The future of Amateur Radio will involve Digital Signal Processors.
They will be used for noise cancellation, filtering, and symbol generation/regeneration.
As I begin my research into these
realms, frequently check information will be stored here.
PC Soundcard DSP chip's
Most people don't realize it, but there is a powerful DSP chip in most
systems bought on the market today. They are emulated using the hosts
microprocessor (486 and greater.). The linux operating system includes
programmable DSP support via a /dev/dsp
device. Save those old Soundblaster Pro/16's, they are the easiest
to use for packet radio.
Drivers for many soundcards are available in the current linux kernel,
however, Plug-and-Play cards are not well supported. The Open
Sound System (4-front) has drivers that will support PnP cards, but
is not free. However, a Czech effort has surpassed the functionality
of the OSS outfit, the Advanced
Linux Sound Architecture (ALSA) is moving to the forefront of sound
accessablility for Linux.
The linux Sound HOW-TO will
shed some light on what soundcards are currently supported and how to configure
your soundcard under linux.
Discrete DSP chip's
Aside from Soundcards, there are various standalone DSP's which can
be purchased at low cost. To become more familiar with DSP and its
associated black magic, I suggest you check
out the DSP FAQ.
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