


         Users' Guide Read Me

         of

         Cluster Blaster V3.00 (and V2.90)

         for
         Sound Blaster Cards
         with DSP V4.xx

         Laboratory Version


         THIS PROGRAM IS HAMWARE, MAY BE FREELY DISTRIBUTED.



         Introductory

         CB300.EXE is a multichannel International Continental Code
         (morse) receiver program for Sound Blaster Cards with DSP V4.xx
         (SB-16, VIBRA, SB-AWEs) and PCs of the faster class.

         200Hz - 2250Hz AF band is split into 8 channels by 8 pieces of
         250Hz width BPFs spaced 200Hz apart with 50Hz overlap (! see below).
         Each of them is followed by an ICC receiver/decoder operating con-
         currently in its own band. Receiver outputs are displayed on the
         monitor screen. Any time, one of them can be selected for input into
         an RX window and for logging into a logfile. Input signal source is
         LINE or MIC selectable, and their gain is controlable. Input signal
         monitoring sound output with On/Off switching and volume control is
         also provided. BP filter output signals are selectively recovered
         and are available at sound card output too.

         This stereo mode version accomodates two concurrent equipments
         as above, one for the Left and one for the Right stereo signals,
         and can be operated from two concurrent HF receivers.

         It runs in DOS V6.22 and can also be started in WIN9x DOS mode, or
         from WIN3.xx icon or DOS prompt. SB16, VIBRA and AWE64 sound cards
         were tested. PentiumII/230 is capable of watching up to 16 channels,
         while 5x86/133 is up to 6 channels.

         This is a program of laboratory version. Its primary goal was
         to face with the problems of multichannel reception, getting
         information on received CW signals and on code interferences
         under crowded band conditions.

         It's a pure experiment, nothing is optimized in its structure
         or operation, and even problem solutions are the quick-to-make
         ones, not the best possibiles.

         Authors' goal is to encourage anybody interested in using or
         making Cluster Blaster by opening this program public. CBs can
         be well skilled communication and contest assistants for
         DXpedition or contest cluster makers, or for anybody working
         on CW in HAM bands, or even if he begins learning code now.

         As a pearl of CB applications, suppose a world wide propagation
         probe system, instead of using forecasts. Imagine, there are
         beacons with omnidirectional arials on all continents in the HF
         bands with usual HAM power, transmitting in time division mode,
         synchronized to a common time base with a few secs precision and
         operating 24 hours a day. Two minutes long frame period and
         8 signs per frame on 8 carrier frequencies in a 1 kHz fragment
         of the band can accomodate signals of a group of 64 stations.
         It's capable of sampling propagation conditions in every two
         minutes. Anywhere on the globe, at any time, anyone can estimate
         his chanches, or an unattended CB can pick up 24 hour records,
         day by day. Range of probing may be extended by operating beacon
         stations with full powered CCW signals and using CCW CBs at
         receiver side.

         In short, CB technology seems to be exciting and amizing.



   0.    The History

         Concept of cluster blasting is nearly two years old.
         In its native form it was a bank of 8 HF receivers with
         common antenna signal, with independent narrow band AGCs,
         common sources of mixer oscillator signals, except the
         last one preceding CW filter. That was a synthesizer
         producing a group of osc signals to put different fragments
         of the IF band in different receivers into identical 300 Hz
         width CW filters. Presetting all BFOs as required, controll-
         ing and selectable summing all audio outputs recovered
         original wide band AF spectrum for listening. For blasting,
         individual audio outputs were processed by hardware PLL CW
         mark/space detectors followed by a software multichannel
         ICC decoder running on a PC.
         To build or assemble such an equipment was never thought.

         Giving up possibility of independent HF AGCs, single receiver
         with splitting into identical AF or ultrasonic AF narrow band
         channels at BFO mixing seemed more realistic. However, in this
         case selectable resumming/recovering of wide band AF spectrum
         needs an additional mixing - it means 16 mixers altogether in
         one HAM unit. Best to stop here. Really, wide band resumma-
         bility might be avoided, but it looks a usefull feature and
         possibly would be kept.

