Any chance that the SmartSDR client will be available for the Mac OS?

James

I am interested in purchasing the 6700, but not interested in purchasing a Windows computer. Any prospect for the near future?

Stu Phillips - K6TU

Although not the answer you are looking for, I run SmartSDR under Parallels 9 on my Mac. In other words, a virtual machine that has Windows running in it under Mac OS X as the host operating system. I also run Linux on the same Mac under Parallels as well... I am developing an iPad application that allows full control of the radio functionality and uses SmartSDR (under Windows) as the display. SmartSDR runs perfectly under the Windows/Parallel solution. Note that MacLoggerDX (native MAC OS X software) has support for the 6000 series built in. Stu K6TU

James

Thanks for that. I also run Linux, but on a SGI UV 20, but I want to keep it pure! I am in no hurry, would like a 6700, but there are a few other nice options, and the money I save could be spent on a nicer antenna. I will check out the logging software that you mentioned. Cheers!

K6OZY

Interestingly though, I cannot get SmartSDR to run in Parallels as well as native windows. I am using a fast 15" laptop too - Macbook Pro Retina 2.7ghz i7. in boot camp windows 7, it runs perfectly. In OSX on Parallels 8 or 9 Win7, SmartSDR cannot run more than one pan adapter before it starts chugging and pausing the FFT display. Also, when you click on the "Band" button, the frame rate tanks while the menu flyout is visible. I've reported that, but it's likely a low priority. So, even though I am a mac nut, I cannot give a full approval for SmartSDR under Parallels. The best performer is to get into windows natively.

DonS

I have a 27" iMAC running Parallels 9 with Win 7 Pro and I have not really noticed any issues. When I click the Band button nothing changes on the panadaptor. Perhaps your Mac Pro is the issue? I don't know.

K6OZY

I agree that it could be a difference in HW platform. The iMac does use desktop versions of the CPUs and a slightly better mobile GPU. But I am using the most current, most expensive version of their best laptop. It's a Quad core i7 2.7ghz 16GB memory, GT650M 1GB 512GB SSD, and is no slouch at all. It's blazing fast. If it can't run well on it, then there is an issue. The FFT decays over about a minute after creation. For a bit there is no FPS drop, but after a while it starts stuttering and never recovers until you destroy the panadapter and return to one. I live on this laptop every day 24/7 since I work from home, and always have parallels and SSDR running. I do notice it. My 6700 is used in one pan adapter mode nearly 100% of the time because of this. I can run SSDR on an Asus S400CA i3 barebones $500 laptop in w8 with no issues at all. So there is obviously an emulation issue going on here. My bet it is with the GPU acceleration DX emulation. I am looking forward to a native app sooner than later, but have a feeling it will be 2015 if that. /sadpanda

DonS

Obviously based on what you are experiencing there is something wrong. All I know is what I am seeing and I am not experiencing the problems you describe. I am relatively new to the MAC world - since the end of July - when I moved from the PC world to the MAC world so I am sure you know more about MACs than I do.

Stu Phillips - K6TU

I have the same model and no problems. Are you WiFi connected or wired? If WiFi, check and see whether you have an interfering access point on the same channel - perhaps a neighbor? Also, how much memory and cores do you have allocated via Parallels to the Windows VM? I can run full screen on a 27" Apple display with all pan adaptors running at full frame rate with no stutters. I'm GigE connected to the radio. Stu K6TU

K6OZY

I'm using 4 vCPU 8GB memory and wired. I'm using the laptop closed, attached to an external 1080p screen and the VM is only running at 720p resolution. This problem exists with Parallels 8 and now 9. I'm installing VMware Fusion 6 to try as well. The issue existed in VMware 5 also.

Stu Phillips - K6TU

Don't know what to tell you - I have the same configuration and no stutters. Hmmm... wait a minute, I do have one more question... do you have both the radio and the Mac plugged into the same Ethernet hub/switch and if so, what brand is it? I have several name brand Ethernet 4 port switches that do very poorly with concurrent port access on the same device - its a known problem with some of the 4 or 5 port Ethernet switch chips. My configuration has multiple switches and the radio/Mac are on different devices although the same logical Ethernet. Just trying to troubleshoot this as what you are seeing isn't replicable here. Stu K6TU

K6OZY

Both are on the same NetGear 16 port switch. I highly doubt it's that because if I boot into Windows 7 Bootcamp its perfect. When Mavericks comes out, I am thinking of nuking and starting over to get a fresh start. Is your laptop closed while using your external screen? I'm wondering if I'm hitting thermal limits. With the laptop closed, heat is always trapped more for sure, and iStat Menu confirms that. The laptop automatically turns off dynamic GPU selection when I am using my HDMI port on the laptop. I use a program called gfxCardStatus to inspect if it is using the HD4000 or NVidia GPU. Can you tell me if you are using your laptop closed, and perhaps install gfxCardStatus and tell me which GPU is in use while you are not having any issues? http://gfx.io

