[TenTec] [Orion] "Technical Correspondence", August 2007 issue

[Martin AA6E]

The simplest definition of an SDR is a radio where the signal modulation 
and detection are done in a programmable digital processor.  Other 
digital filtering, mixing, and AGC are common in an SDR, but not essential.

By this definition, both the SDR-x000 and the Orion are SDRs.

The tech correspondence by Frank, AB2KT was about software development, 
not a particular commercial product.  Frank and a co-author apparently 
developed DttSP on their own.  They shared the source code after the 
product was developed.  By the way, the DttSP "core" does not seem to be 
actively developed or maintained.  The last update, according to 
SourceForge, was 2 years ago.  PowerSDR development, specific to Flex 
and to Windows (sigh), seems to be where the action is. It is still 
open, however.

Ten-Tec, for better or worse, follows the traditional proprietary and 
closed development process.

One of the main virtues of open source is the fact (or hope) that 
software gets developed faster and better for the benefit of the user 
community -- and, it just happens, also for the benefit of the hardware 
vendors.  It is good that the QST letter has highlighted that point of 
view.  (If someone wants to argue the reverse, let them also write a 
letter!)

I expect that an objective comparison of the Ten-Tec vs Flex product 
development would show that Flex has gotten more mature and capable 
software in less time and development cost than TT has.  Whether that 
means more people want to buy Flex systems, we'll have to leave to the 
market.

73 Martin AA6E


Kevin Purcell wrote:
> ...
> One comment this: Frank was "promoting" or clarifying the difference  
> between a general purpose SDR system and a DSP-based radio.
> 
> The SDR system he has written free software (i.e. GPLed not mere  
> freeware) Dtts which also FlexRadio happens to use. But other people  
> use it on other hardware (as he mentions in his letter). So hardly  
> marketing for a commercial product. You can get the builds and the  
> source here.
> ...