NM9P's idea: dockable, programmable buttons for functions

W9XC

In his post about the ARRL DX/SSB contest, NM9P suggested:

"A dockable panel of programmable buttons that I can define for my most-used functions so that they are only a single-click away. (RX ant, TX ant, Swap Slice, Toggle active slice, FAV bands, filter selection, etc.)"

I think this is actually a pretty radical idea -- one of those unforeseen new modalities possible with an SDR like the Flex.  It means, in effect, that the 6000s would have a very simple-to-construct, user-definable / software-defined interface. Other radios (e.g., Elecrafts) have a pair of programmable function buttons, which are very useful. But Ken's idea goes much farther - program *all* of one's frequent functionality into an interface panel (or panels?) of one's own design. If the panel included other modalities besides buttons, (sliders, "radio buttons", who knows) it could be amazing. Make the rig look and feel like you want it to, to an extent. The beautiful 6000 hardware is just a back-end server on a shelf somewhere at the end of a cable. SSDR is 'just' a toolkit, a UI/functionality server to the panel(s).  One would be operating 95% of the time from one's own panel, from an interface optimized to one's own needs and functional patterns.

(In a sense the 6000s already do have "a user-definable / software-defined user interface" if one wants to program an app to the ethernet/API spec as K6TU has done and others are doing. But Ken's idea is a lightweight user-centric approach.)

If SmartSDR is as modular as we all hope it is, this "shouldn't be all that hard to do" (programmers' lament  .

- Les, W9XC

Charles - K5UA

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.

Ken - NM9P

Thanks for running with my idea and fleshing it out a bit more.  I have been really busy this week and have not been able to port out several Ideas from my "Praise" post as individual "Ideas" so others can vote on them.  I hope to do the same on several other ideas but Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent have kept this pastor busy! hi hi.  (Not to mention my wife and 6 year-old son!)  Feel free to do the same with any of my other ideas you like...

Sergey R5AU

Les,

thank you for return to that, i bring this subject couple month ago, but in any way, dockable GUI will unload PAN screen. First of all many of us use 2 displays, and wonna to have more suitable grafic surface, second: some menu items i guess we would like to have visible without additional "clicks", 3rd: PAN width can be used more efficiently in perspective with PanaFall, this is IMHO but i think a part of replies on topic.

 

W9XC

Sergey, to quote K5UA, "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes."

Especially on your #2. This might ease Flex's design burden as well: they don't have to figure out the absolute 'right' things to put at top levels vs buried - users can do that on their own in the panel.

- Les, W9XC

Sergey R5AU

Seems:  "users can do that on their own in the panel" is a key of the WIN GUI ideology