Is there software that can auto ID an audio sample? Thanks!
Software to auto ID audio sample?
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ka3jjz
Wiki Admin Emeritus
Are you talking about digital signals on HF? The answer is...maybe...
There is software called 'Signals Analyzer' that will dissect a signal (unfortunately it's not real time - it's an offline analyzer, from what I understand) and display characteristics and an analysis. The reason I hedge my answer is because any signal on HF that is prone to fading, noise and degradation might fool even the best consumer software (I suspect the government and other high-paid institutions have better tools than this)
If you're talking about hearing a signal and something telling you 'This is a malfunctioning solenoid on a dryer', none that I know of. The library of such signals would be huge, to say the least. There's probably something on the web with such a library.
Mike
There is software called 'Signals Analyzer' that will dissect a signal (unfortunately it's not real time - it's an offline analyzer, from what I understand) and display characteristics and an analysis. The reason I hedge my answer is because any signal on HF that is prone to fading, noise and degradation might fool even the best consumer software (I suspect the government and other high-paid institutions have better tools than this)
If you're talking about hearing a signal and something telling you 'This is a malfunctioning solenoid on a dryer', none that I know of. The library of such signals would be huge, to say the least. There's probably something on the web with such a library.
Mike
fourthhorseman
Member
too bad that program is for recordings only..It would be great to pipe audio in by VAC or a line in..
Token
Member
Keep in mind that SA, while a really good tool, does not do auto identification of a signal. It does do some automatic measurements, to let you know some of the signal characteristics of whatever you are looking at, but it does not tell you, for example, that a signal is STANAG 4285, HF+DVL, Chinese 4+4, etc.
If you want the kind of software that you can just pump audio into and the software tells you what type of modem you are hearing, then the high price options, Hoka Code 300, Krypto500, Go2Monitor, Wavecom, etc, are the only real options.
For ham modes fldigi can automatically ID a signal if the transmission is accompanied by an RSID (Reed-Solomon ID). This is not the software recognizing the mode transmitted, but rather it is decoding and reacting to the RSID that can be transmitted with the mode.
There are other tools you can use to get many of the signal characteristics, but few that are automated in any way. Simple, and often free, programs like Audacity, Spectrum Lab, and Spectrogram have the ability to measure things and display things in ways that assist identification. Once you have a few identifying features you can ID the signal with high confidence, even if you cannot decode the data in it.
Some signals are quite easy and distinctive to identify, others not so much. It really is not all that hard to get the basics down, and to be able to ID most signals found. I wonder why no one has put up a "how to" page on the web, with basic guidance of key and identifying features to look for, as well as techniques to find those features? The HFU Signals Identification page ( Signal Identification - HF Underground ) does attempt to give key features for a signal as well as pictures, to assist in identification. But that page is not very complete yet. The original goal was to fill it in as people posed mystery signals to the associated forum, but few questions have been asked in the past year, so the page is pretty meager.
T!
If you want the kind of software that you can just pump audio into and the software tells you what type of modem you are hearing, then the high price options, Hoka Code 300, Krypto500, Go2Monitor, Wavecom, etc, are the only real options.
For ham modes fldigi can automatically ID a signal if the transmission is accompanied by an RSID (Reed-Solomon ID). This is not the software recognizing the mode transmitted, but rather it is decoding and reacting to the RSID that can be transmitted with the mode.
There are other tools you can use to get many of the signal characteristics, but few that are automated in any way. Simple, and often free, programs like Audacity, Spectrum Lab, and Spectrogram have the ability to measure things and display things in ways that assist identification. Once you have a few identifying features you can ID the signal with high confidence, even if you cannot decode the data in it.
Some signals are quite easy and distinctive to identify, others not so much. It really is not all that hard to get the basics down, and to be able to ID most signals found. I wonder why no one has put up a "how to" page on the web, with basic guidance of key and identifying features to look for, as well as techniques to find those features? The HFU Signals Identification page ( Signal Identification - HF Underground ) does attempt to give key features for a signal as well as pictures, to assist in identification. But that page is not very complete yet. The original goal was to fill it in as people posed mystery signals to the associated forum, but few questions have been asked in the past year, so the page is pretty meager.
T!
ka3jjz
Wiki Admin Emeritus
Another wiki based website with audio samples like the one Token mentions is here...
Signal Identification Wiki
This one isn't nearly as well organized as that one (there's a software based front-end for it called Artemis). It mixes HF, VHF/UHF and consumer electronic devices on one page (not a very efficient way of letting the topic grow), so it's a good deal harder to search, even with Artemis.
