[amsat-bb] FoxTelem Version 1.07 released

[Burns Fisher]

Just a note to say that the 1.07y FoxTelem release is fully compatible with
Fox-in-a-Box.  I will be shipping it on FIAB SD cards bought from the AMSAT
store as of serial number 27 (any ordered after today).  In fact some
earlier cards have a prerelease 1.07 version (1.07v), which has a lot of
the features of 1.07y, but still some bugs.

The free SD card download is not yet updated, but keep an eye on the
readme.txt file in  http://burnsfisher.com/AMSAT/FoxInABox/.  I will also
(eventually) write some specific instructions for upgrading for people who
already have an FIAB.  Of course if you are comfortable with Linux, there
is nothing unusual required to upgrade except that the FIAB has its own
startup script.  You don't need to use the one that comes in the Linux
package.

73,
Burns, WB1FJ

On Sun, Mar 17, 2019 at 9:05 PM Chris Thompson <g0kla at arrl.net> wrote:

> I'm officially releasing version 1.07 of FoxTelem.  A test version has been
> out for a while, but it had several issues, including a lower decode rate
> than 1.06.  That prevented release for a while.  Those issues (and
> something like 65 other defects) are now all fixed and this decoder
> performs better than 1.06.  Feel free to test them side by side and report
> back if that is not the case for you.  We are always interested in any
> comparative results.
>
> In addition to defects in FoxTelem 1.06 and earlier versions of 1.07, this
> also introduces Doppler calculation with automatic adjustment of the
> decoder frequency.  This is especially useful for decoding beacons and has
> been helpful in testing for Fox-1A / AO-85 and Fox-1Cliff / AO-95 which are
> both in SAFE mode.   Decoding from Doppler takes a bit of configuration to
> get right.  Have a read of the new sections in the manual or ask for help
> if you want to give it a try.  There are pros and cons vs "Find Signal" for
> sure.
>
> Version 1.07 changes the core SDR within FoxTelem to use a Numerically
> Controlled Oscillator (NCO) rather than an FFT Filter for the conversion to
> base-band.  This produces better decodes and will allow the support of
> wider bandwidth SDRs in the future.  The old decoder is available still if
> needed from the settings screen. Read the manual for details.
>
> Version 1.07 also introduces two new BPSK decoders in advance of the Fox-1E
> launch.  (I have no inside information about when that will be, but I have
> the decoder ready :)  I also wrote some notes on the comparison between the
> two decoders, which you can read if you are interested in BPSK decoding
> performance, or just wonder what I do with my time in the evenings:
> http://www.g0kla.com/workbench/2019-03-09.php
>
> The releases are here:
> http://amsat.us/FoxTelem/windows/foxtelem_1.07y_windows.zip
> http://amsat.us/FoxTelem/linux/foxtelem_1.07y_linux.tar.gz
> http://amsat.us/FoxTelem/mac/foxtelem_1.07y_mac.tar.gz
>
> KEY CHANGES in 1.07
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> * Ability to add a new spacecraft from the menu.  You can also remove them.
> * Doppler calculation and tracking as an option instead of "Find Signal"
> * A better SDR based on a Numerically Controlled Oscillator, ready for
> wider SDRs
> * Two new PSK decoders - Costas Loop and Dotproduct
> * RTL dongle implemented for testing, though more work to do
> * Stops downloading keps when position calc is off
> * Allows toggling of high speed / DUV display when in auto mode
> * Fixed plotting issues for Earth plots
> * Fixes several crashes and bugs
> * Fixes copy paste issues with tables
> * Respects left/right audio preference when processing wav files
> * Implements formats for later spacecraft - Fox-1E and HuskySat
> * Linux and Mac launch script updated to locate the JVM (especially on
> Mac).  Please report if when this works/does not work
> * MEMS gyro calibration updated
> * Fixed a bug where AO-85 data from the server could not be stepped through
>
> And many other bug fixes. Full list of changes here:
> https://github.com/ac2cz/FoxTelem/milestone/12?closed=1
>
> Let me know any feedback.
>
> 73
> Chris
> G0KLA / AC2CZ
>
> --
> Chris E. Thompson
> chrisethompson at gmail.com
> g0kla at arrl.net
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