTO SDR, so go to settings, stream, and type in the following, obviously tweaking the IP address, modulation parameters and callsign to suite your own environment:

[[File:OBS.png|606px]]

You will be able to see a 'Controls' box docked at the bottom of the OBS window, this is where you press 'start streaming' to enable the PLUTO's DATV output. A green block should appear in the status bar indicating that streaming to the PLUTO is occurring.
Before you jump in and press 'start streaming', you will need to set the streaming bitrate to avoid any overflows between OBS and the PLUTO. Visit http://www.satbroadcasts.com/DVB-S_Bitrate_and_Bandwidth_Calculator.html type in your DVBS/S2 parameters, press calculate, and make a note of the 'Netto TS bitrate' – you want to set your streaming bit rate to about 65% to 70% of this figure. So if the Net TS bitrate is 440Kbps you will want to set your video bitrate to say 286Kbps, better to set it on the lower side. This means that the video plus transport overheads will not cause overflows when streaming data into the PLUTO. Once you are familiar with the various bitrates, and your favourite settings, you will be able to guesstimate the video bitrate in OBS. It is set via 'settings', then 'output', then under the 'streaming' section type your bitrate. I have my encoder set to x264 compression and my audio bitrate set to 64Kbps. With these settings, there are no interruptions in the audio stream and everything works fluidly.
Next, you will need a picture source, so the easiest method in OBS is to go to the 'scenes' dock, press +, enter a name for your scene, such as 'test card'. Next in the 'sources' dock, press +, select video capture device, create new, type in some name and press OK. You should see a 'colour bar / grey fade / bar' test card appear in the 'Preview' window. Ensure that in the 'Controls' dock, you have pressed 'Studio Mode' so you see Preview and Program windows.
Whatever you see in the 'Program' window is the video that is being streamed to your PLUTO.
You can set a number of 'scenes' so that you can quickly select and fade or cut between them. If you have desktop video files these are easy to add. You can create an additional scene and for example put a JPG/PNG image there, or add some desktop video. I found that my camcorder dumped its video out in a .VRO file, never heard of that, but OBS could ingest it and stream it correctly including the stereo audio tracks.
You can also easily add scrolling text messages to overlay across your images, various analogue and digital clocks, inputs from webcams, RTSP CCTV cameras, dancing chicken / cat overlays etc., there are a lots of choices. You probably want to spend a few hours clicking through the various menus to get a handle on the software options and what it can do. I found it fairly easy to set up sources and to be able to chop and change parameters whilst watching the DVB-S2 stream on another laptop. Within OBS it's also worth looking at the various extensions / add-ons that others have written for the platform, these basically are additional features for you to use. You will end up with something similar to my instance:

[[File:OBS Screen.png|585px]]

In my OBS 'scenes' I have an 'rtmp streamer' input, this allows me to use the camera / microphone in my Android mobile phone, along with software called Larix Broadcaster https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.wmspanel.larix_broadcaster - what this does is streams the video from the phone, but you cannot ingest this directly into OBS since you need an RTMP streaming server. You could use this mobile app to directly stream to the PLUTO SDR but then all the nice video processing features of OBS are lost. Luckily there is a thread at https://forum.batc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=69&t=6179 detailing what needs to be done to make build such a server, you can drop this onto one of your Raspberry PI's and it consumes very little CPU. Basically it uses NGINX HTTP server with an RTMP streamer plugin and just works. Point your phone and OBS at the PI's IP with the port defined in the configuration file, press the various go buttons and video / audio will be streamed from the phone into OBS.
If you can get away from having any analogue video sources in your setup, your overall stream output will be digital from the sensor through to the display at the other end of your QSO. This means that quality will be maintained and you won't have poor quality audio with earth loops / buzzing or video that suffers from typical analogue artifacts.

If you want to stream from a Windows desktop into the RTMP server, that is also easy to set up. Firstly download FFMpeg from https://ffmpeg.zeranoe.com/builds/ - you will then need the capture drive which you can get from http://www.umediaserver.net/components/index.html search for UScreenCapture and download the appropriate version. Once both packages are installed, open a command shell and execute the following;

ffmpeg -f dshow -i video="UScreenCapture" -r 10 -c:v libx264 -b:v 300k -preset ultrafast -b 300k -s 1280x800 -x264opts keyint=50 -g 25 -pix_fmt yuv420p -f flv "rtmp://1.2.3.4:1936/live1/desktop"

the -b:v and -b parameters are video bitrate. -s is capture size and -r is 10 frames per second, adjust to suite your particular setup. I tested this with 333Ksps QPSK and it renders nicely. In OBS you should set up a steam source pointing to rtmp://1.2.3.4:1936/live1/desktop to be able to see your desktop image.

Obviously set the target RTMP server IP address to the appropriate address. If you are using John GI7UGV's nginx RTMP server, you can add another directive to support multiple streams. Your /etc/nginx/nginx.conf might look as follows;

worker_processes auto;
rtmp_auto_push on;
events {}
rtmp {
server {
listen 1935;
application live {
live on;
record off;
}
listen 1936;
application live1 {
live on;
record off;
}
}
}

===System Integration===

Having thought briefly about how to integrate the PLUTO into my existing QO100 narrow band system, I decided that it would be better to place all of the neededequipment into the ODU since it already has mains,10MHz ref, LAN, 70cms IFetc. feeding the outdoor box.

[[File:Pluto Network.png|313px]]

I found an old USB<>Ethernet adapter and an OTG adapter plugged it into the PLUTO's USB IO port, and a phone charger battery into the PSU USB port, the PLUTO defaults to DHCP so quickly obtains an IP address once its internal Linux OS has booted.

Network operation really is the way to go as it eliminates lots of USB issues and allows multiple sources to use the SDR without having to continually mess around with USB cables and fragile micro-USB connectors.

Matthias DD1US has written up his PLUTO LAN experiences at https://tinyurl.com/y4qtcmau which is worth digesting.

In the final system iteration here at the M0EYT ground station, I'll use a good de-noised 5V PSU, the PLUTO will go in a metal box for mechanical stability purposes, and I'll mount SMA sockets with back to back connectors that have the same hole spacing as the SDR, this should ensure that nothing gets broken.

===RF Topics===

The RF output level of the PLUTO is pretty low, about -15dBm at 2.4GHz so clearly this needs some amplification to do anything useful with.I decided to look at some of the random amplifier modules I had laying around and see what each did to the output spectrum, in particular the spectral regrowth / shoulders.
All measurements below are taken with the PLUTO generating DVBS2 at 2409.750MHz centre, 8PSK, 333Ksps, 2/3 FEC.

[[File:6 Avantek.png|400px]]
Avantek SA82-2340

[[File:7 SPF.png|400px]]
SPF5043 + 10dB Pad on o/p

[[File:8 LNA4.png|400px]]
LNA4ALL + 10dB Pad on o/p

[[File:9 3x.png|400px]]
3 X amp 30~dB gain (+ 10dB Pad on o/p)

[[File:11 Pluto Direct.png|400px]]
PLUTO direct output 8PSK baseline

[[File:10 Pluto 8.png|400px]]
PLUTO 8PSK baseline

From the tests of LNA's to get the PLUTO output up a bit, it appears the more modern devices do not add significant IMD to the xPSK providing they are not over driven.
My current experimental TX line up is a dual FET pre-amp taking the PLUTO output to +5dBm, a secondary PA rated at 20watts running at 30dBm, and then a Spectrian PA, modified as per the CQ-TV article to deliver 45dBm, about 30 watts. Looking at the PSK constellation shows that its relatively clean, and the shoulders either side of the 8PSK are 35dB down which should just about be acceptable. I will try to find one of the Axis-NT amplifiers as that would solve all power problems.

===Wrapping Up===

The PLUTO SDR with the F5OEO firmware certainly does offer a simple way to generate DATV from VHF up to the lower microwave bands. For QO100 with a suitable amplifier chain it is ideal and should result in many more users appearing on the wideband transponder. There are no annoying pre-transmission calibration carriers to spatter over the transponder which is nice. A great amount of credit should be given to Evariste F5OEO for his amazing work on this firmware, and I would recommend you donate to his efforts via https://www.paypal.me/f5oeo - something for a decant bottle of wine or two for example! I'm sure that many hundreds of man-hours have been put in to this project so a bit of support won't go a-miss and might even encourage further enhancements.See you on the transponder! Thanks to John GI7UGV for sanity checking this write up ;-)

Lean DVB receiver

2019-10-18T11:07:15Z

G8PEF:

===Introduction===

F5OEO had included F4DAV's innovative LeanDVB receiver software within the Transmitter software build, and from software release 201612310 this was included in the core functionality of the Portsdown transmitter. The software is described on page 18 of '''CQ-TV 252''' and at http://www.pabr.org/radio/leandvb/leandvb.en.html.

To enable further investigation of the LeanDVB capabilities a new "LeanDVB DATV Receiver Menu" has been added in software build 201807090. This makes the receiver settings independent of the Transmitter settings, and allows adjustment of other parameters, such as sample rate and gain.

===Intended Usage===

The LeanDVB receiver is not as good as MiniTioune (needing 6 - 9 dB more signal) and in this implementation occasionally locks up and requires the RPi to be rebooted. This also sometimes happens when the Receiver is stopped.

Performance at 333 KS with the constellation and spectrum displays enabled is adequate. At 1000 KS and above, the constellation and spectrum displays consume too much CPU resource and the receiver picture display degrades. Selecting FastLock off can conserve some resources.

===Menu===

[[File:menu5.jpg|480px]]

The receive menu is accessed by selecting the RX button on Menu 1. The function of the buttons, starting from bottom left, is as follows. There are 4 preset recall buttons. Selecting one of these buttons restores the settings that were stored for that preset. To store a preset, set up the settings that you want to store and the press the "Store Preset" button (which will turn Red). Then press the preset button that you want to use. The software will ask you to enter the Title for the button and then store the preset. FastLock on/off toggles the LeanDVB fastlock setting. Audio on/off does nothing at this time. "Set as TX" sets the receiver to the same settings as the transmitter. The Frequency button brings up the frequency selection menu. The presets on this menu are the same as those programmed for the transmitter. The symbol rate and FEC menus operates in a similar manner. The sample rate button brings up a keyboard where you can enter the desired RTL-SDR sampkle rate; the gain button allows entry of the RTL-SDR gain. Entering 0 for sample rate or gain, selects an automatic setting. Only DVB-S modulation is currently available. If you have purchased and entered an MPEG-2 decoder license (£2.40 from http://www.raspberrypi.com/mpeg-2-license-key/) you can select MPEG-2 decoding on the H264/MPEG-2 button. Only the RTL-SDR is currently supported. The constellation and Parameter buttons enable you to declutter the display. The RX buitton switches on the receiver.

===Capability===

[[File:LeanDVB2.jpg|thumb|Waveshare screen displaying video received via the dongle.]]
On a Raspberry Pi 3 using an RTL-SDR, it will receive H264 (and MPEG-2 if you have purchased a license key) anywhere between 24 – 1766 MHz and decode at up to 2000KS/s and display on the touchscreen LCD. The picture is jerky on the Waveshare touchscreen due to the low refresh rate, but is much smoother on the Official Raspberry Pi 7" touchscreen.

The software is not as good as MiniTioune at digging signals out of the noise, and sometimes takes a while to lock, but is well worth playing with as a stand-alone test receiver. The receive frequency needs to be set fairly accurately; if it is not, there may be positive lock indications, but no picture decode. The same frequency correction as is used for the RTL-FM audio receiver is applied to the RTL-SDR in this application.

[[File:LeanDVB1.jpg|thumb|M0DHP at 1MS as displayed on the Official Raspberry Pi 7 inch screen]]

===Entering the MPEG-2 License Key===

To order an MPEG-2 license key, you need to know the hardware serial of your RPi3. To find this, select Menu 3, "Check for Update" and then MPEG-2 License". The serial is displayed in the keyboard prompt. If you do not have the license, simply select enter and nothing will be changed. When you have received the license, return to this menu and enter the 0x...... section of the key. Press enter, and then go to Menu 2 and reboot. After reboot, you should be able to select the MPEG-2 decode option.

License keys are available from http://www.raspberrypi.com/mpeg-2-license-key/ The linux command to bring up the serial number is
cat /proc/cpuinfo

Note that the Raspberry Pi 4 is incapable of hardware decoding MPEG-2.

Portsdown Displays

2019-10-18T11:05:15Z

G8PEF: /* Recommended Display 1 - Element 14 7 Inch Touchscreen */

===Recommended Display 1 - Official Raspberry Pi 7" touchscreen (often referred to as a "7 inch Element 14 touchscreen")===

The Official Raspberry Pi 7" touchscreen (often referred to as a "7 inch Element 14 touchscreen") is fully supported by the Portsdown 2019 software, although tt does not currently work properly for FreqShow mode, and no Composite Video output is available from the RPi while using this display.

However, it is significantly faster and being a full HD display does look stunning! We would recommend anybody building a new system to use this display.

Modmypi also do a display housing suitable for the 7 inch screen https://www.modmypi.com/raspberry-pi/screens-and-displays/screen-cases/raspberry-pi-7-touchscreen-display-case-black

[[File:7 inch screen.jpg|400px]]

===Recommended Display 2 - Waveshare 3.5 inch Type A===

The Portsdown transmitter is also designed to be used with the Waveshare 3.5 inch Type A touchscreen which connects to the RPi using the GPIO connector.

===DO NOT USE===

Do not use any display which connects through HDMI. The HDMI output is disabled by default in the Portsdown software for 2 reasons: firstly, the HDMI output uses one of the clocks which is used by the DATV coding software and interferes with its operation; secondly, the Composite Video output is enabled for use with analog video transmitters, and use of this output disables the HDMI port.

===Partially Supported Displays===

====Waveshare 4 inch Display====

The Waveshare 4 inch display can be used, but new features do not always work with it, as modifications to the standard build are required to be tested and implemented by small group of users before being incorporated in the standard build. To use this display, select Waveshare4 in the display selection menu in the console. After new features have been added in an update (for example FreqShow in release 201801012) it may be necessary for existing Waveshare 4 users to select a normal Waveshare display in the console, and then reselect Waveshare 4 to load the required settings.

====Waveshare 3.5 inch Type B====

The Waveshare 3.5 inch Type B can be made to work by selecting WaveshareB in the display selection menu in the console. It is not recommended as a display, because it is not included in any pre-release testing.

====Composite Video Monitors====

The PAL Composite video output on the RPi is active (except when the 7 inch screen is used) and in some modes displays the same image as is displayed on the touchscreen, although there is no touchscreen control. Its primary purpose in this application is to be used as a signal source for Analogue ATV transmitters.

===Screen Orientation===

The image and touch maps of the 7 inch screen may need to be inverted (for example if you have used one of the older screen mounting boxes). The Portsdown 2019 software has a function to reverse the display in the "System Config" menu accessed through Menu 3.

Previous versions can be modified by adding the line:

lcd_rotate=2
to the /boot/config.txt file.

The image, but not the touch map, on the 3.5 inch screen can be inverted by adding the line
display_rotate=2
to the /boot/config.txt file.

Portsdown hardware

2019-10-18T11:02:21Z

G8PEF: /* LCD TouchScreen */

This section of the user guide describes all the hardware modules and interconnections required to build the Portsdown 2019 DATV system.

Not all the hardware is required before the transmitter can start to be tested – an incremental approach is described here to allow constructors to gain confidence as they assemble the parts.

Each component that you need is described in more detail here. Suggested suppliers for each item are listed underneath the description in the quote box.

===Raspberry Pi 3===

The first item required is a standard Raspberry Pi 3 or 3+. These are available from many suppliers and we suggest you just buy a Raspberry Pi 3B+ without any additional boards or SD cards as you will be using specific Portsdown hardware and software.

Raspberry Pi 3B+: CPC Farnell https://cpc.farnell.com/raspberry-pi/rpi3-modbp/raspberry-pi-3-model-b/dp/SC14882

===Power Supplies ===

You will also need a 5v power supply for the Raspberry Pi, and a low resistance Micro-USB supply lead (some cheap ones are not so good).

You should power the RPi through the Micro-USB power connector to take advantage of the input protection provided. Use a very short USB cable to your power supply as most of these cables are of very poor quality and cause significant voltage drop. If you see a "Lightning Flash" symbol at the top right of your LCD display it means that the voltage at the RPi is too low. You can measure the voltage between the GPIO connector pins 4 and 6.

[[File:flash.jpg|200px]]

A lot of strange problems, such as the Portsdown running very slowly, can be caused by poor PSU volts - the RPi3 is actually specified for 5.1 volts, so make sure that your PSU delivers enough volts and current. See [https://forum.batc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?t=4856&p=11935#p11935 this post on the BATC forum] for a real user experience!

You may also need a 12 volt DC supply to power the other Portsdown components.

===Micro-SD Card===

You then need an SD card with the Portsdown software on it.

The easiest way is to buy a pre-programmed SD Card from the [https://batc.org.uk/shop/portsdown-transmitter-pre-programmed-sd-card/ BATC shop]. (Item 2 in the Portsdown list).

OR if you want to have a go at loading the software yourself you will need to or purchase a '''good quality card''' from another source and follow the instructions described [[Portsdown software|here]]. (The 16GB SanDisk Ultra is recommended - DO NOT use cheap copies)

-----------------------
'''This is the minimum hardware configuration you need for testing the Portsdown transmitter! You can use an external PC to control the Portsdown in Console mode and run the [[QPSKRF or Ugly mode|QPSKRF or Ugly]] test mode using moving test patterns and images. (But as "ugly mode" only runs in reduced bandwidth or RB-TV mode, you will need a [[MiniTioune|MiniTiouner]] to receive it.)'''
-----------------------

'''''To use your Portsdown as a "proper" DATV transmitter you need the following components:'''''

===LCD TouchScreen===

Do not buy a touchscreen that connects through the RPi HDMI connector - it is NOT supported.

The touchscreen is required to control the transmitter without the use of another computer.

Portsdown 2019 is designed to take advantage of the larger touchscreen, the Official Raspberry Pi 7" touchscreen (often referred to as a "7 inch Element 14 touchscreen"): https://cpc.farnell.com/raspberry-pi/raspberrypi-display/raspberry-pi-touchscreen-display/dp/SC13858 or https://www.element14.com/community/docs/DOC-78156/l/raspberry-pi-7-touchscreen-display Also available from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Raspberry-Pi-7-Inch-Screen-Display/dp/B014WKCFR4

[[File:7_inch_screen.jpg|400px]]

Note that if you use the 7 inch screen, you do not need to connect the 3 data leads between the screen and the RPi - only ground and +5v. The data wires were only required for the RPi 2. With the RPi 3, all the touchscreen data goes through the ribbon cable.

The other supported touchscreen is a 3.5 inch diagonal Waveshare Raspberry Pi LCD (Model A, not Model B). This is available from a number of suppliers for under £20. It uses a resistive touch panel and has a resolution of 480*320.

[[File:Waveshare.jpg|200px]]

Get the Waveshare display from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Waveshare-Raspberry-Resistive-Interface-Rapsberry-pi/dp/B00OZLG2YS or several suppliers on ebay.

To mount the Waveshare screen away from the RPi, you could use this extension cable: https://thepihut.com/products/adafruit-gpio-extender-cable-for-raspberry-pi-model-a-b-26pin-12-long Just make sure that you triple-check the connections and pin orientation before connecting the screen. They do not tolerate incorrect connection as several of us have found out! Alternatively, you can make one yourself from a discarded 3.5 inch floppy drive and its lead.

Further information on screens can be found here [[Portsdown Displays]] and information on display resolutions can be found here [[Display Resolutions|PAL/NTSC and Display Resolutions]].

===Touchscreen mount===

Mounting the Waveshare LCD Touchscreen can be a challenge!

This 3D print design mounts it flat to the panel: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1941701

This 3D print design mounts it at an angle: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1920486.

Note that, when mounted, none of the touchscreen sensitive areas should be in contact with the surround.

===GPIO Extender Card===

In the completed unit, there are a number of signals that need to be routed in or out of the GPIO interface on the RPi. Plus we need to break out all 40 pins of the GPIO, and have another connector on top for the Waveshare LCD display (if used). Because of this the Portsdown team have designed a PCB for the job - the blank PCB for this is available from the BATC shop.

Buying an extender card early in the project reduces the chance of damage to the RPi and allows these connections to be made safely.

[[File:screw t.jpg|400px]]

The BATC card is very simple to construct with no components other than plugs and sockets.

For full construction details and a list of suppliers for the plugs and sockets see [[GPIO breakout|the GPIO breakout page]]

You can buy the GPIO Extender Card blank PCB from the [https://batc.org.uk/shop/portsdown-transmitter-gpio-breakout-board-blank-pcb/ Portsdown section in the BATC shop - item 3]

===LimeSDR Mini===

The Portsdown 2019 system uses the LimeSDR Mini to provide the modulator and RF generator functions. It is more flexible than the previous custom built FM board in that it will do DVB-S2 and has much greater frequency coverage.

[[File:LimeMini.jpg|400px]]

[[Using LimeSDR with Portsdown|See this page]] for more details on using the LimeSDR Mini in a Portsdown 2019 system.

The LimeSDR Mini is available from the BATC shop https://batc.org.uk/shop/limesdr-mini/

----------------------

'''You now have the components for a fully working Portsdown transmitter! [[Assembling Portsdown|See this page]] for suggestions on how to connect it all up.

---------------------

'''''However, you will need a camera and audio input to transmit pictures and sound.'''''

===Raspberry Pi Camera===

If you want to transmit live pictures you will need a camera. The standard Pi camera gives excellent results but will need mounting in a housing.

Raspberry Pi Camera: CPC Farnell http://cpc.farnell.com/raspberry-pi/rpi-8mp-camera-board/raspberry-pi-camera-board-8mp/dp/SC14028

===Optional RPi camera Extension Lead Kit===

The RPi camera gives excellent results, but only comes with a short ribbon cable to connect it to the RPi.

It is possible to use some higher quality HDMI leads (the ground connections all need to be made) to extend the camera lead - this does NOT mean the signal out of the camera is HDMI, it is actually "Camera Serial Interface Type 2 (CSI-2)". We are just using HDMI cable as a useful extension lead.