         Splitting RX signals completely in AF band unless mixing them
         remained as a single way to bring a CB into life. Wide band
         recovery is simple. Design and work to put 8 different DSP
         filters, 8 PLLs, and a multiplexed serial I/O together was
         started, and walked...

         Meantime, estimations showed, that PCs around 100MHz can be
         capable of processing AF signals from sound card to writing
         received messages into files, even for 3 - 4 channels.
         Efforts have suddenly been stopped and replaced by new ones.
         Their outcome is here.



   1.    FAQ dialog on CBs

         Q:  Will CB300 run on any fast machine?
         A:  Not sure.
             It supposes and directly controls (8 bit) LDMA channel
             #0 or #1 or #3, and (16 bit) HDMA channel #5 or #6 or #7
             (as configured). Similarly, supposes 8259 compatible
             IT controllers for IT#5, IT#7, IT#9 or IT#10 operation.
             Moreover, it uses direct video buffer write for outputs to
             monitor screen.

         Q:  Will it work properly with other type of sound cards?
         A:  Probably not. Sound Blaster commands are used to control
             DSP, and CT1745 type mixer is supposed.

         Q:  What a signal processing flow is in CB300?
         A:  One of six banks of 100 - 300 Hz width BPFs (selectable),
             rectifier,
             25 Hz width LPF,
             differenciator,
             25 Hz width LPF,
             edge detector with autothreshold, and an
             ICC receiver with speed and spacing control.

         Q:  Signal processing arithmetic?
         A:  64 bits double precision, almost evrywhere.
         Q:  Is it needed?
         A:  No, however fast enough and gave an easy way of avoiding
             computational precision problems.
         Q:  16 bit signed integers?
         A:  Perhaps can be used under very careful range checking.

         Q:  What kinds are filters in CB300 of?
         A:  BPFs are 0.5dB/50dB ellyptic approximation BP filters - simple,
             fast, and of poor phase response; attenuation at neighbour's
             channel center is greater than 50 dB.

             Selectable BP Filter Banks:

             Lx300 : 300 Hz BandWidth, 250 Hz Spacing,  50 Hz overlap
             Ly300 : 300               250              50
             Lx250 : 250               200              50
             Ly250 : 250               200              50
             Lx200 : 200               150              50
             Ly200 : 200               150              50
             Lx150 : 150               100              50
             Ly150 : 150               100              50
             Lx100 : 100                50              50
             Lv100 : 100               100                 no overlap
             Lw100 : 100               100                 no overlap
             Dx601 :  50 (1x)     See  DX601EGR.TXT
             Dx605 :  50 (5x)     See  DX605EGR.TXT
             Dx650 :  50 (7x)           25              25
             Dv650 :  50 (7x)           50                 no overlap
             Dx630 :  30 (7x)           15              15
             Dv630 :  30 (7x)           30                 no overlap
             Pyram :  30 - 300           0                 inclusive
             Ux200 : 200               150              50
             Uy200 : 200               150              50
             Ux150 : 150               100              50
             Uy150 : 150               100              50
             Ux100 : 100                50              50
             Uv100 : 100               100                 no overlap
             Uw100 : 100               100                 no overlap

             LPFs are 20 msec averaging filters, - simple, fast and of
             poor quality.

         Q:  How can channel operability be set in CB300?
         A:  The number of BPFs is 16. If CPU/FPU can't operate all then
             less than 16 channels will be watched. Working filters are
             indicated on the channel display. Left/right cursor buttons
             always have an assigned filter to switch off and switch on
             the next when they are hit, thus on-state is moved by them.
             By pushing 1...8 with Alt, current assignment is released and
             a new filter is assigned to arrow keys.

