DATV-Express Project – August update report

[KenW6HHC]

August was a month full of conflicting efforts for members of the project team. Charles G4GUO still plans to move forward on preparing a Debian package to install the latest code for DATV-Express, including an installation for ARM that has been tested on ODROID-U3. But, Charles has also been busy preparing for his presentation at the upcoming BATC CAT14 gathering on Sept 7. Charles believes that after CAT14, he will be able to turn full attentions back to preparing a draft debian release of v2.03 (including ODROID U3 ARM) for Ken W6HHC to begin alpha testing. The testing release is expected to be available in second-half of September for Ken.

During August a problem was discovered trying to send DATV-Express DVB-T transmissions to the HiDes HV110 receiver. The HV110 receiver expects the PIDS for SDT and PAT to contain the same values…while the DATV-Express software just automatically set the SDT and PAT PID to the different default values. HV110 rejects these PIDs values and declares “NO SERVICE”. Other HiDes receiver models do not exhibit this restriction and work just fine with DATV-Express using DVB-T. Charles plans to make changes to DATV-Express code in v2.03 to allow setting SDT and PAT PIDs to the same values.

Art WA8RMC has completed preparations for an up and coming article in the next QST magazine (October issue) from ARRL.

Charles plans to provide a DATV-Express presentation at BATC General Meeting on Sept 07. Charles is also giving a simpler talk and a demonstration to the Worthing Club on the Sept 17. Ken plans to provide a DATV-Express presentation at TAPR Digital Communications Conference (DCC) on September 05…and a second presentation on “Recent Advances in Digital-ATV” at an ARRL Convention on Sept 13, in San Diego. Finally, Charles and Ken plan to begin alpha testing of the ODROID-U3 debian for release.

“moderate speed ahead”….de Ken W6HHC

[G4GUO]

Finally,

I had my first proper contact on DVB-T this weekend with Roy G4WTV.
I was using DATV-Express in 2 Mhz DVB-T mode with about 10 watts to
a collinear on 70 cms. Roy was using a Hides HV110 also with a collinear.
The distance was only a couple of miles but it is a start.

As the Hides UT100 series dongles now support 1 Mhz DVB-T I will
add that to the Express code in the next couple of days.

- Charles G4GUO

[f5oeo]

About HV110 issue to receive DATV Express...Explanation about PID should be the same for PAT and SDT is strange. It is mandatory that PAT is on PID 0 (ISO 13818-2) and SDT is on PID 17 (DVB-SI). Put the two tables is technically possible but does not follow the MPEG and DVB standard. It should be better to tell to hide be correct the bug instead of DATV-Express to become non standard compliant !

73's Evariste F5OEO

[G4GUO]

I didn't totally understand the email I received about the issue from them.

Hides have modified their software so it works with Express and I have modified
my software so mine follows the spec. So between us there is no longer a problem.

In the military they do interoperability testing just for this type of thing.

http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_84112.htm

[g8gtz]

The professional satellite / broadcast industry do interoperability testing on various manufacturers equipment and chip tests before it released on to the market:

http://www.worldbroadcastingunions.org/ ... 20Show.pdf