SDR# (v1.0.0.1732) – channel filter exploration

With plans to use an RTL-SDR dongle and SDR# (v1.0.0.1732) for an upcoming project, the Equivalent Noise Bandwidth (ENB) of several channel filter configurations were explored.

A first observation of listening to a SSB telephony signal is an excessive low frequency rumble from the speaker indicative of a baseband response to quite low frequencies, much lower than needed or desirable for SSB telephony.

500Hz CW filter

The most common application of such a filter is reception of A1 Morse code.

Above is a screenshot of the filter settings.

Above is a plot of the response of the filter. It is hardly an idealised rectangular filter response. Though the response might be well suited to Morse code reception, it is an issue when measurements make assumptions about the ENB. The response is not well suited to narrowband data such as RTTY etc.

A summary of the filter response follows.

Locut 0Hz.
sox: bin_width_hz=10.000Hz
Filter -6dB response: 460-770Hz=310Hz.
ENB=224Hz with respect to gain at 610Hz (passband centre frequency).
ENB=222Hz with respect to gain at 590Hz (max gain frequency).
ENB=222Hz with respect to gain at 600Hz.

If we take the gain reference frequency to be 600Hz, there is 3.5dB less noise admitted by this filter than an idealised rectangular filter. Measurements such as the ARRL MDS that might assume 500Hz bandwidth will have 3.5dB error.

1000Hz USB

A 1000Hz filter might be well suited to narrow band data reception, many of the so-called ham digital modes.

Above is a screenshot of the filter settings.

Above is a plot of the response of the filter. It is fairly close to an idealised rectangular filter response.

There appears to be no means to offset the filter at baseband frequency.

A summary of the filter response follows.

Locut 0Hz.
sox: bin_width_hz=10.000Hz
Filter -6dB response: 110-950Hz=840Hz.
ENB=823Hz with respect to gain at 530Hz (passband centre frequency).
ENB=716Hz with respect to gain at 200Hz (max gain frequency).
ENB=800Hz with respect to gain at 500Hz.

If we take the gain reference frequency to be 500Hz, there is 0.97dB less noise admitted by this filter than an idealised rectangular filter.

2400Hz USB

Above is a screenshot of the filter settings.

 

Above is a plot of the response of the filter. It is fairly close to an idealised rectangular filter response.

There appears to be no means to offset the filter at baseband frequency.

A summary of the filter response follows.

Locut 0Hz.
sox: bin_width_hz=10.000Hz
Filter -6dB response: 110-2350Hz=2240Hz.
ENB=2353Hz with respect to gain at 1230Hz (passband centre frequency).
ENB=1829Hz with respect to gain at 210Hz (max gain frequency).
ENB=2255Hz with respect to gain at 1000Hz.

If we take the gain reference frequency to be 1000Hz, there is 0.27dB less noise admitted by this filter than an idealised rectangular filter.

Lack of baseband offset adjustment

SDR# does not appear to have a convenient facility to shift or offset the baseband response.

Above is the baseband response in 2400Hz USB mode as show in the SDR# window. Note that the response rolls off below 100Hz, whereas good conventional SSB Telephony receivers would have a 6dB response from say 250-2750Hz for a ENB of 2400Hz. The lower -6dB point for this response is 110Hz.

This leads to substantial low frequency component that is not a priority for SSB telephony, and in the case where the transmitter is band limited to 300-2700Hz, the filter admits unnecessary noise and the low end and cuts of a little of the high end. It is a hammy sammy approach where recognised speech characteristics, conventions and compatibility between transmitter and receiver are jettisoned.

Conclusions

The basic 1000Hz USB filter provides a response close to ideal, centred around 530Hz, and its ENB is 800Hz (-0.07dB on 1000Hz).

There appears no facility in SDR# to save a number of filter settings for later recall, so the process of configuring SDR# for measurement is a bit tedious.

Update 20200911

My attention has been draw to the facility to drag the upper and lower limits of the IF passband, thanks Martin.

Above is an example where a 500Hz passband is centred on 1500Hz at baseband.

As soon as another mode is selected, the setting is lost and there appears no facility to save a set of settings for later recall. Note the inconsistency between the two displayed bandwidth figures.

Yes, it works but it is not convenient and not practical for save / recall of a standardised set of measurement or reception conditions.