Digital - MMVARI for PSK and other modes

The MMVARI Interface

The MMVARI soundcard interface is based on the MMVARI engine by Makoto Mori, JE3HHT.

Supported are all modes from the MMVARI engine which are next to bpsk (like PSK31 and PSK63) also GMSK (HF), FSK (V/UHF), FSK-W (V/UHF, satellite), BPSK (HF),  bpsk (Standard bpsk), rtty-L (LSB), rtty-U (USB), MFSK-L (LSB) and MFSK-U (USB).

The MMVARI engine does not have to be installed separate, it is included in the N1MM logger program program/update files and is the default digital engine when loading the digital window for the first time.

The MMVARI Interface Window

The MMVARI interface window is broken into several areas which will be covered from the top down.
The exact frequency is displayed in the Digital Interface and MMVARI Engine Caption (rig(+/-)audio).

• TX - Indicator to show where the transmit is going to take place (useful when using two sessions like SO2R).
• Letters/Figs - Shows where is mouse is on in reverse (letters/figures switched).
• MouseOver - Shows the text which would be selected where the mouse is positioned over.

• Receive Windows 1 and 2 - Both these windows operate in the same manner and both windows are able to grab callsigns and place them into the grab window that will be discussed later.
  There is a colored pane on the left side of each receive window that serves 2 purposes
  1. Identifies which window is currently the transmit window by coloring it Red.
  2. By clicking on the colored pane you can pause input to the receive window to scroll back through the (last 2000 lines of) text using the scroll bars. When the window is paused the color of the pane will turn Yellow. To turn input to the window back on click in the pane again and everything that was to be printed to the window will now enter the window. When the receive window is paused it is possible to copy text in the window.
  
  There are 2 ways of placing a callsign into the callsign window of the logger you can single click on a callsign and it will transfer over to the main logging window. Whenever a callsign is printed to a window followed by a space it will be sent to the callsign grab window for easy movement to the logging window by clicking the Grab button.

  You can select any exchange info by single clicking on the sent info. This info will be transfered over to the logger Entry window item by item after the callsign is filled in.

  Selecting another frequency for this window is done by left clicking in the Waterfall or Spectrum window. This is the window used for making QSOs. If you select a callsign using your mouse it will be put into the callsign field in the Entry window.

The two receive windows are resizable by the middle splitter.

• Transmit window - This is a free form typing window. If you click on the TX button the cursor will be placed into this window and what ever is typed will be sent. The size is static and doesn't change size (2 lines).
• Callsign Textbox and Grab - When a callsign is encountered in one of the receive windows (followed by a space) it will be placed in this textbox and when you press the Grab button it will transfer the callsign over to the main logger window. The grab callsign window holds the last 10 callsigns seen in the RX window. The most current one is at the top and is highlighted. A right click in this box brings up a menu to clear list or selected callsign. Dupe callsigns will not be shown in the grab window.

  Note: If the callsign in the callsign field in the Entry window is equal to the callsign in the received text, the call in the Entry window does not get placed into the call list.

  
  

• Clr RX - This is a fast way to clear BOTH receive windows. If you want to clear individual windows right click over the window and a menu will pop up. The only time this menu will not appear is if you are in RUN MODE. Then when you right click on either of the 2 receive windows the F2 macro will be sent. You can still access the clear menu by right clicking in the TX window.
• TX - Places the interface into transmit, the transceiver is keyed, and places the cursor into the TX window for input. See the Radio Interfacing section for Parallel and Serial port info.
• RX - This places the interface back into receive mode after all the characters in the transmit buffer have been sent. To abort transmit immediately you may press the Escape key.
• Macro buttons - These buttons on the Digital Interface are 24 extra Macros for preprogrammed messages. Configuring these macros is done in the Digital Interface window under 'Setup, Settings' or by right clicking on them which brings up the Digital setup window. The macro buttons widths dynamically adjusts in relation to the width of interface.
• Grab - Transfer the selected callsign in the callsign text box to the callsign field on the main logger window. Once the callsign is filled what ever you click on next will fill the next box to have info entered in. The mouse is the only way to do this.

The Waterfall or Spectrum window

• The digital engine window - This window which uses the MMVARI control from Makoto Mori, JE3HHT which is equipped with a total of nine RX channels and one TX channel.  Across the top it shows the frequency of your radio. As you tune your radio this will update and the numbers will change. There are colored cursors which represent the 2 receive windows. The yellow cursor is for the 1st receive window and the red cursor is for the 2nd receive window. To change frequency for the 1st receive window you place your mouse pointer over a signal trace and click with your left mouse button. To change frequency for the 2nd receive window you place your mouse pointer over a trace and click with your right mouse button.

