DPL decode software for soundcard ?

[ronenp]

Hi there
is there any DPL decode software that run on the sound card input ?
Thanks Forward
Ronen - 4Z4ZQ
Ronen Pinchooks (4Z4ZQ) WebSite

[ampulman]

Originally Posted by ronenp

Hi there
is there any DPL decode software that run on the sound card input ?
Thanks Forward
Ronen - 4Z4ZQ
Ronen Pinchooks (4Z4ZQ) WebSite

I would think that the (audio) input of your sound card is 'receiving' pure audio (no RF component left).

Amp

[slicerwizard]

DPL is not an RF component; it's low frequency audio.

[ampulman]

Originally Posted by slicerwizard

DPL is not an RF component; it's low frequency audio.

You are correct; my mistake.

[scancapecod]

WinCTCSS does CTCSS codes fairly well. I e-mailed the author and asked him if he was planning to add DCS to the program. He indicated to me that soundcard decoding of DCS is apparently much more of a process, and that writing software to make it work was much more of a challenge. It would be nice to have the capability. I use Connect Systems CD-1 and CD-2 hardware decoders on my receivers, but they cost a good chunk of change for a box that just displays tones.

[slicerwizard]

DPL/DCS decoding shouldn't be a big deal. I have radios here that'll generate it, so I'll look in to it.

[aaknitt]

After reading this thread, I started working on a program for DCS code detection...I'm testing it right now...should have something available within a week or two. It will require a discriminator tap though.

Andy

[scancapecod]

Originally Posted by aaknitt

After reading this thread, I started working on a program for DCS code detection...I'm testing it right now...should have something available within a week or two. It will require a discriminator tap though.

Andy

Thanks for your efforts. Will this be purely DCS or will it also have CTCSS capability?

[aaknitt]

Just working on DCS for now, but CTCSS will be a cinch to add once that's done, so eventually it will do both.

Andy

[scancapecod]

Excellent. I'll look forward to giving this a try. Thanks.

[aaknitt]

Give it a shot and let me know how it works for you. I know it's not as good as decoders built into radios, but it seems to be working well enough for what it's intended use is. Note that while CTCSS decoding works with a speaker output, DCS decoding requires a discriminator tap.

radioetcetera - DCS Decode Program



Andy

[scancapecod]

I have it installed. That Labview Runtime is a monster.

What are the two free serial ports required for?

Thanks for adding CTCSS. Both CTCSS and DCS are spot on thus far. I'm also running a CSI CD-2 hardware decoder. I am testing with the discriminator tap on an Icom IC-R8500 receiver into an onboard nVidia sound card. CPU usage seems to be running around 15-21% with the application running. I'm guessing some of that is that Labview runtime engine?

A nice start. I understand that the install, as well as your two tone decoder software (didn't realize you wrote that one too), require that Labview engine, but I'll wager it might be a bit of a turnoff to some with slower internet connections to have to dowload a 95 MB file.

Will the "alternate devices" showing under the Input Sound Card eventually reflect other sound devices in addition to the default?

Nice work. Thanks very much!

[aaknitt]

Sorry, the serial port stuff was because I copied and pasted content from a different program I wrote...I've removed those references.

I know the LabView runtime engine is a major pain...but since I'm not smart enough to write software in a "real" language I'm kind of stuck with it. The alternate devices should allow you to select other sound cards, but which one you're selecting can be kind of a mystery that takes some trial and error to figure out. The routine that I've used to query the sound card names doesn't want to work on all operating systems so I had to pull it out.

Andy

[scancapecod]

Well, it works very nicely. Would it be possible to have a "simple view" and "detailed view" toggle, meaning simple would show just the codes, and detailed would show it as it is now? It would make it easy to tuck up into a corner of a screen and leave it there. An "always on top" setting would enhance that a bit more. There are of course 3rd party programs that make that happen, but all inclusive is ideal.

All of that said it is a very simple and very effective program. It is humming along and keeping up with my $200+ hardware decoder thus far. I need to find some weaker signals to work with and test it that way, but so far so good.

[gmclam]

Originally Posted by slicerwizard

DPL/DCS decoding shouldn't be a big deal. I have radios here that'll generate it, so I'll look in to it.

LOL. In radios it is typically done in chips. We don't have those chips in our PCs.

Originally Posted by aaknitt

... I know the LabView runtime engine is a major pain... but since I'm not smart enough to write software in a "real" language I'm kind of stuck with it.

I've been lurking in this thread. I went to install your decoding software, but stopped when I realized it was going to require LabView as well.

I am a real programmer, and I have been collecting data to do this from scratch between paying projects. I have found all the specifications I need except for one - the equations to implement the error correcting code in the DCS decoder. Can someone point me to equations for the Golay 23/12 code? Thanks.

[aaknitt]

Originally Posted by gmclam

I have found all the specifications I need except for one - the equations to implement the error correcting code in the DCS decoder. Can someone point me to equations for the Golay 23/12 code? Thanks.

I couldn't easily find that information either, so I used the additional bits simply for error detection rather than error correction. For hobbyist use such as this, I think that's more than sufficient. Details on how to do a simple parity check can be found here:

DCS Explained - MMI Technical Resource

Andy

[gmclam]

Originally Posted by aaknitt

I couldn't easily find that information either, so I used the additional bits simply for error detection rather than error correction. For hobbyist use such as this, I think that's more than sufficient. Details on how to do a simple parity check can be found here:

DCS Explained - MMI Technical Resource

Andy

Thank you for the link. I already had the information. I actually have quite a bit of information on DCS (also called CDCSS) and that's how I know about the error-correcting Golay code. I am not interested in checking for an error, that is useless to me.

Since we are dealing with RF reception of a short digital stream, I'd like to implement the error correction. There's a lot of stuff out there about Golay, but no specific equation (or hardware circuit) to perform error correction on the receiving end. I figured it didn't hurt to ask here.

[aaknitt]

Originally Posted by gmclam

I am not interested in checking for an error, that is useless to me.

Here's something I found that looks promising. Hopefully it's not as useless to you

Golay Code, Error Detection, Error Correction, Data Link Method, C Code Sample, Hank Wallace

[gmclam]

Originally Posted by aaknitt

Here's something I found that looks promising. Hopefully it's not as useless to you

Golay Code, Error Detection, Error Correction, Data Link Method, C Code Sample, Hank Wallace

Thanks! That code looks promising. I found some other tidbits out there and was working on a 'correction table'. Theoretically if correct, this code should match the result I get from using the table.

[NYRHKY94]

Hi Guys:

I'd like to give this a try but could use some simple instructions on getting this up & running. If any of you could post back how to set this up, it would be much appreciated.

I have downloaded and installed the Labview program and Decoder programs as suggested (Vista 64 Box). At this point, what I could use is a simple step-by-step on how to connect the scanner to the PC and then how to operate the software to see the codes. I would like to try this with a Pro-2052 w/a tap and a Pro-2006 w/out a tap.

Thanks in advance!