A diagram of the hardware innards will certainly be helpful. But I think some diagrams showing how the new hardware might be used within an overall station would be even better.
For example, the ability to receive (and presumably transmit where legal) over the DC-to-daylight spectrum is technically very cool. But what kind of antenna system is connected to that port so that an operator can take advantage of the power of an SCU? How does a station use the typical limited-bandwidth ham antennas, antenna tuners, etc.? What kind of operating activities might that operator be doing at the time? E. G., what might my station look like if I want to work a multi-mode contest on 40/20/15 bands while I also monitor WWV and 6M? People do this kind of stuff now with multiple radios and multiple antennas. How will the new Flex fit into such a picture? The new hardware is very cool. But it's unclear how you might use it in a real station configuration to take advantage of the capabilities. Some concrete examples would help a lot. 73, /Jack de K3FIV On May 26, 2012 9:02 AM, "Gerald Youngblood" <ger...@flexradio.com> wrote: > Dennis, > > We are working on a diagram but let me try to explain in the interim. > > Let's start with the FLEX-6500, which has a single SCU. > > 1. A Spectral Capture Unit (SCU) digitizes the entire spectrum from 30 > KHz to 77 MHz in one swallow using a 245.76 Msps A/D converter. > 2. The SCU consists of the RF front end (preselectors, RF preamps, > Nyquist filter, ADC, FPFA, and DSP) to capture and process that spectrum. > 3. This SCU can connect to only one antenna at a time because there is > only a single RF to digital path. > 4. However, this SCU can connect to any one of ANT1, ANT2, RX IN A, or > the XVTR port through a relay switching matrix. > 5. The Slice Receivers are full performance digital receivers that do > direct digital down conversion to audio with independent demodulation, > filtering, AGC, NR, etc. for each receiver. > 6. Each of the four Slice Receivers and their respective panadapters on > the 6500 can be tuned independently and concurrently to any frequency and > mode within the 77 MHz spectrum. All receivers have the exact same high > dynamic range performance. > > Now to the FLEX-6700, which has two identical SCUs in parallel. > > 1. With two SCUs we now have two independent RF to digital paths that > can be connected to two independent antennas or can share one antenna > through a RF power splitter. > 2. With two SCUs, one can be on ANT1 and the other on ANT2. SCU B can > receive on RX IN B while SCU A is transceiving on ANT1. SCU B could > alternately transceive on the XVTR port. > 3. With two SCUs and two antennas, we can do spatial diversity, beam > forming and steering, noise mitigation, etc. that involves phasing the > antennas in software. Many customers enjoy this feature (ESC) today on > the > FLEX-5000 with RX2. > 4. With two SCUs, one can be connected to a narrow band StepIR for > transceiver while the other is connected to a multi-band antenna watching > for band openings or multipliers in a contest. > 5. With the additional signal processing on the 6700, you currently get > up to a total of 8 Slice Receivers that can be used on a single SCU or > allocated across both SCUs. > 6. The 6700 adds the option of tuning 135-165 MHz on either SCU. Note > that the 30 KHz to 77 MHz and 136-165 MHz ranges are mutually exclusive > on > a single SCU. It requires two SCUs to use both ranges simultaneously. > 7. On the 6700, you might choose to monitor up to seven 2m repeaters on > one SCU while working 20m with the other. You could also monitor the > 10m, > and 6m on one SCU while watching 2m on the second SCU at the same time > for > weak signal openings. The combinations are endless. > 8. You could also monitor the 50.110, 50.125 and six > beacons simultaneously on 6m (the magic band). You could even set some > of > the Slice Receivers to monitor MUF on signals below 6m or any other band > for that matter. > > I realize a diagram will be helpful but I hope that this clears up many of > the questions until we are able to publish more. > > 73, > Gerald > > > Gerald Youngblood, K5SDR > President and CEO > FlexRadio Systems(TM) > Email: ger...@flexradio.com > Web: www.flexradio.com <http://www.flex-radio.com/> > > Tune In Excitement (TM) > PowerSDR(TM) is a trademark of FlexRadio Systems > > > > > > On Sat, May 26, 2012 at 9:28 AM, Dennis Petrich <radio...@frontiernet.net > >wrote: > > > Hello Eric, > > > > > > > > A friend and are now thoroughly confused on this whole antenna port > > question…. In a recent email you say only one antenna to an SCU and in a > > previous question I asked on the 24th you said I can have a receive > antenna > > connected as well as a main antenna ( I assume that means I can switch > > between antennas like on the 5000A)…. So which is it??? > > > > > > > > On this whole question regarding antenna inputs could someone at Flex > > PLEASE > > draw a diagram!! > > > > > > > > “6. An SCU must be connected to one and only one antenna port. So if you > > have two SCUs (FLEX-6700) you can place slice receivers on two antennas > 7. > > Slice receivers may be placed on any SCU. This means that you may have > all > > eight slice receivers on a single SCU (and therefore antenna) if you > > desire.” > > > > > > > > “Yes. You can use any of the 4 antenna inputs for reception on the 6500 > > (ANT 1, ANT 2, RX ANT A-In, and XVTR). Note that on the 6700, each SCU > has > > 4 options for receive antennas (SCU-1 would use RX ANT A-In, SCU-2 would > > use > > RX ANT B-In).” > > > > > > > > Eric Wachsmann > > FlexRadio Systems > > > > > > > > 73’s > > > > > > > > Dennis KØEOO > > > > > > > > > > > > _____ > > > > From: Eric Wachsmann [mailto:e...@flex-radio.com] > > Sent: Tuesday, May 22, 2012 12:59 PM > > To: radio...@frontiernet.net > > Cc: flexradio@flex-radio.biz > > Subject: Re: Flex-6500 antenna port (s) > > > > > > > > On Tue, May 22, 2012 at 12:50 PM, <radio...@frontiernet.net> wrote: > > > > I have a question regarding the receive antenna inputs for the 6500. > Can I > > have my transmit antenna connected to one of the ANT1 or ANT2 ports and > > have > > a receiving antenna connected to one of the RX ANT IN/OUT ports?? Thats > on > > the 6500.... > > > > Thanks in advance for any assistance. > > > > Dennis KØEOO > > > > > > Yes. You can use any of the 4 antenna inputs for reception on the 6500 > > (ANT > > 1, ANT 2, RX ANT A-In, and XVTR). Note that on the 6700, each SCU has 4 > > options for receive antennas (SCU-1 would use RX ANT A-In, SCU-2 would > use > > RX ANT B-In). > > > > > > Eric Wachsmann > > FlexRadio Systems > > > > _______________________________________________ > > FlexRadio Systems Mailing List > > FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz > > http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexradio_flex-radio.biz > > Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexradio%40flex-radio.biz/ > > Knowledge Base: http://kc.flexradio.com/ Homepage: > > http://www.flexradio.com/ > > > _______________________________________________ > FlexRadio Systems Mailing List > FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz > http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexradio_flex-radio.biz > Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexradio%40flex-radio.biz/ > Knowledge Base: http://kc.flexradio.com/ Homepage: > http://www.flexradio.com/ > _______________________________________________ FlexRadio Systems Mailing List FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexradio_flex-radio.biz Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexradio%40flex-radio.biz/ Knowledge Base: http://kc.flexradio.com/ Homepage: http://www.flexradio.com/
