Portsdown Stretch 2019 Software Update 201902250

[G8GKQ]

I have just released an update to the Portsdown 2019 Stretch software (201902250). This update is a bug fix for FEC 1/4 with a LimeSDR. It also adds LimeSDR and DVB-S2 selections to the console menu and provides a signal to switch between the LimeSDR and the Portsdown Filter-Modulator board if required. Delayed PTT is also enabled for the LimeSDR when activated from the Console Menu or "keyedTX". Full feature list:

Code: Select all

Fix DVB-S2 FEC 1/4
Fix C920 webcam streaming with H264 selected
Add console menus for DVB-S2, FECs and LimeGain
Enable delayed PTT for Lime from console and keyedTX
Set all SR lines high to indicate transmit with LimeSDR, not F-M board

Evariste is working on a fix for the LimeSDR H264 audio and I will include that in a future update as soon as it is ready.

Thanks to Evariste F5OEO, Stephane F4DVK and Patrice F1NSU for a number of the fixes.

Dave, G8GKQ

[g0mjw]

Good - the Portsdown, fed by UDP from VMIX or OBS is an excellent solution for HD. You may have seen me testing it last week.

Evariste has been working on a solution to drive a PI automatically with a script via SSH so you just need a PI and a lime and maybe the PTT interface. No need for the touchscreen. Meanwhile, I have been leaving my Portsdown powered, do you thing you could implement a screensaver?

Mike

[F4DVK]

Hi Dave,

Have you seen the correction for the RX?

viewtopic.php?f=103&t=5895

It is necessary, during the update, to delete the file fifo.iq which could have been generated during the test of the RX.
For my tests, I integrated "rm fifo.iq" in update.sh.

Stephane.

[G8GKQ]

Mike

Pleased that the Portsdown is providing a capable network-based transmitting appliance.

Next, please explain why you want a screensaver. It will not save power, and I have not seen any cases of Portsdown burn-in yet.

Secondly, if you want it, you need to define the user requirement:

• Screensave to blank screen, slideshow, moving images, or swimming fish?
• Time to screensave - fixed, defined, able to be disabled?
• What are the exceptions to the screensaver? Transmit, recieve, VideoView?
• How should it behave during remote control of the Portsdown?
• What should happen on first touch? Does it wake the screen or activate the button where the screen has been touched?

Thirdly, is this a higher priority than fixing the H264 Lime audio or transmitting DVB-S2 from a DATV Express?

Dave

[G8GKQ]

Stephane

Sorry that fix didn't make it into the update - it is high on my to-do list.

There is an American expression about "Too many penguins on a small iceberg". If another penguin gets on, one gets pushed to the edge and might fall off. The receive fix was not on my very small iceberg and risked one of the other fixes not getting implemented or tested properly! Hopefully next time.

Dave

[F4DVK]

I understand that this is a lot of work, I wanted to be sure that this change was coming.
I am not a programmer and I have no training in programming.
This activity interests me and I try to understand and modify existing programs.

The last test is the reception with the limesdr, it works, with the setting of the gain, but there are still improvements to be made.

Thanks for all that work.
Stephane.

[G8GKQ]

Hi Stephane

If you have a command line that receives with LimeSDR, I would like to try it. Please post here or PM me with what you have.

Thanks

Dave

[Patrice]

Hi Dave,

Could you add some lines for next update to start directly in console mode instead to type"/home/pi/rpidatv/scripts/menu.sh"

Regards Patrice F1NSU

to Access consol menu

add to startup.sh file line 110

# If keyedtx is already running and this is an ssh session
# stop the keyedtx, start the menu and return
ps -cax | grep 'keyedtx' >/dev/null 2>/dev/null
RESULT="$?"
if [ "$RESULT" -eq 0 ]; then
if [ "$SESSION_TYPE" == "ssh" ]; then
killall keyedtx >/dev/null 2>/dev/null
killall limesdr_send >/den/null 2>/dev/null
/home/pi/rpidatv/bin/limesdr_stopchannel
/home/pi/rpidatv/scripts/menu.sh
fi
return

[ON1AVO]

Dave
Referring to our QO-100 chat regarding 1/4FEC
PD settings with webcam C270, Lime connected to a powered USB hub
UDP: VLC and Dektec StreamXpert no video/service
FEC: 1/2 and 3/4 no problem

20190314_131811 (Mobile).jpg (93.32 KiB) Viewed 3832 times

20190314_132447 (Mobile).jpg (75.96 KiB) Viewed 3832 times

PD 1_4 fec.jpg (134.95 KiB) Viewed 3832 times

[G8GKQ]

Hi

There are some issues related to LimeSDR bitrate calculations in the current build. But 125KS FEC 1/4 is such an extreme setting that I had not tested it as I had not expected it to work.

Also, I do not have a C270 to test with which does not help.

I have checked the calculations for 125KS FEC 1/4 and the TS bitrate is 57598 bits/sec giving a video bitrate of 33198 bits/sec. Not much!

I'd be interested to know whether it works at 250KS?

Dave