P25RX Firmware Updates / Testing

[wmlovell]

Todd,
WORK AT YOUR SPEED... We can all wait for the EXTRAS.. They weren't offered when we bought the unit so NONE of us should be forcing their development.
Take a break, you certainly deserve it!!

I second this!
What this can do compared to when I bought it less than a year ago is amazing! ...and it was an awesome device when I first got it!
You take as long as you want.!!!

 

[daviddehaney]

Trying to post some screenshots here ...

 

[btt]

I second this!
What this can do compared to when I bought it less than a year ago is amazing! ...and it was an awesome device when I first got it!
You take as long as you want.!!!

Thank you!

Trying to post some screenshots here ...

Thank you for posting those! Have you tried connecting the P25RX to the phone yet? It looks really promising. It should work if the CDC ACM driver in the Linux kernel is enabled/available. It usually is for most desktop distributions.

 

[daviddehaney]

Yes, I tried connecting the P25RX to the pine phone using a usb c dock but the P25RX is not detected when running the BTConfig app the Sig and TG leds on P25RX flash rapidly 4 times about every 10 seconds

Maybe the CDC ACM is not enabled?

 

[btt]

Yes, I tried connecting the P25RX to the pine phone using a usb c dock but the P25RX is not detected when running the BTConfig app the Sig and TG leds on P25RX flash rapidly 4 times about every 10 seconds

Maybe the CDC ACM is not enabled?

I'm not familiar with the dock. Maybe you need a Micro to Type-C OTG cable?

 

[FP761]

@btt: Not sure if correct forum thread, but I have been experiencing what I think is perhaps “drift” of the reference frequency which may be leading to “choppy” audio messages:

1. Performance varies depending on power being supplied connected to laptop or powered via USB power adapter.

I adjust the reference frequency based on connection to laptop during a 15-minute session, then connect to a USB power adapter for normal listening. After a day or so, I will start hearing “choppy” audio messages, but when I connect to laptop, the messages are no longer choppy.

Now, it is also true that I am powering down and re-booting the P25RX when changing power sources.

Any thoughts?

 

[W0RS]

I have experienced the same. All is fine on a laptop at home but when in the car it's choppy audio again.
Todd: I put the P25 back in the car and it is exhibiting the choppy audio again per our PM`s. Could it be related to static charges? Just a misterious issue....Both my Unication G5 and Uniden SDS100 work fine.

 

[btt]

@btt: Not sure if correct forum thread, but I have been experiencing what I think is perhaps “drift” of the reference frequency which may be leading to “choppy” audio messages:

1. Performance varies depending on power being supplied connected to laptop or powered via USB power adapter.

I adjust the reference frequency based on connection to laptop during a 15-minute session, then connect to a USB power adapter for normal listening. After a day or so, I will start hearing “choppy” audio messages, but when I connect to laptop, the messages are no longer choppy.

Now, it is also true that I am powering down and re-booting the P25RX when changing power sources.

Any thoughts?

Please give the "Testing" version on the website. 2021-03-03_1808 a try. Note that the "Button CFG" tab does not do anything yet. This version has a slower audio sample rate for playback. This may help prevent choppy audio. This only affects audio line-out and Bluetooth from the P25RX and not the audio playback via PC / BTConfig software.

 

[btt]

I have experienced the same. All is fine on a laptop at home but when in the car it's choppy audio again.
Todd: I put the P25 back in the car and it is exhibiting the choppy audio again per our PM`s. Could it be related to static charges? Just a misterious issue....Both my Unication G5 and Uniden SDS100 work fine.

Please give 2021-03-03_1808 a try.

-edit: I'm adding this to make sure that you know that I don't think the audio issue has anything at all to do with the power supply. The supply in the P25RX is well filtered. The layout is excellent. The bypassing, etc is good. I believe the reason you are seeing a difference with the audio when using a computer is because the audio from the BTConfig software is the PC performing the audio playback. With the audio line-out and Bluetooth, it is the P25RX performing the audio playback. The testing version should help to determine if the issue is related to a sample-rate / buffer over-run situation. Let me know how it goes with _1808.

 

[W0RS]

Please give 2021-03-03_1808 a try.

-edit: I'm adding this to make sure that you know that I don't think the audio issue has anything at all to do with the power supply. The supply in the P25RX is well filtered. The layout is excellent. The bypassing, etc is good. I believe the reason you are seeing a difference with the audio when using a computer is because the audio from the BTConfig software is the PC performing the audio playback. With the audio line-out and Bluetooth, it is the P25RX performing the audio playback. The testing version should help to determine if the issue is related to a sample-rate / buffer over-run situation. Let me know how it goes with _1808.

