diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS index 91fb9cd92..76fe7c528 100644 --- a/NEWS +++ b/NEWS @@ -13,6 +13,125 @@ Copyright 2001 - 2021 by Joe Taylor, K1JT. + Release: WSJT-X 2.3.0-rc3 + Jan 6, 2021 + ------------------------- + +WSJT-X 2.3.0 Release Candidate 3 adds an improved FST4W decoder and +fixes several defects and regressions discovered since the second +release candidate. + + - FST4W: Improve FST4W decoder sensitivity on fading channels and + decrease false decode rate. + + FST4W uses 50-bit messages and a 24-bit CRC. The 74-bit + message+CRC is encoded into a 240-bit codeword. Received messages + are decoded by two different decoders: (i) a “belief propagation” + (BP) decoder and (ii) an ordered statistics decoder (OSD). The + ordered statistics decoder has a knob that allows any or all CRC + bits to be treated as additional parity bits rather than as part of + the message+CRC field. Thus, the OSD decoder can decode the + received message as a (240,50+Nc) code, where Nc is any integer + between 0 and 24. In the RC1 and RC2 releases the OSD decoding + attempt treated the code as a (240,64) code (14-bit CRC). This + release uses 2 OSD decoding attempts that treat the received word + as (i) a (240,66) code with 16-bit CRC and code rate 0.308 and (ii) + a (240,50) code with no CRC and code rate 0.208. Codewords returned + by the (240,50) CRC-less decoding attempt are unpacked and the + decode is printed only if it contains a callsign/grid pair that + have been previously decoded by the belief propagation decoder + (which treats the code as a (240,74) code with 24-bit CRC) or the + ordered statistics decoder configured for (240,66) (16-bit + CRC). The callsign/grid memory is stored in file “fst4w_calls.txt” + which resides in the data directory. + + - FT8: Fixed a crash triggered by double clicking on the waterfall to + invoke a decode of a signal in the preceding T/R interval. + + - FST4W: Do not save .c2 files. + + - FST4W: Correct a bug that could cause incorrect operation when + using negative noise blanker (NB) percentage to trigger looping + over a range of NB percentages. + + - fst4sim: Added simulation of Lorentzian fading spectrum, invoked by + negative fspread values. + + - Color highlighting scheme window fixed in dark mode. + + - Reports sent by QSO partners to other stations no longer logged in + error. + + - UDP Status(1) message now includes the current Tx message. + + - Example diagnostic logging configuration files included. + + - Use system localization for date fields in Log QSO dialog. + + - Improvements to audio input and output buffer sizes. + + - wsprd: Fails gracefully if data directory does not exist. + + - wsjtx_app_version: new utility to print application version string. + + - Regression causing incorrect working frequency selection when + changing modes repaired. + + - Regression with QSO initiation with "Best S&P" repaired. + + - Updated installation instructions for macOS covering M1 hardware. + + - Improved compatibility is Debian 9 required distribution packages. + + - Repair regression with missing time-stamps in the ALL.TXT journal. + + - Allow hamlib_settings.json to work with PTT only configurations so + that optional PTT sharing on RTS or DTR can be enabled. + + - Several improvements to main window sizing and layout. + + - Repair regression with OpenSSL libraries being required when LoTW + highlighting is not enabled. + + - Repair a defect that caused 2 by 1 callsigns to be incorrectly + parsed as non-standard. + + - Several updates to international UI translations. + + + + Release: WSJT-X 2.3.0-rc2 + Nov 16, 2020 + ------------------------- + +WSJT-X 2.3.0 Release Candidate 2 fixes issues found in RC1 and +includes some new functionality that missed the RC1 cut off deadline. + + - Dropped audio samples message box removed, warnings and errors for + these are now sent to the WSJT-X system log. + + - FST4W spots to WSPRNet.org will be augmented such that the server + can distinguish the mode being spotted. Spots to WSPRNet.org will + no longer be restricted to WSPR sub-bands. + + - A new internal system and data logging facility used to provide + trace, debug, information, warning, error, and fatal error + messages. The verbosity and filtering of messages is user definable + via a configuration file. Without a configuration file a basic log + is written with information, warning and error messages only. Log + files are automatically rotated to limit disk usage. + + - Due to some users using inappropriate multicast IP addresses for + their interoperating severs the default behaviour now is to only + send multicast UDP datagrams to the loop-back network interface. + Users who require WSJT-X UDP Message Protocol datagrams to reach + other hosts will now have to configure WSJT-X to send on an + appropriate network interface, and use an appropriately scoped + multicast group address for their server applications. If you are + not sure then 224.0.0.1 (or ff02::1 if IPv6 is desired) is a safe + choice. + + Release: WSJT-X 2.3.0-rc1 Sept 28, 2020 ------------------------- diff --git a/Release_Notes.txt b/Release_Notes.txt index e0e8e3c22..b091f6973 100644 --- a/Release_Notes.txt +++ b/Release_Notes.txt @@ -17,6 +17,88 @@ Copyright 2001 - 2021 by Joe Taylor, K1JT. Jan 6, 2021 ------------------------- +WSJT-X 2.3.0 Release Candidate 3 adds an improved FST4W decoder and +fixes several defects and regressions discovered since the second +release candidate. + + - FST4W: Improve FST4W decoder sensitivity on fading channels and + decrease false decode rate. + + FST4W uses 50-bit messages and a 24-bit CRC. The 74-bit + message+CRC is encoded into a 240-bit codeword. Received messages + are decoded by two different decoders: (i) a “belief propagation” + (BP) decoder and (ii) an ordered statistics decoder (OSD). The + ordered statistics decoder has a knob that allows any or all CRC + bits to be treated as additional parity bits rather than as part of + the message+CRC field. Thus, the OSD decoder can decode the + received message as a (240,50+Nc) code, where Nc is any integer + between 0 and 24. In the RC1 and RC2 releases the OSD decoding + attempt treated the code as a (240,64) code (14-bit CRC). This + release uses 2 OSD decoding attempts that treat the received word + as (i) a (240,66) code with 16-bit CRC and code rate 0.308 and (ii) + a (240,50) code with no CRC and code rate 0.208. Codewords returned + by the (240,50) CRC-less decoding attempt are unpacked and the + decode is printed only if it contains a callsign/grid pair that + have been previously decoded by the belief propagation decoder + (which treats the code as a (240,74) code with 24-bit CRC) or the + ordered statistics decoder configured for (240,66) (16-bit + CRC). The callsign/grid memory is stored in file “fst4w_calls.txt” + which resides in the data directory. + + - FT8: Fixed a crash triggered by double clicking on the waterfall to + invoke a decode of a signal in the preceding T/R interval. + + - FST4W: Do not save .c2 files. + + - FST4W: Correct a bug that could cause incorrect operation when + using negative noise blanker (NB) percentage to trigger looping + over a range of NB percentages. + + - fst4sim: Added simulation of Lorentzian fading spectrum, invoked by + negative fspread values. + + - Color highlighting scheme window fixed in dark mode. + + - Reports sent by QSO partners to other stations no longer logged in + error. + + - UDP Status(1) message now includes the current Tx message. + + - Example diagnostic logging configuration files included. + + - Use system localization for date fields in Log QSO dialog. + + - Improvements to audio input and output buffer sizes. + + - wsprd: Fails gracefully if data directory does not exist. + + - wsjtx_app_version: new utility to print application version string. + + - Regression causing incorrect working frequency selection when + changing modes repaired. + + - Regression with QSO initiation with "Best S&P" repaired. + + - Updated installation instructions for macOS covering M1 hardware. + + - Improved compatibility is Debian 9 required distribution packages. + + - Repair regression with missing time-stamps in the ALL.TXT journal. + + - Allow hamlib_settings.json to work with PTT only configurations so + that optional PTT sharing on RTS or DTR can be enabled. + + - Several improvements to main window sizing and layout. + + - Repair regression with OpenSSL libraries being required when LoTW + highlighting is not enabled. + + - Repair a defect that caused 2 by 1 callsigns to be incorrectly + parsed as non-standard. + + - Several updates to international UI translations. + + Release: WSJT-X 2.3.0-rc2 Nov 16, 2020 @@ -50,6 +132,7 @@ includes some new functionality that missed the RC1 cut off deadline. choice. + Release: WSJT-X 2.3.0-rc1 Sept 28, 2020 -------------------------