To bring this topic back to HF, there are many modes that both the Hoka and Wavecom packages list as supported, but haven't been heard in years (when's the last time someone reported a Twinplex or SWED-ARQ signal, for example?). Sad to say, when you pay for a package like these, you're paying as much for decoding ability using outmoded modes as you are for those that are currently used
One of things I've seen from time to time is that a newcomer will buy one of these packages, tune around HF trying to decode something (not knowing anything about what a decodable signal might even sound like, much less look like) and having to cycle through these dead modes wasting time. That quickly frustrates him/her, and they move on.
That's why I always recommend starting off with signals that can be decoded - such as those found on the ham bands, or the several examples we have listed here....
Testing Your New Setup - The RadioReference Wiki
There are many packages that display various kinds of waterfall (or cross-scope) displays that one can use to help discern a signal. Besides the ones Token mentions, there are a great many more of them, some of which can be found at the bottom of the page in my sig. Additions to this list are very welcome
Mike
Signal Identification Wiki
This one isn't nearly as well organized as that one (there's a software based front-end for it called Artemis). It mixes HF, VHF/UHF and consumer electronic devices on one page (not a very efficient way of letting the topic grow), so it's a good deal harder to search, even with Artemis.
To bring this topic back to HF, there are many modes that both the Hoka and Wavecom packages list as supported, but haven't been heard in years (when's the last time someone reported a Twinplex or SWED-ARQ signal, for example?). Sad to say, when you pay for a package like these, you're paying as much for decoding ability using outmoded modes as you are for those that are currently used
One of things I've seen from time to time is that a newcomer will buy one of these packages, tune around HF trying to decode something (not knowing anything about what a decodable signal might even sound like, much less look like) and having to cycle through these dead modes wasting time. That quickly frustrates him/her, and they move on.
That's why I always recommend starting off with signals that can be decoded - such as those found on the ham bands, or the several examples we have listed here....
Testing Your New Setup - The RadioReference Wiki
There are many packages that display various kinds of waterfall (or cross-scope) displays that one can use to help discern a signal. Besides the ones Token mentions, there are a great many more of them, some of which can be found at the bottom of the page in my sig. Additions to this list are very welcome
Mike
Being able to decipher a wave form is not my forte. I wonder if you could take a class on knowing how to do this? That website helps I guess.
What is bandwidth? Is that like the amount of space a signal takes up on a carrier wave? Pics would be nice.
What is bandwidth? Is that like the amount of space a signal takes up on a carrier wave? Pics would be nice.
Additional: Software to auto ID audio sample?
There are hardware devices that can identify a fair number of signals, but the modes are a bit dated:
(1) The Pakratt 232 has a "Signal Identification and Acquisition Mode" that can identify and classify signals. (http://www.repeater-builder.com/aea/pk232/pk232mbx-operating-manual.pdf)
(2) Radio Raft (requires DOS) and a Hamcomm interface (RS-232) has an "auto detect" feature that still is one of the best signal identification and classification utilities available to the hobbyist. (Radio Raft v2.12 Review)
There are hardware devices that can identify a fair number of signals, but the modes are a bit dated:
(1) The Pakratt 232 has a "Signal Identification and Acquisition Mode" that can identify and classify signals. (http://www.repeater-builder.com/aea/pk232/pk232mbx-operating-manual.pdf)
(2) Radio Raft (requires DOS) and a Hamcomm interface (RS-232) has an "auto detect" feature that still is one of the best signal identification and classification utilities available to the hobbyist. (Radio Raft v2.12 Review)
ka3jjz
Wiki Admin Emeritus
As does the Universal M-7000 series of decoders, but like the last listing, the modes it can identify are quite dated, and many aren't used any more...see this PDF for a concise listing of modes
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/decoders/rttymods.pdf
The problem with these solutions, both hardware and software based, is that a poor signal, noise or propagation issues can fool these decoders pretty easily. You get better as you go up the price chain (Hoka, Wavecom, Krypto, etc.) but I would imagine even these could get fooled under the right conditions. Mike
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/decoders/rttymods.pdf
The problem with these solutions, both hardware and software based, is that a poor signal, noise or propagation issues can fool these decoders pretty easily. You get better as you go up the price chain (Hoka, Wavecom, Krypto, etc.) but I would imagine even these could get fooled under the right conditions. Mike
In short -- no. There are commercial packages that can auto-classify even the newest digital modes but these are $25,000+ packages.
PS. If you are referring to just amateur modes then you can learn a lot by just using FL-DIGI and MultiPSK.
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