Kits are available to connect a female HDMI connector to the RPi camera connector, and another female to the camera, allowing the use of domestic 1, 2 and 3m HDMI leads.

RPi Camera HDMI Lead Extension Kit: https://www.tindie.com/products/freto/pi-camera-hdmi-cable-extension/

There are 2 modifications that can be made to enable lower quality HDMI leads (those without all the ground connections made, or even the CEC wire on pin 13 missing) to be used. Full details of these modifications [[CSI-2 to HDMI|are available here.]]

===Composite Video Capture Device===

The transmitter is also capable of working with a USB-connected “EasyCap” dongle to capture PAL composite video from camcorders and analogue mixers etc.

There are at least 4 similar devices being marketed under this name on eBay, each with different chipsets, but only the Fushicai "USBTV007" brand is guaranteed to work.

[[File:Fushicai.JPG|200px]]

To help make sure you buy a unit that will work with Portsdown we are now stocking the Fushicai USBTV007 Audio-Video Grabber which is guaranteed to work [https://batc.org.uk/shop/portsdown-transmitter-easycap-video-capture-device/ in the BATC shop - item 11]. More information on the device can be found [[Fushicai USBTV007|here]].

===Audio Capture Device===

eBay provides a good source for very cheap audio capture USB dongles, which can provide an audio input to go with the RPi camera.

Audio Capture Device: Source from eBay - for example: http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/Laptop-Desktop-Accessories/31530/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=usb%20audio%20adapter&_dcat=75518&Channels=2%252E0&rt=nc&_trksid=p2045573.m1684

The software version 201707220 introduced audio source switching between audio and video capture devices. A list of devices that are supported by this audio switching is [[Audio Device List|here]].

===Hardware Shutdown===

In order to prevent SD card corruption by just removing the power to shut the system down, it is recommended that you include a shutdown switch.

When the facility is enabled (not by default), Pin 15 on the GPIO port signals the RPi to shutdown cleanly.

It is held low by a pulldown resistor in the RPi; when taken to 3.3v through a pushbutton it will command the RPi to shutdown. The signal on pin 13 can be used to illuminate an LED through a current limiting resistor. This LED illuminates when the RPi is active, and extinguishes when the software has shutdown and it is ready for power-off.

The RPi can be restarted from the "ShutDown" state without recycling the power by momentarily shorting the 2 "RUN" pads that can be found behind the USB Connectors.

-----------------------------
'''That completes the basic Portsdown transmitter shopping list'''

---------------------
'''''However, the team has design some additional components to enable you to build a complete DATV transmit system'''''

===RF Switching===

The complete RF switching arrangement illustrated below allows you to select the output from either the Portsdown Filter-modulator board or the Lime SDR, adjust the exact level and then route the RF to any one of 8 PAs or transverters. All the blocks in the diagram are optional; however, you can build a very comprehensive system if you want to. Note that the 4-way decode and switch boards can be substituted for the 8-way decode and switch boards.

[[File:20190511 Portsdown RF Switching.jpg|960px]]

===4-Band RF Output Switch===

The Portsdown team have developed a 4-Band RF output switch capable of switching the low level output of the LimeSDR Mini to separate amplifiers for the 70, 144, 437 and 1255 MHz bands. Note: due to potential high insertion loss, it is not recommended to use the switch above 23cms.

[[File:Pd out SW.jpg|300px]]

Full details including parts list and schematic are available [[RF output switch|on this wiki page]].

===4-Band Decode Switch===

The Portsdown provides band switching and PTT outputs on the GPIO pins - these outputs need to be decoded to provide an output for each band.

[[File:Band decoder.JPG|200px]]

The Portsdown team have designed a simple board for switching between 4 bands and buffering the PTT signal which can be either constructed on 0.1” perforated board (veroboard) or on a PCB - this can be home etched.
Full details on the board including circuit etc [[PTT and band switching|are available here.]]
Blank PCBs are available in the [https://batc.org.uk/shop/portsdown-transmitter-4-band-decode-blank-pcb/ BATC shop - item 5].

===8-Band RF Output Switch===

For those of you who also want to drive Microwave transverters from your Portsdown 2019 LimeMini SDR, the team have developed an 8-Band RF output switch that includes an RF amplifier. It is designed to be used with the Output Attenuator (see below). It will be capable of amplifying the variable level from the attenuator and switching it to separate amplifiers for the 70, 144, 437 and 1255 MHz bands, and to 4 transverters for the higher bands. PCBs are on order and will be available from the BATC Shop.

Full details including parts list and schematic are available [[8-Band RF Output Switch|on this wiki page]].
Blank PCBs are available in the [https://batc.org.uk/shop/portsdown-8-way-rf-output-switch-blank-pcb/ BATC shop - item 9].

===8-Band Decoder===

This 8-band decoder is designed to work with the 8-band RF output switch and the Portsdown 201 software. It will provide switching signals (either always on, or PTT activated) to 4 Power Amplifiers and 4 transverters, and it also enables you to set which VCO filter should be switched in for the 4 transverter outputs. PCBs are on order and will be available from the BATC Shop.

Full details on the board including circuit etc [[8-Band Decoder|are available here.]]
Blank PCBs are available in the [https://batc.org.uk/shop/portsdown-8-band-decode-blank-pcb/ BATC shop - item 7].

===8-Band Decode PIC===

This is the pre=programmed PIC to control the custom designed 8 band decode board for the Portsdown 2019 transmitter.

Blank PCBs are available in the [https://batc.org.uk/shop/portsdown-8-band-decode-pic/ BATC shop - item 8].

===2-Way RF Switch===

This switch allows you to route the outputs from the Portsdown Filter-modulator board and a LimeSDR to a single PA, enabling both to be used without reconfifuration. Full details on this Wiki page [[2-Way RF Switch]].

===Filters and PA drivers===

It is absolutely essential that the Portsdown transmitter output is followed by suitable bandpass filters.
These are not included as part of the project but a [[Filters|number of designs and suppliers are listed here.]]

===Output Attenuator===

You can use an electronically switched attenuator to adjust the transmit drive level for each band. Attenuators based on the PE4302, HMC1119 or PE43703 (preferred) are supported.

[[File:PE43073 post-mod small.jpg|400px]]

These attenuators are available on eBay. Full details and wiring instructions are detailed here: [[Output Attenuator]].

Portsdown 2019

2019-10-18T10:59:38Z

G8PEF: /* No Touchscreen or Advanced Options */

The Portsdown 2019 DATV system has been designed to provide an easy way to “get on air” with Digital ATV at a relatively low cost, covering all of the commonly used modes, thus enabling it to be used not only on ATV repeaters but also for RB-TV Dx working.

The 2019 Portsdown is significantly different to previous versions in that the system no longer uses the custom built Filter Modulator card which has been replaced with an off-the-shelf LimeSDR Mini. Overall the LimeSDR Mini is similar in cost to the F-M board as you no longer need an ADF4351 LO module and an LO filter PCB.

The LimeSDR Mini plugs in to the Raspberry Pi USB port, preferably via a powered USB hub and produces an RF output from ~ 30MHz to 3.5GHz.

This guide is in a number of sections which cover detailed descriptions for hardware and software, how to build and configure the system, some advanced features and an FAQ.

===Portsdown 2018===

Portsdown 2018 has been superseded by Portsdown 2019 but there is NO intention to discontinue support of the 2018 model.
Portsdown 2019 is recommended for all new builds but if you would still like an F-M board, we suggest you post on the wanted section of the forum - https://forum.batc.org.uk/viewforum.php?f=14 - or blank PCBs for home construction are still available here - [https://batc.org.uk/shop/portsdown-transmitter-filter-modulator-board-blank-pcb/ BATC shop item 10].

All the wiki information on Portsdown 2018 is still [[Portsdown 2018|available here]].

===Specification===

The Portsdown 2019 will accept video input from a composite video source, the Pi camera, some WebCams or integrated stored test cards. It will then encode these as MPEG-2 or H264 with stereo audio. Note that video sources must be connected during boot-up.

* Frequency range - Using a LimeSDR Mini it will transmit DATV on frequencies between 30 MHz and 3.5 GHz.

* Power output - Typical power output varies with frequency and is plotted here: [[LimeSDR_Mini_Output_Power_Levels]]. The power output level can be increased and leveled off the frequency range by using a Portsdown 8 way RF switch on the output.

* Transmission modes - DVB-S and DVB-S2 modes are available from the LimeSDR Mini, with QPSK, 8PSK, 16APSK and 32APSK.

* Symbol rate - Due to the limited processing power and USB capability of the RPi, symbol rates are generally limited to 1MS and below (down to 66 KS), but some H264 modes will work at 2MS. Note the LimeSDR Mini hardware is capable of higher symbol rates when used with DATV Express software.

===Hardware System Diagram===

Here is the latest system diagram. Note that only one of the displays is required; either the 3.5 inch or 7 inch; the digital variable attenuator is only required if you want fine (<3 dB steps) control over your PA drive levels. The Lime Gain control on the Portsdown can be used to set the coarse output level.

[[File:20190511 Portsdown 2019 Block.jpg|960px]]

===Building the system===

The Portsdown 2019 uses the majority of the 2018 Portsdown hardware.
*[[Portsdown2019 hardware]] Detailed description of the Portsdown 2019 hardware and a '''shopping list of what you need to buy and where to buy it'''.
*[[Assembling Portsdown 2019|Assembling your Portsdown]] How to put all the hardware together - '''you need to read this!'''
*[[Portsdown Displays]] Advice on what display to use with your Portsdown transmitter.

===Portsdown 2019 Software===

The Portsdown 2019 uses the same software as later versions of the Portsdown 2018 system which is known as Portsdown 2018/2019 and is based on the Raspberry Pi's Raspbian Stretch operating system.
*[[Portsdown 2018 Stretch Software|Portsdown 2018/2019 Stretch Software]] The latest and greatest software for the Portsdown and how to get a programmed SD card.
*[[Software capabilities and issues]] An up to date list is available here
*[[Updating your Portsdown Software]] How to update your Portsdown software to the latest version, with suggestions for troubleshooting updates.

===Initially configuring the system===

Once you have completed your hardware build or have bought the RPi, display and LimeSDR Mini and just "want to try it", connect up the hardware and insert an pre-programmed SD card into SD slot on the RPi.

====Waveshare 3.5 inch and Official Raspberry Pi 7" screens====

A new or upgraded SD Card (version 201902070 or later) will also work out of the box with the either screen and is ready to use with no initial configuration required. Connect the touchscreen (being very careful to align the pins on the Wavesahre correctly) and apply power to the RPi and the user interface menu 1 should appear.

====No Touchscreen or Advanced Options====

If you do not have a Waveshare 3.5 inch screen or the Official Raspberry Pi 7" screen, or you wish to enter the system advanced set-up pages you will need to do an initial setup - see this guide for more details: [[Initial setup 2019]]

====LimeSDR Configuration====

The latest Portsdown software (201903250 and beyond) requires that all LimeSDR Minis purchased from the BATC Shop before 31 March 2019 be upgraded to Firmware Version 6, Gateware Version 1, revision 29. You can do this from the Portsdown Menu 3, Lime Config, Update Lime FW. You can then check the upgrade using the "Lime FW Info" button. Note that you need to be connected to the internet during the update, otherwise it will fail. LimeSDR USBs can be upgraded using the same procedure to Firmware Version 4, Gateware 2.20. However, note that the Lime Report will fail for a LimeSDR USB, as it checks for a LimeSDR Mini.

The Lime configuration options are described here: [[Using_LimeSDR_with_Portsdown]].

====Using Portsdown with a LimeNET Micro====

The Portsdown software is being modified to support the use of a LimeNET Micro as a secondary alternative to the LimeSDR Mini. These modifications are in software update 201907070 and are described here: [[Portsdown with the LimeNET Micro]].

===Controlling the Portsdown 2019 system===

Once the system is configured, you can control the Portsdown transmitter in one of 2 modes: by the use of the touchscreen or through the console using a second computer.

*[[Touchscreen mode]] How to use your Portsdown transmitter using the Touchscreen LCD only
*[[Console mode]] Use this mode to configure advanced settings such as WiFi or non-standard screens.
*[[Changing system setup]] How to change Portsdown transmitter settings when in Touchscreen mode
*[[QPSKRF or Ugly mode]] Notes on this special test mode and the limitations when using it
*[[Setting up the WiFi]] How to set up the WiFi on the RPi3 Portsdown Transmitter

===Advanced features===
Portsdown 2019 is not just a DATV transmitter but has several advanced features which are or may be available in the future:

*[[Lean DVB receiver]] How to use the integrated RTL SDR based monitoring receiver - this is NOT the Portsdown receiver
*[[Streaming_to_batc.tv_with_Raspberry_Pi| Streaming to the BATC Streamer]] How to use your Portsdown transmitter as a standalone streamer
*[[Controlling a DATVExpress]] How to use a Portsdown as a user interface for DATV Express
*[[Use With a DTX-1]] How to use your Portsdown transmitter to transmit RB-TV with a DTX-1
*[[Feeding Video to Portsdown from vMix]] How to use vMix with your Portsdown transmitter
*[[Analog Video Output]] How to use your Portsdown as an Analog PAL Video Source
*[[Still Capture from Composite Video Input]] How to capture still images from a Composite Video input.
*[[Hardware-only Transmit Switching]] How to use the Portsdown without a Touchscreen or computer.
*[[Portsdown Signal Generator]] Not available yet on Portsdown 2019
*[[Calibrating the TouchScreen Alignment]]
*[[FreqShow]] Displaying the received frequency spectrum
*[[C920 Webcam|How to Use the C920 Webcam with the Portsdown]]
*[[RTL-FM Receiver|An Integrated RTL-FM Audio Receiver]]

===On line support / social media===

There is a Portsdown area on the BATC forum where the BATC core team and wider ATV community will answer your questions and posting results of the latest builds and on air tests. https://forum.batc.org.uk/viewforum.php?f=103

Note that the BATC core team do not regularly visit Facebook pages - time is just too short to monitor everything and it's not easy to follow threads on Facebook. If you need a question answered please post on the BATC forums first.

===Additional information===

Filters and driver amplifiers are not part of the Portsdown project but VERY important

* [[Filters]]
* [[Power_amplifiers]]

The Portsdown user's community including a map showing where user locations

* [[Portsdown community]]

Portsdown 2019

2019-10-18T10:58:23Z

G8PEF: /* Waveshare 3.5 inch and Element 14 7 inch touch screens */

The Portsdown 2019 DATV system has been designed to provide an easy way to “get on air” with Digital ATV at a relatively low cost, covering all of the commonly used modes, thus enabling it to be used not only on ATV repeaters but also for RB-TV Dx working.

The 2019 Portsdown is significantly different to previous versions in that the system no longer uses the custom built Filter Modulator card which has been replaced with an off-the-shelf LimeSDR Mini. Overall the LimeSDR Mini is similar in cost to the F-M board as you no longer need an ADF4351 LO module and an LO filter PCB.

The LimeSDR Mini plugs in to the Raspberry Pi USB port, preferably via a powered USB hub and produces an RF output from ~ 30MHz to 3.5GHz.

This guide is in a number of sections which cover detailed descriptions for hardware and software, how to build and configure the system, some advanced features and an FAQ.

===Portsdown 2018===

Portsdown 2018 has been superseded by Portsdown 2019 but there is NO intention to discontinue support of the 2018 model.
Portsdown 2019 is recommended for all new builds but if you would still like an F-M board, we suggest you post on the wanted section of the forum - https://forum.batc.org.uk/viewforum.php?f=14 - or blank PCBs for home construction are still available here - [https://batc.org.uk/shop/portsdown-transmitter-filter-modulator-board-blank-pcb/ BATC shop item 10].

All the wiki information on Portsdown 2018 is still [[Portsdown 2018|available here]].

===Specification===

The Portsdown 2019 will accept video input from a composite video source, the Pi camera, some WebCams or integrated stored test cards. It will then encode these as MPEG-2 or H264 with stereo audio. Note that video sources must be connected during boot-up.

* Frequency range - Using a LimeSDR Mini it will transmit DATV on frequencies between 30 MHz and 3.5 GHz.

* Power output - Typical power output varies with frequency and is plotted here: [[LimeSDR_Mini_Output_Power_Levels]]. The power output level can be increased and leveled off the frequency range by using a Portsdown 8 way RF switch on the output.

* Transmission modes - DVB-S and DVB-S2 modes are available from the LimeSDR Mini, with QPSK, 8PSK, 16APSK and 32APSK.

* Symbol rate - Due to the limited processing power and USB capability of the RPi, symbol rates are generally limited to 1MS and below (down to 66 KS), but some H264 modes will work at 2MS. Note the LimeSDR Mini hardware is capable of higher symbol rates when used with DATV Express software.

===Hardware System Diagram===

Here is the latest system diagram. Note that only one of the displays is required; either the 3.5 inch or 7 inch; the digital variable attenuator is only required if you want fine (<3 dB steps) control over your PA drive levels. The Lime Gain control on the Portsdown can be used to set the coarse output level.

[[File:20190511 Portsdown 2019 Block.jpg|960px]]

===Building the system===

The Portsdown 2019 uses the majority of the 2018 Portsdown hardware.
*[[Portsdown2019 hardware]] Detailed description of the Portsdown 2019 hardware and a '''shopping list of what you need to buy and where to buy it'''.
*[[Assembling Portsdown 2019|Assembling your Portsdown]] How to put all the hardware together - '''you need to read this!'''
*[[Portsdown Displays]] Advice on what display to use with your Portsdown transmitter.

===Portsdown 2019 Software===

The Portsdown 2019 uses the same software as later versions of the Portsdown 2018 system which is known as Portsdown 2018/2019 and is based on the Raspberry Pi's Raspbian Stretch operating system.
*[[Portsdown 2018 Stretch Software|Portsdown 2018/2019 Stretch Software]] The latest and greatest software for the Portsdown and how to get a programmed SD card.
*[[Software capabilities and issues]] An up to date list is available here
*[[Updating your Portsdown Software]] How to update your Portsdown software to the latest version, with suggestions for troubleshooting updates.

===Initially configuring the system===

Once you have completed your hardware build or have bought the RPi, display and LimeSDR Mini and just "want to try it", connect up the hardware and insert an pre-programmed SD card into SD slot on the RPi.

====Waveshare 3.5 inch and Official Raspberry Pi 7" screens====

A new or upgraded SD Card (version 201902070 or later) will also work out of the box with the either screen and is ready to use with no initial configuration required. Connect the touchscreen (being very careful to align the pins on the Wavesahre correctly) and apply power to the RPi and the user interface menu 1 should appear.

====No Touchscreen or Advanced Options====

If you do not have a Waveshare 3.5 inch screen or the Element 14 7 inch screen, or you wish to enter the system advanced set-up pages you will need to do an initial setup - see this guide for more details: [[Initial setup 2019]]

====LimeSDR Configuration====

The latest Portsdown software (201903250 and beyond) requires that all LimeSDR Minis purchased from the BATC Shop before 31 March 2019 be upgraded to Firmware Version 6, Gateware Version 1, revision 29. You can do this from the Portsdown Menu 3, Lime Config, Update Lime FW. You can then check the upgrade using the "Lime FW Info" button. Note that you need to be connected to the internet during the update, otherwise it will fail. LimeSDR USBs can be upgraded using the same procedure to Firmware Version 4, Gateware 2.20. However, note that the Lime Report will fail for a LimeSDR USB, as it checks for a LimeSDR Mini.

The Lime configuration options are described here: [[Using_LimeSDR_with_Portsdown]].

====Using Portsdown with a LimeNET Micro====

The Portsdown software is being modified to support the use of a LimeNET Micro as a secondary alternative to the LimeSDR Mini. These modifications are in software update 201907070 and are described here: [[Portsdown with the LimeNET Micro]].

===Controlling the Portsdown 2019 system===

Once the system is configured, you can control the Portsdown transmitter in one of 2 modes: by the use of the touchscreen or through the console using a second computer.

*[[Touchscreen mode]] How to use your Portsdown transmitter using the Touchscreen LCD only
*[[Console mode]] Use this mode to configure advanced settings such as WiFi or non-standard screens.
*[[Changing system setup]] How to change Portsdown transmitter settings when in Touchscreen mode
*[[QPSKRF or Ugly mode]] Notes on this special test mode and the limitations when using it
*[[Setting up the WiFi]] How to set up the WiFi on the RPi3 Portsdown Transmitter

===Advanced features===
Portsdown 2019 is not just a DATV transmitter but has several advanced features which are or may be available in the future:

*[[Lean DVB receiver]] How to use the integrated RTL SDR based monitoring receiver - this is NOT the Portsdown receiver
*[[Streaming_to_batc.tv_with_Raspberry_Pi| Streaming to the BATC Streamer]] How to use your Portsdown transmitter as a standalone streamer
*[[Controlling a DATVExpress]] How to use a Portsdown as a user interface for DATV Express
*[[Use With a DTX-1]] How to use your Portsdown transmitter to transmit RB-TV with a DTX-1
*[[Feeding Video to Portsdown from vMix]] How to use vMix with your Portsdown transmitter
*[[Analog Video Output]] How to use your Portsdown as an Analog PAL Video Source
*[[Still Capture from Composite Video Input]] How to capture still images from a Composite Video input.
*[[Hardware-only Transmit Switching]] How to use the Portsdown without a Touchscreen or computer.
*[[Portsdown Signal Generator]] Not available yet on Portsdown 2019
*[[Calibrating the TouchScreen Alignment]]
*[[FreqShow]] Displaying the received frequency spectrum
*[[C920 Webcam|How to Use the C920 Webcam with the Portsdown]]
*[[RTL-FM Receiver|An Integrated RTL-FM Audio Receiver]]

===On line support / social media===

There is a Portsdown area on the BATC forum where the BATC core team and wider ATV community will answer your questions and posting results of the latest builds and on air tests. https://forum.batc.org.uk/viewforum.php?f=103

Note that the BATC core team do not regularly visit Facebook pages - time is just too short to monitor everything and it's not easy to follow threads on Facebook. If you need a question answered please post on the BATC forums first.

