SmartSDR v2.2.8 Now Available

Tim - W4TME

FlexRadio Systems announces the immediate availability of SmartSDR v2.2.8 for the FLEX-6000 Signature Series SDRs.  SmartSDR v2.2.8 is a General Availability (GA) release containing new features and fixes for SmartSDR for Windows, SmartSDR for Maestro, SmartSDR CAT and DAX.

SmartSDR 2.2.8 can be downloaded from the FlexRadio Systems web site. Please download and review the SmartSDR v2.2.8 Release Notes prior to installing SmartSDR v2.2.8 to ensure an optimal software installation experience.

A software license for the FLEX-6000 is required to run SmartSDR v2.2.8.  If your FLEX-6000 has been authorized to run a previous version of SmartSDRv2, re-authorization is not required.

All owners of the Limited Edition (LE) FLEX-6700 and FLEX-6500 SDRs or radios sold after May 19, 2017, have been pre-authorized for SmartSDR v2 and do not require the purchase of a SmartSDR v2 license.  To run SmartSDR v2 on all other radios requires the purchase of a software license for the radio.

Obtaining and validating a license for your FLEX-6000 software defined radio is a simple process.  Once the radio and client have network access to the Internet, just load any version of the SmartSDR v2 software on your PC or Maestro.  In the radio chooser, if a radio requires a license, a status message will indicate a license is required before connecting to the radio and updating the firmware.  A “Buy” button is also presented so that you can conveniently purchase a SmartSDRv2 license using our Online Store.  Please see details below regarding purchasing a SmartSDR software license for your radio.

The following highlights are SmartSDR specific items:

New Program Icons: Due to the current marketing effort associated with the rebranding of FlexRadio, the SmartSDR for Windows, SmartSDR CAT and DAX program icons have a new look and color scheme.

Performance Improvements:  Firmware modifications drastically improved RX->TX->RX switching speed along with other internal performance enhancements.

Slice “Flag” and Panadapter Enhancements: Added peak indicator to the S-Meter.  Added the ability to switch from dBm to S units for the S-meter digital readout by clicking on the readout.  When a slice flag is minimized, the frequency readout is displayed. The area below the spectrum display is now color filled with user-selectable colors and intensity.

Enabling Split Mode Made Easier: On the Slice “flag” there is a SPLIT button that makes creating a new “split” (child) slice from the parent slice.  Clicking on the SPLIT indicator will remove the split child slice.  The Split command has also been added to the FlexControl.

Modified TURF Files: The TURF files for Belgium (EU04) expanded the 160m band allocation to 1.810 - 2.0 MHz, for the Netherlands (EU13), the new IARU Region 1 60m allocations have been added and for IARU Region 2, transmit is now allowed on the frequencies used by the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency.
 
Default Microphone Profile Change: The Default mic profile now uses the FMH-2 mic profile rather than the older FHM-2 profile to improve the “out of box experience” when using the supplied hand mic.
 
Persistence and Profiles: Fixed persistence issue when restoring XVTR Slices.  Underscore character now displays properly in TX Profile Name. Profiles are not properly sorted in alphabetical order (not case sensitive).  Profiles are now displayed after import without requiring a reboot.

Boot up logic fixed for M Model Radios: Inconsistencies with M model radios not booting directly to SmartSDR and showing the Select a Version Screen have been resolved.

CAT User Interface Changes: The user interface has been enhanced to show the radio connection state and display the connected radio. A Settings icon in the menu bar of the application will allow you to easily configure the application startup parameters.

CAT and DAX No Longer Automatically Start when the PC is Booted: A change was made to the automatic startup behavior of CAT and DAX.  They no longer start when the PC is booted, reducing the network load on the radio when SmartSDR for Windows was loaded on multiple PCs and neither of the applications was actively in use.  CAT and DAX now start when SmartSDR for Windows is started and closed when SmartSDR for Windows is closed (the default behavior).  You can change this behavior and not have CAT and DAX automatically start if you desire to manually start the applications.

AGC Applied to AM and SAM modes after Demodulation:  Previously in AM mode, the AGC was before the demodulation stage and would act on carrier changes rather than changes in the demodulated signal.  This issue has been corrected.

Popout Window Enhancements: Popped out window size and placements are now properly remembered when SmartSDR is shut down.  The CWX F1-F12 macros now work properly when the focus is on a popped out Panadapter or TX Panel.

CW Pitch Frequency Improvements: The frequency of the CW Pitch can now be changed in 10 Hz increments.

RIT/XIT Adjustment Enhancement: For the M models, when changing RIT or XIT, the frequency is now left on 50 Hz boundaries.

SmartLink Login Improvements: Additional changes were made to the SmartLink login process to ensure changes to the Auth0 authentication protocol will not result in the inability to login to your SmartLink account.

