Steven Moore wrote:
As a regular ham interested in great receivers, I really would like to know what level of computer processor I need to realize max receiver performance from a flex radio.
[etc]
I have already produced a little paper that could be a "halfway house" between today's SDR 1000 and tomorrow's. Basically, it could even be a little add-on "caboose" and/or a separate, completely integrated product.
It would include a small, but capable enough processor that would have a single USB 2.0 cable coming in from the PC. It would ideally take in a fairly simple digital stream in a known format and then put it out to the radio's innards fairly directly. It would send a second digital stream the other way to be the receive info. Holding down the capabilities would keep the CPU inexpensive and, possibly, physically small. It might also contain a sound card or just D/A A/D converters for that part of it. Over time, as it transparently upgrades, it might even contain both at various times. Whatever Flex felt it could support. Our software would not care. It would take the digital output and turn it into today's display and sound.
Our VK6 Phil was thinking about something like this. With a bit of work, we could have one that used a D44 and simply plugged itself into the existing SDR. If it ran off 13.8 v, we'd be in heaven. It might even be able to solve the CW problem, because Windows wouldn't be in the way. The keyer could even drive interupts.
Daydreaming to be sure, but such a product could probably be kept compatible with our software (including things like CAT) and so we'd be able to deal with the software and its improvements as a separable issue.
Larry WO0Z PS, dreams aren't radios, but all radios started with a dream.