Thanks Todd, I will give 1808 a try....

 

[FP761]

Please give the "Testing" version on the website. 2021-03-03_1808 a try. Note that the "Button CFG" tab does not do anything yet. This version has a slower audio sample rate for playback. This may help prevent choppy audio. This only affects audio line-out and Bluetooth from the P25RX and not the audio playback via PC / BTConfig software.

Todd, I will give it a try, but I do not use the PC audio when connected to laptop. I always use line-out audio in all cases.

 

[btt]

Todd, I will give it a try, but I do not use the PC audio when connected to laptop. I always use line-out audio in all cases.

It may be more related to temperature and initial frequency tolerance of the MCU reference crystal than anything else. I think this issue is likely due to variations/drift in the frequency of the crystal for the MCU reference. The MCU has an internal PLL that generates the clock for the audio playback. If it is running too fast due to initial tolerances or temperature changes, it may be causing an audio buffer under-run. If this version fixes the issue (due to slower playback and relying on buffer size), I will work on a more complex algorithm to track these variations... much like the RF frequency error compensation works.

 

[btt]

Thank you to the admin for giving us our own sub forum!!

 

[FP761]

Todd,

I am trying version "1808", but have heard some chop already using laptop. here is a screenshot of occurrence, if helpful?

 

[btt]

Todd,

I am trying version "1808", but have heard some chop already using laptop. here is a screenshot of occurrence, if helpful?

Thanks for giving that a try. The RF signal looks good. There is quite a bit of multi-path or phase spreading going on there, but it still looks like it should work good. Are you typically seeing 2 BLKS/SEC or is that just when the audio issue happens?

 

[FP761]

Thanks for giving that a try. The RF signal looks good. There is quite a bit of multi-path or phase spreading going on there, but it still looks like it should work good. Are you typically seeing 2 BLKS/SEC or is that just when the audio issue happens?

That was at the time of capture. Typically 25-30 without voice and 30-40 during message. I am also hearing more “side tones” during decoding on this version. I am not sure how to interpret the I/Q Symbol Plot.

Our System is a P25 LSM System.

 

[btt]

That was at the time of capture. Typically 25-30 without voice and 30-40 during message. I am also hearing more “side tones” during decoding on this version.

I see that this is a phase 1 system, what do you mean by "side tones"? What version were you running prior to _1808? What antenna are you using?

Thank you for posting the representative image of the signal insights tab. Let me think about this for a bit. This appears to be a different issue from the audio playback rate issue that W0RS was having.

 

[FP761]

I see that this is a phase 1 system, what do you mean by "side tones"? What version were you running prior to _1808? What antenna are you using?

Thank you for posting the representative image of the signal insights tab. Let me think about this for a bit. This appears to be a different issue from the audio playback rate issue that W0RS was having.

Todd, I used the term "side tones" for when I heard a voice message that included a sound of "clinking tones" before voice and after voice. Does not occur often, seemed like an issue decoding voice. In all fairness, we sometimes hear the same on our King KNG-P500 Portables. Below is another screen capture during choppy voice that I just heard. The voice was "choppy" during the breaks in the white line (not during sync issues) which occurred a couple times during the sweep. It may be difficult to see, but the first "chop" was prior to the first "Sync" issue, early in the sweep. (Notice the small dashes in the white line prior to sync issue).

I was previously running version 02-24-1047, and I am connected to an outdoor antenna.

 

[btt]

Todd, I used the term "side tones" for when I heard a voice message that included a sound of "clinking tones" before voice and after voice. Does not occur often, seemed like an issue decoding voice. In all fairness, we sometimes hear the same on our King KNG-P500 Portables. Below is another screen capture during choppy voice that I just heard. The voice was "choppy" during the breaks in the white line (not during sync issues) which occurred a couple times during the sweep. It may be difficult to see, but the first "chop" was prior to the first "Sync" isse, early in the sweep. (Notice the small dashes in the white line prior to sync issue).

I was previously running version 02-24-1047, and I am connected to an outdoor antenna.

That signal looks very clean. The frequency is almost dead-on. Hard to believe there is an issue. I will get back to you.

 

[btt]

@FP761,

Try the following command in the console:

$ add_tdu_silence 0
$ save

Does this help? This command disables adding a short period of silence to the audio output buffer when a TDU/TDULC is received. The yellow areas on the sync line indicate an incoming TDU/TDULC. This only applies to phase 1 decoding.