===Additional information===

Filters and driver amplifiers are not part of the Portsdown project but VERY important

* [[Filters]]
* [[Power_amplifiers]]

The Portsdown user's community including a map showing where user locations

* [[Portsdown community]]

Streaming Display

2019-10-18T10:55:32Z

G8PEF: /* Displaying BATC Streams on Your Portsdown */

===Displaying BATC Streams on Your Portsdown===

From software version 20180715, the capability to display selected streams from the BATC Streaming Server has been added to the Portsdown. This can be selected from Menu 2 using the "Stream Viewer" button. Software Version 201807290 added the ability to monitor a stream and have the video and audio start when the stream becomes active.

[[File:GB3HV.jpg|240px]] [[File:GB3VL.jpg|240px]]

Once selected, the stream is displayed on the touchscreen (Waveshare or Official Raspberry Pi 7") and, if you are using the Waveshare screen, the stream image is also output on the RPi's composite video output. The stream audio is output on the audio terminals on the same 3.5mm jack.

Note that the stream appears jerky on the Waveshare screen due to the low update rate (3 Hz?), but is smooth on the video output or on the Official Raspberry Pi 7" screen.

===Selecting the Stream===

[[File:menu20.jpg|480px]]

The stream menu is pre-programmed with 8 well-used BATC streams, however these can be changed by the user from the touchscreen. Simply press the "Amend Preset" button, and it will turn red, signifying that you should select the Preset button that you want to reprogram. After touching the chosen preset, you will be asked to enter the new streamname. BATC streamnames are generally the relevant callsign in lower case, for example "gb3hv". After pressing enter, you will be asked for the label that you want to appear on the preset button; this should not be more than 8 characters long otherwise it will not fit. After pressing enter, the Stream Selection Menu will reappear with your new stream.

When you select a stream, there is a delay of about 5 seconds while the software (omxplayer) is loaded. If present, the stream will start to run with a delay of about 4 seconds more than the flash stream viewed on a PC. The stream is displayed until you touch the screen again. If the selected stream is not active, the stream simply does not start. Occasionally, an active stream refuses to start; this is a bug and the stream will generally start if you cancel (by touching the screen) and re-select it.

===Transmitting after Viewing a Stream===

The stream viewer outputs the stream audio using the RPi's PWM-based audio output. Unfortunately, this output is then not available for Portsdown filter-modulator or Ugly Mode transmissions until after a reboot. A warning message has been added to remind users of this.

There is no effect on DATV Express transmissions.

===Viewing non-BATC Streams===

This capability can be used to view streams other than those from the BATC Server. However, to set this up, the stream presets file needs to be edited with a text editor - it is not possible to set-up non-BATC stream viewing from the touchscreen. To set up a non-standard stream, simply edit the file home/pi/rpidatv/scripts/stream_presets.txt with a text editor and reboot. Once the new stream is entered in the file, it can be selected from the touchscreen, but cannot be amended.

Thanks to Heather M0HMO for doing the initial research to enable this capability.

Lean DVB receiver

2019-10-18T10:53:04Z

G8PEF: /* Capability */

===Introduction===

F5OEO had included F4DAV's innovative LeanDVB receiver software within the Transmitter software build, and from software release 201612310 this was included in the core functionality of the Portsdown transmitter. The software is described on page 18 of '''CQ-TV 252''' and at http://www.pabr.org/radio/leandvb/leandvb.en.html.

To enable further investigation of the LeanDVB capabilities a new "LeanDVB DATV Receiver Menu" has been added in software build 201807090. This makes the receiver settings independent of the Transmitter settings, and allows adjustment of other parameters, such as sample rate and gain.

===Intended Usage===

The LeanDVB receiver is not as good as MiniTioune (needing 6 - 9 dB more signal) and in this implementation occasionally locks up and requires the RPi to be rebooted. This also sometimes happens when the Receiver is stopped.

Performance at 333 KS with the constellation and spectrum displays enabled is adequate. At 1000 KS and above, the constellation and spectrum displays consume too much CPU resource and the receiver picture display degrades. Selecting FastLock off can conserve some resources.

===Menu===

[[File:menu5.jpg|480px]]

The receive menu is accessed by selecting the RX button on Menu 1. The function of the buttons, starting from bottom left, is as follows. There are 4 preset recall buttons. Selecting one of these buttons restores the settings that were stored for that preset. To store a preset, set up the settings that you want to store and the press the "Store Preset" button (which will turn Red). Then press the preset button that you want to use. The software will ask you to enter the Title for the button and then store the preset. FastLock on/off toggles the LeanDVB fastlock setting. Audio on/off does nothing at this time. "Set as TX" sets the receiver to the same settings as the transmitter. The Frequency button brings up the frequency selection menu. The presets on this menu are the same as those programmed for the transmitter. The symbol rate and FEC menus operates in a similar manner. The sample rate button brings up a keyboard where you can enter the desired RTL-SDR sampkle rate; the gain button allows entry of the RTL-SDR gain. Entering 0 for sample rate or gain, selects an automatic setting. Only DVB-S modulation is currently available. If you have purchased and entered an MPEG-2 decoder license (£2.40 from http://www.raspberrypi.com/mpeg-2-license-key/) you can select MPEG-2 decoding on the H264/MPEG-2 button. Only the RTL-SDR is currently supported. The constellation and Parameter buttons enable you to declutter the display. The RX buitton switches on the receiver.

===Capability===

[[File:LeanDVB2.jpg|thumb|Waveshare screen displaying video received via the dongle.]]
On a Raspberry Pi 3 using an RTL-SDR, it will receive H264 (and MPEG-2 if you have purchased a license key) anywhere between 24 – 1766 MHz and decode at up to 2000KS/s and display on the touchscreen LCD. The picture is jerky on the Waveshare touchscreen due to the low refresh rate, but is much smoother on the Official Raspberry Pi 7" touchscreen.

The software is not as good as MiniTioune at digging signals out of the noise, and sometimes takes a while to lock, but is well worth playing with as a stand-alone test receiver. The receive frequency needs to be set fairly accurately; if it is not, there may be positive lock indications, but no picture decode. The same frequency correction as is used for the RTL-FM audio receiver is applied to the RTL-SDR in this application.

[[File:LeanDVB1.jpg|thumb|M0DHP at 1MS as displayed on the Element 14 7 inch screen]]

===Entering the MPEG-2 License Key===

To order an MPEG-2 license key, you need to know the hardware serial of your RPi3. To find this, select Menu 3, "Check for Update" and then MPEG-2 License". The serial is displayed in the keyboard prompt. If you do not have the license, simply select enter and nothing will be changed. When you have received the license, return to this menu and enter the 0x...... section of the key. Press enter, and then go to Menu 2 and reboot. After reboot, you should be able to select the MPEG-2 decode option.

License keys are available from http://www.raspberrypi.com/mpeg-2-license-key/ The linux command to bring up the serial number is
cat /proc/cpuinfo

Note that the Raspberry Pi 4 is incapable of hardware decoding MPEG-2.

FreqShow

2019-10-18T10:51:44Z

G8PEF: /* FreqShow on the Element 14 7 inch Screen */

Software Release 201801012 introduced the FreqShow spectrum display program provided by Adafruit. This application, selected from Menu 2, enables you to display 2.4 MHz of the frequency spectrum as received by the RTL-SDR dongle.

===Author's Information===

Thanks to Tony DiCola for making this application available to the community through adafruit. The adafruit website has a lot of information about the application: https://learn.adafruit.com/freq-show-raspberry-pi-rtl-sdr-scanner/overview. Thanks also to John, GI7UGV for providing the install specifics for the Portsdown build.

===Suggested Usage===

The primary usage of the FreqShow application may be to check for interfering signals near expected DATV Transmissions. Here is an image of a weak 333KS transmission at 146.5 MHz.

[[File:fs1.jpg|480px]]

The second usage of FreqShow could be to peak up on a carrier prior to attempting DATV reception. Here is an image of a carrier at the same output power as the weak 333Ks transmission above.

[[File:fs2.jpg|480px]]

===Changing the Default Settings===

The start-up settings for FreqShow can be amended in the file /home/pi/FreqShow/model.py. Note that any changes that you make will be overwritten by future software updates. Settings can also be changed, for the current session only, by selecting the config button.

===FreqShow on the the Official Raspberry Pi 7" touchscreen===

Software release 201804060 introduced FreqShow functionality that works with the Official Raspberry Pi 7" touchscreen. However, because of touchscreen driver problems, it works in "cursor and trackpad mode", not in touchscreen mode. The easiest way to operate the screen is to find the cursor, decide which way you want to move it, and then slide your finger from the edge onto the screen behind the cursor. When the cursor is where you want it, raise and lower your finger; this will select the function that you want.

If anyone knows how to make this screen work with pygame as a normal touch screen, I'd be pleased to integrate the proper functionality - but I have spent many hours on the problem and got nowhere!

Use With a DTX-1

2019-10-18T10:49:32Z

G8PEF:

As of Software Version 201710081, the Portsdown software can be used to transmit MPEG-2 or H264 encoded pictures with a DTX-1. This experimental capability is NOT compatible with the use of WaveShare touchscreen and must be controlled from the Console or an Official Raspberry Pi 7" touchscreen (often referred to as a "7 inch Element 14 touchscreen"). If you select DTX-1 as the output mode with a Waveshare touchscreen connected, the touchscreen will become unusable as soon as you got to transmit, as some of the pins used for the screen are the same as those used for sending signals to the DTX-1.

Additionally, the hardware shutdown button, hardware shutdown button LED, keyed streaming, hardware keyed transmit, Attenuator and signal generator functions are inoperative due to GPIO pin conflicts.

A summary of the pin connections used is here [[PTT_and_band_switching#Summary_of_GPIO_connections|Summary of GPIO Connections]].

Further details can be found in CQ-TV 248 page 25 and on the DTX-1 support site. http://www.dtx1.info/index.html

The settings on the DTX-1 under the DTX1 ADVANCED MENU SETTINGS must match those set on the Portsdown otherwise corrupt digital signals will be transmitted.

Thanks to Martin G8LCE for this information

Analog Video Output

2019-10-18T10:48:04Z

G8PEF:

Software update 201707120 introduces an Analog PAL Video Output mode using the multiway mini jack on the RPi and in update 201707311 audio routing from the USB microphone to the RPi audio output was also made available.

This mode enables you to feed an analog video transmitter with the RPi camera, Microphone and Portsdown test patterns. This is really useful when operating portable with 5.6GHz FPV or 23cms ATV equipment as you no longer need an additional camera, test card generator or microphone.

Note that the video output mode does not work if an Official Raspberry Pi 7" touchscreen (often referred to as a "7 inch Element 14 touchscreen") is connected to the RPi, or if an HDMI display is being used.

===Set up===

You only need a standard Rpi running the latest version of the free to download Portsdown software - you do not need any additional Portsdown hardware, although it will be easier to select the test patterns using the [[Portsdown_hardware#LCD_TouchScreen|Waveshare touch screen]].

The Composite video output mode is selected from the "Output" menu on the console menu, or from Menu 2 on the touchscreen.

Select "M2" on first menu and then select "vid out" - (note the pictures below do not show "vid out" selected.)

[[File:1-3 LCD Menu.jpg|300px]] [[File:1-3 LCD Menu 2.jpg|300px]]

Note that the video on the analog output is smooth, not jerky like the viewfinder which is limited to a slow refresh rate.

===Hardware===

The video and audio outputs are presented on the Raspberry Pi 3.5mm multipole jack plug.
Rather than reproduce the connection details, here is a link to a good website describing the pin connections on the 4-terminal 3.5mm jack. http://www.instructables.com/id/Raspberry-Pi-2-Quick-n-Easy-RCA/

It should be noted that there is no standard connection for this jack - do not assume that the mini jack to phonos lead you have in the junk box will be correct!

Display Resolutions

2019-10-18T10:46:22Z

G8PEF: /* Element 14 7 inch screen */

This page details the various display formats and resolutions used in the Portsdown Transmitter.

===Pi Camera===

The native resolution of the Version 1 Pi Camera is 2592x1944. The version 2 camera is 3280x2464. These resolutions are always downscaled in the Portsdown Transmitter.

===Video from EasyCap===

The Fushicai EasyCap (as sold by the BATC Shop) outputs 720x576 in PAL mode, and 720x480 in NTSC mode. This mode can be switched by making selections on the Portsdown Console Menu or the Touchscreen menu. The PAL/NTSC selection on these menus ONLY adjusts this input mode; no other settings are changed.

===Raspberry Pi Framebuffer===

The Framebuffer on the Raspberry Pi 3 is 720x576 when set to PAL output mode. If set to NTSC output mode (by manually editing /boot/config.txt) the resolution is 720x480. Note that all the graphics, test cards and image overlays are sized to work correctly in PAL output mode. Some overlays will spill out of the picture in NTSC output mode. NTSC output mode is not tested or supported.

===Raspberry Pi Analog Video Output===

As of Software Release 201707120, The Raspberry Pi Analog video output (available on the 4-way 3.5mm jack) is set to output PAL at 720x576@50i. If set to NTSC mode (by manually editing /boot/config.txt) the resolution is 720x480@60i. Some overlays will spill out of the picture in NTSC output mode. NTSC output mode is not tested or supported.

===Waveshare 3.5 inch Screen===

The Waveshare 3.5 inch screen is 480x320. Note that this is a 3x2 aspect ratio, not 4x3, so some vertical compression (flattening and widening) of the transmitted image occurs.

===Waveshare 4 inch Screen===

The Waveshare 4 inch screen is 480x320. The screen image is inverted compared to the Waveshare 3.5 inch screen, so there is a menu selection in the console to specifically select this screen.

===Official Raspberry Pi 7 inch screen===

The Official Raspberry Pi 7" touchscreen display is 800x480 pixels. This display currently works in the transmitting modes of the Portsdown if selected as the display type in the Portsdown Console Menu. From software version 201910103, it is possible to enable a simulatanious composite video ooutput.. This is because it creates a new framebuffer and directs all imagery towards itself and not to the composite video output.

===Transmitted Resolution===

The transmitted resolution depends on the mode, FEC and SR:

The default CAMH264, ANALOGCAM, PATTERN and CONTEST resolution is 704x576@25p. If the calculated video bitrate (from SR and FEC) is below 300K, this is reduced to 352x288@15p. and for video bitrates of less than 150K it is further reduced to 160x140@15p.

The default CAMMPEG-2 and ANALOGMPEG-2 resolution is 720x576@25p. If the calculated video bitrate (from SR and FEC) is below 300K, this is reduced to 352x288@15p. The CARDMPEG-2 resolution is 720x576@5p.

CAMHDMPEG-2 Resolution is 1280x720@15p. This is downgraded to the default CAMMPEG-2 resolution if an SR of less than 1000 KS is selected.

If 480p is selected as an output mode in the console, the default CAMMPEG-2 and ANALOGMPEG-2 resolution is reduced to 720x480@25p. This allows the use of some early North American receivers that cannot decode 576-high pictures.

===Receiver Compatibility===

There is no concept of a "PAL" or an "NTSC" DVB-S or DVB-S2 receiver. When PAL or NTSC is used in the receiver description it may refer to an analog video output from the receiver. What has been noticed is that some DVB-S receivers designed for use in North America do not decode 720x576 resolution and were manufactured on the basis that they would only ever receive 720x480 signals; as such they are not fully DVB-S compliant. Note that there is a flag in the datastream to indicate if a digital signal was originally coded from a PAL or NTSC signal. This flag is not used in decoding, but may be used in be professional receivers to assist in the reconstruction of an analog signal.

Display Resolutions

2019-10-18T10:45:27Z

G8PEF: /* Element 14 7 inch screen */

This page details the various display formats and resolutions used in the Portsdown Transmitter.

===Pi Camera===

The native resolution of the Version 1 Pi Camera is 2592x1944. The version 2 camera is 3280x2464. These resolutions are always downscaled in the Portsdown Transmitter.

===Video from EasyCap===

The Fushicai EasyCap (as sold by the BATC Shop) outputs 720x576 in PAL mode, and 720x480 in NTSC mode. This mode can be switched by making selections on the Portsdown Console Menu or the Touchscreen menu. The PAL/NTSC selection on these menus ONLY adjusts this input mode; no other settings are changed.

===Raspberry Pi Framebuffer===

The Framebuffer on the Raspberry Pi 3 is 720x576 when set to PAL output mode. If set to NTSC output mode (by manually editing /boot/config.txt) the resolution is 720x480. Note that all the graphics, test cards and image overlays are sized to work correctly in PAL output mode. Some overlays will spill out of the picture in NTSC output mode. NTSC output mode is not tested or supported.

===Raspberry Pi Analog Video Output===

As of Software Release 201707120, The Raspberry Pi Analog video output (available on the 4-way 3.5mm jack) is set to output PAL at 720x576@50i. If set to NTSC mode (by manually editing /boot/config.txt) the resolution is 720x480@60i. Some overlays will spill out of the picture in NTSC output mode. NTSC output mode is not tested or supported.

===Waveshare 3.5 inch Screen===

The Waveshare 3.5 inch screen is 480x320. Note that this is a 3x2 aspect ratio, not 4x3, so some vertical compression (flattening and widening) of the transmitted image occurs.

===Waveshare 4 inch Screen===

The Waveshare 4 inch screen is 480x320. The screen image is inverted compared to the Waveshare 3.5 inch screen, so there is a menu selection in the console to specifically select this screen.

===Element 14 7 inch screen===

The Official Raspberry Pi 7" touchscreen display is 800x480 pixels. This display currently works in the transmitting modes of the Portsdown if selected as the display type in the Portsdown Console Menu. From software version 201910103, it is possible to enable a simulatanious composite video ooutput.. This is because it creates a new framebuffer and directs all imagery towards itself and not to the composite video output.

===Transmitted Resolution===

The transmitted resolution depends on the mode, FEC and SR:

The default CAMH264, ANALOGCAM, PATTERN and CONTEST resolution is 704x576@25p. If the calculated video bitrate (from SR and FEC) is below 300K, this is reduced to 352x288@15p. and for video bitrates of less than 150K it is further reduced to 160x140@15p.

The default CAMMPEG-2 and ANALOGMPEG-2 resolution is 720x576@25p. If the calculated video bitrate (from SR and FEC) is below 300K, this is reduced to 352x288@15p. The CARDMPEG-2 resolution is 720x576@5p.

CAMHDMPEG-2 Resolution is 1280x720@15p. This is downgraded to the default CAMMPEG-2 resolution if an SR of less than 1000 KS is selected.

If 480p is selected as an output mode in the console, the default CAMMPEG-2 and ANALOGMPEG-2 resolution is reduced to 720x480@25p. This allows the use of some early North American receivers that cannot decode 576-high pictures.

===Receiver Compatibility===

There is no concept of a "PAL" or an "NTSC" DVB-S or DVB-S2 receiver. When PAL or NTSC is used in the receiver description it may refer to an analog video output from the receiver. What has been noticed is that some DVB-S receivers designed for use in North America do not decode 720x576 resolution and were manufactured on the basis that they would only ever receive 720x480 signals; as such they are not fully DVB-S compliant. Note that there is a flag in the datastream to indicate if a digital signal was originally coded from a PAL or NTSC signal. This flag is not used in decoding, but may be used in be professional receivers to assist in the reconstruction of an analog signal.

Software capabilities and issues

2019-10-18T10:42:27Z

G8PEF: /* Supported hardware */

The latest Software for the Portsdown Transmitter is version 201910103 (the version is the planned issue date with an added 0-9 serial).

There are now 2 versions of Portsdown software:
# Portsdown 2019 Stretch, which should be used for all new builds, and supports both the Raspberry Pi 3 B and the Pi 3 B+, the 7 inch Screen and the LimeSDR. https://github.com/BritishAmateurTelevisionClub/portsdown
# Portsdown 2018 Jessie, which is the software that was developed from December 2016 until September 2018, but has now been frozen. It still works as a perfectly capable ATV Transmitter, but the underlying operating system is no longer supported by the Raspberry Pi foundation and it will not receive the new features that are being developed for the Portsdown Stretch software. This old build can be found at https://github.com/BritishAmateurTelevisionClub/rpidatv.

Portsdown 2019 software supports the following:

===Supported hardware===

*Raspberry Pi 3 Model B or B+, with or without a 3.5 inch diagonal Waveshare Type A touchscreen.
*Official Raspberry Pi 7" touchscreen (often referred to as a "7 inch Element 14 touchscreen")
*LimeSDR Mini or LimeSDR USB
*LimeNET Micro
*BATC Serit MiniTiouner, MiniTiouner Pro V1
*The TX can be controlled over the network from another computer.
*The use of a keyboard and monitor connected directly to the Pi is not supported.
*The RPi will control an ADF4351 Synthesizer with a 10 or 25 MHz or other Reference Oscillator.
*Video input from a Fushicai EasyCap type USB capture device, Pi Camera or selected webcams.
*Support for the C170, C270, C525, C910 and C920 Webcams is provided on a best-efforts basis

===Outputs===

Currently the Portsdown s/w will output:
*Dirty (ugly) QPSK signal on 437 MHz for testing,
*I and Q signals to the Portsdown Filter/modulator board,
*Control for a DATV Express in DVB-S mode.
*Control for LimeSDR Mini and LimeSDR USB in DVB-S and DVB-S2 modes at 1MS or less
*H264 coded video to a DTX-1 through a TS Dock board
*Transport Stream over UDP
*Composite Video from the Pi Camera, test cards or a BATC Stream
*Stream to RTMP server such as https://batc.org.uk/live

===Modes===

*In IQ output mode, the Pi will encode the Pi Camera, the EasyCap or the on-board test card at up to 4 MS/s.

*In DATV Express mode, it will transmit MPEG-2 or H264 pictures from the RPi Camera at 125 KS/s - 4 MS/s (although there are currently some issues at symbol rates in excess of 1 MS).

*In LimeSDR mode, it will transmit MPEG-2 or H264 pictures at 125 KS/s - 1 MS/s DVB-S and DVB-S2.

*In "ugly mode" it will encode from these sources reliably at 125KS/s and sometimes at 333KS/s.

