What does it mean that OpenHPSDR and Thetis is Open Source?

[kc2rgw]

I want to post this for people that may not grasp the sheer wonder of this whole project. There have been interactions with people nearly stomping their feet with demands that I don't think understand the environment they are in here.

This whole project was created by volunteers. The design of the circuits, the software, the firmware, all of it. Apache produces their products based on the foundations laid by volunteer efforts. Apache's business is selling hardware but the basis for the entire project is due to Open Source volunteer efforts.

Something to understand about me is that my entire career is based on self-learning that was only possible by the open source efforts of the linux community and all of the communities that create not just the OS itself but all of the associated applications that are available. All of this was done predominantly by volunteers, hobbyists, industry experts, done out of passion for technology and the belief that sharing information and open collaboration has a huge benefit to all. My career in tech is derived entirely from information I learned that was made freely available by these contributors. I have no formal training at all in tech. I would have no career if not for the stunning ecosystem of Open Source software.

With regard to this project, the fact that it exists is almost miraculous. It needed the following things to all converge.

• People with the deep hardware knowledge and experience to design the hardware and circuits
• Those same people also being interested in amateur radio
• Those same people willing to apply extremely valuable market expertise and give it away for free
• The same applies to the firmware and the firmware is extremely specialized
• Very few people understand VHDL or Verilog to write the firmware
• Fewer yet are hams
• Fewer yet are willing to just do all the work for free
• The development tools cost quite a lot of money for the firmware as well, paid for by the volunteers.

When it comes to Thetis, all of the same applies equally. We are extraordinarily privileged that Dr Pratt did all the work on wdsp as well as all of the other contributors to Thetis over its legacy. The entire heart and soul of our radio was created by fellow hams and given away for all of us to enjoy. The technology used is leading edge and it is almost our pure luck to have the expertise on this project that we have.

• Nobody is being paid for their work on this software, Richie as of late is the one guy that decided to tinker for us, be thankful for that.
• The contributors are doing the work out of personal passion and the altruistic satisfaction of contributing to the enjoyment of others
• The software is open for anyone to download, modify, build and tweak for themselves, there is no point of authority that has ownership or responsibility, simply people that toil to organize the contributions

To the foot stompers, you truly need to take a minute and reflect on the fact that if you do not like something about the software, you are free to change it yourself. If you are not capable of doing so, you need to just take what you get and stop badgering the people that pour their own time into this project. There are plenty of things I'd like to change, but even with years of background in tech, this is such a specialized application that it's simply way over my head to contribute or change myself.

Realize also that Scott and many others here that assist by answering questions or helping fellow hams to configure their radios are all doing it simply out of passion for the hobby and this project itself. Nobody is obligated to support you with the software or configuration, this is how open source projects work. Projects like this are the community of users coming together to create something for all to enjoy.

If it is uncomfortable to own something that doesn't have a support desk or someone to yell at should something go wrong, there are other options in the market to consider. Just realize the incredible benefit that we all reap from the unaccounted thousands of hours of volunteer time spent by a skilled few that benefit us all.

Though we are a small, niche community, this project is a wonder of what Open Source can be at its very best.

For more of the history of this project, take a look at the parent site for the efforts The OpenHPSDR project at TAPR

Thank you to all that have contributed to make this an amazingly entertaining passion project for all of us. We are fortunate.

[w-u-2-o]

Nice rant

Not sure what prompted it (perhaps some on-the-air discussions?), but it might be interesting for people who are relatively new to the radio to know that the roots for this work go all the way back to 2006 or even earlier. Take a look at:

https://openhpsdr.org/history.php

In the days prior to and during the development of the Hermes board it was all very much grass roots type stuff. Documentation was centered around the openhpsdr.org website. Support and discussion were via an old-fashioned email reflector (aka mailing list). The developers, who were much more numerous in those days, met every week for an online teleconference before such things were in fashion.

