Ken W6HHC continued to test the alpha-version of v2.04 deb file for the ODROID U3. (Although other household duties have eaten into his spare time for ham radio and DATV-Express project.) A Hauppauge HD-PVR model 1212 was obtained on e-bay and successfully transmitted H.264 video (using an NTSC camera and an NTSC EMPREX “slide show generator” unit) to the AMIKO STB. Charles had discovered that the HD-PVR encoder typically requires a FW update (hdpvr_1.7.1.30059 available for free download from Hauppauge support page) to prevent instability, especially running on Linux. The Linux drivers for HD-PVR that were supplied with the ODROID Lubuntu v14.04 LTS distribution worked great. This was the first time that Ken had been able to display DVB-S with H.264 video payload on the AMIKO STB that had been purchased for that purpose. Ken’s only previous STB experience had been with a ViewSat VS2000 STB that did NOT require a STB scan to find and display the video. The new AMIKO STB would only display LOCK. 100% QUALITY, and a blank screen…until G4GUO suggested performing a SCAN on the AMIKO. The remaining tasks before releasing v2.04 for ODROID are:
1) Start the UDP feature testing without using Express_Server
2) Then plan to test UDP testing using the Express_Server
3) Then plan to update User Guide for ODROID
Ken’s time will continue to be impacted by visiting relatives in June and also diversion by Field Day preparations, also in June.
Photo of first H.264 Video from HD-PVR that is being displayed by AMIKO STB.
Obtaining the 4:3 aspect-ratio using AMIKO still needs to be sorted out
Art WA8RMC was busy hosting an ATV Forum at the HamVention in Dayton during May. Art reported that attendance at the ATV Forum was about 55 people (up from only 22 people in 2014). Art tested the beta-version of v2.04 for ODROID and confirmed that the extended PID range allowed receiving his DVB-T signal on the HiDes HV-110 receiver. But Art reported that the received DVB-T (using 2 MHz bandwidth) became unstable while transmitting. Ken is suspicious that one of the ARM cores may be saturating while trying to run at 2 MHz BW. This 2 MHz BW DVB-T instability on ODROID v2.04 beta is being investigated.
Charles G4GUO reported that his development work is starting to wind down on DATV-Express, although he continues to provide all of the support efforts necessary. Charles has started to look at (a) the Lime LMS6002D / Xilinx 7020 Zynq combo as a possible next generation DATV transceiver. (Charles reports a steep learning curve is encountered on Zynq FPGA) and (b) trying to finish off a load of projects that have been hanging around his lab for sometime…like an Arduino-based solder-reflow oven using a 'toaster oven'.
Testing on ODROID V2.04 beta-software will continue, including investigations described above concerning 2 MHz bandwidth DVB-T instability with the DATV-Express.
"project is set to slow speed"....de Ken W6HHC