Steve-N5AC

I have an MBPr 15 loaded to the hilt and it suffers as Chris suggests in Parallels 8. I don't use boot camp because I run Windows, OSX and Ubuntu all at the same time with lots of things going on and I hate to reboot. In fact I generally have two radios NFS booted off my MBPr, one at home and one at the office. I generally use wired Ethernet all the time because GDB runs about twice as fast with the reduction in latency afforded by wired Ethernet. I also have about an early 2012 iMac 27 and it also suffers, but only after about 3 panadapters. I think it makes sense for us to get one of the .NET performance analysis tools and see if there is anything obvious we could do. Early on we did find a memory churning issue as we rolled through the panadapter at 30fps and this has been fixed (this issue was almost a year ago). We are using a fairly new technology on Windows (WPF) and while we like it, like any new technology there are some challenges. WPF bought us an additional engineer on the project because we were able to take a "graphics person" and turn them into a GUI developer, working directly in Microsoft Visual Studio / Expression Blend to craft the GUI so this made it a "big win." The decision to use WPF was certainly not obvious at the outset. EDIT: Two additional things - what we're seeing on Parallels could easily be WPF or Parallels also and we could have no control over the behavior. Also, the topic was about a OSX client and I think this is really the right answer also.

Tim - W4TME

The architecture of the FLEX-6000 easily lends itself to creating different clients (GUIs) on different platforms. As Stu noted, there is already an iPad app in alpha/beta testing and the SmartSDR CAT is another example of a separate client communicating with the FLEX-6000 at the same time. If I had to guess, I would say that some enterprising software developer will probably be making clients for OSX and Linux in due course.

Stu Phillips - K6TU

I upgraded recently to Parallels 9 - one of the features they advertised was improved graphic acceleration. I use both the Macbook screen and the external monitor. Stu

DonS

I upgraded to v9 over the weekend.

James

Tim, et el; Thank you for the responses to my desire for a Mac OS X client. Seems like the answer is, no, for that to happen. At this time in my life, I have put away my C programming gloves, I happily left that at the lab, and am focusing on operating fun and landscape photography. I know that Parallels will work, thanks all for the suggestion, but I'll stick to what I have and just move on. Thanks to all, cheers!

Stu Phillips - K6TU

Keep your eyes open... there will be one at some point. Stu K6TU PS: In the meantime, you are missing out on a fine radio! Thinking of it as a Phase 1 160 MegaPixel back for your Alpa camera. :-)

James

How about one+ for two. My IQ180 is coupled with a nice 645DF, Love the detail!

Ali 9K2WA

I have already seen your iPad App on the YouTube video Stu , its great, I am waiting for the day when I can take my iPad wherever I go, not only to control the Flex but also TX/RX and dance with it at the same time, this is not a dream, the dream was to have a Flex like the 6700. Thanks, excellent effort Stu

Stu Phillips - K6TU

Ali, Some folks are already using K6TU Control and Skype to command the radio in their home... works great! It will be some time before the pure remote App is completed... so no predictions of the date right now. Thanks for the positive feedback! Stu K6TU

Martin Smith

Ipad app.... whooah... nice one Stu. Sounds like a great idea to me. 73

David Decoons, wo2x

Now if someone develops a client with built in VoIP protocol...... THAT would be sweet! Similar to what ARCP990 does with the Kenwood TS-990. Dave wo2x

Tim - W4TME

It is coming. It will be part of the Remote operation over the WAN feature

David Decoons, wo2x

Very cool! Dave wo2x

James Nelson

Do I sniff an android version in the air too ?

Tim - W4TME

Let me clarify my previous statement. What I was referring to in the functional context of the comparison to ARCP990, is that we will have a facility to transport audio over a wide area IP network (Internet) which technically isn't VoIP. VoIP is a collection of IP based telephony protocols used over the Internet (SIP, RTP, RTCP, MGCP, etc...).

Tim - W4TME

There is no reason why someone can't write an Android client for the FLEX-6000 either. Or OS/2, SunOS, BSD UNIX, etc....

Mike - ZL1MRC

Hi all, had any one had an update on the MAC and IPAD clients?  Most interested..  Running 100% MAC now and like magic all my PC issues have gone!

73,
Mike ZL1MRC

Jeff Flading

Anyone aware of the 2017 status on this topic of fully supported Mac OS version of SDR?  Would be enough to tip me over as this is the year to get my 6700.  I know how to run Windows on Mac - currently use VM Ware to run some other Windows ham software.  But for something as expensive and nice as a 6700 - would be nice to have full clean software support.  Jeff - KM4FTK

George KF2T

Jeff - the best desktop client is DogPark SDR, which allows 2 panadapters, supports transverters, CWX, and almost everything else in a clean Mac UI. Much as I like SmartSDR (it IS a wonder of good programming), I have gone to DPSDR for 100% of my 6500 operating. 

Ria

That's depressing. Not only due to the fact that I have to pay $95 but that it only has 2 panadapters and to me is a mere shadow of SmartSDR. I may be forced to bootcamp my work mac so I can play radio on the late nights at the office... but I use my iPad instead.