Diversity Reception Enhancement: For radios capable of Diversity reception, if using a FLEX-6700 with a Maestro or a FLEX-6600M, the AF knob now changes diversity (child) slice volume too.

Bug Fixes: There have been numerous bug fixes in this release.  Please see the SmartSDR ChangeLog for a complete listing.

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The cumulative SmartSDR v2.2.8 Change Log detail is listed below.

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v2.2.8 (2018-05-15)
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General Release of SmartSDR for Windows and SmartSDR for Maestro

#6270 Installer: Updated installation icons

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v2.2.7 Alpha (2018-05-03)
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#5898 6400/M: WNB now works properly for this radio model

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v2.2.6 Alpha (2018-04-27)
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#6208 SSDR: Fixed hanging while closing
#6204 M Models no longer show Advanced Network settings for the radio

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v2.2.5 Alpha (2018-04-12)
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#6159 SSDR: Slice S-Unit/dBm meter reading now toggles when clicked
#6172 SSDR: Fixed Popped out Panadapter placement not being saved when SmartSDR is closed
#339 SSDR: CAT and DAX now optionally start with SmartSDR for Windows (Settings menu)
#6175 Radio Static IP options are no longer shown for M models where it could cause access problems
#6141 Maestro/M: Added Pan fill color selection to Display menu
#6144 SSDR: Fixed Slice flag alignment on startup
#6167 Set MIC Bias on by default (default profile)

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v2.2.4 Alpha (2018-03-29)
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#6126 AGC now occurs after AM demodulation 
#5989 M Models: Display orientation now correct when booting up with external HDMI monitor
#5874 SSDR/CAT: SmartLink Setup page no longer accessible when a radio is not chosen
#6133 SSDR: CWX F1-F12 macros now work when focus is on a popped out Panadapter or TX Panel
#6132 Fix crash caused by profiles
#6127 Fix dim LEDs on M models and Maestro
#6016 SSDR: Panadpater fill settings are now saved after radio disconnect
#5750 SSDR: Popped out window size and placements are now properly remembered
#6129 API: Fixed a race condition when adding/removing Slices that caused an extra Slice to appear
#6096 CAT: Fixed a UHE caused by launching the Radio Chooser while CAT is shutting down
#6138 SSDR: CW Pitch now uses 10 Hz step size instead of 50 Hz
#6136 Maestro/M: Filter and RIT/XIT knob adjustments now leave the value on 50 Hz boundaries

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v2.2.3 Alpha (2018-03-19)
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#6115 Additional internal improvements to SmartLink login (should behave the same)
#4925 CAT: UI improvements to show currently connected radio and settings
#6113 Profiles are now alphabetically ordered (not case sensitive)

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v2.2.2 Alpha (2018-03-12)
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#5994 M/Maestro: Software will now automatically launch when the version list hasn't changed
#5995 SSDR: Fixed filter widget low cut adjustment not working when passing 0 Hz
#6054 Fixed persistence issue when restoring XVTR Slices

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v2.2.1 Alpha (2018-03-06)
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#6084 Maestro/M: Fixed old FlexRadio logo momentarily appearing on startup
#6085 SSDR: Underscore character now renders properly in TX Profile Name in Radio Setup -> TX tab
#6064 6400M/6600M: Switch Version button now results in a properly populated Version list
#214 SSDR: Slice frequency is now shown when slice flag is minimized
#6043 Fix profile import. (Profiles now show up after import without reboot)
#6069 ATU is properly bypassed when clicking BYP button
#6059 Fix EQ settings in profiles (no longer all +10 )
#6071 Fix mic/tx profile save causing duplicate entries in profile lists
#5996 TURF: Modification for Belgium (EU04). Now allows 1.810 - 2.0 MHz
#5990 TURF: Modification for Netherlands (EU13). Now allows 5.3515 to 5.3665 MHz
#1199 TURF: Modification for Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency
#6091 Radio Power LED now indicates radio is available (before it turned solid green too early)

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v2.2.0 Alpha (2018-02-22)
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#5910 SSDR: Added Split button on the Slice Flag (and FlexControl) for easier split operation
#5910 SSDR: Added peak indicator and digital readout to Slice S-meter
#5255 SSDR: Added a color picker for the Panadapter Fill (Display menu)
#5941 Drastically improved TX switching speed (SO2R TX Switching)
#5911 Maestro/6600M: AF knob now changes diversity slice volume as well
#5954 API: Added missing call to UpdateActiveAmplifier when removing an amplifier
#5903 6400M/6600M: Fixed issues with front speaker API
#5961 6400M/6600M: 'Switch Radio' button is now 'Switch Version' in the Radio menu
#5935 10 MHz reference selection no longer appears when a radio is disconnected