*In streaming mode, it will send Pi Camera, EasyCap or webcam pictures and sound to the BATC Streamer, or to any other compatible streamer.

*In "Stream Display" mode, the Portsdown will display any selected stream from the BATC server and provide audio on the 3.5mm jack.

*With an added RTL-SDR, the included LeanDVB monitor receiver will display strong DVB-S H264 signals of up to 1000 KS/s.

*The ADF4351 VCO or a DATV Express can be controlled as a Signal Generator with the option of QPSK modulation

*The FreqShow Spectrum Viewer can be selected from Menu 2 of the touchscreen.

*The LongMynd Receiver can be used to display pictures and play audio received by a connected MiniTiouner

===Version history===

*Version 201612310 Introduced a blank background behind the receive display, which in now part of the core capability.
*Version 201701020 introduced automatic selection of EasyCap input and TV standard.
*Version 201701080 introduced installation of Waveshare Touchscreen drivers during install, disabled the screensaver and added a screen logo at next boot.
*Version 201701190 Added stability improvements allowing 4MS SR, increasing reliability and reducing lock-ups. It also adjusted the touchscreen display to be centered in the screen
*Version 201701230 Added an Advanced Setup Menu. The fallback IP address was disabled, and the update script made more resilient to internet connection problems.
*Version 201701270 Added the ability to set the reference frequency and power for the ADF4351. It also corrected the selection of Carrier and Carrier Null modes, improved band switching and added menu items for future enhancements.
*Version 201701280 Bug fix for new ADF4351 functionality introduced in 201701270
*Version 201702020 New version of pi-sdn for button-initiated shutdown without error messages. Install and update improvements to allow easier testing and subsequent fielding of development versions.
*Version 201702060 Introduced basic support for the DATV Express modulator board
*Version 201702090 Introduced support for updated DATV express_server software. PTT capability and full SR range.
*Version 201702100 Completed the DATV Express capability, including Port switching, and tidied the switching between touchscreen and console.
*Version 201702110 Bugfix for DATV Express
*Version 201702190 Enabled streaming modes, lip-sync for MPEG-2 and switchable viewfinder.
*Version 201703060 Added the capability to adjust the frequency and SR for the touch screen presets.
*Version 201704030 Enabled IPTSIN mode and the transmission of contest numbers without a camera.
*Version 201704050 Update package lists before upgrade (bugfix for 201704030)
*Version 201704080 German Menus. Waveshare B display support and TonTec selection bug fix
*Version 201704160 Revised boot-up procedure, Display IP Address on splash screen. Update new build Jessie baseline.
*Version 201705200 Enabled the Pi Cam auto-shutter and improved the Shutdown button functionality.
*Version 201705301 Added a second Touchscreen menu with a shutdown button and enabled Contest mode operation from the touchscreen
*Version 201706301 Adds a number of menu options and the ability to run beta software using a recompiled version of ffmpeg.
*Version 201707120 Adds a PAL composite video output mode from the RPi and corrected the test card sizes.
*Version 201707222 Adds the ability to transmit MPEG-2 and stream from an EasyCap. Video and sound switching is provided.
*Version 201707311 Adds an Info screen on Menu 3, and sound pass-through in "Vid Out" mode.
*Version 201708150 Adds dedicated repeater streaming modes and video still capture.
*Version 201710081 Adds RTL-SDR functionality and keyed transmit.
*Version 201710280 Adds the basic Signal Generator functionality
*Version 201711031 Adds touchscreen calibration
*Version 201711271 Adds an HD Pi Camera MPEG-2 mode and a static MPEG-2 test card.
*Version 201712181 Included a total re-write of the touchscreen touch response function and added 480p MPEG-2 modes
*Version 201801012 Adds the FreqShow Spectrum viewer and basic support for the Element 14 7 inch screen.
*Version 201801061 Adds the ability to use DATV Express or switchable attenuators with the SigGen and tidies RX switching
*Version 201802041 Includes a major menu rewrite and add the facility to use the attenuator and transverters.
*Version 201802202 Minor bugfixes including C920 WebCam functionality
*Version 201803061 H264 HD streaming from C920. Additional HD, widescreen and test card modes
*Version 201803181 Revised C525 webcam reset logic. Corrected audio switching bug. Added C910 Webcam Support
*Version 201804020 Added functionality (including software update) from the touchscreen.
*Version 201804061 Adds FreqShow and VideoView functionality and other minor improvements for the Element 14 7 inch Screen
*Version 201804251 Adds an RTL-FM Receiver on Menu 2 and improves visibility of the DATV Express Firmware load
*Version 201805150 Adds a locator bearing calculator and improves the Composite video output facility.
*Version 201807041 Adds an independent LeanDVB Receiver Menu, and a Receive LO Generation Capability.
*Version 201807091 Introduces performance improvements for the LeanDVB receiver
*Version 201807151 Adds the ability to display any BATC Stream.
*Version 201807290 Improves the BATC Stream Viewer and adds the ability to control a repeater input based on the stream status
*Version 201809051 Corrects the bug that prevented display of streams after looking at the system info.
*Version 201809151 Adds the capability to set up and select streamer outputs from the touchscreen and sets the rtl-fm gain.
*Version 201809152 Reduces the possibility of a reboot hang at the end of the update
*Version 201810180 Added an experimental video monitor function
*Version 201810270 Introduced audio with H264 and improved the repeater streamer software.
*Version 201811030 Added a process watchdog to improve streamer reliability
*Version 201811100 Prepared for DVB-S2 support and added new touchscreen menu functions.
*Version 201811170 Switched to the latest version of avc2ts allowing the Raspbian Stretch OS to be updated
*Version 201811300 Added DVB-S2 capability with the LimeSDR as an output device.
*Version 201812290 Corrected the LimeSDR PTT switching and rearranged some menu buttons.
*Version 201902070 Added automated display driver switching.
*Version 201902072 Fixed KeyedTX bug
*Version 201902250 Added Lime and DVB-S2 support in the console and fixed FEC 1/4 and Lime PTT.
*Version 201903250 Improved the LimeSDR capability, and required the LimeSDR to be upgraded to Gateware 1.29
*Version 201904200 Improved stability for Lime SDR and numerous minor fixes.
*Version 201904290 Improved stability for the repeater streamer and LimeSDR from the console menu.
*Version 201905090 DVB-S2 pilots, user-configurable scripts and experimental Jetson control.
*Version 201906060 Better control of the Jetson. RPi GPIO band control and widescreen H264 from Comp Video.
*Version 201907070 Basic LimeNET Micro support. Interim fix for Raspbian touchscreen problems (at expense of comp vid).
*Version 201907272 LimeNET Micro audio fix. Handle DVB-S2 FECs better, allow 33KS transmissions.
*Version 201909210 Added LongMynd Receive functionality.
*Version 201910103 Added the ability to output composite video with a 7 inch screen connected.

Last updated 16 October 2019. DGC

Portsdown transmitter FAQ

2019-10-18T10:40:06Z

G8PEF:

* '''I've just changed my Callsign and now nothing works'''
If you have entered text with spaces in the callsign field, the software will crash (I've tried to cure this, but it's a very difficult problem). The cure is to open an SSH session (using Putty or Kitty), exit to the command line, and then do a factory reset by entering:

cp -f /home/pi/rpidatv/scripts/configs/portsdown_config.txt.factory /home/pi/rpidatv/scripts/portsdown_config.txt

If your software has not been updated since 1 February 2018, then the line that you should enter is:

cp -f /home/pi/rpidatv/scripts/configs/rpidatvconfig.txt.factory /home/pi/rpidatv/scripts/rpidatvconfig.txt

Afterwards, restart the console menu with the command:

/home/pi/rpidatv/scripts/menu.sh menu

* '''How do I prevent regular clicks/thumps on Streamed audio?'''
Check the following: 1. A valid video signal must be present at the input to the EasyCap before you turn the streaming on. 2. The supply voltage, measured on the GPIO pins, should be between 5.0 and 5.1 volts during streaming. 3. The EasyCap should be plugged directly into the RPi or connected by a short, good quality, USB lead.

* '''How do I reduce the background noise/hum on Streamed audio?'''
The poor quality USB leads supplied with the EasyCaps should not be used. The EasyCap should be plugged directly into the RPi or connected by a short, good quality, USB lead.

* '''Why do I get occasional dropouts of the received or streamed picture at 16:9 or 720p?'''
The Raspberry Pi 3 is working at its processing limit at these higher resolutions and occasionally runs out of resources. 16:9 is particularly bad because it is generated by down-scaling 720p, or stretching SD.

* '''Can I use the new Raspberry Pi 3+?'''
Yes. The "Portsdown Stretch" software build works on a Raspberry Pi 3+ or a Raspberry Pi 3. Details here: https://github.com/BritishAmateurTelevisionClub/portsdown . The original "Jessie build does not work on the new Raspberry Pi 3+.

* '''How do I turn the transmitter off in Touchscreen mode?'''
In transmit, the touchscreen is used to monitor outgoing video and so the buttons are no longer visible - to turn the transmitter off, simply touch the screen in the same area as the TX button.

* '''What do I need to receive a Portsdown transmitter?'''
When a Portsdown transmitter is fitted with a filter / modulator card and running in normal bandwidth modes (above 1 Msymbol/sec) you will be able receive it on any Free to Air (or FreeSat but not Sky or Freeview) satellite Set top box - if you have a High Definition STB you will be able to receive MPEG-2 and MPEG-4.

However, when it is running in RB-TV modes OR in Ugly mode without the Filter Modulator card, you can only receive it using the MiniTiouner USB receiver. This is a BATC supported project with some home construction needed - the hardware components are available from [https://batc.org.uk/shop/minitiouner the BATC shop] and the software is a free download from F6DZP [[MiniTioune|see here for more details]].

*'''Can I use another touchscreen LCD?'''
The Portsdown project only supports the 3.5" Waveshare screen - that doesn't mean to say others won't work but we can't help you if it doesn't. The Official Raspberry Pi 7" touchscreen (often referred to as a "7 inch Element 14 touchscreen") https://www.element14.com/community/docs/DOC-78156/l/raspberry-pi-7-touchscreen-display is the only recommended alternative. HDMI-connected touchscreens are not suitable.

*'''Can I use a Raspberry Pi 2?'''
You can try it, but some capabilities will not work. For example, the RPi 2 does not seem to be capable of handling analogue capture properly and puts streaks across the picture. The Pi Camera is less demanding and has been demonstrated to work with an RPi 2 in some circumstances. The project team will not support the RPi 2 - please just buy an RPi 3.

*'''Who are the Portsdown team?'''
The Portsdown team are just BATC members doing this as volunteers to support the ATV community. As such, it is not their full time job and they are not being paid. If you have a problem, question or comment, please do not contact them directly but use the [https://forum.batc.org.uk/viewforum.php?f=103 BATC members forum] but there may not always be an instant response!

And yes we are looking for people to help with the project - if you can write Linux, update Wiki pages or reply to forum posts we want to hear from you!

*'''Do I need to know about Linux or other clever computer stuff to get Portsdown running?'''
NO - the Portsdown transmitter has been designed to "work out of the box":
*You do not need to do anything other than follow the [[Initial setup|initial set up guide]]
*Do not load any device drivers
*Do not tinker with Linux commands
If you do, we don't have time to support you and will just advise you to reformat your SD card and start again!'''

*'''Does Portsdown mean BATC will stop selling the DTX1 like they did DATVexpress?'''
NO - The DTX1 is designed for those who do not want to "build their own" and will still be available in the BATC shop and supported by Antennair through the [http://www.dtx1.info/ DTX1 support website]. DATVexpress is no longer in production - the reason we stopped selling it in the BATC shop is because the DATV Express team wanted to offer it directly to end users.

*'''Is Portsdown MPEG-2 or MPEG-4?'''
Both - The RPi hardware encoder runs MPEG-4 and the Portsdown software has an MPEG-2 encoder both of which are used in the Portsdown transmitter.

* '''Why can't I download or update the software?'''
We have had reports of problems with downloading software and updates from members with Virgin Media and BT internet connections. The work-round for Virgin Media is described on the GitHub page. BT users should make sure that they have "Web Protect" turned off for the download.

* '''When I type my password, the cursor does not move. Is this right?'''

Yes. Passwords typed at the command line in Linux do not cause the cursor to move. You just have to type carefully; if you make a mistake just backspace lots of times and then start the password again.

*'''How do I get out of touch screen back in to console mode?'''

The process is very similar to initial set up and is done by using an external PC with 2 pieces of software - the first application is to find the IP address of your RPi when it first boots up, such as [http://www.advanced-ip-scanner.com/ Advanced IP Scanner] and an SSH Terminal application such as [http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/ Putty].

*Connect the RPi to the same network as your PC, and either check on the touchscreen "info" page (on Menu 3) or use the IP Scanner to find the IP address of your RPi.

*Open Putty and enter the IP address of your RPi and open a connection. At the logon prompt enter the default username of pi and the password given to you with the card.

The console menu should start automatically and the touchscreen will display the BATC logo.

Note, if the console menu does not appear and you end up at the Linux Command Line, you can get back to the Main Console Menu by typing:

/home/pi/rpidatv/scripts/menu.sh menu

*'''When I Log-on or start the Console Menu, it goes Straight to the Exit Screen. How do I recover?'''

If you accidentally enter a space character when entering the frequency or symbol rate, the Menu software fails and tries to exit. You can recover by typing the command:

cp -f /home/pi/rpidatv/scripts/configs/portsdown_config.txt.factory /home/pi/rpidatv/scripts/portsdown_config.txt

at the Linux command line, and then restarting the console menu with the command:

/home/pi/rpidatv/scripts/menu.sh menu

*'''How Can I update my Portsdown Software?'''

As long as you have an internet connection, you can update your Portsdown Software to the latest version from the Console Menu. Full instructions are here: [[Updating your Portsdown Software]]

*'''Where can I get a diagram of all the RPi GPIO pins?'''

The full wiring listing for the RPi GPIO is here

[[PTT and band switching#Summary_of_GPIO_connections]]

*'''The lock LED on the AD4351 board does not come on'''

The lock light only comes on when in Portsdown/IQ mode and you are on Transmit

Portsdown 2018

2019-10-06T11:46:48Z

G8PEF:

The Portsdown 2018 DATV system has been designed to provide an easy way to “get on air” with Digital ATV at a relatively low cost, covering all of the commonly used modes, thus enabling it to be used not only on ATV repeaters but also for RB-TV Dx working.

The filter modulator card and DATVExpress card described on these pages are no longer available and new builders should follow the [[Portsdown 2019|Portsdown 2019 build instructions here]].

At end of 2018 the decision was taken not to get any more FM boards assembled as demand had dropped significantly and as we had to buy a minimum quantity of 60 we risked losing a lot of members money - all this was posted on the forum back in November and in CQ-TV 262 https://forum.batc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=88&t=5760.

Please note there is NO intention to discontinue support of the 2018 system. Portsdown 2019 is recommended for all new builds but if you would still like an F-M board, we suggest you post on the wanted section of the forum - https://forum.batc.org.uk/viewforum.php?f=14 - or blank PCBs for home construction are still available here - [https://batc.org.uk/shop/portsdown-transmitter-filter-modulator-board-blank-pcb/ BATC shop item 10].

===Portsdown 2018 User guide===

This user guide is in a number of sections which cover detailed descriptions for hardware and software, how to build and configure the system, some advanced features and an FAQ.

[[File:KLB portsdown (1).JPG|400px|center]]

This old index page covers most of the Portsdown 2018 features: [[The Portsdown Transmitter index]]

===System specification===
*[[Portsdown Output Levels|Transmitter specifications]] Frequency range, MER and Output Levels to be expected on each band.

===Building the system===
*[[Portsdown hardware]] Detailed description of the Portsdown hardware and a '''shopping list of what you need to buy and where to buy it'''.
*[[Assembling Portsdown|Assembling your Portsdown]] How to put all the hardware together - '''you need to read this!'''
*[[Portsdown Displays]] Advice on what display to use with your Portsdown transmitter.
*[[Using_LimeSDR_with_Portsdown]] Using LimeSDR Mini instead of the Filter Modulator board - this is the standard build from Jan 2019

===Portsdown Software===
The software has recently undergone a major update. If you are building a new system, or upgrading one built since March 2018, please refer to the Portsdown 2018 Stretch software guide. The original Portsdown (Jessie) software has also been upgraded to Portsdown 2018 standard.
*[[Portsdown 2018 Stretch Software|Portsdown 2018/2019 Stretch Software]] The latest and greatest software for the Portsdown and how to get a programmed SD card.
*[[Portsdown software|Portsdown Jessie Software]] Detailed description of the older Portsdown software.
*[[Software capabilities and issues]] An up to date list is available here
*[[Updating your Portsdown Software]] How to update your Portsdown software to the latest version, with suggestions for troubleshooting updates.

===Configuring and controlling the system===

The Portsdown software is now pre-configured to use the Waveshare touchscreen. If you are using this screen, no initial set-up is required.

For advanced set-up, or if you do not have a Waveshare touchscreen, See this guide: [[Initial setup 2019]]

You can control the Portsdown transmitter in one of 2 modes: by the use of the touchscreen or through the console using a second computer.

*[[Touchscreen mode]] How to use your Portsdown transmitter using the Touchscreen LCD only
*[[Console mode]] Use this mode to configure your Portsdown and change pre-set configs (such as SR and Freq) used in touch screen buttons.
*[[Changing system setup]] How to change Portsdown transmitter settings when in Touchscreen mode
*[[QPSKRF or Ugly mode]] Notes on this special test mode and the limitations when using it
*[[Setting up the WiFi]] How to set up the WiFi on the RPi3 Portsdown Transmitter

===Advanced features===
The Portsdown is not just a DATV transmitter but has several advanced features which are or may be available in the future:

*[[Lean DVB receiver]] How to use the integrated RTL SDR based monitoring receiver - this is NOT the Portsdown receiver
*[[Streaming_to_batc.tv_with_Raspberry_Pi| Streaming to the BATC Streamer]] How to use your Portsdown transmitter as a standalone streamer
*[[Controlling a DATVExpress]] How to use a Portsdown as a user interface for DATV Express
*[[Use With a DTX-1]] How to use your Portsdown transmitter to transmit RB-TV with a DTX-1
*[[Feeding Video to Portsdown from vMix]] How to use vMix with your Portsdown transmitter
*[[Analog Video Output]] How to use your Portsdown as an Analog PAL Video Source
*[[Still Capture from Composite Video Input]] How to capture still images from a Composite Video input.
*[[Hardware-only Transmit Switching]] How to use the Portsdown without a Touchscreen or computer.
*[[Portsdown Signal Generator]]
*[[Calibrating the TouchScreen Alignment]]
*[[FreqShow]] Displaying the received frequency spectrum
*[[C920 Webcam|How to Use the C920 Webcam with the Portsdown]]
*[[RTL-FM Receiver|An Integrated RTL-FM Audio Receiver]]

===On line support / social media===

There is a Portsdown area on the BATC forum where the BATC core team and wider ATV community will answer your questions and posting results of the latest builds and on air tests. https://forum.batc.org.uk/viewforum.php?f=103

Note that the BATC core team do not regularly visit Facebook pages - time is just too short to monitor everything and it's not easy to follow threads on Facebook. If you need a question answered please post on the BATC forums first.

===Additional information===

Filters and driver amplifiers are not part of the Portsdown project but VERY important

* [[Filters]]
* [[Power_amplifiers]]

The Portsdown user's community including a map showing where user locations

* [[Portsdown community]]

An index of all Portsdown pages

* [[The Portsdown Transmitter index]]

You may also find this index of TLAs useful when reading the manual!
*[[Glossary_of_terms]]

===Portsdown transmitter FAQ===

And of course we need an FAQ page for those people who don't read the manual!
*[[Portsdown transmitter FAQ]]

Portsdown 2019

2019-10-06T11:45:12Z

G8PEF:

The Portsdown 2019 DATV system has been designed to provide an easy way to “get on air” with Digital ATV at a relatively low cost, covering all of the commonly used modes, thus enabling it to be used not only on ATV repeaters but also for RB-TV Dx working.

The 2019 Portsdown is significantly different to previous versions in that the system no longer uses the custom built Filter Modulator card which has been replaced with an off-the-shelf LimeSDR Mini. Overall the LimeSDR Mini is similar in cost to the F-M board as you no longer need an ADF4351 LO module and an LO filter PCB.

The LimeSDR Mini plugs in to the Raspberry Pi USB port, preferably via a powered USB hub and produces an RF output from ~ 30MHz to 3.5GHz.

This guide is in a number of sections which cover detailed descriptions for hardware and software, how to build and configure the system, some advanced features and an FAQ.

===Portsdown 2018===

Portsdown 2018 has been superseded by Portsdown 2019 but there is NO intention to discontinue support of the 2018 model.
Portsdown 2019 is recommended for all new builds but if you would still like an F-M board, we suggest you post on the wanted section of the forum - https://forum.batc.org.uk/viewforum.php?f=14 - or blank PCBs for home construction are still available here - [https://batc.org.uk/shop/portsdown-transmitter-filter-modulator-board-blank-pcb/ BATC shop item 10].

All the wiki information on Portsdown 2018 is still [[Portsdown 2018|available here]].

===Specification===

The Portsdown 2019 will accept video input from a composite video source, the Pi camera, some WebCams or integrated stored test cards. It will then encode these as MPEG-2 or H264 with stereo audio.

* Frequency range - Using a LimeSDR Mini it will transmit DATV on frequencies between 30 MHz and 3.5 GHz.

* Power output - Typical power output varies with frequency and is plotted here: [[LimeSDR_Mini_Output_Power_Levels]]. The power output level can be increased and leveled off the frequency range by using a Portsdown 8 way RF switch on the output.

* Transmission modes - DVB-S and DVB-S2 modes are available from the LimeSDR Mini, with QPSK, 8PSK, 16APSK and 32APSK.

* Symbol rate - Due to the limited processing power and USB capability of the Rpi, symbol rates are generally limited to 1Ms and below (down to 66 KS), but some H264 modes will work at 2MS. Note the LimeSDR Mini hardware is capable of higher symbol rates when used with DATVExpress software.

