CS800D
PLUS DUAL BAND DMR AND ANALOG MOBILE Radio
IMAGINE
Imagine
a radio that has the storage capacity of 520,000 contacts and 64,000 channels.
Imagine a radio that has the
ability to do DMR, FUSION, DSTAR, P25 and NXDN.
ImaIgine
a radio that can make its own code plug by analyzing the signals being transmitted.
Imagine a radio that knows where all the repeaters are and knows where you are
and able to use that information to make a code plug on the fly.
Imagine
a radio where you can program most of the parameters in the radio without a computer
and without having to go through a complicated procedure to generate a new channel
or edit the existing channel.
Imagine
a radio where you can transmit beyond line of site without an internet connection.
Imagine a radio where you can
seamlessly add a co-processor or your laptop to allow you to add digital modes
not currently in the radio.
Imagine
a radio where you can add new features to the radio without the manufacture's
cooperation. Imagine a radio that can connect to the internet without a hot spot.
This and more is the future of
digital radios and what the CS800D PLUS will become.
CS800D
PLUS HARWARE
The hardware of the CS800D PLUS is
a CS800D with more memory, a GPS module and a few minor changes to the PCB. The
key to some of the advanced features is the ability to tightly integrate a separate
computer into this radio. This will allow much of the wisdom of the ham community
to be integrated into this radio without having to design new hardware. When
you buy the CS800D PLUS you get the final hardware.
CS800D
PLUS FIRMWARE
The firmware will be done in stages
over a period of many months. Some of the firmware will be done by the Amateur
community. When you first get the CS800D PLUS, you will get Firmware that will
do DMR and Analog exactly like the standard CS800D.
The
next step will be to remove all the commercial features in both the radio and
the CPS and expand the database to accommodate the final product. We will have
links for most of the features but not the actual features themselves.
Then
we start implementing the new features one at a time.
To
accommodate the visually impaired and the ability to use many of these features
without taking your eyes off the road, extensive use of voice prompts will be
used.
ACCOMMODATING
OTHER DIGITAL MODES
The radio currently can only communicate using DMR
and Analog. This section is going to show how we can extend it to also communicate
using NXDN, FUSION, P25 and DSTAR. To do P25 Phase II transmit, certain routines
will have to be added to the radio to accommodate the two time slots. P25 Phase
1 cannot be accommodated because it requires a non FM modulation technique. NXDN,
FUSION and P25 uses the same AMBE vocoder used with the DMR. DSTAR used a similar
but different vocoder so the external computer will have to handle that vocoder.
The patent for that vocoder has long expired so there should be no legal issues
in using the technology. The basis for this technique is to have certain functions
that the radio can do, be done by the radio and other things are done by an external
computer attached to the serial port of the radio. The serial port is going to
be time shared by two separate data streams as will be explained below.
RECEIVE
MODE
In this mode, the raw data is passed from the radio's receiver
at 8,000 samples per second using the A/D converter already built into the radio
and used for DMR communication. At the same time, audio data is passed back to
the radio using AMBE packets which then gets decoded by the AMBE Decoder in the
radio which in turns goes to the speaker. In this mode, the external computer
will decode the raw data and pass the compressed digital data to the vocoder on
the radio if using NXDN, Fusion and P25. If using DSTAR, the vocoder will be on
the external computer and send the raw voice audio to the D/A converter of the
radio.
TRANSMIT
MODE
In this mode, if used for NXDN, Fusion or P25, the radio passes
microphone audio that has been processed by the AMBE encoder. If used for DSTAR,
the radio passes raw audio data that then gets compressed using the DSTAR encoder
on the external computer. The external computer then takes this voice data, puts
it in packets, and modulates the radio by sending packets to the D/A converter
on the radio.
EXTERNAL
COMPUTER
The external computer can be as simple as a single chip micro
connected the DB15, a Raspberry Pi computer, or a standard PC. The key to this
enhancement is the fact that the amateur community has already done most of the
work already.