         Q:  Sensitivity and noisy input signals?
         A:  CB300 is able to operate perfectly with 1 ADC-step peak
             (cca. 5 mVeff) sine, if there is no disturbing noise.
             For receiving noisy signals there is a controllable squelch
             level to prevent receiver misoperation for pure noise.
             Setting of squelch level between 0.5 and 5.0 ADC steps
             in 0.5 step increments is supported.

             With white noise, at 10 dB narrow band SpNtoN ratio,
             reception is of acceptable quality.

         Q:  How to set input signal level?
         A:  Reliability of mark/space detection depends primarily on StoN
             ratio. Noise (white) energy in RX output signal is nearly con-
             stant in time and varies very slowly. Setting signal level higher
             and higher if weak signal is received can't enhance reception.
             Maximal StoN ratio with minimal signal level is a good approach.
             Noise energies in different channels are nearly equal.
             Consequently, any setting depending on noise conditions may be
             (nearly) common for all channels. Thus, for any selected squelch
             level, increasing signal level (from zero) while a channel
             without CW signal (noise only) doesn't print for noise peaks
             leads to an appropriate signal level setting.

             In most cases, squelch level setting is dependent on
             operator's choice, only. Higher threshold allows observation
             of noise conditions in different channels.

         Q:  How to use AGC and manual gain control with CB300?
         A:  Remember, how AGC in HF receivers acts on received signals.
             If a single signal is received in the HF receiver, either
             weak or strong, output audio signal amplitude will not be
             - in accordance with the AGC characteristic - significantly
             different, while they retain their nearly original HF StoN
             ratios. Thus, output AF signals appear strongly noisy or weakly
             noisy with similar amplitude. To receive either is best to
             set slow AGC with maximal control, and set required AF level
             with AF volume controls.
             If two or more signals are received in the HF receiver, their
             composite signal will control AGC operation. Signal components
             in output AF signal will reflect original HF amplitude ratios.
             Moreover, they will interact through AGC control, even amplitudes
             may be equal (keyed signals). If there is one signal among them
             which is significantly stronger than other(s), it will be domi-
             nant in AGC control and others get too small amplitude in output.
             Thus, to receive multiple signals concurrently, or to receive a
             week signal in the presence of a strong one, minimize AGC control,
             or switch to manual gain control, completely.
             Mark detektors in CB300 are capable of detecting signals in the
             amplitude range of 1 - 127 ADC units. This way, S2 - S9 signals,
             including QSB, can be received concurrently, if noise conditions
             alow such level setting.
             Of course, CW filters in the HF trans/receivers may be used in
             the usual way to select/separate desired/undesired signals.

         Q:  Channel output sound in CB300?
         A:  CB300 operates sound card in duplex AD/DA conversion and
             DMA transfer mode. An SW mixer adds selected BPFed channel
             signals and sends the sum into the sound card for output.

         Q:  What is code interference in CBs?
         A:  It comes from a simple summation of two or more different CW
             signals in a single filter/channel. If two stationary, different
             freq and of equal amplitude sine waves are added, a varying
             amplitude sine-like signal results (like a DSB modulated signal).
             Virtual modulating frequency is half the freq difference between
             the two sine wave freqs. Passing this signal through the
             processing path, a pulse sequence of the frequency of original
             sine freq difference is produced - from two continuous sines,
             and if their freq difference is less than LPF width.
             Really, sines are keyed and amplitudes are never equal,
             however, outcomes are always based on this effect.

             At the output of mark/space detector, code interference
             appears as:

             1. Concatenating two (or more) consecutive codes by
                  i. changing first/last dit mark of a code into dah, or
                 ii. by inserting a noise dit (or more) in a char space;

             2. Splitting a code into two (or more) codes by
                  i. turning dah mark into a dit inside, or
                 ii. deleting a dit mark (or even a dah) inside.