===Hardware System Diagram===

Here is the latest system diagram. Note that only one of the displays is required; either the 3.5 inch or 7 inch; the digital variable attenuator is only required if you want fine (<3 dB steps) control over your PA drive levels. The Lime Gain control on the Portsdown can be used to set the coarse output level.

[[File:20190511 Portsdown 2019 Block.jpg|960px]]

===Building the system===

The Portsdown 2019 uses the majority of the 2018 Portsdown hardware.
*[[Portsdown2019 hardware]] Detailed description of the Portsdown 2019 hardware and a '''shopping list of what you need to buy and where to buy it'''.
*[[Assembling Portsdown 2019|Assembling your Portsdown]] How to put all the hardware together - '''you need to read this!'''
*[[Portsdown Displays]] Advice on what display to use with your Portsdown transmitter.

===Portsdown 2019 Software===

The Portsdown 2019 uses the same software as later versions of the Portsdown 2018 system which is known as Portsdown 2018/2019 and is based on the Raspberry Pi's Raspbian Stretch operating system.
*[[Portsdown 2018 Stretch Software|Portsdown 2018/2019 Stretch Software]] The latest and greatest software for the Portsdown and how to get a programmed SD card.
*[[Software capabilities and issues]] An up to date list is available here
*[[Updating your Portsdown Software]] How to update your Portsdown software to the latest version, with suggestions for troubleshooting updates.

===Initially configuring the system===

Once you have completed your hardware build or have bought the RPi, display and LimeSDR Mini and just "want to try it", connect up the hardware and insert an pre-programmed SD card into SD slot on the RPi.

====Waveshare 3.5 inch and Element 14 7 inch touch screens====

A new or upgraded SD Card (version 201902070 or later) will also work out of the box with the either screen and is ready to use with no initial configuration required. Connect the touchscreen (being very careful to align the pins on the Wavesahre correctly) and apply power to the RPi and the user interface menu 1 should appear.

====No Touchscreen or Advanced Options====

If you do not have a Waveshare 3.5 inch screen or the Element 14 7 inch screen, or you wish to enter the system advanced set-up pages you will need to do an initial setup - see this guide for more details: [[Initial setup 2019]]

====LimeSDR Configuration====

The latest Portsdown software (201903250 and beyond) requires that all LimeSDR Minis purchased from the BATC Shop before 31 March 2019 be upgraded to Firmware Version 6, Gateware Version 1, revision 29. You can do this from the Portsdown Menu 3, Lime Config, Update Lime FW. You can then check the upgrade using the "Lime FW Info" button. Note that you need to be connected to the internet during the update, otherwise it will fail. LimeSDR USBs can be upgraded using the same procedure to Firmware Version 4, Gateware 2.20. However, note that the Lime Report will fail for a LimeSDR USB, as it checks for a LimeSDR Mini.

The Lime configuration options are described here: [[Using_LimeSDR_with_Portsdown]].

====Using Portsdown with a LimeNET Micro====

The Portsdown software is being modified to support the use of a LimeNET Micro as a secondary alternative to the LimeSDR Mini. These modifications are in software update 201907070 and are described here: [[Portsdown with the LimeNET Micro]].

===Controlling the Portsdown 2019 system===

Once the system is configured, you can control the Portsdown transmitter in one of 2 modes: by the use of the touchscreen or through the console using a second computer.

*[[Touchscreen mode]] How to use your Portsdown transmitter using the Touchscreen LCD only
*[[Console mode]] Use this mode to configure advanced settings such as WiFi or non-standard screens.
*[[Changing system setup]] How to change Portsdown transmitter settings when in Touchscreen mode
*[[QPSKRF or Ugly mode]] Notes on this special test mode and the limitations when using it
*[[Setting up the WiFi]] How to set up the WiFi on the RPi3 Portsdown Transmitter

===Advanced features===
Portsdown 2019 is not just a DATV transmitter but has several advanced features which are or may be available in the future:

*[[Lean DVB receiver]] How to use the integrated RTL SDR based monitoring receiver - this is NOT the Portsdown receiver
*[[Streaming_to_batc.tv_with_Raspberry_Pi| Streaming to the BATC Streamer]] How to use your Portsdown transmitter as a standalone streamer
*[[Controlling a DATVExpress]] How to use a Portsdown as a user interface for DATV Express
*[[Use With a DTX-1]] How to use your Portsdown transmitter to transmit RB-TV with a DTX-1
*[[Feeding Video to Portsdown from vMix]] How to use vMix with your Portsdown transmitter
*[[Analog Video Output]] How to use your Portsdown as an Analog PAL Video Source
*[[Still Capture from Composite Video Input]] How to capture still images from a Composite Video input.
*[[Hardware-only Transmit Switching]] How to use the Portsdown without a Touchscreen or computer.
*[[Portsdown Signal Generator]] Not available yet on Portsdown 2019
*[[Calibrating the TouchScreen Alignment]]
*[[FreqShow]] Displaying the received frequency spectrum
*[[C920 Webcam|How to Use the C920 Webcam with the Portsdown]]
*[[RTL-FM Receiver|An Integrated RTL-FM Audio Receiver]]

===On line support / social media===

There is a Portsdown area on the BATC forum where the BATC core team and wider ATV community will answer your questions and posting results of the latest builds and on air tests. https://forum.batc.org.uk/viewforum.php?f=103

Note that the BATC core team do not regularly visit Facebook pages - time is just too short to monitor everything and it's not easy to follow threads on Facebook. If you need a question answered please post on the BATC forums first.

===Additional information===

Filters and driver amplifiers are not part of the Portsdown project but VERY important

* [[Filters]]
* [[Power_amplifiers]]

The Portsdown user's community including a map showing where user locations

* [[Portsdown community]]

Assembling Portsdown

2019-10-05T21:14:26Z

G8PEF: /* Power Supplies and Wiring */

This section will describe in detail how to assemble your Portsdown transmitter - to begin, you need to have bought or built all the components listed in the [[Portsdown hardware|hardware description.]]

This page describes how to build the complete transmitter assembly but you can run the Portsdown as an experiment in [[QPSKRF or Ugly mode|"Ugly Mode"]], currently labelled in the Menu as QPSKRF. That does not require you to wire anything together.

===Mechanical Design===

First of all, decide on your mechanical design. You are going to need to have the RPi firmly mounted, with the Micro-SD card slot accessible (to change the card if required) and the power, network and USB connectors available. Then you will need to stack a GPIO extender on top of the RPi.

The most difficult part will be to mount the Touchscreen display. It can either be stacked on top of the RPi, or you can connect it by a short multiway lead and mount it on the front panel of your housing - an example is here: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/141354697688

f you have a 3D printer you could try make up one of these housing http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1920486

You will then need to consider mounting the ADF4351 Synthesizer, any LO filters and then the Filter/modulator board. Other things to think about might be a 5V power supply, a relay/PTT switching board and any dongles (EasyCap, Sound or RTL-SDR).

The block diagram of what you are trying to achieve is below. Note that you will need an additional filter between the synthesizer and the filter/modulator board for 437 MHz and 146 MHz. It is not required for 1255 MHz, and the unit will work on the other bands for testing without it.

[[File:1-1 Block Diagram.jpg|600px]]

An example layout is here

[[File:In the box.jpg|600px]]

===Interconnecting the modules===

The following diagram shows the interconnects between the various modules - all wire can be non screened (except the Local oscillator feed to the Filter modulator board) but should be kept as short as possible.

[[File:Portsdown interconnects.JPG|600px]]

Higher resolution pdf is available here [[:File:Portsdwon interconnect v2.pdf]]

Or a picture might help...

[[File:assembly.JPG|600px]]

===BATC GPIO breakout card===

The GPIO breakout card is where all the signals and power for Portsdown interconnect and we recommend that you buy the blank PCB from the BATC and make up the breakcard using either connectors or hard wiring to the other boards.
For more details see this [[GPIO breakout|wiki page]]

[[File:screw t.jpg|300px]]

[[Willow components breakout card]] (If you have bought the BATC GPIO breakout card you DO NOT NEED to read this section)

===Powering the ADF4351===

The ADF4351 module needs between 5 and 9 volts on its power connector. You can either buy a suitable (small barrel) connector or solder the wires to the underside of the board. The 5V supply can be taken from the same source as the Raspberry Pi 5.2V supply, or from any other 5V supply. It does not need to be very clean. DO NOT try to put 3.3V into the marked pin on the data connector on the module; this is a low current output, not an input.

===RF Wiring===

Use short flexible SMA cables to connect the ADF4351 (through filters if necessary) to the filter/modulator board. Use another cable to take the output to a panel connector or subsequent filters and power amplifiers.

You may also want to extend the input of any RTL-SDR to be accessible from a panel connector.

===Power Supplies and Wiring===

You should power the RPi through the Micro-USB power connector to take advantage of the input protection provided. Use a very short USB cable to your power supply as most of these cables are of very poor quality and cause significant voltage drop. For best results, cut the USB cable 5cm from the connector and run "real" wiring from there to your power supply.

Do not power unnecessary items from the RPi's 5v outputs on the GPIO connector. Doing so will induce extra voltage drop in the input protection circuitry. Power the VCO filter and RF Switch directly from the switch mode power supply. No problems with ripple have been observed.

A lot of strange problems, such as the Portsdown running very slowly, can be caused by low PSU voltage - the RPi3 supply voltage is actually specified as 5.1 volts, so make sure your PSU delivers enough voltage and is capable of sourcing enough current. See [https://forum.batc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?t=4856&p=11935#p11935 this post on the BATC forum] for a real user experience!

If you see a "Lightning Flash" symbol at the top right of your LCD display it means that the voltage at the RPi is too low. You can measure the voltage between the GPIO connector pins 4 and 6.

[[File:flash.jpg|400px]]

You can check if there are any problems by running the command
vcgencmd get_throttled
from the command line. You should get the response "throttled=0x0" which means that all is well. The response "throttled=0x50000" means that the voltage has dropped below the safe level at least once since boot-up; the response "throttled=0x50005" means that the voltage is currently below the safe level. Other responses might mean that your RPi is overheating. The "Info" screen on Menu 3 will also state if there have been any low-voltage events since boot-up.

An eBay buck regulator capable of supplying at least 4A continuous at 5.2V is recommended to power the RPi, an EasyCap, an RTL-SDR and the ADF4351. '''Consumer-grade RPi power supplies with consumer grade USB cables have rarely proved to be capable of supplying this high demand without causing dropouts.'''

The filter/modulator board needs a clean 5V at 250 mA and the on-board linear regulator supplies this, but can get warm at higher input voltages. The linear regulator needs at least 7V to operate properly. Feeding it with 8 volts provides the best compromise between regulator margin and heat dissipation.

You can use a switching or buck converter to supply the filter-modulator board with 5V, but the switching ripple introduces some detectable sidebands on the transmitted signal. These have very little adverse effect, but are visible on a spectrum analyser. On-board switching regulators have been tested, and the pads are there for L10 to provide extra filtering. Again, they introduce low-level sidebands, but these are probably not significant.

===Network and USB Wiring===

Consider bringing the network connector and one of the USB connectors out to the panel for easy access and mechanical stability.

===Camera Wiring===

The RPi camera gives excellent results, but only comes with a short ribbon cable to connect it to the RPi.

It is possible to use some higher quality HDMI leads (the ground connections all need to be made) to extend the camera lead - this does NOT mean the signal out of the camera is HDMI, it is actually "Camera Serial Interface Type 2 (CSI-2)". We are just using HDMI cable as a useful extension lead. The modification described here https://wiki.batc.org.uk/CSI-2_to_HDMI allows the use of lower quality HDMI cables.

Kits are available to connect a female HDMI connector to the RPi camera connector, and another female to the camera, allowing the use of domestic 1, 2 and 3m HDMI leads. The Pi camera HDMI Lead Extension Kit is available from here https://www.tindie.com/products/freto/pi-camera-hdmi-cable-extension/

===USB Cables===

Use short (shortened?) good quality USB cables to connect the EasyCap and RTL-SDR to the RPi. Use of the poor-quality USB cable supplied with the EasyCap has been shown to cause audio dropouts in a streamed signal.

MiniTioune software

2017-12-28T18:59:36Z

G8PEF:

The MiniTiouner USB receiver uses free to download DVB-S receive and analysis software called "Minitioune" written by F6DZP. The Software is hosted on the [http://www.vivadatv.org/page.php?p=tutioune-en VivaDATV forum]. You need to register and be given a log-in to download the software - once registered, the files are located here: [http://www.vivadatv.org/viewtopic.php?f=60&t=450 Minitioune v0.7d download]

The latest (28 October 2017) version of MiniTioune is V0.7d and this (or any version v0.6 or newer) is the version you will need if you have built a [[MiniTiouner hardware Version 2|MiniTiouner Version 2 board]] with a Serit tuner (or a Serit tuner on a version 1 board with adapter card).

Download the zip file and extract to a folder under your root or c:\ directory. You should have the following files (except the G8GTZ video file!) in your directory:

[[File:TT directory2.JPG|400px]]

===Software Installation===

Once you have unzipped the main download you need to follow these easy steps to get up and running:

* Download and install the D2XX drivers 2.12.24 found at http://ftdichip.com/Drivers/D2XX.htm. There's a link in the right column for a setup executable.
* Download and install LAVfilters CODECs from here http://www.videohelp.com/software/LAV-Filters
* Look in the Minitiouner folder that you've just copied to C:\ for the small program "Install_usrc_ax_winXP" and run this to install the link with the decoder.
* Plug in your MiniTiouner hardware and let the USB drivers install.
* Run the MiniTiouner test program - "CheckMiniTiouneDriverAndFilters_V0_3a.exe" - it should pass on all sections.

[[File:tt7.JPG|400px]]

There is a readme file contained in the download which you should read.
For a very comprehensive guide on the software installation, see the paper written by W6HHC - http://www.w6ze.org/DATV/InstallingMiniTiouner_onWin10.pdf

===Connecting the hardware===

The MiniTiouner hardware is connected to the PC via USB2 mini cable.

'''It is absolutely essential you use a high quality USB cable or the program will frequently freeze and crash with no warning'''
The recommended cable is a Lindy Cromo Lindy cable USB 2.0 type A/mini-B 1m long. https://www.lindy.co.uk/cables-adapters-c1/usb-c449/1m-cromo-usb-2-0-type-a-to-mini-b-cable-p6866

===Running MiniTioune for the first time===

The Minitioune software is very comprehensive DVB-S receive and diagnostic software but can be a little overwhelming when you first run it!

If you have completed the installation and tested your system by running the test program, you now need to arrange a test signal which can be one of the following:

* A satellite signal from your domestic satellite dish.
* A local DATV signal from Portsdown (Ugly mode is fine) or any other DATV transmitter - a short piece of wire in the tuner input socket will probably pick up enough signal but be careful - there maybe DC volts on the socket.
* An off air DATV signal from your local repeater or "buddy down the road" (did I really write that!) - make sure you have a filter and line amplifier between your pre-amp and tuner input but be careful - there maybe DC volts on the input socket and most filters are DC short circuit.

Whichever source you use, you will need to know the following:

* Signal frequency - you will need to know L band signal frequency coming out of the LNB or direct amatuer band frequency - eg 1255MHz or 1563 MHz
* DVB mode - DVB-S or DVB-S2
* The Symbol Rate or SR - this will probably be listed as MegaSymbols - eg 2Ms or 27Ms - you will need to convert this to kS - eg 2000 or 27000
* The FEC rate - this will be written in the form 1/2 or 5/6

Start the program and you should see the please wait message - Sharp tuner = 10 seconds and a Serit = 20 seconds. If you get the USB error message then you hardware is not connected.

[[File:10secs.JPG|400px]]

and then the following screen:

[[File:tt2.JPG|400px]]

If you see the more complex expert mode below - simply click the top of the "expert" switch in the bottom right hand corner of the screen.

[[File:tt3.JPG|400px]]

Navigate your mouse to the top left corner of the screen and set the following parameters to match your test signal:

* Symbol rate (SR) - type the symbol rate directly in to the top left green box. (Note this should be the SR in kilosymbols in the following form - 00250 for 250kS, 02000 for 2Ms,or 27000 for 27Ms.
* FEC - tick the box to match the FEC of the transmission you are wanting to rx.
* DVB mode - tick the correct mode box. Currently all DATV signals are currently DVB-S and most domestic satellite signals are DVB-S2. For ATV operation make sure the DVB-S box is ticked and not auto.
* Low SR - if you are trying to receive a signal greater than 1Msymbol or 1000ksymbol untick the low SR box.
* Frequency - type directly in to the top right green box. (Note this should be the L band frequency in the following form - 01255000 for 1255MHz. if it is not the correct format the box will be greyed out).
If you are using a Serit tuner, which covers 144 - 2550 MHz without any upconverters, make sure you have no offset in the white box under the frequency box. If there is a a number present simply enter "00000000" to overwrite it. If you are using a Sharp tuner with an upconverter you will need to enter the L band frequency in the green box or the receive frequency in the green box plus LO offset in the white box.

[[File:Capture.JPG|200px]]

If using a Serit tuner, select the A or B f type connector using the A or B button. (note the A socket is the one furthest away from the PCB on the tuner can).

[[File:TT f type.JPG|200px]]

The 3 "lights" at the bottom left of the screen should now turn green, the meters should indicate signal level and MER, you should see dots in the 4 quadrants of the constellation window and the Viterbi error bar graph should go green.

[[File:tt6.jpg|400px]]

If this has happened but there is no video displayed in the center window, navigate to the top right of the screen and click the "Auto PID" button - the video should now appear!

[[File:tt5.JPG|400px]]

===Testing the MiniTioune using a FreeSat Satellite Signal===

If you do not have a local ATV signal to do initial tests with, you can use the signal from a Sky Satellite dish with a Universal LNB (frequencies will be different for a "Wideband" LNB) to test your MiniTioune as follows:

*Place a jumper on J3, which is near the 12v power socket. Check that there is now 12v on the upper NIM F socket.

*Connect the upper NIM socket to a Sky dish.

*Start the MiniTioune software.

*In the frequency setting area in the top left of the screen, put 09750000 into the OFFSET box.

*Click the PLUS / MINUS indicator next to it so that it shows MINUS.

*Put 10758000 into the FREQ box.

*Put 22000 into the SR box.

Further down from the FREQ box, below the frequency buttons, check that DVB-S and Fplug-A are selected and that there is a tick in the checkbox next to 5/6 FEC.

You should now see the ITV program in the video window.

There are several channels on each Sky transponder and these should appear on the buttons at the top right of the screen, below PIDs.
A 12v supply will select vertical transponders. Use 12v rather than 13.8v, to stay below the switching threshold for horizontal transponders.

Other transponder frequencies can be found at https://www.lyngsat.com/Astra-2E-2F-2G.html The symbol rate (SR) and DVB-S / DVB-S2 setting may need to be changed for other transponders.

===Other controls===

[[File:TT switches 1.JPG|200px]] Set of soft controls located at the bottom right of the screen.

The "'''Record'''" button records the received transport stream as a .ts file in to the folder where minitioune.exe was installed. .ts files can be replayed with WMP or VLC.

The "'''Bleep'''" button enables an audio tone which varies in pitch depending upon the strength of the signal being received. Useful for peaking up aerials or adjusting filters and pre-amps.

The "'''UDP'''" button enables the received transport stream to be played out in real time over UDP, enabling it to be played on a remote PC using VLC.

The "'''Expert'''" button reveals a whole host of additional controls described below.

The "'''Dsave'''" button records a number of parameters about the received signal, such as strength MER and TS Lock as a .txt file. These can replayed in the TiouneDataReader.exe program to give a graphical display of the received signal. This is useful for later analysis when receiving signals such as the ISS HAMTV transmissions.

[[File:TT data.jpg|300px]] A typical display from the Data reader

===Customising MiniTioune with common settings===

You can edit the miniTioune.ini file in the download directory to configure various options to be set when you start the program.:
* The preset buttons for Frequency (with LNB / converter offsets), symbol rates and PID (see below)
* FEC selected on startup
* DVB mode on start up
* DC volts on tuner output
* Your call sign and station details for the web monitoring facility (see below)

To edit the file, first save a copy of the file on to your desktop - this is so you can always go back when you mess up (and you almost certainly will)! Then double click the file and it should open in wordpad.

===Web monitor===

One really useful feature of MiniTioune is the ability for remote stations to monitor how well you are receiving their signal. To enable this you need an account on VivaDATV where you downloaded the software from.

Then you need to edit the miniTioune.ini file as described above.

Go to the [WebMonitoring] section and put your call sign where it says OM_ID=MY CALL, enter your vivadatv password forum and your QRA.

[[File:TTwebmon.JPG|600px]]

Save the file and restart MiniTiouner.

[[File:webmon.JPG|200px]] The web monitoring panel will now show your call sign and locator - tick the "auto" box and turn the monitor switch on.

Now go to http://www.vivadatv.org/tutioune.php?what=map and zoom in on your location - you will see that stations who have their web monitor turned on are shown in green.

[[File:ttmap.JPG|400px]]

Stations who are actively receiving a signal are shown as bouncing green pins - click on the pin and you can details of the signal being received, including MER, RF Level, FEC, bit rate and a thumbnail updated every second.

[[File:ttmon.JPG|400px]]

===Expert Mode===

To be completed.....

MiniTioune software

2017-12-28T16:22:14Z

G8PEF:

The MiniTiouner USB receiver uses free to download DVB-S receive and analysis software called "Minitioune" written by F6DZP. The Software is hosted on the [http://www.vivadatv.org/page.php?p=tutioune-en VivaDATV forum]. You need to register and be given a log-in to download the software - once registered, the files are located here: [http://www.vivadatv.org/viewtopic.php?f=60&t=450 Minitioune v0.7d download]

The latest (28 October 2017) version of MiniTioune is V0.7d and this (or any version v0.6 or newer) is the version you will need if you have built a [[MiniTiouner hardware Version 2|MiniTiouner Version 2 board]] with a Serit tuner (or a Serit tuner on a version 1 board with adapter card).

