Slice Master 6000 v0.9.22 is now available

K1DBO

Fldigi "click-tune" and better HRD split support are waiting for you in this release of Slice Master 6000.  As usual, click your way over to https://github.com/K1DBO/slice-master-6000 The README file there will tell you a bit more about how to get started.  

Fldigi support just got a little nicer.  You can now use SmartSDR in RTTY mode and click to tune to a RTTY signal in flDigi.  In the other direction, clicking the QSY button in flDigi will cause the radio to center on the currently selected frequency.  This also works with other digimodes using DIGL and DIGU.  Note that the default 'frequencies' file in flDigi uses USB and LSB for digimodes.  Consider editing your version to use PKTUSB instead as this maps to SmartSDR's DIGU mode.

I'm still working out the details of split operation in HRD and also through the TCP CAT listeners.  These details have more to do with expectations than anything else.  Most of what I've seen for split operation assumes that you'll always be using only slice A and B.  I like to think of the Flex as more than that. Slice Master tries to give the impression of multiple radios dedicated to the operation of your third party applications.  It also tries to keep the third party applications from interfering with each other... giving them just the slice or two that they need.  This release goes a bit further down that path.

Enjoy!

--Don

mlstutler

Just downloaded it.  Loads fine no issues.  thanks

LarryF

Hi Don Thank you for all work you are doing Slice. Great work. I will use it as soon as I get my station back together. Ke2yc Larry

LarryF

Hi Don Thank you for all the work you have put into Slice 6k. I will use as soon as I get my station back together. Ke2yc Larry

K1DBO

Hi Larry,

You're welcome.  I look forward to reading your bug reports!

Andy - KU7T

If I wanted to send CW skimmer spots from multiple bands to RBN, would I use the built-in aggregator or aggregate multiple skimmers in the RBN aggregator? Thanks and 73, Andy KU7T

K1DBO

Hi Andy,

The built-in aggregation server is to consolidate the spots from the CW Skimmers that Slice Master launches.  This works great for sending your skimmer spots to a local logging program or band map.  To send spots to the RBN, the RBN aggregator is the right way to go, but you dont have to configure it to connect to all of the CW Skimmers that Slice Master might launch.  Instead, just configure it to connect to the aggregation server in Slice Master.  

--Don

Andy - KU7T

Don,

thanks for the help. I got the CW Skimmer launching part working. But the RBN aggregation part seems to be not working.

First try was to connect RBN aggregator to the SliceMaster aggregation server. That seems to connect half way, but not finish. RBN aggregator does not think any connection is established, even though it shows the initial greeting message. Have you tested this? I am asking because sometimes these telnet communications required a specific handshake, and if it is not exactly right, it won't work.

So, I tried to connect it to the individual CW Skimmers. However, it tells me "invalid password" and I do not know the password that SliceMaster uses.  Got to be in some help file, but could not find it. 

Any ideas?

Thanks
Andy
KU7T

Andy - KU7T

And by the way, I can connect to the SliceMaster aggregator with Putty. So RBN aggregator or Slice Master aggregator do not play together...

K1DBO

Hi Andy,

I should have mentioned in my first reply to you that the RBN aggregator's configuration is a bit different when connecting to an aggregration server like Slice Master's rather than directly to a CW Skimmer instance.  

In RBN Aggregator, select the 'Combined Skimmers' tab and fill out all of the fields and enable the check box at the top.  When connecting to a CW Skimmer instance the RBN Aggregator pulls most of this information from the login handshake.  Since Slice Master doesnt provide this information in the handshake it's necessary to add it manually.

Then, on the RBN Aggregator's Connections tab, fill out the 'Primary Skimmer Connection' section to point at Slice Master's aggregation server and hit the Connect button.  All should be well.... if not... let me know.

--Don

Andy - KU7T

Excellent! That did it. Skimmer and RBN working... 

73
Andy
KU7T

Andy - KU7T

Don, 
SliceMaster seems to work very well, especially when I switch SmartSDR from one computer to another (local shack computer to laptop on the road). I really like it that the skimmer windows keep doing what they are supposed to do on the shack computer, no matter what.

Couple of smaller things I noticed. 
1. CPU utilization of SliceMaster seems to much for what it is doing.
2. I got 2 slices running and CW skimmer assigned to them. However, there are 4 skimers running.  Maybe it should be more aggressive of killing these when switching or re-launching them?

73,
Andy
KU7T

K1DBO

Hi Andy,

I agree the CPU usage looks high here.  I usually expect somewhere around 0% with spikes to 5 or 6%.  Are there any error messages showing up in the Slice Master status area? 

The CPU usage could be related to the extra CW Skimmers you are seeing.  Slice Master is very aggressive about managing them.  I've considered adding code to **** any that were still running when Slice Master shuts down, but since I havent seen the problem recently I've put that thought aside. Great care has to be taken when running multiple CW Skimmers.  It really wasnt designed for it.  Normally though, you should see two CW Skimmer's in the task manager for each slice that is using one.  This is just the way CW Skimmer works.  In your case, it's pretty obvious though that there are more CW Skimmers running than needed.

When you shutdown Slice Master, are there any CW Skimmers still running?  

I'm very interested getting to the bottom of this issue.  If you dont mind, try rebooting your computer then see if you can reproduce the problem.  If it pops up again, and you are interested in playing along, send me an email so we can investigate further.

Thanks!

--Don

David NT8Y

Installed v0.9.22 yesterday and was easy to setup for my use with my 6600M and wsjt-x. I have powered Bose speakers attached to the 6600M. Before installing Slice Master receive audio from the rig was normal and no transmit audio noise/ sound as normal. After installing Slice Master the receive audio is still out of the rig as usual however when wsjt keys the rig to transmit I get transmit sound from my PC powered speakers, no receive audio. I have the correct flex audio sound for both transmit and audio selected as before. Any thoughts on why my PC now plays transmit carrier sound? Active PC sound for record and play are correct for PC (not the Flex soundcards).Thanks.

K1DBO

Hi David,

My guess is that you were exploring the Mix tab in Slice Master and unmuted the TX audio.  



This corresponds to the MON function on SmartSDR's P/CW tab of the Radio Panel.

--Don

David NT8Y

I may have this checked, I will check it when I get back home. Thanks for the tip.

Andy - KU7T

Don,

Couple of points about Slice master. I have been using it a little bit, and seems to work pretty good. 

CW Skimmer processes:
I am still seeing the ghost CW Skimmer processes. I have two slices in 6600M, launch Slice master, and it will immediately launch 4 CW skimmers. Closing Slice master, they go away, launching it again, all 4 come back. I noticed that usually the memory consumption of one is low and the other one is high. I wonder if this has to do with 64 bit computer...

Slice master minimized:
I use batch program to launch all my radio software with one click (DAX, CAT, DD3Util, GH server, GH client, Elecraft W2, RBN aggregator and slice master.  Is it possible to lauch slice master MINIMIZED?


Thanks
Andy
KU7T

Rich McCabe

"I've considered adding code to **** any that were still running when Slice Master shuts down"

You have my vote on this one !

K1DBO

Hi Andy,

If the CW Skimmer processes are starting and stopping with Slice Master I'd say it's all working as expected.  CW Skimmer normally shows two processes per instance in the task manager.

Slice Master remembers its window state.  So if you close it while it's minimized it will come back minimized. But if you want to add some start up options to a shortcut, you can pick and choose from this list:

  --window-width WIDTH  width in pixels of main window   --window-height HEIGHT                         height in pixels of main window   --window-x X          x position of main window   --window-y Y          y position of main window   --window-minimized BOOL                         start main window minimized  

Enjoy!     --Don