             3. Uniting two (or more) dits into a dah.

             4. Splitting a dah into two dits.

             5. Superlong (very low speed) mark signals,
                if mark & code spaces are covered by signal in sequence.

             6. Supershort (very high speed) marks,
                if marks are partially deleted (cut in length) in sequence.

             White noise - looking like a noisy sine wave if its
             spectrum is limited to a narrow band - produces similar
             effects on codes as above.

         Q:  How can code interference be reduced?
         A:  Using "as narrow as possibile" BPFs, no doubt.
             In addition, consequences of interferences may be reduced too.
             Using pattern/signature recognition techniques in mark/space
             detectors can significantly reduce interference products.

         Q:  There is a solid and clean print on the screen, and that
             station can't be heard. Is CB300 debugged enough?
         A:  We faced this event too, in a few instances with a 90 mins
             9 stations PED pile up record, and hope that.
             Please replay your test record 10 - 20 times around this
             event and watch sound hardly, it can be heard, finally.
             It willn't be a very weak one, surely, and will stay in a
             completely QRMless channel.

             Probably it's a focusing shadow effect of human hearing.
             If so, that is what CB is able for, and humans not, not
             easily, or not everybody. Receiving CW signals in hard QRM,
             human perception tries to focus attention on a single signal
             at a time automatically until it founds a readable part of
             some, and then keeps track of it. This is a search over the
             sound image, and that signal is always missed, unfortunately.

             In contranst, there will be two or more stations of near
             equal strength in a common channel easily readable by humans,
             but CB can't copy them, of course.

         Q:  What is partial comma free decoding in CB300?
         A:  In a catenated dit/dah mark stream ICC codes can't be
             uniquely separated - there are more different ways to fragment
             the stream into codes. Consequences of sporadic catenations
             may be reduced by decoding a character upon receiving its
             mark pattern and not considering whether its last mark
             is followed by a code/character space or not. In a given
             ICC set some codes are leading parts of other codes, some
             arn't - in other words "others are continuations of some".
             If a code has no continuation, then it can be decoded
             without receiving its closing char space. Often occurs,
             operators concatenate figure and next letter in their
             call sign. Thus, decoding figures without using separating
             space explicitly (= the comma function) can basically improve
             readability of copy.

             CB300 decodes all CF decodable codes in CF way with the
             current code sets. Probably, it's not necessary in general.
             An artificially constructed group (or groups) may be better.

             A few other, often sounding op catenations are defined as
             individual "new" ICC codes in CB300 to reduce copying errors.

         Q:  Printout in RX window looks better than in channels'
             NewsLine displays. What kind of processing is done there?
         A:  It's an experiment to improve readability of received
             messages if printed, and for keeping autologging in horizont.
             A set of words are recognized in received character stream
             and used for fragmenting text, as well as for extracting
             and creating informations to be put in a station log.
             Some of them supports fragmentation of concatenated codes
             at ICC decoding level too.
             These all serve as simple "pretty print" functions now.

             In future CBs, using pattern recognition mark/space detection,
             and a formal parser working on the mark/space stream with
             predefined code sets, and on the character stream with predefined
             communication vocabularies printing and logging can be almost
             perfect. These procedures can realize error detecting and
             correcting functions on code and code fragmentation level, as
             well as on word and word fragmentation level.

         Q:  Can CBs produce perfect copy?
         A:  Yes, from perfect signals from perfect keying - so, usually
             not. HAM communication, unlike professional, works near to
             the boundary of possibilities and humans with their abilities
             are parts of the communication links. CBs can only extend
             these abilities. Most significant merit of CBs is their
             "sharing of attention" support to humans. Concurrent sound
             events are separated and recorded on the screen, thus making
             possibile perceiving them visually and serially - much more
             easily than by ears - and repeatedly.

         Q:  White and red flashing near the channel signal display?
         A:  Short white blinking shows saving RX log buffer onto HD,
             while red blinking indicates process of WAV sample acquisition.
             Blinking is not available on all video cards.