Download the zip file and extract to a folder under your root or c:\ directory. You should have the following files (except the G8GTZ video file!) in your directory:

[[File:TT directory2.JPG|400px]]

===Software Installation===

Once you have unzipped the main download you need to follow these easy steps to get up and running:

* Download and install the D2XX drivers 2.12.24 found at http://ftdichip.com/Drivers/D2XX.htm. There's a link in the right column for a setup executable.
* Download and install LAVfilters CODECs from here http://www.videohelp.com/software/LAV-Filters
* Look in the Minitiouner folder that you've just copied to C:\ for the small program "Install_usrc_ax_winXP" and run this to install the link with the decoder.
* Plug in your MiniTiouner hardware and let the USB drivers install.
* Run the MiniTiouner test program - "CheckMiniTiouneDriverAndFilters_V0_3a.exe" - it should pass on all sections.

[[File:tt7.JPG|400px]]

There is a readme file contained in the download which you should read.
For a very comprehensive guide on the software installation, see the paper written by W6HHC - http://www.w6ze.org/DATV/InstallingMiniTiouner_onWin10.pdf

===Connecting the hardware===

The MiniTiouner hardware is connected to the PC via USB2 mini cable.

'''It is absolutely essential you use a high quality USB cable or the program will frequently freeze and crash with no warning'''
The recommended cable is a Lindy Cromo Lindy cable USB 2.0 type A/mini-B 1m long. https://www.lindy.co.uk/cables-adapters-c1/usb-c449/1m-cromo-usb-2-0-type-a-to-mini-b-cable-p6866

===Running MiniTioune for the first time===

The Minitioune software is very comprehensive DVB-S receive and diagnostic software but can be a little overwhelming when you first run it!

If you have completed the installation and tested your system by running the test program, you now need to arrange a test signal which can be one of the following:

* A satellite signal from your domestic satellite dish.
* A local DATV signal from Portsdown (Ugly mode is fine) or any other DATV transmitter - a short piece of wire in the tuner input socket will probably pick up enough signal but be careful - there maybe DC volts on the socket.
* An off air DATV signal from your local repeater or "buddy down the road" (did I really write that!) - make sure you have a filter and line amplifier between your pre-amp and tuner input but be careful - there maybe DC volts on the input socket and most filters are DC short circuit.

Whichever source you use, you will need to know the following:

* Signal frequency - you will need to know L band signal frequency coming out of the LNB or direct amatuer band frequency - eg 1255MHz or 1563 MHz
* DVB mode - DVB-S or DVB-S2
* The Symbol Rate or SR - this will probably be listed as MegaSymbols - eg 2Ms or 27Ms - you will need to convert this to kS - eg 2000 or 27000
* The FEC rate - this will be written in the form 1/2 or 5/6

Start the program and you should see the please wait message - Sharp tuner = 10 seconds and a Serit = 20 seconds. If you get the USB error message then you hardware is not connected.

[[File:10secs.JPG|400px]]

and then the following screen:

[[File:tt2.JPG|400px]]

If you see the more complex expert mode below - simply click the top of the "expert" switch in the bottom right hand corner of the screen.

[[File:tt3.JPG|400px]]

Navigate your mouse to the top left corner of the screen and set the following parameters to match your test signal:

* Symbol rate (SR) - type the symbol rate directly in to the top left green box. (Note this should be the SR in kilosymbols in the following form - 00250 for 250kS, 02000 for 2Ms,or 27000 for 27Ms.
* FEC - tick the box to match the FEC of the transmission you are wanting to rx.
* DVB mode - tick the correct mode box. Currently all DATV signals are currently DVB-S and most domestic satellite signals are DVB-S2. For ATV operation make sure the DVB-S box is ticked and not auto.
* Low SR - if you are trying to receive a signal greater than 1Msymbol or 1000ksymbol untick the low SR box.
* Frequency - type directly in to the top right green box. (Note this should be the L band frequency in the following form - 01255000 for 1255MHz. if it is not the correct format the box will be greyed out).
If you are using a Serit tuner, which covers 144 - 2550 MHz without any upconverters, make sure you have no offset in the white box under the frequency box. If there is a a number present simply enter "00000000" to overwrite it. If you are using a Sharp tuner with an upconverter you will need to enter the L band frequency in the green box or the receive frequency in the green box plus LO offset in the white box.

[[File:Capture.JPG|200px]]

If using a Serit tuner, select the A or B f type connector using the A or B button. (note the A socket is the one furthest away from the PCB on the tuner can).

[[File:TT f type.JPG|200px]]

The 3 "lights" at the bottom left of the screen should now turn green, the meters should indicate signal level and MER, you should see dots in the 4 quadrants of the constellation window and the Verberti error bar graph should go green.

[[File:tt6.jpg|400px]]

If this has happened but there is no video displayed in the center window, navigate to the top right of the screen and click the "Auto PID" button - the video should now appear!

[[File:tt5.JPG|400px]]

===Testing the MiniTioune using a FreeSat Satellite Signal===

If you do not have a local ATV signal to do initial tests with, you can use the signal from a Sky Satellite dish with a Universal LNB (frequencies will be different for a "Wideband" LNB) to test your MiniTioune as follows:

*Place a jumper on J3, which is near the 12v power socket. Check that there is now 12v on the upper NIM F socket.

*Connect the upper NIM socket to a Sky dish.

*Start the MiniTioune software.

*In the frequency setting area in the top left of the screen, put 09750000 into the OFFSET box.

*Click the PLUS / MINUS indicator next to it so that it shows MINUS.

*Put 10758000 into the FREQ box.

*Put 22000 into the SR box.

Further down from the FREQ box, below the frequency buttons, check that DVB-S and Fplug-A are selected and that there is a tick in the checkbox next to 5/6 FEC.

You should now see the ITV program in the video window.

There are several channels on each Sky transponder and these should appear on the buttons at the top right of the screen, below PIDs.
A 12v supply will select vertical transponders. Use 12v rather than 13.8v, to stay below the switching threshold for horizontal transponders.

Other transponder frequencies can be found at https://www.lyngsat.com/Astra-2E-2F-2G.html The symbol rate (SR) and DVB-S / DVB-S2 setting may need to be changed for other transponders.

===Other controls===

[[File:TT switches 1.JPG|200px]] Set of soft controls located at the bottom right of the screen.

The "'''Record'''" button records the received transport stream as a .ts file in to the folder where minitioune.exe was installed. .ts files can be replayed with WMP or VLC.

The "'''Bleep'''" button enables an audio tone which varies in pitch depending upon the strength of the signal being received. Useful for peaking up aerials or adjusting filters and pre-amps.

The "'''UDP'''" button enables the received transport stream to be played out in real time over UDP, enabling it to be played on a remote PC using VLC.

The "'''Expert'''" button reveals a whole host of additional controls described below.

The "'''Dsave'''" button records a number of parameters about the received signal, such as strength MER and TS Lock as a .txt file. These can replayed in the TiouneDataReader.exe program to give a graphical display of the received signal. This is useful for later analysis when receiving signals such as the ISS HAMTV transmissions.

[[File:TT data.jpg|300px]] A typical display from the Data reader

===Customising MiniTioune with common settings===

You can edit the miniTioune.ini file in the download directory to configure various options to be set when you start the program.:
* The preset buttons for Frequency (with LNB / converter offsets), symbol rates and PID (see below)
* FEC selected on startup
* DVB mode on start up
* DC volts on tuner output
* Your call sign and station details for the web monitoring facility (see below)

To edit the file, first save a copy of the file on to your desktop - this is so you can always go back when you mess up (and you almost certainly will)! Then double click the file and it should open in wordpad.

===Web monitor===

One really useful feature of MiniTioune is the ability for remote stations to monitor how well you are receiving their signal. To enable this you need an account on VivaDATV where you downloaded the software from.

Then you need to edit the miniTioune.ini file as described above.

Go to the [WebMonitoring] section and put your call sign where it says OM_ID=MY CALL, enter your vivadatv password forum and your QRA.

[[File:TTwebmon.JPG|600px]]

Save the file and restart MiniTiouner.

[[File:webmon.JPG|200px]] The web monitoring panel will now show your call sign and locator - tick the "auto" box and turn the monitor switch on.

Now go to http://www.vivadatv.org/tutioune.php?what=map and zoom in on your location - you will see that stations who have their web monitor turned on are shown in green.

[[File:ttmap.JPG|400px]]

Stations who are actively receiving a signal are shown as bouncing green pins - click on the pin and you can details of the signal being received, including MER, RF Level, FEC, bit rate and a thumbnail updated every second.

[[File:ttmon.JPG|400px]]

===Expert Mode===

To be completed.....

MiniTioune software

2017-12-28T16:21:08Z

G8PEF:

The MiniTiouner USB receiver uses free to download DVB-S receive and analysis software called "Minitioune" written by F6DZP. The Software is hosted on the [http://www.vivadatv.org/page.php?p=tutioune-en VivaDATV forum]. You need to register and be given a log-in to download the software - once registered, the files are located here: [http://http://www.vivadatv.org/viewtopic.php?f=60&t=450 Minitioune v0.7d download]

The latest (28 October 2017) version of MiniTioune is V0.7d and this (or any version v0.6 or newer) is the version you will need if you have built a [[MiniTiouner hardware Version 2|MiniTiouner Version 2 board]] with a Serit tuner (or a Serit tuner on a version 1 board with adapter card).

Download the zip file and extract to a folder under your root or c:\ directory. You should have the following files (except the G8GTZ video file!) in your directory:

[[File:TT directory2.JPG|400px]]

===Software Installation===

Once you have unzipped the main download you need to follow these easy steps to get up and running:

* Download and install the D2XX drivers 2.12.24 found at http://ftdichip.com/Drivers/D2XX.htm. There's a link in the right column for a setup executable.
* Download and install LAVfilters CODECs from here http://www.videohelp.com/software/LAV-Filters
* Look in the Minitiouner folder that you've just copied to C:\ for the small program "Install_usrc_ax_winXP" and run this to install the link with the decoder.
* Plug in your MiniTiouner hardware and let the USB drivers install.
* Run the MiniTiouner test program - "CheckMiniTiouneDriverAndFilters_V0_3a.exe" - it should pass on all sections.

[[File:tt7.JPG|400px]]

There is a readme file contained in the download which you should read.
For a very comprehensive guide on the software installation, see the paper written by W6HHC - http://www.w6ze.org/DATV/InstallingMiniTiouner_onWin10.pdf

===Connecting the hardware===

The MiniTiouner hardware is connected to the PC via USB2 mini cable.

'''It is absolutely essential you use a high quality USB cable or the program will frequently freeze and crash with no warning'''
The recommended cable is a Lindy Cromo Lindy cable USB 2.0 type A/mini-B 1m long. https://www.lindy.co.uk/cables-adapters-c1/usb-c449/1m-cromo-usb-2-0-type-a-to-mini-b-cable-p6866

===Running MiniTioune for the first time===

The Minitioune software is very comprehensive DVB-S receive and diagnostic software but can be a little overwhelming when you first run it!

If you have completed the installation and tested your system by running the test program, you now need to arrange a test signal which can be one of the following:

* A satellite signal from your domestic satellite dish.
* A local DATV signal from Portsdown (Ugly mode is fine) or any other DATV transmitter - a short piece of wire in the tuner input socket will probably pick up enough signal but be careful - there maybe DC volts on the socket.
* An off air DATV signal from your local repeater or "buddy down the road" (did I really write that!) - make sure you have a filter and line amplifier between your pre-amp and tuner input but be careful - there maybe DC volts on the input socket and most filters are DC short circuit.

Whichever source you use, you will need to know the following:

* Signal frequency - you will need to know L band signal frequency coming out of the LNB or direct amatuer band frequency - eg 1255MHz or 1563 MHz
* DVB mode - DVB-S or DVB-S2
* The Symbol Rate or SR - this will probably be listed as MegaSymbols - eg 2Ms or 27Ms - you will need to convert this to kS - eg 2000 or 27000
* The FEC rate - this will be written in the form 1/2 or 5/6

Start the program and you should see the please wait message - Sharp tuner = 10 seconds and a Serit = 20 seconds. If you get the USB error message then you hardware is not connected.

[[File:10secs.JPG|400px]]

and then the following screen:

[[File:tt2.JPG|400px]]

If you see the more complex expert mode below - simply click the top of the "expert" switch in the bottom right hand corner of the screen.

[[File:tt3.JPG|400px]]

Navigate your mouse to the top left corner of the screen and set the following parameters to match your test signal:

* Symbol rate (SR) - type the symbol rate directly in to the top left green box. (Note this should be the SR in kilosymbols in the following form - 00250 for 250kS, 02000 for 2Ms,or 27000 for 27Ms.
* FEC - tick the box to match the FEC of the transmission you are wanting to rx.
* DVB mode - tick the correct mode box. Currently all DATV signals are currently DVB-S and most domestic satellite signals are DVB-S2. For ATV operation make sure the DVB-S box is ticked and not auto.
* Low SR - if you are trying to receive a signal greater than 1Msymbol or 1000ksymbol untick the low SR box.
* Frequency - type directly in to the top right green box. (Note this should be the L band frequency in the following form - 01255000 for 1255MHz. if it is not the correct format the box will be greyed out).
If you are using a Serit tuner, which covers 144 - 2550 MHz without any upconverters, make sure you have no offset in the white box under the frequency box. If there is a a number present simply enter "00000000" to overwrite it. If you are using a Sharp tuner with an upconverter you will need to enter the L band frequency in the green box or the receive frequency in the green box plus LO offset in the white box.

[[File:Capture.JPG|200px]]

If using a Serit tuner, select the A or B f type connector using the A or B button. (note the A socket is the one furthest away from the PCB on the tuner can).

[[File:TT f type.JPG|200px]]

The 3 "lights" at the bottom left of the screen should now turn green, the meters should indicate signal level and MER, you should see dots in the 4 quadrants of the constellation window and the Verberti error bar graph should go green.

[[File:tt6.jpg|400px]]

If this has happened but there is no video displayed in the center window, navigate to the top right of the screen and click the "Auto PID" button - the video should now appear!

[[File:tt5.JPG|400px]]

===Testing the MiniTioune using a FreeSat Satellite Signal===

If you do not have a local ATV signal to do initial tests with, you can use the signal from a Sky Satellite dish with a Universal LNB (frequencies will be different for a "Wideband" LNB) to test your MiniTioune as follows:

*Place a jumper on J3, which is near the 12v power socket. Check that there is now 12v on the upper NIM F socket.

*Connect the upper NIM socket to a Sky dish.

*Start the MiniTioune software.

*In the frequency setting area in the top left of the screen, put 09750000 into the OFFSET box.

*Click the PLUS / MINUS indicator next to it so that it shows MINUS.

*Put 10758000 into the FREQ box.

*Put 22000 into the SR box.

Further down from the FREQ box, below the frequency buttons, check that DVB-S and Fplug-A are selected and that there is a tick in the checkbox next to 5/6 FEC.

You should now see the ITV program in the video window.

There are several channels on each Sky transponder and these should appear on the buttons at the top right of the screen, below PIDs.
A 12v supply will select vertical transponders. Use 12v rather than 13.8v, to stay below the switching threshold for horizontal transponders.

Other transponder frequencies can be found at https://www.lyngsat.com/Astra-2E-2F-2G.html The symbol rate (SR) and DVB-S / DVB-S2 setting may need to be changed for other transponders.

===Other controls===

[[File:TT switches 1.JPG|200px]] Set of soft controls located at the bottom right of the screen.

The "'''Record'''" button records the received transport stream as a .ts file in to the folder where minitioune.exe was installed. .ts files can be replayed with WMP or VLC.

The "'''Bleep'''" button enables an audio tone which varies in pitch depending upon the strength of the signal being received. Useful for peaking up aerials or adjusting filters and pre-amps.

The "'''UDP'''" button enables the received transport stream to be played out in real time over UDP, enabling it to be played on a remote PC using VLC.

The "'''Expert'''" button reveals a whole host of additional controls described below.

The "'''Dsave'''" button records a number of parameters about the received signal, such as strength MER and TS Lock as a .txt file. These can replayed in the TiouneDataReader.exe program to give a graphical display of the received signal. This is useful for later analysis when receiving signals such as the ISS HAMTV transmissions.

[[File:TT data.jpg|300px]] A typical display from the Data reader

===Customising MiniTioune with common settings===

You can edit the miniTioune.ini file in the download directory to configure various options to be set when you start the program.:
* The preset buttons for Frequency (with LNB / converter offsets), symbol rates and PID (see below)
* FEC selected on startup
* DVB mode on start up
* DC volts on tuner output
* Your call sign and station details for the web monitoring facility (see below)

To edit the file, first save a copy of the file on to your desktop - this is so you can always go back when you mess up (and you almost certainly will)! Then double click the file and it should open in wordpad.

===Web monitor===

One really useful feature of MiniTioune is the ability for remote stations to monitor how well you are receiving their signal. To enable this you need an account on VivaDATV where you downloaded the software from.

Then you need to edit the miniTioune.ini file as described above.

Go to the [WebMonitoring] section and put your call sign where it says OM_ID=MY CALL, enter your vivadatv password forum and your QRA.

[[File:TTwebmon.JPG|600px]]

Save the file and restart MiniTiouner.

[[File:webmon.JPG|200px]] The web monitoring panel will now show your call sign and locator - tick the "auto" box and turn the monitor switch on.

Now go to http://www.vivadatv.org/tutioune.php?what=map and zoom in on your location - you will see that stations who have their web monitor turned on are shown in green.

[[File:ttmap.JPG|400px]]

Stations who are actively receiving a signal are shown as bouncing green pins - click on the pin and you can details of the signal being received, including MER, RF Level, FEC, bit rate and a thumbnail updated every second.

[[File:ttmon.JPG|400px]]

===Expert Mode===

To be completed.....

MiniTioune software

2017-12-28T16:18:23Z

G8PEF: updated to reflect availability of v0.7 software

The MiniTiouner USB receiver uses free to download DVB-S receive and analysis software called "Minitioune" written by F6DZP. The Software is hosted on the [http://www.vivadatv.org/page.php?p=tutioune-en VivaDATV forum]. You need to register and be given a log-in to download the software - once registered, the files are located here: [http://www.vivadatv.org/viewtopic.php?f=60&t=416 Minitioune v0.6d download]

The latest (28 October 2017) version of MiniTioune is V0.7d and this (or any version v0.6 or newer) is the version you will need if you have built a [[MiniTiouner hardware Version 2|MiniTiouner Version 2 board]] with a Serit tuner (or a Serit tuner on a version 1 board with adapter card).

Download the zip file and extract to a folder under your root or c:\ directory. You should have the following files (except the G8GTZ video file!) in your directory:

[[File:TT directory2.JPG|400px]]

===Software Installation===

Once you have unzipped the main download you need to follow these easy steps to get up and running:

* Download and install the D2XX drivers 2.12.24 found at http://ftdichip.com/Drivers/D2XX.htm. There's a link in the right column for a setup executable.
* Download and install LAVfilters CODECs from here http://www.videohelp.com/software/LAV-Filters
* Look in the Minitiouner folder that you've just copied to C:\ for the small program "Install_usrc_ax_winXP" and run this to install the link with the decoder.
* Plug in your MiniTiouner hardware and let the USB drivers install.
* Run the MiniTiouner test program - "CheckMiniTiouneDriverAndFilters_V0_3a.exe" - it should pass on all sections.

[[File:tt7.JPG|400px]]

There is a readme file contained in the download which you should read.
For a very comprehensive guide on the software installation, see the paper written by W6HHC - http://www.w6ze.org/DATV/InstallingMiniTiouner_onWin10.pdf

===Connecting the hardware===

The MiniTiouner hardware is connected to the PC via USB2 mini cable.

'''It is absolutely essential you use a high quality USB cable or the program will frequently freeze and crash with no warning'''
The recommended cable is a Lindy Cromo Lindy cable USB 2.0 type A/mini-B 1m long. https://www.lindy.co.uk/cables-adapters-c1/usb-c449/1m-cromo-usb-2-0-type-a-to-mini-b-cable-p6866

===Running MiniTioune for the first time===

The Minitioune software is very comprehensive DVB-S receive and diagnostic software but can be a little overwhelming when you first run it!

If you have completed the installation and tested your system by running the test program, you now need to arrange a test signal which can be one of the following:

* A satellite signal from your domestic satellite dish.
* A local DATV signal from Portsdown (Ugly mode is fine) or any other DATV transmitter - a short piece of wire in the tuner input socket will probably pick up enough signal but be careful - there maybe DC volts on the socket.
* An off air DATV signal from your local repeater or "buddy down the road" (did I really write that!) - make sure you have a filter and line amplifier between your pre-amp and tuner input but be careful - there maybe DC volts on the input socket and most filters are DC short circuit.

Whichever source you use, you will need to know the following:

* Signal frequency - you will need to know L band signal frequency coming out of the LNB or direct amatuer band frequency - eg 1255MHz or 1563 MHz
* DVB mode - DVB-S or DVB-S2
* The Symbol Rate or SR - this will probably be listed as MegaSymbols - eg 2Ms or 27Ms - you will need to convert this to kS - eg 2000 or 27000
* The FEC rate - this will be written in the form 1/2 or 5/6

Start the program and you should see the please wait message - Sharp tuner = 10 seconds and a Serit = 20 seconds. If you get the USB error message then you hardware is not connected.

[[File:10secs.JPG|400px]]

and then the following screen:

[[File:tt2.JPG|400px]]

If you see the more complex expert mode below - simply click the top of the "expert" switch in the bottom right hand corner of the screen.

