DATV-Express Project - August update report

[KenW6HHC]

Charles G4GUO has been working with a new SDR board called the ADALM-PLUTO from Analog Devices. This USB2-based unit is full-duplex Tx/Rx and current model can be software-modified to operate from 48 MHz - 6 GHz on transmit and 70 MHz - 6 GHz on receive. PLUTO produces about 1 mW output.

• • 12-bit ADC and DAC
  • GNU Radio sink and source blocks
  • List price US$150
  • Introductory price US$100

G4GUO has released an experimental version of PLUTO-Express software, v1.25p1, that is based on the DATV-Express software. The software can be downloaded from
https://www.dropbox.com/s/8oi6x1xpnt1dw ... 1.zip?dl=0
A nice feature that Charles has/will include is to add a Hardware-Abstraction-Layer to his software. This will allow the DATV-Express software on Windows to drive either:

• • PLUTO board (Tx/Rx)
  • LimeSDR board (Tx/Rx)
  • classic DATV-Express modulator board (Tx only)

Ken W6HHC was able to purchase an “introductory” PLUTO unit from DigiKey-USA and has it running on Win10 with the experimental PLUTO-Express v1.25p1.

PLUTO Tx/Rx SDR unit from Analog Devices being run by G4GUO’s PLUTO-Express software at 1.290 GHz DVB-S
(NOTE – the DATV-Express board is not powered up in photo.)

The only bad news is that DigiKey-USA and DigiKey-UK have currently run out of stock (as of 2017-08-31) on these ADALM-PLUTO SDR units.

Art WA8RMC reports there are only three DATV-Express boards left in inventory. Art WA8RMC also continues to “hack away” and electrically re-designing for a smaller/cheaper PCBA for the MiniTiouner V2 designed by Jean Pierre F6DZP. So far, Art has finished a finalized-draft schematic in AutoCAD and turned the design over to Tom WB6P to capture and do a gerber producing PCB layout with PADs/Designer DX. The goal is to have an assembled-and-tested version of the MiniTiouner-V2 that could be sold to hams for around USD75-to-80+shipping (+VAT where applicable).

Ken W6HHC reports that he has released an updated version 12 of the USERS GUIDE for Windows with v1.25 software. The minor changes include some:

• • Includes some new useful notes provided by Charles G4GUO on how the video formats selections work in Section 4.2.3 - VIDEO - Device Formats field
  • A new Section 5.6 has been added to acknowledge that the DATV-Express board can be used as the modulator board with the BATC Portsdown Project software running on a Raspberry Pi -3.

Good news – Hiroshi JA1SYK reported back to the Project Team that he confirmed the changes in v1.25 now allows the software to work better for selecting cameras with Windows OS for Japan. The latest DATV-Express Users Guide for Windows can be downloaded from the http://www.DATV-Express.com web site.

G4GUO reports that he is working on a CAT17 presentation about using the PLUTO SDR board. The presentation will be pre-recorded for the BATC conference that is scheduled for September 9 and 10. Hopefully the BATC will provide for the video to be watchable afterwards for viewers who can not physically make the journey to the conference.


“Project speed set to slow” …. de Ken W6HHC

[KenW6HHC]

Just a short update on availability of PLUTO SDR units from Analog Devices.
On 2017-09-01, Analog Devices wiki for PLUTO posted the following information
"We are shipping (Yeah!). We are sold out. (Boo, bad on us). We built 1000 units, and they were shipped/sold in less than 4 days. We are in process of building more"

That is encouraging info to me....de Ken W6HHC

[IU2KAC]

I saw that to receive the images transmitted by Adalm Pluto you used the Field Meter (SatLink).
I have the same tool but I can't receive.
What parameters did you use on SatLink to receive images from Pluto? ...
Thanks for the reply.

[KenW6HHC]

Hi Durante IU2KAC

SatLink should use the same parameters to receive any DATV transmitter (PLUTO does NOT create any special needs).
Have you received any DATV station video using PLUTO? As I remember my SatLink DOES NOT receive DVB-S2

If this is your first attempt to receive a DATV signal, please tell me your planned frequency and SymbolRate and FEC configuration and whether DVB-S or DVB-S2.

I will be leaving on vacation on Monday...so I may not be able to respond back to you till August 10 (or so).

73...de Ken W6HHC

[IU2KAC]

Hi Ken W6HHC,

Looking at your image on the post, I see that you have received on your SatLink the image transmitted by the Pluto on the 1,290 GHz.
Have you set the same frequency on the SatLink (1,290 GHz) in DVB-S2? ....
I have tried but it does not allow me to do it.
In practice I would like to deactivate OL but it won't let me do it.
I would like to use SatLink as a normal receiver.

[IU2KAC]

Ahh I succeeded!
For example on the Pluto set the frequency 1.245 GHz, to receive it on the SatLink you need to set the frequency 10.995 GHz. (9.750 + 1.245 = 10.995 GHz).