® AR-IQ Receiver Control, I/Q Record & Playback for AR-ALPHA AOR Ltd.
Introduction AR-IQ software allows direct control of the AR-Alpha receiver through a graphical interface. The recorded samples are acquired through the USB I/Q Port and further processed (filtered and demodulated) by the PC CPU. All commands are sent to the AR-Alpha through the receiver’s remote control USB port. AF vs.
Table of contents Introduction :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::..1 1 Minimum system requirements:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::.:. 3 2 USB driver installation :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 4 3 I/Q driver installation :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::7 4 Software installation ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::... 9 5 Software registration ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::.10 6 5.
1 Minimum system requirements ● 2.5 GHz Dual Core CPU with 1GB RAM ● Two available USB 2.0 High-Speed (480Mbit/s) ports. (Three ports if the USB-key license system is used) ● 16 bit AC-97 compatible audio board ● 1024 x768 minimum resolution video board and monitor ● 2 button wheel mouse ● 10 GB or more internal hard-disk ● Supported OS: Windows 2000 SP4, Windows XP SP2, Windows Vista, Windows 7 Note: The above specifications are for reference only and might vary depending on your PC system.
2 USB driver installation ◆ All following screenshots were made using Windows XP. Messages appearing on screen may differ slightly depending on which version of the Windows operating system and which driver version is used. 2-1 Connect a USB cable to the REMOTE 1 socket on the rear panel of AR-Alpha, and to a spare USB socket on the PC. (Cable type “USB-A to USB-B”) 2-2 Switch AR-Alpha on.
2-5 Locate the folder containing the USB driver by clicking on “Browse”, to find the driver location. 2-6 If you are loading the driver files from the CD supplied with the AR-ALPHA, proceed as shown by selecting the “USB driver” folder inside the CD. Validate your selection with “OK” Note: A newer USB driver might be available at http://www.ftdichip.com/ftdrivers.htm Click “VCP Drivers”: then select the device number “FT232B”. Download the zip file and unzip it to the folder of your choice.
2-8 Click “Finish”. The USB driver is now installed.
3 I/Q driver installation ◆ All following screenshots were made using Windows XP. Messages appearing on screen may differ slightly depending on which version of the Windows operating system and which driver version is used 3-1 Connect the other USB cable to the I/Q OUT socket on the rear panel of AR-Alpha, and to a spare USB socket of the PC. (Cable type “USB-A to USB-B”) 3-2 Make sure AR-Alpha is switched ON. Windows detects the new hardware and begins the driver installation procedure.
3-4 Locate the folder containing the I/Q driver by clicking on “Browse”, to find the driver location. 3-5 If you are loading the driver files from the CD supplied with the AR-ALPHA, proceed as shown by selecting the “IQ driver” folder inside the CD. Validate 3-6 your selection with “OK” Click “Finish”. The I/Q driver is now installed.
4 ① Software Installation Copy the folder “AR-IQ software v.X” (“X” being the version number) from the supplied CD to any location in your hard drive ② When first run, the software will ask you about the COM port to which the AR-Alpha USB Remote Control is connected. After the first run, local settings will be saved in the windows registry.
5 5-1 Software registration Using the software on a single PC The software is free for unlimited use on a SINGLE PC, nevertheless you need to register after 30 days of use. The registration is free as long as the software is installed only once on a single PC. The license issued as explained below, is locked to your PC’s hardware ID. For this reason the software can only be used on the PC on which it has been registered to.
license file in the supplied mailbox within a few days. If no Internet connection is available, the “SAVE REQUEST TO FILE” button should be used, thus creating a text file (regdata.txt) that must be manually sent via email to the dealer for the activation process. After receiving a confirmation email, save the mail attachment in the same folder where the AR-IQ software is located. If the registration procedure is completed correctly, the “About” dialog window should look like this.
6 Software functions 12
Attenuators (1) Attenuators allow you to attenuate the input signal by a preferred amount. Users can choose among 0, 10 and 20 dBm attenuation. The “Auto” button enables automatic attenuation, based on the current input signal level. Front-End (2) In the front-end sections, users can control antenna input and select preamp operation. Preamplificator is on when the button is lit. “Ant.1” and “Ant.2” buttons allow selecting the desired antenna input.
Frequency and tuning (6) This indicator always shows the current tuned frequency. If the operation mode is not set to “Center” (in the “IF FILTER” section), the AR-Alpha frequency can be different; frequency shift in this case is made by the software. The current frequency can be tuned using the mouse wheel while hovering with the pointer on the desired frequency digit. Double clicking on the frequency indicator, a dialog window will appear, allowing direct frequency input.
S-Meter (12) The S-Meter shows the current signal level and also provides the means to set squelch and auto mute functions. Squelch level can be enabled clicking the bar in the S1-S9 (green) zone with the left mouse button; any signal under the set value will not produce output. The Auto Mute level is set clicking in the S9 S9+70 (red) zone; any signal higher than the limit will produce no output.
Averaging (16) Main and secondary spectrum display averaging can be enabled by clicking on the button over the respective sliders. Slider positions set the number of averages used, the higher the slider position (and, as a consequence, the number of averages), the smoother the spectrum views. AGC (17) The automatic Gain Control block has 5 operational modes: “SpkRej” is spike rejection mode; “Fast”, “Med” and “Slow” refer to the gain variation speed.
® AOR Ltd. Authority On Radio Communications 2-6-4 Misuji, Taito-ku, 111-0055 Tokyo, Japan www.aorja.com mail@aorja.