Did I say it was grass roots? People did group buys on circuit boards. People built their own circuit card assemblies. I'm sure some were doing solder reflow in toaster ovens

With the advent of the Hermes design it became difficult to do one's own solder assembly because the FPGA was a ball grid array (BGA) package. Forgive me if I don't get this exactly correct because I didn't join the community until January 2015. But it was around 2012 or so, when the Hermes was new and there were challenges in how best to get a Hermes card, that Apache Labs came on the scene and started building Hermes boards for the openHPSDR community.

Soon after that, using design contributions from many of the original openHPSDR hardware developers I believe (see the openHPSDR website for the relevant call signs), Apache started to offer hardware that formed turnkey assemblies. This began with the 10W ANAN-10. Then a 100W version of the ANAN-10 called the ANAN-100.

At that point most of the people who were buying Apache hardware were still people who were either already very familiar with the openHPSDR effort or at least had a good understanding of how that ecosystem really worked. People were fat and happy with hardware they didn't have to build and software development was still very active and dynamic.

I think it was in 2014 when the ANAN-100D (D for "dual", I suppose), which used a card called the Angelia which was based on the Hermes but that had two independent ADC channels, started shipping. People were really talking up these radios on the air, and PureSignal had just been introduced. It goes without saying how dramatically good PureSignal made signals sound, and how great they looked on panadapters. It was about this time that people started to purchase Apache hardware thinking that they were buying into an ecosystem that was, if not as mature as say Yaesu, at least similar to other boutique radio manufactures like Elecraft or Ten-Tec. I bought a used 100D in January of 2015, right around the time the ANAN-200D was launched, and in reading the Apache website even I thought that myself.

Of course that's not really the case.

I went through my own period of discontent. But ultimately I decided that all radios have their pluses and minuses, and decided that, for me, the pluses far outweighed the minuses, and I obviously stuck with openHPSDR in the form of Apache/Thetis. Which, for all its heartache, IMHO still presents the best choice for an openHPSDR radio. Because, let there be no doubt, there are a number of other choices for openHPSDR available to people. From a software standpoint you've got the old PowerSDR mRX PS, linHPSDR and piHPSDR. And from a hardware standpoint you can run the TRX-Duo, Hermes Lite and Red Pitaya.

[Joe]

I just wanted to add to the gratefulness that I have for this project/platform. I am an early adapter with the sdr1000 and Janus/ozy along with many of the other software and hardware additions from the HPSDR community. I just mention that because there are so many people as stated that have contributed to this. When I look over the code and especially lately, I am blown away as I try to follow the work. Every day I see code additions by Richie and sometimes it’s more than once a day! It’s many many lines of code, either there is extremely fast typing or someone doesn’t sleep a lot, I believe both, thanks Richie and all for this! To me what mainly sets this platform way above and beyond is the open source and the many that have contributed. Thanks to everyone!

73’s
Joe
WD5Y

[W1AEX]

A very worthy thread here that deserves a sticky link to introduce this developmental path to those who are not aware of how things work in the open source world. It would be nice to simply point to this when someone is obviously and obliviously unaware.

73, Rob W1AEX

[Trucker]

Thanks for posting. This explains better than I ever could when someone asks me why I love my 8000DLE. And it gives a history that can be pointed to when being told that everything about the Anan radios and the software that supports it, came about and the history of its development.
James
WD5GWY

[dynamicfusion]

Maximum gratitude from the radio free west coast.

[KD1GA]

Being very new the community and just started using this great open source SDR software and firmware I want to thank you for posting this valuable information. My sincere gratitude goes out to everyone involved. The selflessness of these folks is beyond comprehension. Thanks you!!!! KD1GA

[va7qi]

Many nice words have been said that I agree with.

I can add that having spent many hours listening to the recordings of the weekly conference call by the developers. I learned a lot and doubly appreciate my Anan-series of radios and the deliberations that went into both hardware and software.

While not really a programmer anymore, I have still perused the software and even tried to understand the Verilog code. It is truly an international effort with some brilliant ideas implemented. Just look at where we are today:

1. Pure signal implemented
2. Beam forming RX signal processing when using two different antennas
3. The best noise reduction available
4. The ultimate in configuration flexibility

Then look at the new radios on the market today. None of them have these features (although some are in development).

I think a round of gratitude and applause is well overdue. Thanks guys!

73 de va7qi, ....Erik.