[hpsdr] Radio (Board) Identification

[Doug Adams]

Joe,

Thank you for your comments.

Does the firmware file contain the byte representing the Device ID or is it somehow derived by the firmware from the hardware of the board?

I would like to be able to prevent (or maybe just warn) a user from selecting an inappropriate firmware file for their Radio. With the current Board ID I can identify the "sub-type" of the Radio (i.e. Metis, Hermes, Angelia, etc). If the firmware file contains the Device ID (maybe someone can tell me how to find that byte in the firmware file), I could compare that to the Device ID of the Radio. Matching those would get me part way to my intent.

I'm in the process of adding Firmware Programming into my own SDR app (on a Mac). If you can picture it, I have two lists on screen; a list of the Radios my app can see on the networks attached to the Mac and a list of the Firmware files it can find at various places on the Mac. I expect the user to select a Radio from the first list and a Firmware file from the second list at which point the Erase & Program button is enabled.

The question I've been unable to answer is; how to know that I am about to program my Radio with a Firmware version that is somehow inappropriate?

There is another layer to Radio (not Board) identification. As you point out, any one firmware file might be used in multiple Radios. Unfortunately, two Radios with the same Board ID might require different firmware.

You also mentioned that the firmware version is reported in the protocol. I agree however I believe some versions are being distinguished by placing a letter after the version (e.g. Hermes v2.9b) and I don't believe the suffix is retained or reported back.

As far as naming the firmware files goes, each of us can do that ourselves after downloading them but it would be nice if there was an agreed upon naming scheme being used by the creators of the files. It might avoid some errors.

Partly my motivation is simply "getting it right" but partly it's because I also see entries in this list where someone has gotten the wrong firmware installed.

On Aug 11, 2014, at 10:12 AM, Joe Martin K5SO <k5so at valornet.com> wrote:

> Hi Doug, 
> 
> Interesting proposal that deserves some thought.   I don’t disagree that our present system is not a perfect arrangement.  
> 
> Keep in mind however that the Board ID is not the only ID parameter ID that is passed in the packets, the actual firmware version is also passed in the packets in a different byte

> .......  
> 
> While I certainly appreciate that we might want to specify which specific board type is in use (which we do already in a general sense with the current coarse board ID value) the firmware is used in many cases in a variety of hardware configurations

> .......  
> 
> 73,  Joe K5SO
> 

73’s 
Doug - K3TZR






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