         Q:  What is Autotest for?
         A:  It was a developing aid, and is left inside CB300 for reviewing
             its operation. It has 8 signal sources tunable over the AF
             band and preset to BPFs' center freqs of the LEFT filter group.
             Changing filter bank in the left group signal sources will
             change their freqs accordingly to the member BPFs.
             Three waveforms are available for tests:

               i. sine wave
              ii. dit freq pulse sequence
             iii. ICC keyed test sequence

             CW speed is variable between 10 and 300 LPMs
             (2.5 - 25 Hz dit freq).

             To start AutoTest (or Trainer):
             - be sure Left Group is selected  (SPACE bar),
             - select any filter bank          (Home/End buttons),
               an RX channel around 600 Hz will
               be selected automatically;
             - be sure channel receiver is ON  (Shift 1...8 or TAB),
             - select EXT codeset              ({,} buttons),
             - start test or trainer mode      (~ or T buttons).

         Q:  May more or even all channels be logged into a file too?
         A:  Yes, of course - depending on machine power.
             Regarding logging of any kind there is a possibility to use
             a second machine via a high speed serial or parallel link.

         Q:  Can CBs input signals from two or more receivers?
         A:  Yes, two surely; using sound card in stereo mode,
             and processing both channels.

         Q:  Can CBs input local keyer signals concurrently?
         A:  Yes, in future.

         Q:  Can future CBs' features be improved?
         A:  Yes, in any and every respect.
             This is a near medium performance implementation.
             Even keeping this classic analog processing flow unchanged,
             filters can be easily upgraded and upspeeded, ICC decoder too.
             Any gain in speed gives a way to include better and/or new
             features. In general, the whole program can be made better.

         Q:  Can weak/noisy signal detection techniques be used in CBs?
         A:  Yes, any. It's proposed.

         Q:  Can future CBs operate more than 16 channels?
         A:  Yes, if processing power is enough, there is enough space on
             the screen to display, and enough button on the board to control
             them. Probably, a fast graphic user interface with mouse must be
             used to overcome these tasks.

         Q:  Can CB300 run in companion with Kachina?
         A:  Yes, running on another machine.
             However, CB can be embedded into Kachina's HW/SW body by
             Kachina's developers.

         Q:  Is CB300 operable in WINDOWS(xx), in DOS window, or in DOS mode?
         A:  Yes. Althought designed for pure MS-DOS V6.22, it can be
             started from WIN9x DOS mode, and from WIN3.xx DOS prompt as a
             single task. Supposed, BLASTER DOS environment variable
             is set up with proper SB configuration parameters.

         Q:  Can future CBs run in WINDOWS?
         A:  Yes. CPU power needed by WINDOWS system functions is relatively
             high. Restricting CB features and/or number of channels may be
             a way of operating it in WINDOWS.

         Q:  Known bugs?
         A:  Yes. Morse decoder makes misdecisions in trivial cases.
             Rare event, cca. 1 in 10000 received chars. Hard to debug,
             because internal signals are all coherent and can never produce
             this effect. And one more, speed control sometimes fails
             tracking when CW speed changes downward suddenly (new station)
             and the new speed is far below the current (less than cca. 30 %).


   2.    Key and Display Functions

   2.1   Operating Functions:

   Shift 1...8   : Channel On/Off        (1...7,0)    ! US KeyBoard !
         TAB     : Channel On/Off ALL    (0...7)
         1...8   : Select  RX  channel   (1...7,0)
   Alt   1...8   : Select  BPF to configure BPF/Channel pattern
         SPACE   : Select  Left/Right Channel Group for control
         lft,rgt : Configure BPF/Channel pattern
         Home    : Change  Filter Bank   (8_100, ... 8x300)
         End     : Change  Filter Bank   (8x300, ... 8_100)
         <,>     : Receiver Speed Tracking Control Band Width lower/higher
   Ctrl  PgUp,Dn : Squelch Level Up/Down
         {,}     : Select  Code Set/Mode (TST,COM,TXT,EXT,STD)
         +       : RX Window Telegraph notation On/Off
         |       : Undefined Code Telegraph notation On/Off
         C       : Select  Channel Display background color
         X       : Input Signal Path (Straight, L|R both, X-way)