[[File:tt3.JPG|400px]]

Navigate your mouse to the top left corner of the screen and set the following parameters to match your test signal:

* Symbol rate (SR) - type the symbol rate directly in to the top left green box. (Note this should be the SR in kilosymbols in the following form - 00250 for 250kS, 02000 for 2Ms,or 27000 for 27Ms.
* FEC - tick the box to match the FEC of the transmission you are wanting to rx.
* DVB mode - tick the correct mode box. Currently all DATV signals are currently DVB-S and most domestic satellite signals are DVB-S2. For ATV operation make sure the DVB-S box is ticked and not auto.
* Low SR - if you are trying to receive a signal greater than 1Msymbol or 1000ksymbol untick the low SR box.
* Frequency - type directly in to the top right green box. (Note this should be the L band frequency in the following form - 01255000 for 1255MHz. if it is not the correct format the box will be greyed out).
If you are using a Serit tuner, which covers 144 - 2550 MHz without any upconverters, make sure you have no offset in the white box under the frequency box. If there is a a number present simply enter "00000000" to overwrite it. If you are using a Sharp tuner with an upconverter you will need to enter the L band frequency in the green box or the receive frequency in the green box plus LO offset in the white box.

[[File:Capture.JPG|200px]]

If using a Serit tuner, select the A or B f type connector using the A or B button. (note the A socket is the one furthest away from the PCB on the tuner can).

[[File:TT f type.JPG|200px]]

The 3 "lights" at the bottom left of the screen should now turn green, the meters should indicate signal level and MER, you should see dots in the 4 quadrants of the constellation window and the Verberti error bar graph should go green.

[[File:tt6.jpg|400px]]

If this has happened but there is no video displayed in the center window, navigate to the top right of the screen and click the "Auto PID" button - the video should now appear!

[[File:tt5.JPG|400px]]

===Testing the MiniTioune using a FreeSat Satellite Signal===

If you do not have a local ATV signal to do initial tests with, you can use the signal from a Sky Satellite dish with a Universal LNB (frequencies will be different for a "Wideband" LNB) to test your MiniTioune as follows:

*Place a jumper on J3, which is near the 12v power socket. Check that there is now 12v on the upper NIM F socket.

*Connect the upper NIM socket to a Sky dish.

*Start the MiniTioune software.

*In the frequency setting area in the top left of the screen, put 09750000 into the OFFSET box.

*Click the PLUS / MINUS indicator next to it so that it shows MINUS.

*Put 10758000 into the FREQ box.

*Put 22000 into the SR box.

Further down from the FREQ box, below the frequency buttons, check that DVB-S and Fplug-A are selected and that there is a tick in the checkbox next to 5/6 FEC.

You should now see the ITV program in the video window.

There are several channels on each Sky transponder and these should appear on the buttons at the top right of the screen, below PIDs.
A 12v supply will select vertical transponders. Use 12v rather than 13.8v, to stay below the switching threshold for horizontal transponders.

Other transponder frequencies can be found at https://www.lyngsat.com/Astra-2E-2F-2G.html The symbol rate (SR) and DVB-S / DVB-S2 setting may need to be changed for other transponders.

===Other controls===

[[File:TT switches 1.JPG|200px]] Set of soft controls located at the bottom right of the screen.

The "'''Record'''" button records the received transport stream as a .ts file in to the folder where minitioune.exe was installed. .ts files can be replayed with WMP or VLC.

The "'''Bleep'''" button enables an audio tone which varies in pitch depending upon the strength of the signal being received. Useful for peaking up aerials or adjusting filters and pre-amps.

The "'''UDP'''" button enables the received transport stream to be played out in real time over UDP, enabling it to be played on a remote PC using VLC.

The "'''Expert'''" button reveals a whole host of additional controls described below.

The "'''Dsave'''" button records a number of parameters about the received signal, such as strength MER and TS Lock as a .txt file. These can replayed in the TiouneDataReader.exe program to give a graphical display of the received signal. This is useful for later analysis when receiving signals such as the ISS HAMTV transmissions.

[[File:TT data.jpg|300px]] A typical display from the Data reader

===Customising MiniTioune with common settings===

You can edit the miniTioune.ini file in the download directory to configure various options to be set when you start the program.:
* The preset buttons for Frequency (with LNB / converter offsets), symbol rates and PID (see below)
* FEC selected on startup
* DVB mode on start up
* DC volts on tuner output
* Your call sign and station details for the web monitoring facility (see below)

To edit the file, first save a copy of the file on to your desktop - this is so you can always go back when you mess up (and you almost certainly will)! Then double click the file and it should open in wordpad.

===Web monitor===

One really useful feature of MiniTioune is the ability for remote stations to monitor how well you are receiving their signal. To enable this you need an account on VivaDATV where you downloaded the software from.

Then you need to edit the miniTioune.ini file as described above.

Go to the [WebMonitoring] section and put your call sign where it says OM_ID=MY CALL, enter your vivadatv password forum and your QRA.

[[File:TTwebmon.JPG|600px]]

Save the file and restart MiniTiouner.

[[File:webmon.JPG|200px]] The web monitoring panel will now show your call sign and locator - tick the "auto" box and turn the monitor switch on.

Now go to http://www.vivadatv.org/tutioune.php?what=map and zoom in on your location - you will see that stations who have their web monitor turned on are shown in green.

[[File:ttmap.JPG|400px]]

Stations who are actively receiving a signal are shown as bouncing green pins - click on the pin and you can details of the signal being received, including MER, RF Level, FEC, bit rate and a thumbnail updated every second.

[[File:ttmon.JPG|400px]]

===Expert Mode===

To be completed.....

5.6 GHz

2017-12-11T13:00:41Z

G8PEF: Typo correction

[[File:5.6 GHz Orientation Small.jpg|300px|center]]
It is very easy (and low cost) to get on the air on 5.6GHz (the 6 cm amateur band), using the cheap modules intended to transmit “First Person Video” (FPV) back from drones to their operators. These units can be used without any modifications to get on air, and with simple WiFi plate or dish antennas (and a clear line of sight path) can be used to send pictures to stations using the same equipment over paths in excess of 50km.

==Frequency choice==

The UK amateur band plan is shown on the RSGB website here: https://thersgb.org/services/bandplans/html/rsgb_band_plan_2017.htm

[[File:bandplan.JPG|800px]]

GB3KM has a licenced input on 5665 MHz and this has been chosen as the primary ATV operating frequency. Audio WB-FM operators have been using 5825 and 5840 MHz. 5825 MHz is too close to the band edge for ATV, and 5840 MHz is marginal.

The FPV equipment receive and transmit frequencies are set using DIP switches, and most tune to 5665 MHz – but care needs to be taken when selecting equipment to make sure it does cover this frequency. Example channel tables are shown at the bottom of this page.

==Equipment==

The FPV units are widely advertised on eBay and other sites with titles similar to “Tarot 5.8G 600MW Telemetry TX/RX Combo for FPV Image Transmission TL300N” and are available at reasonable prices. The typical units are very small but have reasonable FM-TV performance with a quoted transmitter spec of 600mW output and receiver sensitivity of -80dBm. Amplifiers are available to raise the output power to 2 watts or more.

[[File:Tairot 1.jpg|400px]]

Be aware – we have found that on some receiver units, the video output is on the Red phono lead and not the expected Yellow lead!

===Mounting the equipment===
Due to the very high losses in co-ax cable at 5.6GHz it is recommended that you mount the units very close to the antennas and run long 12V dc, audio and video cables back down to the shack or operating position.

Be aware also, that whilst these units are very small they do run very hot in operation, and it is suggested that you provide a good heatsink for both Tx and Rx – mounting them in a diecast box on the back of their respective antennas is ideal.

[[File:GKQ 5.6v2.JPG|600px]]

Details of G8GKQ's transceiver setup is shown here (receiver unit on left & transmitter with fan on the right)

===Transmit amplifiers===

Whilst the basic units work very well and have been used to transmit over paths of 60km, power amplifiers to boost the 600mW transmitter signal to 2—4 Watts are available from several suppliers on eBay and other sites, and will significantly increase the path length that the units will work over. These amplifiers should be connected after the transmit unit, but before any antenna change over relay(s) – and remember that his will increase the volt drop on any long 12V cable feeding the transmitter at the masthead.

Be warned!! Several users have found these PAs to be "fragile", so you should always make sure that the antenna is connected – and all connectors done up tight – before applying dc or RF power. We are investigating whether they can be made more reliable by reducing the volts / input drive.

[[File:56PA.jpg|200px]]

==Antenna changeover relays==

The FPV equipment comes as separate Tx and Rx units. In order to operate on a single antenna, you will need an antenna changeover relay. Note, however, that the losses at 5.6GHz can be significant and care must be taken when wiring up the units to ensure RF cables are of good quality, and kept to a minimum length – semi-rigid cables fitted with SMA connectors are ideal.

PL259 and even BNC connectors are very lossy at 5.6GHz and should not be used, but the surplus SMA relays often available at rallys are ideal for 5.6 GHz.

See [[Antennae changeover relays|this wiki page]] for more details on suitable relays, 24 volt operation, and 4 port (or transfer) relays.

If no suitable relay is available, it may be cheaper to use separate antennas for receive and transmit as shown in the picture below – note the Tx and Rx units are mounted directly on the back of the flat panel antennas.

[[File:562.jpg|200px]]

===Reverse SMA===

Be aware that all the 5.6GHz FPV units use "reverse SMA" connectors (as used on WiFi equipment) and that all low-loss cables (unless bought specifically for the purpose) and surplus SMA relays will almost certainly have standard SMA connectors – which will not fit. Adapters from reverse to standard SMA are available on eBay or other suppliers – search for "RP-SMA to SMA adaptor" or similar wording.

==Antennas==

As 5.8GHz is used by broadband wireless networks, there is a wide choice of antennas available for use on 5.6GHz ATV. These can range from flat plates/panels to wire mesh (grid) dishes, as seen in the above pictures.

Horizontal polarisation has been chosen as the standard (waveguide feeds needs to have the long dimension of the aperture – and/or horn – vertically oriented when feeding dishes)

=== Satellite dishes ===

It is also possible to use a satellite mini dish with a suitable feed, such as a waveguide/horn to the design by G4NNS – see here for construction details: http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/g4nns/FeedHorn.html

The picture shows a Sky mini dish fed with a WA5VJB log-periodic PCB feed http://www.wa5vjb.com/products1.html – these are available in the UK from G4DDK. http://www.g4ddk.com/Prices.html

Dishes of this size typically have a beam width of 4—8 degrees.

[[File:56 dish feed.JPG|400px]]

M1BKF found a very interesting 5.6GHz feed for standard f/d ratio satellite dishes; it contains what looks like a PCB yagi, and is available from http://www.antennas-amplifiers.com/5.1-5.5-5.8GHz-WLAN-WiFi-Antenna/Feed-Illuminator-satellite-offset-dish-fd-0.5-0.8

[[File:PCB dish feed.JPG|200px]] [[File:PCB dish feed2.JPG|300px]]

=== DIY BiQuad antennae ===

This web page http://buildyourownantenna.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/double-biquad-sector-antenna-for-5-ghz-wifi.html has a well engineered double BiQuad antenna with a quoted 13dBi gain.

Note in the picture G8JAN has directly connected the Tx module to the antenna to avoid co-ax losses.

[[File:feed.jpg|400px]]

==Video equipment - Rx==
The receiver output will need to be directly connected to a monitor with a composite video input to view the received the signal – normally on a yellow phono or RCA connector.

===Video squelch defeat===

Beware of using modern flat-screen monitors which have a video squelch – these will not display noisy signals, and just give a blue screen until they get a strong video signal.

There are a number of circuits around to defeat the squelch and also improve the readability of the signal.

===Syncsmurf by PE1RQM=== – kits are available; details on the [https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=auto&sl=auto&tl=en-US&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pe1rqm.nl%2Fsyncsmurf2%2F webpage here].

[[File:syncsmurf1.jpg|200px]]

Results are very impressive:

[[File:syncsmurf2.jpg|400px]]

===eachines FPV recorder===

Several people have reported that they are using these devices, available from various sites, and as well as defeating the monitor blue screen by inserting syncs on noise they have a single push button record facility. They record to an SD card which can be removed and the files viewed on a PC; users report that you need to use a good quality SD card, and that they have had problems with Kingston branded cards – Sandisk are preferred.

[[File:emachine dvr.JPG|300px]]

===Video sync processor===

[[File:cqtv 129.jpg|300px]]

Or any video sync processor may be usable such as the Advanced Converter Enhancer used by many stations on 23cms FM TV transmissions.

[[File:ACE.jpg|300px]]

==Video equipment - Tx==
An old camcorder with a yellow phono "video out" socket is an ideal video and audio source for the transmitter.

Don't forget that you will need to display your call sign to remain legal. This can be a video generator, a .jpg card reader with video out, or a piece of card with your call sign scribbled on it!

===Media card reader===

A simple way to generate test patterns is to use a media card reader loaded with .jpg files – these are available on several sites, just search for "SD card media AV player" – but make sure you get one which outputs PAL video.

[[File:av player.JPG|200px]]

===PicDream===
The PicDream project uses a single PIC chip and a 4MHz crystal to generate a black and white test pattern – simple but effective – the original project was described in CQ-TV 180 and re-printed in CQ-TV 247.

[[File:Picdream 247.JPG|400px]]

The PIC code is available for download here: batc.org.uk/cq-tv/software/picdream.zip

===Raspberry Pi - PA3CHM image generator===

CQ-TV 247 published details of a simple RPi-based test card generator by Ernest PA3CHM.

[[File:PA3chm.JPG|400px]]

Full details are on his website: http://www.pa3hcm.nl/?p=248

===Raspberry Pi - Portsdown patterns===
The BATC Portsdown project can be configured to deliver composite video and audio out from the RPi multi-jack plug.

[[File:GKQ July 2017 (Small).JPG|400px]]

This can be test patterns, RPi desktop, or the Portsdown camera and microphone – [[Analog Video Output|see this wiki page for more details]] making the RPi the only piece of video/audio equipment you need to drive the 5.6GHz transmitter.

==On the air==

Using dish aerials of 30—60cm, line of sight ranges of 80km can easily be achieved.

P5 (noise free) FM ATV pictures have been exchanged over a 138km path using the equipment described on this page – the picture below shows G4CPE/P on Dunstable Downs being received at the Ridgeway, near Didcot, over a slightly obstructed 66km path.

[[File:CPE 5.6GHz.JPG|400px]]

The current UK "record" for a contact using standard FPV units stands at 138km from Dunkery Beacon near Minehead, to Cleeve Common near Cheltenham.

[[File:snap5 small.jpg|400px]]

The picture shows G8GTZ/P received by G8GKQ/P over the 138km path.

==FM voice only==

Several stations in the Gloucester and Bolton area are using these units for wideband FM voice only. This is achieved by simply putting high level (1V peak-peak) audio on the yellow video TX phono input – this modulates the main high level carrier with audio rather than video (the two audio phono connectors – red and white – can be ignored). On RX, the yellow phono connector of the receiver is simply connected to a line level input of an audio amplifier.

It is done this way because the two audio subcarriers transmitted by the unit are at a level 20dB lower than that of the main (video)carrier. However, as it is using the same bandwidth Rx and Tx system, performance will be no better than FM video – ideally the 480MHz RX IF would be tapped off in to an SDR or narrow band receiver to give significantly enhanced (+20db?) narrow band performance.

==Activity hot spots==

There is a Google map showing approximate locations of stations thought to be active on 5.6GHz FM – if you are on 5.6GHz, you can add or edit your station: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1e4keFSFWy6wLUQNF3IT3n6h90eU&ll=52.39133141509076%2C-1.8917942000000494&z=7

Known users include:

*Southern England = G8GKQ, G8GTZ, G0UHY, G8XZD, G4UVZ, G3VPF
*Dunstable area = M0SKM, G4CPE, G0WFT
*North-East = GB3KM, G1LPS, M0DTS
*Cheltenham = G0LGS, M0RKX and G4NZV (using WB audio only)
*Bolton Wireless Club = G4JLG, G6GVI, G8PEF, M0UFC, MW1FGQ (PW “Siren” Article)
*Ludlow, Shropshire = G8XYJ
*Yorkshire = G8BYN
*Norfolk = G4NJJ, G8JAN, G4WVU and M1BKF
*Cumbria - Barrow-in-Furness Radio Club project

[[File:cpe2.jpg|400px]]

==More information==

Dave G8GKQ did a presentation at the BATC annual convention CAT17 in September 2017 on getting started on 5.6GHz ATV.
*The presentation is available here https://wiki.batc.tv/images/9/94/CAT17_Portsdown_Update.pdf
*The video of the session is available on the BATC YouTube channel here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJzGNsGmE9Y

==On line support / social media==

There is a thread running on the BATC forum where the ATV community are exchanging ideas and also posting results of the latest on air tests. http://www.batc.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=5026

Note that the BATC core team do not regularly visit Facebook pages - time is just too short to monitor everything and it's not easy to follow threads on Facebook.

==Technical information==

===SM201R===
The large RX chip in most units has had the part number removed, however it appears that a lot of receivers use the SM201R module. The spec and pinout are shown below but notice the frequency range of this particular unit does not seem to cover 5665MHz, so make sure the one you buy does!

[[File:sm201r 2.jpg|500px]] [[File:sm201r 3.JPG|200px]]

[[File:sm201r 1.JPG|500px]]

===S meter output===

Looking at the above table, it appears that the RSSI is available on pin 17 of the SM201R and could potentially be used for a signal strength meter to help align the antennas when setting up a QSO.

It also appears that the SM201R uses a 480MHz IF (same as the Comtech) and potentially could be modified with narrower filters to improve RF performance.

====Tx and Rx perfomance====

Initial measurements suggest the TX bandwidth is 25—30MHz.

[[File:5.6GHz spectrum.jpg|500px]]

This accounts for the quoted RX sensitivity at -80dBm which may be improved by an LNA but will ultimately be limited by the RX IF bandwidth.

===Channel Listings===

As mentioned above, the channel settings vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. This table is taken from the Tarot data sheet which uses the SM201R module but does include 5665MHz:

[[File:Tarot_Channels.jpg|603px]]

And this is the table for the Eachine TS835 transmitter:

[[File:Channels_2.jpg|619px]]

This table is from a "Fat Shark" transmitter that does not cover 5665 MHz:

[[File:Fat_Shark.PNG|300px]]

5.6 GHz

2017-11-28T09:35:20Z

G8PEF:

[[File:5.6 GHz Orientation Small.jpg|300px|center]]
It is very easy (and low cost) to get on the air on 5.6GHz (the 6 cm amateur band), using the cheap modules intended to transmit “First Person Video” (FPV) back from drones to their operators. These units can be used without any modifications to get on air, and with simple WiFi plate or dish antennas (and a clear line of sight path) can be used to send pictures to stations using the same equipment over paths in excess of 50km.

==Frequency choice==

The UK amateur band plan is shown on the RSGB website here: https://thersgb.org/services/bandplans/html/rsgb_band_plan_2017.htm

[[File:bandplan.JPG|800px]]

GB3KM has a licenced input on 5665 MHz and this has been chosen as the primary ATV operating frequency. Audio WB-FM operators have been using 5825 and 5840 MHz. 5825 MHz is too close to the band edge for ATV, and 5840 MHz is marginal.

The FPV equipment receive and transmit frequencies are set using DIP switches, and most tune to 5665 MHz – but care needs to be taken when selecting equipment to make sure it does cover this frequency. Example channel tables are shown at the bottom of this page.

==Equipment==

The FPV units are widely advertised on eBay and other sites with titles similar to “Tarot 5.8G 600MW Telemetry TX/RX Combo for FPV Image Transmission TL300N” and are available at reasonable prices. The typical units are very small but have reasonable FM-TV performance with a quoted transmitter spec of 600mW output and receiver sensitivity of -80dBm. Amplifiers are available to raise the output power to 2 watts or more.

[[File:Tairot 1.jpg|400px]]

Be aware – we have found that on some receiver units, the video output is on the Red phono lead and not the expected Yellow lead!

===Mounting the equipment===
Due to the very high losses in co-ax cable at 5.6GHz it is recommended that you mount the units very close to the antennas and run long 12V dc, audio and video cables back down to the shack or operating position.

Be aware also, that whilst these units are very small they do run very hot in operation, and it is suggested that you provide a good heatsink for both Tx and Rx – mounting them in a diecast box on the back of their respective antennas is ideal.

[[File:GKQ 5.6v2.JPG|600px]]

Details of G8GKQ's transceiver setup is shown here (receiver unit on left & transmitter with fan on the right)

===Transmit amplifiers===

Whilst the basic units work very well and have been used to transmit over paths of 60km, power amplifiers to boost the 600mW transmitter signal to 2—4 Watts are available from several suppliers on eBay and other sites, and will significantly increase the path length that the units will work over. These amplifiers should be connected after the transmit unit, but before any antenna change over relay(s) _ndash; and remember that his will increase the volt drop on any long 12V cable feeding the transmitter at the masthead.

Several users have found these PAs to be "fragile", so you should always make sure that the antenna is connected – and all connectors done up tight – before applying dc or RF power.

[[File:56PA.jpg|200px]]

==Antenna changeover relays==

The FPV equipment comes as separate Tx and Rx units. In order to operate on a single antenna, you will need an antenna changeover relay. Note, however, that the losses at 5.6GHz can be significant and care must be taken when wiring up the units to ensure RF cables are of good quality, and kept to a minimum length – semi-rigid cables fitted with SMA connectors are ideal.

PL259 and even BNC connectors are very lossy at 5.6GHz and should not be used, but the surplus SMA relays often available at rallys are ideal for 5.6 GHz.

See [[Antennae changeover relays|this wiki page]] for more details on suitable relays, 24 volt operation, and 4 port (or transfer) relays.

If no suitable relay is available, it may be cheaper to use separate antennas for receive and transmit as shown in the picture below – note the Tx and Rx units are mounted directly on the back of the flat panel antennas.

[[File:562.jpg|200px]]

===Reverse SMA===

Be aware that all the 5.6GHz FPV units use "reverse SMA" connectors (as used on WiFi equipment) and that all low-loss cables (unless bought specifically for the purpose) and surplus SMA relays will almost certainly have standard SMA connectors – which will not fit. Adapters from reverse to standard SMA are available on eBay or other suppliers – search for "RP-SMA to SMA adaptor" or similar wording.

==Antennas==

As 5.8GHz is used by broadband wireless networks, there is a wide choice of antennas available for use on 5.6GHz ATV. These can range from flat plates/panels to wire mesh (grid) dishes, as seen in the above pictures.