• The exact frequency of the Main Channel is displayed in Digital Interface and PSK Engine Caption (rig(+/-)audio).

  The remaining text boxes represent the receive frequency of the receive windows. The IMD settings for each channel are listed and will change whenever idle signal (only signal no text) is received.

• Buttons above the FFT
• • TX - Start the transmission, the transceiver is keyed and places the cursor into the TX window for input. See the Radio Interfacing section for Parallel and Serial port info.
  • RX - Stops the transmission, the transceiver changes back to receive after all the characters in the transmit buffer have been sent. To abort immediately  press the Escape key.
  • AFC - Shows AFC on or off. Selected (white) means AFC on.
  • NET - Shows NET on or off. Selected (white) means NET on. When NET is on the TX frequency follows the RX frequency.
  • Align - This is used to move the signal that you are coping into the pass band of your filters. Set the frequency in the setup area.
    Example: center of filter pass band is 2100. When clicking on a signal at about 1400 it will be a hard time coping him. In order to copy the station has to come in my filter range. Click Align and the rig shifts and the spectrum frequency shifts and places the station on the set frequency setup already. Now click a button to turn on the filters and poof there he is... 
  • Mode selection - Select the mode to use by clicking on this button. The Speed selections are mode dependent. Selections are: 
  • BPSK - MBCS experiment (HF) - Possible speed selections: 31.25, 62.5 and 125.0
  • bpsk - Standard bpsk - Possible speed selections: 31.25, 62.5 and 125.0
  • rtty-L - BAUDOT (LSB) - Possible speed selections: Fixed 45.45
  • rtty-U - BAUDOT (USB) - Possible speed selections: Fixed 45.45
  • MFSK-L - MFSK (LSB) - Possible speed selections: 15.625 and 31.25
  • MFSK-U - MFSK (USB) - Possible speed selections: 15.625 and 31.25
  • GMSK - MBCS experiment (HF) - Possible speed selections: 31.25, 62.5 and 125.0
  • FSK - MBCS experiment (V/UHF) - Possible speed selections: 31.25, 62.5 and 125.0
  • FSK-W - MBCS experiment (V/UHF, satellite) - Possible speed selections: 31.25, 62.5 and 125.0
  • Speed selection - Select the speed to use in bps by clicking on this button. The speed to select is mode dependent. 
  • Possible selections are: 15.625, 31.25, 45.45, 62.5, 125.0 or 250.0 (bps)
  • Main Channel receive frequency.
  • Main Channel transmit frequency.
  • Main Channel IMD setting (S/N).

• The FFT
• • At the top of the window the radio frequencies is shown.
  • Markers
  • Top markers (taps)
  • 1 - frequency receive channel 1 
  • N - indicates a notch filter
  • The light blue vertical line (spectrum) or a light blue colored marker (waterfall) indicates the selected listening frequency.
  • The dark blue vertical line (spectrum) or a dark blue colored marker (waterfall) indicates the TX carrier frequency.
• Mouse key clicking
  • Left mouse key clicking
    • Single clicking in the FFT will change the transmit frequency
  • • Right mouse key clicking
      The exact transmit frequency will be shown.
      Also a menu will show
      • Set notch on here - adds a new notch filter on the selected frequency indicated by a N in a yellow area. Multiple nothes can be set. 
        Delete all notches  - all set notches will be removed.
        Set TX carrier on here - a dark blue line will appear for the selected frequency.
        Turn Off bandpass Filter - Turns the BPF off
      • 
        
  The left vertical indicator shows the signal level meter (green) and the squelch level (yellow line). Biy clicking on it the squelch level can be changed.

• Receive channels below the FFT 
• Below the FFT the receive channels will be shown. The number of shown receive channels can be configured.
• • Mode - Select the mode to use for this receive channel. Selections are: GMSK, FSK, FSK-W, BPSK, bpsk, rtty-L, rtty-U, MFSK-L or MFSK-U
  • Speed - Select the speed to use for this receive channel. Selections are: 15.625, 31.25, 45.45, 62.5, 125.0 or 250.0
  • Receive channel frequency.
  • Receive channel IMD setting (S/N).
  • AFC - Shows AFC on or off for the selected channel. Selected (white) means AFC on.
  • Squelch indicator - The squelch can be adjusted by dragging the line indicator to where you want it and turning off the squelch by dragging it all the way left. 
  • Waterfall display - shows within 500 hz of the signal that that channel is on. You can click anyplace in the waterfall or drag the indicator to where you want it.
  • Swap - Swaps transmit control between the receive windows. The indicator on the left of the window will turn red if the window has transmit control and green when not. This is good in contesting as while working one station. You can dial the second station in via the second receive window and after you finish the first contact just hit swap button and then call the other station.