         I       : Select Input Source Line/Microphone
         up,dwn  : Input Gain Up/Down
         A       : Microphone Input AGC On/Off
         S       : Input Monitoring Sound On/Off (bypass way)
         PgUp,Dn : Sound Volume  Up/Down
         O       : Channel Sound On/Off
         M       : Channel Sound Stereo/Mono Switch
         F10,F9  : BPF Bank frequencies Up/Down (+/- 100 Hz)
   Shift F1...F8 : Channel Sound 1, 2, ... 7, 0 On/Off
   Shift F10, F9 : Channel Sound On/Off  ALL
   Ctrl  F1...F8 : Clear Channel Display 1, 2, ... 7, 0
   Ctrl  F9      : Clear Channel Display ALL
   Ctrl  Enter   : Insert NewLine in RX window
         H       : View Help, this File (CBHELP26.TXT - user editable)
         L       : View RX Log File
         W       : RX Channel signal data acquisition;
                   cca. ~10 secs, keyboard blocked,
                   only W button hit allowed for breaking;
                   latest records saved into WAV files, on QRT.
         T       : Code Trainer Mode On/Off
         ~       : Test Mode         On/Off
         Esc     : QRT


   2.2   US KeyBoard Shift Characters (channel on/off chars for non US KB):

         Shift 1 = !
         Shift 2 = @
         Shift 3 = #
         Shift 4 = $
         Shift 5 = %
         Shift 6 = ^
         Shift 7 = &
         Shift 8 = *


   2.3   Code Trainer Mode Functions:

         ?       : Code Mode Select: Letters, Figures, miXed, Text;
                   in Text mode "TRAINER.TXT" file is played,
                   user editable.


   2.4   AutoTest Mode Functions:

         F1,F2   : QRS/QRQ                         (10...300 LPM)
         up,dwn  : QSY
         F3      : QSY Robo
         F5,F6   : QSB
         F4      : QSB Robo
         F7,F8   : Select TX Signal Source         (A...H)
         PgUp,Dn : Select TX Signal WaveForm       (CW modulated,
                                                    sinewave,
                                                    sqwave modulated/
                                                    dit stream)
         Home    : Reset  Test Signal Sources, ALL (A...H)


         AutoTest and Trainer Mode, except text sources, are identical
         and override operating mode key functions, if coincide.


   2.3   Code Set  Display:

         TST/Tst : Contest       code set, partial comma free decoding
         COM/Com : Communication code set, as above
         TXT/Txt : Text          code set, as above
         EXT/Ext : Extended text code set, as above
         STD/Std : Extended text code set, standard ICC decoding

   2.4   Code Set: CONTEST
                   a   ._
                   b   _...
                   c   _._.
                   d   _..
                   e   .
                   f   .._.
                   g   __.
                   h   ....
                   i   ..
                   j   .___
                   k   _._
                   l   ._..
                   m   __
                   n   _.
                   o   ___
                   p   .__.
                   q   __._
                   r   ._.
                   s   ...
                   t   _
                   u   .._
                   v   ..._
                   w   .__
                   x   _.._
                   y   _.__
                   z   __..

                   0   _____
                   1   .____
                   2   ..___
                   3   ...__
                   4   ...._
                   5   .....
                   6   _....
                   7   __...
                   8   ___..
                   9   ____.

                   /   _.._.
                   ?   ..__..

                   BK  _..._._
                   GL  __.._..

         Code Set: COMMUNICATION (All above +)
                   KA  _._._
                   KN  _.__.
                   AS  ._...
                   SN  ..._.
                   SK  ..._._
                   +   ._._.
                   =   _..._
                   !   __..__
                   -   _...._
                   .   ._._._    (full stop  )
                   ,   ._.___    (comma      )
                   `   ._.._     (period     )

                   OK  ____._
                   OP  ___.__.
                   CU  _._..._
                   CL  _._.._..