Horizontal polarisation has been chosen as the standard (waveguide feeds needs to have the long dimension of the aperture – and/or horn – vertically oriented when feeding dishes)

=== Satellite dishes ===

It is also possible to use a satellite mini dish with a suitable feed, such as a waveguide/horn to the design by G4NNS – see here for construction details: http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/g4nns/FeedHorn.html

The picture shows a Sky mini dish fed with a WA5VJB log-periodic PCB feed http://www.wa5vjb.com/products1.html – these are available in the UK from G4DDK. http://www.g4ddk.com/Prices.html

Dishes of this size typically have a beam width of 4—8 degrees.

[[File:56 dish feed.JPG|400px]]

M1BKF found a very interesting 5.6GHz feed for standard f/d ratio satellite dishes; it contains what looks like a PCB yagi, and is available from http://www.antennas-amplifiers.com/5.1-5.5-5.8GHz-WLAN-WiFi-Antenna/Feed-Illuminator-satellite-offset-dish-fd-0.5-0.8

[[File:PCB dish feed.JPG|200px]] [[File:PCB dish feed2.JPG|300px]]

=== DIY BiQuad antennae ===

This web page http://buildyourownantenna.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/double-biquad-sector-antenna-for-5-ghz-wifi.html has a well engineered double BiQuad antenna with a quoted 13dBi gain.

Note in the picture G8JAN has directly connected the Tx module to the antenna to avoid co-ax losses.

[[File:feed.jpg|400px]]

==Video equipment - Rx==
The receiver output will need to be directly connected to a monitor with a composite video input to view the received the signal – normally on a yellow phono or RCA connector.

===Video squelch defeat===

Beware of using modern flat-screen monitors which have a video squelch – these will not display noisy signals, and just give a blue screen until they get a strong video signal.

There are a number of circuits around to defeat the squelch and also improve the readability of the signal.

===Syncsmurf by PE1RQM=== – kits are available; details on the [https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=auto&sl=auto&tl=en-US&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pe1rqm.nl%2Fsyncsmurf2%2F webpage here].

[[File:syncsmurf1.jpg|200px]]

Results are very impressive:

[[File:syncsmurf2.jpg|400px]]

===eachines FPV recorder===

Several people have reported that they are using these devices, available from various sites, and as well as defeating the monitor blue screen by inserting syncs on noise they have a single push button record facility. They record to an SD card which can be removed and the files viewed on a PC; users report that you need to use a good quality SD card, and that they have had problems with Kingston branded cards – Sandisk are preferred.

[[File:emachine dvr.JPG|300px]]

===Video sync processor===

[[File:cqtv 129.jpg|300px]]

Or any video sync processor may be usable such as the Advanced Converter Enhancer used by many stations on 23cms FM TV transmissions.

[[File:ACE.jpg|300px]]

==Video equipment - Tx==
An old camcorder with a yellow phono "video out" socket is an ideal video and audio source for the transmitter.

Don't forget that you will need to display your call sign to remain legal. This can be a video generator, a .jpg card reader with video out, or a piece of card with your call sign scribbled on it!

===Media card reader===

A simple way to generate test patterns is to use a media card reader loaded with .jpg files – these are available on several sites, just search for "SD card media AV player" – but make sure you get one which outputs PAL video.

[[File:av player.JPG|200px]]

===PicDream===
The PicDream project uses a single PIC chip and a 4MHz crystal to generate a black and white test pattern – simple but effective – the original project was described in CQ-TV 180 and re-printed in CQ-TV 247.

[[File:Picdream 247.JPG|400px]]

The PIC code is available for download here: batc.org.uk/cq-tv/software/picdream.zip

===Raspberry Pi - PA3CHM image generator===

CQ-TV 247 published details of a simple RPi-based test card generator by Ernest PA3CHM.

[[File:PA3chm.JPG|400px]]

Full details are on his website: http://www.pa3hcm.nl/?p=248

===Raspberry Pi - Portsdown patterns===
The BATC Portsdown project can be configured to deliver composite video and audio out from the RPi multi-jack plug.

[[File:GKQ July 2017 (Small).JPG|400px]]

This can be test patterns, RPi desktop, or the Portsdown camera and microphone – [[Analog Video Output|see this wiki page for more details]] making the RPi the only piece of video/audio equipment you need to drive the 5.6GHz transmitter.

==On the air==

Using dish aerials of 30—60cm, line of sight ranges of 80km can easily be achieved.

P5 (noise free) FM ATV pictures have been exchanged over a 138km path using the equipment described on this page – the picture below shows G4CPE/P on Dunstable Downs being received at the Ridgeway, near Didcot, over a slightly obstructed 66km path.

[[File:CPE 5.6GHz.JPG|400px]]

The current UK "record" for a contact using standard FPV units stands at 138km from Dunkery Beacon near Minehead, to Cleeve Common near Cheltenham.

[[File:snap5 small.jpg|400px]]

The picture shows G8GTZ/P received by G8GKQ/P over the 138km path.

==FM voice only==

Several stations in the Gloucester and Bolton area are using these units for wideband FM voice only. This is achieved by simply putting high level (1V peak-peak) audio on the yellow video TX phono input – this modulates the main high level carrier with audio rather than video (the two audio phono connectors – red and white – can be ignored). On RX, the yellow phono connector of the receiver is simply connected to a line level input of an audio amplifier.

It is done this way because the two audio subcarriers transmitted by the unit are at a level 20dB lower than that of the main (video)carrier. However, as it is using the same bandwidth Rx and Tx system, performance will be no better than FM video – ideally the 480MHz RX IF would be tapped off in to an SDR or narrow band receiver to give significantly enhanced (+20db?) narrow band performance.

==Activity hot spots==

There is a Google map showing approximate locations of stations thought to be active on 5.6GHz FM – if you are on 5.6GHz, you can add or edit your station: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1e4keFSFWy6wLUQNF3IT3n6h90eU&ll=52.39133141509076%2C-1.8917942000000494&z=7

Known users include:

*Southern England = G8GKQ, G8GTZ, G0UHY, G8XZD, G4UVZ, G3VPF
*Dunstable area = M0SKM, G4CPE, G0WFT
*North-East = GB3KM, G1LPS, M0DTS
*Cheltenham = G0LGS, M0RKX and G4NZV (using WB audio only)
*Bolton Wireless Club = G4JLG, G6GVI, G8PEF, M0UFC, MW1FGQ (PW “Siren” Article)
*Ludlow, Shropshire = G8XYJ
*Yorkshire = G8BYN
*Norfolk = G4NJJ, G8JAN, G4WVU and M1BKF
*Cumbria - Barrow-in-Furness Radio Club project

[[File:cpe2.jpg|400px]]

==More information==

Dave G8GKQ did a presentation at the BATC annual convention CAT17 in September 2017 on getting started on 5.6GHz ATV.
*The presentation is available here https://wiki.batc.tv/images/9/94/CAT17_Portsdown_Update.pdf
*The video of the session is available on the BATC YouTube channel here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJzGNsGmE9Y

There is a thread running on the BATC forum where the ATV community are exchanging ideas and also posting results of the latest on air tests. http://www.batc.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=5026

==Technical information==

===SM201R===
The large RX chip in most units has had the part number removed, however it appears that a lot of receivers use the SM201R module. The spec and pinout are shown below but notice the frequency range of this particular unit does not seem to cover 5665MHz, so make sure the one you buy does!

[[File:sm201r 2.jpg|500px]] [[File:sm201r 3.JPG|200px]]

[[File:sm201r 1.JPG|500px]]

===S meter output===

Looking at the above table, it appears that the RSSI is available on pin 17 of the SM201R and could potentially be used for a signal strength meter to help align the antennas when setting up a QSO.

It also appears that the SM201R uses a 480MHz IF (same as the Comtech) and potentially could be modified with narrower filters to improve RF performance.

====Tx and Rx perfomance====

Initial measurements suggest the TX bandwidth is 25—30MHz.

[[File:5.6GHz spectrum.jpg|500px]]

This accounts for the quoted RX sensitivity at -80dBm which may be improved by an LNA but will ultimately be limited by the RX IF bandwidth.

===Channel Listings===

As mentioned above, the channel settings vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. This table is taken from the Tarot data sheet which uses the SM201R module but does include 5665MHz:

[[File:Tarot_Channels.jpg|603px]]

And this is the table for the Eachine TS835 transmitter:

[[File:Channels_2.jpg|619px]]

This table is from a "Fat Shark" transmitter that does not cover 5665 MHz:

[[File:Fat_Shark.PNG|300px]]

5.6 GHz

2017-11-23T14:29:41Z

G8PEF: Minor typo corrections and additional users added to list

[[File:5.6 GHz Orientation Small.jpg|300px|center]]
It is very easy (and low cost) to get on the air on 5.6GHz (the 6 cm amateur band) using the cheap modules intended to transmit “First Person Video” (FPV) back from drones to their operators. These units can be used without any modifications to get on air, and with a simple wifi plate or dish antennae and a clear line of sight path, can be used to can send pictures to stations using the same equipment over 50 Kms away.

==Frequency choice==

The UK amateur band plan is shown on the RSGB website here: https://thersgb.org/services/bandplans/html/rsgb_band_plan_2017.htm

[[File:bandplan.JPG|800px]]

GB3KM has a licenced input on 5665 MHz and this has been chosen as the primary ATV operating frequency. Audio WB-FM operators have been using 5825 and 5840 MHz. 5825 MHz is too close to the band edge for ATV, and 5840 MHz is marginal.

The FPV equipment receive and transmit frequencies are set using DIP switches, and most tune to 5665 MHz but care needs to be taken when selecting equipment to make sure it does cover this frequency. Example channel tables are shown at the bottom of this page.

==Equipment==

The FPV units are widely advertised on eBay and other sites with titles similar to “Tarot 5.8G 600MW Telemetry TX/RX Combo for FPV Image Transmission TL300N” and are available at reasonable prices. The typical units are very small but have reasonable FM-TV performance with a quoted spec of 600 milliwatts out and receiver sensitivity of -80 dBm. Amplifiers are available to raise the output power to 2 watts or more.

[[File:Tairot 1.jpg|400px]]

Be aware - we have found that on some rx units, the video out is on the Red phono lead and not the expected Yellow lead!

===Mounting the equipment===
Due to the very high losses in co-ax cable at 5.6GHz it is recommended that you mount the units very close to the antennae and run long 12v DC and Audio and video cables back down the cable to the shack or operating position.

Also whilst these units are very small they do run very hot in operation and it is suggested you provide a good heatsink for both Tx and Rx - mounting them in a diecast box on the back of the antennae is ideal.

[[File:GKQ 5.6v2.JPG|600px]]

Detail of G8GKQ transceiver setup is shown here (receiver unit on left & transmitter with fan on the right)

===Transmit amplifiers===

Whilst the basic units work very well and have been used to transmit over 60 Kms, power amplifiers to boost the 600mw transmitter signal to 2 - 4 watts are available from several suppliers on ebay and other sites and will significantly increase the distance the units will work over. These should be connected after the transmit unit but before any antennae change over relay and remember that his will increase the volt drop on any long 12v cable feeding the transmitter at masthead.

Several users have found these PAs to be "fragile" and you should always make sure the antennae is connected and all connectors done up tight before applying power.

[[File:56PA.jpg|200px]]

==Antenna change over relays==

The FPV equipment comes as separate Tx and Rx units. In order to operate on a single aerial, you will need an antennae changeover relay, however the losses at 5.6GHz can be significant and care must be taken when wiring up the units to ensure RF cables are of good quality and kept to a minimum length - semi rigid cable with SMA connectors are ideal.

PL259 and even BNC connectors are very lossy at 5.6GHz and should not be used but the surplus SMA relays often available at rallys are ideal for 5.6 GHz.

See [[Antennae changeover relays|this wiki page]] for more details on suitable relays, 24 volt operation and 4 port or transfer relays.

If no suitable relay is available It may be cheaper to use a separate antenna for receive and transmit as shown in the picture below - note the Tx and Rx units are mounted directly on the back of the flat panel antennaes.

[[File:562.jpg|200px]]

===Reverse SMA===

Be aware that all the 5.6GHz FPV units use reverse SMA connectors (like wifi equipment) and all low loss cables, unless bought specifically for the purpose, and surplus SMA relays are almost certain to use standard SMA connectors which will not fit. Adapters from reverse to standard SMA are available on ebay or other suppliers.

==Antennas==

As 5.8GHz is also used by broadband wireless networks, there is a wide choice of antennae available for use on 5.6GHz ATV. This can range from flat plates to wire mesh dishes as seen in the above pictures.

Horizontal polarity has been chosen as the standard (wave guide needs to be vertical when feeding dishes)

=== Satellite dishes ===

It is also possible to use a satellite mini dish with a suitable feed such as a wave guide horn to the design by G4NNS - see here for construction details: http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/g4nns/FeedHorn.html

The picture shows a Sky mini dish fed with a WA5VJB log period PCB feed http://www.wa5vjb.com/products1.html - these are available in the UK from G4DDK. http://www.g4ddk.com/Prices.html

Dishes of this size typically have a beam width of 4-8 degrees.

[[File:56 dish feed.JPG|400px]]

M1BKF found a very interesting 5.6GHz feed for standard f/d satellite dishes.

It contains what looks like a PCB yagi and is available from http://www.antennas-amplifiers.com/5.1-5.5-5.8GHz-WLAN-WiFi-Antenna/Feed-Illuminator-satellite-offset-dish-fd-0.5-0.8

[[File:PCB dish feed.JPG|200px]] [[File:PCB dish feed2.JPG|300px]]

=== DIY Biquad antennae ===

This web page http://buildyourownantenna.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/double-biquad-sector-antenna-for-5-ghz-wifi.html has a well engineered double Biquad antennae with 13dBi gain.

Note in the picture G8JAN has directly connected the Tx module to the antennae to avoid co-ax losses.

[[File:feed.jpg|400px]]

==Video equipment - Rx==
The receiver output will need to be directly connected to a composite video input monitor to view the received the signal - normally on a yellow phono or RCA connector.

===Video squelch defeat===

Beware of using modern flat screen monitors which have a video squelch which will not display noisy signals and just give a blue screen until they get a strong video signal.

There are a number of circuits around to defeat the squelch and also improve the readability of the signal.

===Syncsmurf by PE1RQM=== - kits are available details on the [https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=auto&sl=auto&tl=en-US&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pe1rqm.nl%2Fsyncsmurf2%2F webpage here].

[[File:syncsmurf1.jpg|200px]]

Results are very impressive:

[[File:syncsmurf2.jpg|400px]]

===eachines FPV recorder===

Several people have reported that they are using these devices, available from various sites, and as well as defeating the monitor blue screen by inserting syncs on noise they have a single push button record facility. They record to an SD card which can be removed and the files viewed on a PC but users report that you need to use a good SD card and have had problems with Kingston and Sandisk are preferred.

[[File:emachine dvr.JPG|300px]]

===Video sync processor===

[[File:cqtv 129.jpg|300px]]

Or any video sync processor may be useable such as the Advanced Converter Enhancer used by many stations on 23cms FM.

[[File:ACE.jpg|300px]]

==Video equipment - Tx==
An old camcorder with a yellow phono video out socket is an ideal video and audio source for the transmitter.

Don't forget you will need to display your call sign to remain legal. This can be a video generator, a jpeg card reader with video out, or a piece of card with your call sign scribbled on it!

===Media card reader===

A simple way to generate test patterns is to use a media card reader loaded with .jpg files - these are available on several sites, just search for "sd card media av player" but make sure you get one with PAL video out.

[[File:av player.JPG|200px]]

===PicDream===
The Picdream project uses a single PIC chip and 4MHz crystal to generate a black and white test pattern - simple but effective - original project was described in CQ-TV 180 and re-printed in CQ-TV 247.

[[File:Picdream 247.JPG|400px]]

The PIC code is available for download here: batc.org.uk/cq-tv/software/picdream.zip

===Raspberry Pi - PA3CHM image generator===

CQ-TV 247 published details of a simple Rpi based test card generator by Ernest PA3CHM.

[[File:PA3chm.JPG|400px]]

Full details are on his website: http://www.pa3hcm.nl/?p=248

===Raspberry Pi - Portsdown patterns===
The BATC Portsdown project can be configured to deliver composite video and audio out from the Rpi multi-jack plug.

[[File:GKQ July 2017 (Small).JPG|400px]]

This can be test patterns, Rpi desktop or the Portsdown camera and microphone - [[Analog Video Output|see this wiki page for more details]] making the Rpi the only piece of video / audio equipment you need to drive the 5.6GHz transmitter.

==On the air==

Using dish aerials of 30 – 60 cm, line of sight ranges of 80 km can easily be achieved.

P5 (noise free) FM ATV pictures have been exchanged over an 138km path using the equipment described on this page - the picture below shows G4CPE/p on Dunstable Downs being received at the Ridgeway near Didcot over a slightly obstructed 66Km path.

[[File:CPE 5.6GHz.JPG|400px]]

The current UK "record" for a contact using standard FPV units stands at 138 KM from Dunkery Beacon near Minehead to Cleeve Common near Cheltenham.

[[File:snap5 small.jpg|400px]]

The picture shows G8GTZ/P received by G8GKQ/P over the 138Km path.

==FM voice only==

Several stations in the Gloucester and Bolton area are using these units for wide band FM voice only. This is achieved by simply putting high level (1v p to p) audio on the yellow video tx phono - this modulates the main high level carrier with audio rather than video (ignore the 2 red and white audio phono connectors). On rx, just connect the yellow phono to a line in audio amp.

You do it this way because audio sub carriers are 20 dB down on the main carrier. However, as it is using the same bandwidth rx and tx system, performance will be no better than FM video - ideally the 480MHz rx IF would be tapped off in to an SDR or narrow band receiver to give significantly enhanced (+20db?) narrow band performance.

==Activity hot spots==

There is a Google map showing approximate locations of stations thought to be active on 5.6GHz FM - if you are on 5.6GHz, you can add or edit your station: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1e4keFSFWy6wLUQNF3IT3n6h90eU&ll=52.39133141509076%2C-1.8917942000000494&z=7

Know users include:

*Southern England = G8GKQ, G8GTZ, G0UHY, G8XZD, G4UVZ, G3VPF
*Dunstable area = M0SKM, G4CPE, G0WFT
*North-east = GB3KM, G1LPS, M0DTS
*Cheltenham = G0LGS, M0RKX and G4NZV (using WB audio only)
*Bolton Wireless Club = G4JLG, G6GVI, G8PEF, M0UFC, MW1FGQ (PW “Siren” Article)
*Ludlow, Shropshire = G8XYJ
*Yorkshire = G8BYN
*Norfolk = G4NJJ, G8JAN, G4WVU and M1BKF
*Cumbria - Barrow in Furness radio Club project

[[File:cpe2.jpg|400px]]

==More information==

Dave G8GKQ did a presentation at the BATC annual convention CAT17 in September 2017 on getting started on 5.6 GHz ATV.
*The presentation is available here https://wiki.batc.tv/images/9/94/CAT17_Portsdown_Update.pdf
*The video of the session is available on the BATC youtube channel here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJzGNsGmE9Y

There is a thread running on the BATC forum where the ATV community are exchanging ideas and also posting results of the latest on air tests. http://www.batc.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=5026

==Technical information==

===SM201R===
The large rx chip in most units has got the part number removed, however it appears that a lot of receivers use the SM201R module. The spec and pinout are shown below but notice the frequency range of this particular unit does not seem to cover 5665MHz so make sure the one you buy does!

[[File:sm201r 3.JPG|300px]] [[File:sm201r 2.jpg|500px]]

[[File:sm201r 1.JPG|500px]]

===S meter output===

Looking at the above table it appears that the RSSI is available on pin 17 of the SM201R and could potentially be used for a signal strength meter to help align the antennas when setting up a QSO.

It also appears that the SM201R uses a 480MHz IF (same as the Comtech) and potentially could be modified with narrower filters to improve RF performance.

====Tx and Rx perfomance====

Initial measurements suggest the Tx bandwidth is 25 - 30 MHz.

[[File:5.6GHz spectrum.jpg|500px]]

This accounts for the quoted Rx sensitivity at -80dBm which may be improved by an LNA but will ultimately be limited by the Rx IF bandwidth.

===Channel Listings===

As mentioned above, the channels settings vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. This table is taken from the Tarot data sheet which uses the SM201R module but does include 5665MHz:

[[File:Tarot_Channels.jpg|603px]]

And this is the table for the Eachine TS835 transmitter:

[[File:Channels_2.jpg|619px]]

This table is from a "Fat Shark" transmitter that does not cover 5665 MHz:

[[File:Fat_Shark.PNG|300px]]

Notes from the last PC re-build

2017-11-23T14:21:40Z

G8PEF: minor typo corrections

Following the purchase of a new motherboard and case, the streaming PC was totally rebuilt (hardware) by M0DNY in July 2016. A full software rebuild was performed by G8GKQ in Aug 16. This was the sequence:

Clean Win 7 Pro install from Boot CD

LAN Adapter Install from MB CD

Connect to Internet

Google Chrome

7Zip

MS .net V4.5.51209 from MB CD

USB3 Driver V40036 from Internet

Reboot

Intel Chipset driver 10-117

Reboot

KB2685811

Reboot
Intel Management Engine from MB CD

VGA Driver V1018154274 from MB CD

Reboot

SATA Driver from MB CD

Realtek Audio driver from MB CD

Reboot

Adobe Acrobat Reader

IE11

To get Windows Update to work:

KB3020369

KB3125574

KB3161664

Reboot required Secure UEFI to be disabled after this

Windows Update (successful)

ATEM Software Control

ATEM Desktop Video

VLC

Adobe FMLE

Paint.net

MXLight (key from G8GTZ)

Activate Windows by automated phone procedure (Key held by G8GTZ)

vMix

It works!

Lastly, an image of the SSD was taken and stored on the MediaA Hard Drive. To restore it, boot from a Live Linux Distro. I used Kali Linux 64 on a USB stick. Then use the command:

dd if=/media/root/MediaA/SystemBackup/20160909backup.img of=/dev/sda

Good luck!

G8GKQ September 2016