[hpsdr] Thought for the future

[Jason Hitesman]

This is way premature at this point.  But it's an idea I've been kicking
around in my head for along time and wanted to share with the group to see
what others thought.  It has to do with user interfaces for SDR's and
getting over the limitations of the computer.  It's really more of a
software issue than a hardware issue...but with the possiblity of sasquatch
it could also tie into a hardware discussion.

Basically the idea is to use MIDI to interface physical controls for the
radio so users aren't locked into the keyboard and mouse.  The use of jog
shuttles already seems to be somewhat common.  But I'm thinking we could go
so much futher by leveraging the existing MIDI interface.  And once again
I'm drawing inspiration from another one of my interests to try and bring a
"new" idea to the radio community.  I know when I think of MIDI I used to
just think of those annoying synthysized songs some people stick on their
webpages.  I only considered it a way of composing, storing and playing back
"notes" and nothing more.   Then a few years ago I learned of MIDI interface
devices used by video editors (which is where the USB jog shuttles
originated).   And finally a few years ago I learned of a group dedicated to
homebrewing their own MIDI interfaces.  Suddenly I realized that MIDI is
more than just a way of storing song information.  It's also a pre-existing
interface for attaching physical controls to software.

I've since built a few homemade MIDI projects and admired dozens of other
peoples out of the box ideas.  Most of them are still used for music
applications but I've seen some that were used as game controllers as well
as for controlling video editing software and other software that emulates
physical devices we're used to interacting with through knobs, buttons,
lights and other controls.

Then one day looking at some other peoples creations I saw one that looked
more like the front panel of a communications radio than something you'd see
in a music studio.

The key to all this is another open source project - midibox:
http://midibox.org/  It's a modular pic based system.  It starts with a
"Core" module that handles all the I/O and can interface to a number of
analog and digital in and out modules making an easy way to interface to -
pots (both twist and slide), encoders, LED's, pushbuttons, and even LCD
displays (both text and graphical).  In other words everything that's needed
to build a full control surface for a radio.

With a some changes to PowerSDR so it could send and recieve MIDI events it
would be possible for each person to custom design and build a physical
interface to their SDR anyway they wanted.  From just a simple jog shuttle
made out of a digital encoder, maybe with a few function buttons.  To full
control over filters, modes, DSP configs, band display - anything you've
seen on commercial radios...and more that no one has thought of yet.  You
could even use banks to store configs and rapidly reconfigure the radio on
the fly.

That would be a relatively easy first step - but you'd still be tied to a
computer.  With sasquatch onboard if there were a way to work a midi
inteface into the system (maybe yet another optional card...perhaps Calliope
from the greek muse of song as a nod to the musical origins of MIDI?  It's a
little late to incorporate a MIDI interface into Janus or Ozy unfortunatly
but perhaps in a future reversion it would be an idea to persue.) then all
the building blocks would be in place to create a full stand alone rig that
could still be easily reconfigured through software for all kinds of uses.


But like I said I'm just thinking out loud here and this is somewhat
premature in many ways (and late in others since the I/O boards are already
in alpha) and wondered what others thought of the idea.  I keep meaning to
have a look at the source for PowerSDR but my C++ is pretty rusty and I keep
putting it off...and with a few softrocks as the only radios I have to use
with it at this point I've had little incentive to move forward on my
ideas.  But with my Atlas boards sitting here it's gotten me already
starting to think about using this beast at some point :D

----
Jason Hitesman
N8INJ
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