                   CQ  _._.__._
                   QRZ __._._.__..
                   QR  __._._.
                   QS  __._...
                   RZ  ._.__..
                   Z?  __....__..

                   QTH __.__....
                   QSL __._...._..
                   QSY __._..._.__

         Code Set: TEXT          (All above +)
                   :   ___...
                   ;   _._._.
                   (   _.__._
                   )   ..__._
                   "   ._.._.
                   '   .____.

                      ......    (back delete)
                       __.___    (End of Line)
                       ______    (End of File)

         Code Set: EXTENDED      (All above +)
                      .__._     (a'         )
                      .._..     (e'         )
                      ___.      (o"         )
                      ..__      (u"         )
                      ._._      (a"         )
                   ch  ____

         Code Set: STANDARD      (All above  )
                   Decoding is strictly related to char spaces, as usual.
                   (no comma free properties of code set are used)


   3.    Installation & Startup:

         Unzip CB_300.ZIP package into a separate directory.

         NB: Valid PnP configuration is needed for PnP cards before
             starting CB300.

         At start up:

         - Sound Blaster i/o Base address   (0220 or 0240 or 0260),
         - IT Number of SB Card             (5 or 7 or 9 or 10),
         - LDMA channel No.                 (0 or 1 or 3), and
         - HDMA channel No.                 (5 or 6 or 7)
           are read from BLASTER DOS environment variable.
         - Number of Receiver Channels, default Receiver/Test Speed and
           Time Zone are

  EITHER   read from ascii file (if no command parameter is given):

           CB300.INI

      OR   read as command line parameters, like:

           CB300 1 120 -5 (Enter)

           They must be:

         - an integer between   1 and 16,
         - an integer between  20 and 200, and
         - an integer between -12 and 12.

           Defaults are:

           1 180 0

           if no CB300.INI found.
           Attached default CB300.INI sets these values too.


         Start the program from DOS prompt by typing:

           CB300     (Enter)

         and the program will start operating a single channel.

         Exit with Esc button.

         Thereafter, you may gradually increase "Number of Receiver Channels"
         parameter in command line to match CB300.EXE to your CPU/FPU speed
         by typing

           CB300 2   (Enter)

         and exiting with Esc.

         Similarly, by

           CB300 3   (Enter)

         and so on with 4,5, ... up to 16 as parameter.

         If your machine is not capable of operating a given number of
         channels, the program will abort and reports DMA overrun.

         Thereafter, repeat starting with the last succesful parameter.
         CB300 stores this number in CB300.INI, and will use it later on
         starts without param, like:

           CB300     (Enter)

         Similarly, receiver default speed in LPM, and zone time may be
         set by the second and third parameters, like
         (12 channels, 50 LPM, CET (GMT+1)):

           CB300 12 50 1

         These are also stored in the CB300.INI file.

         Even, DMA overrun report may occur later, during operation,
         for example, if all channels receive great signal, or all
         channels must print a long stream of characters concurrently.
         In this case, a new start with a decreased by one number of
         channels parameter is needed.


         Expectable are:

         16 channels for PentiumII/230  LANDMARK: 1472/3742MHz 16661 chr/ms
         12              MMX      /166            1362/3607    27306
          7              MMX      /166            1093/2905     2185
          6              5x86     /133             447/1179     2421

         A/D, mono, 8 bits/sample; D/A, mono, 16 bits/sample and mixer
         functions of the sound card are operated.
         SB16, VIBRA (DSP V4.13, DSP V4.16) and AWE64 (DSP V4.16) run
         successfully.


   4.    Creating Filter Bank Set definition files (CB300.FBD/CB290.FBD)

         At startup, CB300 reads CB300.FBD file for setting up operating
         BPFs. It's an ascii file defining BPF Bank filter parameters
         and can be created/edited with any ascii text editor. If there
         is no such file in the hosting directory CB300 uses compile time
         defined default bank definitions.

