On 4/16/07, Jim Lux <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Quick question: > Q40:Q40. Will the FLEX-5000's low-pass filters prevent authorized > operation outside of the amateur bands? > > A. The filters are optimized for the amateur bands but will operate > over the entire HF spectrum. We lock transmitter TR relay in firmware > and require a valid license to receive a key to operate outside of > ITU recognized bandplans. > > ---- > > Does this mean that there's a embedded firmware component that looks > at the commands going to the DDS to set the frequency? > > That is, the interface to the hardware (at a register level) is different? > (I assumed that this would be the case) > > Will the control protocol be published? > What form does it take; e.g. does it use IEEE-1394b usual approach > providing a model of shared memory on the host( the SDR5000) that the > client (the PC) modifies? > > > James Lux, P.E. > Spacecraft Radio Frequency Subsystems Group > Flight Communications Systems Section > Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Mail Stop 161-213 > 4800 Oak Grove Drive > Pasadena CA 91109 > tel: (818)354-2075 > fax: (818)393-6875 > -------------- next part -------------- > An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
This does not sound like good news. It sounds as if certain features of the hardware will be controlled by firmware and without the source code to the firmware, you will not be able to make changes to the operation of the radio (those that the firmware restricts or controls). I hope that Flex is not going down the road of proprietary firmware like other manufacturers do. This means that if Flex does not make the source code to the firmware available and for some reason Flex goes belly up in the future no longer supporting the radio, you are stuck with the radio AS-IS. Let's hope this is not the case. At least with the SDR-1000 you pretty much have control over all of the hardware features of the radio by modifying the PowerSDR source code. So, another question for the FAQ would be: How much of the SDR-5000's operation is controlled/restricted by the radio's firmware and does Flex intend to make the firmware's source code available as open source? Phil N8VB _______________________________________________ FlexRadio mailing list FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexradio_flex-radio.biz Archive Link: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexradio%40flex-radio.biz/ FlexRadio Knowledge Base: http://kb.flex-radio.com/ FlexRadio Homepage: http://www.flex-radio.com/
