Running a FlexRadio SDR-1000 in 2024

It's now 20 years since FlexRadio released the SDR-1000. Can it still be used in 2024?

Yes, it can. These notes are to remind me how I did it and so that I can share it with others.

I use a Dell Optiplex tower PC with Windows 7. I run this with no internet connection for security with any new files loaded by a USB drive checked for malware.

Both of the old desktop PCs I used to use years ago with a SDR-1000 were in storage and when I tried them again they had failed.

I bought the Dell Optiplex PC from a local computer refurbishment supplier Computers For You in Bolton. I asked for a PC for Windows 7 that had a parallel port and a Firewire port. They added the Firewire card for free and went out of their way to help me. I can't recommend them highly enough!

I'm using a Roland Edirol FA-66 Firewire sound card as this was the best sound card recommended for the SDR-1000 at the end of production. The driver was downloaded from the Roland web site: Roland FA-66 drivers Pick the one you need towards the bottom of the list. Don't use the Cakewalk driver.

I initially loaded PowerSDR v1.8.6 as this was the last version recommended for the SDR-1000 by FlexRadio PowerSDR v1.8.6 from FlexRadio web site

One problem I setting up the software had was getting the corect version of .Net. After a lot of web serching I managed to find it: .Net v1.1.4322

Initially I had problems controlling the SDR-1000 via the parallel port so I downloaded the Parallel Port Tester to check the port and comnnecting cable.

The problem was caused by the computer displaying the wrong LPT address 278 in the Bios and Windows 7 Device Manager. I changed it to the address displayed in Parallel Port Tester 378 and it made a connection and started controlling the SDR-1000. Many users had problems with parallel port control of the SDR-1000 so maybe this was the problem?

With PowerSDR v1.8.6 I found that it didn't work reliably with the outputs from the FA-66 sound card so audio to speakers and IQ transmit audio was absent.

I read through the release notes of the later versions of PowerSDR and found that v2.5.3 was the last one used for the SDR-1000 by FlexRadio: PowerSDR v2.5.3 They dropped finally software support for the SDR-1000 after this version.

I loaded v2.5.3 and found that the FA-66 outputs were working correctly with output to the speakers and IQ transmit audio. The bug was probably fixed in the intervening versions. It was now working on transmit and receive just like the old days!

Back in the day I used a Delta 44 sound card but that never received drivers past Windows XP. The Roland FA-66 has drivers for the latest Windows versions and best of all it's a 24 bit, 192 kHz sound card so PowerSDR can display a span of 192 kHz.

Contact Chris Moulding via info@crosscountrywireless.net