PowerSDR audio freezes

Manu Codas

Greetings to all I just bought a FLEX 3000
In order to use it buy a firewire adapter card, the problem is that when starting the power sdrunos minutes later the audio and panadapter is frozen, I think it is a problem with the card, I read a similar post with latency problems, but I did not understand how to fix it, I'm running a WIN 7.
Someone could help.

Sasi VK5SN

Very often it has to with the processing capacity of the computer. It is worth giving that a check. Lot of my problems disappeared when I switched to using PowerSDR developed and regularly improved by KE9NS http://ke9ns.com/flexpage.html Worth a try

WX7Y

Bring up PowerSDR and start it, Then bring up the Blue FLEXRADIO Icon and go into then click on the DPC button and watch the display for a while "15 to 30 minutes" look inside the Black bar and when the green bar gets all the way to the right look to the Right of the Black Box and see what it says to set the latency for.
Then click on the BUS button, and on the right hand side set the Operation Mode to what it said on the DPC window.
This may or not help.
The other thing you can try if this doesn't help is to try switching the FIREWIRE driver to a different driver

73's
Bret
WX7Y

DH2ID

Please read https://helpdesk.flexradio.com/hc/en-us/articles/206605796-Selecting-High-Performance-Firewire-Cards...
I use a Toughbook CF-52, which works well with firewire.
For PC cards, a TI chip works best.
73, Alex - DH2ID

Thomas Dove

I had this problem on a couple of different Macs, running Windows 7 under BootCamp. The Mac Firewire hardware is considered a good one for Flex radios, and the latency is in software. 

The latency problem is probably within Windows 7, and it will be a specific device driver.  In the Device Drivers window, you can double-click to open any specific driver and update or disable it. You can identify latency problems with a free app, but I forget the name of the one I used. Search with Google for it.

Once you find the faulty device driver, either turn it off or change to an alternative. For example, one of my machines had excess latency from the Atheros WiFi driver. I used an external WiFi adapter after turning off that driver.

Also change the Windows default 1394 (Firewire) driver back to the Legacy version. This is on the install disk in Windows 7 or you can download it from Microsoft for Windows 10. This fixed it for my other case.

It takes time to track down, but I'll bet it is software, not hardware.

-- 73 de Tom / K3ORC

Manu Codas

Thanks to all... Dear Tom I change the driver for legacy version already It any chance you explain the process to check latency more specifically? I don't find a app to check the latency... Thank in advance Manu

Bill -VA3WTB

It sounds to me you are simply losing connection.
Try changing the Firewire cable..
Make sure the Firewire card in your computer is compatible with PSDR.

Usually a Texas Instruments chipset. works well

Thomas Dove

Manu,

Latency is a common issue in Windows 7. Often, latency "spikes" at intervals and is not continuous. This explains why your system freezes.

DPC Latency Checker is a free download app that will locate the source, and then you go to Device Drivers and disable that source. If the latency source is a port essential to operation of the computer, as it was with my WiFi problem, you need to find a workaround. 

Not to start a religious war, but this is one reason many people working with professional audio and video processing used Macs instead of Windows 7.

It has been a couple of years since I did this and cannot remember the whole process exactly and my Flex station is 900 miles away at the moment. I did upgrade to Windows 10 and that reduced the latency problem, with no hardware changes, but I still use the Legacy driver for FireWire, as you have done. 

It's possible you have a hardware problem, but DPC Latency Checker should show you that. Search "Windows 7 latency checker" online to find a source and many descriptions of how to use it. Sorry I can't remember the whole process here.

-- 73 de Tom / K3ORC

Manu Codas

Thanks all for your response I tried all the ways so far nothing. Any another suggestion? Please.

Bill -VA3WTB

What is the chip set on the Fire wire card? is it compatible?
I still think you are losing connection,
Perhaps file a help desk ticket and have them help you?

Thomas Dove

Manu,

Here's another thread from three years ago that may help you (it is also listed under "Related Conversations" on this page):

   https://community.flexradio.com/flexradio/topics/powersdr_audio_and_panadapter_freezes?topic-reply-l...

73 de Tom / K3ORC

Manu Codas

Dear all Thanks for the response I was using a vía chipset now I change for agere and now I will try to fix Installing windows 10. I will report this night Thanks

Manu Codas

greetings to all
An update, I installed a board with agere chipset and this one has worked much better.
in fact I do not have any more freezing until I decide to transmit it is there when it hangs up again ... sometimes the audio is also quite short.
I am currently looking to update to the latest drivers.
I used the latency mom who does not find latency problems right now.
It really works best with this plate although it is still colganfdo is very unstable at times.