• Menu at the Top
• BPF - When enabled selects the used Band Pass Filter. The BPF filter uses a very tight skirt and uses 80db of rejection. Mind you this is not as good and the filter selections in your radio and it is still possible to have overload from a nearby station. The Band Pass filter can be enabled/disabled using the first menu item (Disable BPF/Enable BPF).
• Selections when enabled are: Wide 1000 Hz, Middle 500 Hz, Narrow 250 Hz, Ultra Narrow 100 Hz, Custom (Grayed out)
• The custom setting normally is grayed out. To set Custom setting left click in the waterfall where you want the BPF to start. Drag your mouse with the left button held down and release it where you want the BPF to end.  The waterfall will  immediately change to your set Bandpass. This makes it simple to eliminate an offending station on the fly.. 
• The minimum width of the BPF that can be set is 100 Hz.
• The BPF can be turned off by selecting Off on the BPF menu or right clicking in the waterfall and selecting Turn off
• The BPF is retained when you close and reopen the Engine.
• ATC - Select if Automatic Timing Control (ATC) is turned on or off. It is recommended to keep ATC on all the time for better signal decoding.
• when RTTY is selected ATC if always off
• in MFSK mode ATC is always on
• FFT - FFT is Fast Fourier Transform. Which is a method of extracting the spectrum out of a waveform. That is the basic tool that gives the waterfall andspectrum scope displays. 
• FFT type - Select the FFT type to use. Selections are: Spectrum, Waterfall, Sync or Wave Input
• FFT Width - Select the FFT width to use. Selections are: 250 Hz, 500 Hz, 1000 Hz, 2000 Hz, 3000 Hz or User Defined
• FFT Scale - Select the FFT scale to use. Selections are: 100 dB, 60 dB, Square Amplitude
• Waterfall AGC - Turn the waterfall AGC on or off.
• SHIFT - Shift selections. The choices are 170 Hz, 200 Hz, 23 Hz or User Defined. 
• Only in RTTL-L, RTTY-U and GMSK.

Macros

• The macros for the Interface using MMVARI are different from the way they work with the TNC . What ever you put in the macro will get transmitted. There is a macro keyword needed to turn TX ON {TX} or TX OFF {RX}.
• There is no special abort macro needed for use with MMVARI just using the ESC key will stop transmitting.
• The TX and RX buttons are for the free form typing in the TX window.
• When MMVARI loads, it loads the last used settings when the Interface was closed.

Setting up the Digital Interface

The setup dialog is for both MMTTY and MMVARI, this means that some settings are only for MMVARI, MMTTY or both. When selecting 'Setup | Settings' in the Digital Interface window a dialog wil be shown which is both for MMTTY and MMVARI. Please check the setup information in the chapter 'Digital Setup'.

MMVARI Example: Make a PSK transmission

• We need to make room for the Digital Interface so for now minimize the Logger Telnet/Packet window.
• Now select 'Window | Digital Interface' and the Digital Interface and the Waterfall/Spectrum window will open. The Digital Interface dialog can be positioned and resized on your monitor as desired.
• Left clicking on a call will grab the callsign. Right clicking on the RX and TX window will pop a menu (S&P mode) or send the Exchange function key in Running mode..
• Pressing Insert will Grab the highlighted call and sends His call followed by the Exchange button.
• Double clicking on a callsign in the callsign box from the Digital Interface sends that call to the Entry window.
• A callsign is automatically highlighted if recognized by the program. For that to happen it needs to have a space before and a space after the callsign. If the first thing on a new line in the Digital Interface window is a valid callsign, it is not highlighted or added to the grab list.

MMVARI - Other

• The Radio Frequency display on the Waterfall and Spectrum display follows the active Radio Frequency
• The last PSK mode used is remembered, so the next time the last used mode is selected.
• Getting (PSK) object errors during program start or starting PSK?
  
• During transmit, callsigns are not grabbed from the receive window.