         Each line of a .FBD file specifies a bank of 8 member filters
         and consists of:

         - a  Bank Name,                max. 5 characters;
         - an Initial Receiver Channel, integer in the range of 0 - 7;
              and
           8  times :
         - a  BPF Center Freq [Hz],     integer and
         - a  BPF Width       [Hz],     integer

         pairs, all separated by space(s).

         'Bank Name' is an identifier for the bank.

         'Initial Receiver Channel' will be the default/initial RX channel
         when the bank is selected for operation.

         Each 'Center' - 'Width' pair will result in a BP filter of width
         'Width' symmetric around 'Center' with an attenuation of
         '<=' 0.5 dB inside of 'Width' and an attenuation of '>=' 50 dB
         outside; transition regions are 10 Hz and 10 Hz outside of 'Width'.

         For 'Width' a value between 30 - 300 [Hz] allowed.
         A bank must reside in the 200 - 2700 Hz freq range completely.
         Maximal number of banks defined in a .FBD file may be 32.

         Example (the Pyramid bank):

         Pyram 4 600 30 600 50 600 75 600 100 600 150 600 200 600 250 600 300

         See CB300_.FBD, as an example for 25 banks.


   5.    Making tape records with
         PED Vx.xx for CB testing

         CW Pile up Trainers of JE3MAS can be used for generating
         realistic CW clusters. When making records, keeping sig-
         nal level on a minimal value is recommended.
         Harmonic distortion caused by AGC operation in recorders
         generates "multiple and separable signals" for the CB.
         These signal components will be received independently
         in different channels, or cause "extra" QRM for primary
         signals. Similarly, FM synthesized voices of the sound
         cards can eventually be rich in harmonics and may have
         the same effects.

         Special thanks to JE3MAS.


   6.    Output Files

         Output files are placed into the same directory where
         CB300.EXE resides.

         CAxxxxxx.TXT files are 24 hour log files of RX window.
         Raw ASCII text.

         Cxxxxxxx.WAV files are 8 bits/sample stereo records of signal flow.
         Channel signal amplitude of 20 ADC steps covers unsigned byte
         range in WAV files, higher will fold.
         These files are playable and viewable by WAV players/studios.

         Recorded signals are:

               i. input AF               signal  in CA_....WAV/left
              ii. BPFed                  signal               /right
             iii. rectified      & LPFed signal  in CB_....WAV/left
              iv. differentiated & LPFed signal               /right


   7.    Files in CB_300.ZIP

         CB300.EXE     The Cluter Blaster Laboratory Version Stereo
         CB300.INI     Initial Startup file
         CBHELP30.TXT  OnLine Help File
         CB290.EXE     The Cluter Blaster Laboratory Version
         CB290.INI     Initial Startup file
         CBHELP29.TXT  OnLine Help File
         TRAINER.TXT   Code Trainer file info
         CBKEYS30.TXT  Keyboard functions list
         DX601EGR.TXT  Emulated Filter Gain Response
         DX605EGR.TXT  Emulated Filter Gain Response
         CB300_.FBD    Default equivalent Filter Bank Definition file (rename)
         CB290_.FBD    Default equivalent Filter Bank Definition file (rename)
         INFOCB30.TXT  Program info in Hungarian language
         CIRCUIT.BMP   Protecting SB Card LINE Input from shocks
         README30.TXT  This file



         Budapest,  Oct.18th 1998/
                    Mar.15th 1999/
                    May.20th 1999/
                    Nov.16th 1999/
                    Jan.22nd 2000


                    73 and enjoy Cluster Blast(er)ing.

                                Best DXs,

                    Frank           &            Pal

                ha5dm@qsl.net              ha5md@qsl.net
           http://www.qsl.net/ha5dm   http://www.qsl.net/ha5md

