From afd6ae851898ee939625234d20a91fc8b38c21f2 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Bill Somerville Date: Fri, 1 May 2015 19:05:31 +0000 Subject: [PATCH] Move unversioned release notice texts into NEWS file Merged from the wsjtx-1.5 branch. git-svn-id: svn+ssh://svn.code.sf.net/p/wsjt/wsjt/branches/wsjtx@5329 ab8295b8-cf94-4d9e-aec4-7959e3be5d79 --- NEWS | 249 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 249 insertions(+) diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS index e9cb8903a..4c4048fa1 100644 --- a/NEWS +++ b/NEWS @@ -10,7 +10,256 @@ \$$ \$$ \$$$$$$ \$$$$$$ \$$ \$$ \$$ +Copyright 2001 - 2015 by Joe Taylor, K1JT. + + +WSJT-X v1.5.0 Release Notice +============================ + +Decoder Performance Improvements +-------------------------------- + +The most notable change in v1.5.0 is improved speed and quality of the +JT9 and JT65 decoders. Algorithms have been fine-tuned, and advantage +is taken of the multiple CPUs found on most modern computers. Overall +speedup factors of three or more have been attained since the v1.4.0 +release and more signals are being successfully decoded as well. + +For those interested, here's a summary of speed tests of three +benchmark versions of WSJT-X, based on reading and decoding an +identical set of 10,682 *.wav files. The files were recorded on +various bands from 160 m to 10 m; the number of decodable JT65 signals +is typically about 5 times the number of JT9 signals. For each test +the program was set to "JT9+JT65" mode with "Deepest" selected on the +*Decode* menu. Other setup parameters were identical in all cases. +The test computer runs Windows 7 and has an Intel i5-2500 processor +with 4 CPUs. + +Columns labeled "JT9" and "JT65" in the following table give the +number of decoded signals in each mode. Numbers in the "Time" column +are total processing time in seconds, and columns labaled "Factor" +give ratios of the corresponding numbers, relative to WSJT-X v1.3. + +Program Version JT9 Factor JT65 Factor Time Factor +------------------------------------------------------- +v1.3 r3673 7691 1.000 40831 1.000 14061 1.00 +v1.4.0 7693 1.000 41796 1.024 13320 1.06 +v1.5.0-rc1 8024 1.043 43946 1.076 4224 3.32 + +On the benchmark computer the decoder in v1.5.0-rc1 is more than 3 +times faster than the ones in program releases v1.3 r3673 and v1.4.0. +At the same time, the number of decoded signals has increased by as +much as 7.6%. + +Users will notice another consequence of taking advantage of multiple +CPUs. JT65 and JT9 decodes in dual "JT9+JT65" mode are now done in +parallel, so decodes are delivered to the Rx activity window as they +are decoded rather than finishing the current mode before starting the +other mode. Decoding at the QSO frequency is still given priority, +but it may not be the first decode displayed because the first decodes +of the other mode may be produced more quickly. Dual mode decodes are +now interleaved in the Rx activity window. + + +UDP Broadcast +------------- + +WSJT-X v1.5.0 introduces a new facility that broadcasts status, decode +and logged QSO information via the network. Although this facility +gives no obvious change to the application other than a few new +settings options, it should allow cooperating applications to interact +with WSJT-X far more smoothly than the current file based mechanism +which is prone to contention. The file access contention can be +detrimental to both WSJT-X and the cooperating application whereas the +new broadcast mechanism will not. + +Currently the only only cooperating application we know of is JTAlertX +by Laurie VK3AMA and that currently uses the file based mechanism. We +hope that Laurie will try the new mechanism but we will continue to +provide the file based mechanism as well. We also know of at least one +other application in development for the Apple Mac platform to provide +similar features to JTAlertX. A contribution for Linux would also be +most welcome. + + +Rig Control +----------- + +This continues to be an area of development. There are still many +untested combinations of equipment since we have to wait until a user +tries WSJT-X for the first time with each combination before we can be +sure that any defects have been removed. Hundreds of hours of testing +have been done and we thank those who have reported issues and offered +their time to test fixes where necessary. + + +FlexRadio & HPSDR Users +----------------------- + +Currently the Hamlib library that we use for direct CAT control of +your rigs does not provide a fully functioning driver for these +radios. Instead the TS-2000 emulation mode of these SDRs must be used +as the Hamlib driver for this has tweaks added to cooperate correctly +with SDRs. Version v1.4 of WSJT-X did not work with these radios in +TS-2000 emulation mode and at the time we were not informed of that, +it appears to have become common knowledge that using the TS-480 +emulation mode was the correct procedure, this is incorrect although +it did work at the time. The TS-480 emulation may cease to work in a +future version because it is due to a defect in Hamlib that it works +at all. The TS-2000 emulation mode is the correct selection and should +be used with these radios. + + +Generated Messages for Type 1 and Type 2 Compound Callsigns +----------------------------------------------------------- + +This is a complex area because it requires special action by both +parties in a QSO since the automatically generated standard messages +are not always suitable. We have tried to improve the standard message +generation and recognition along with better recognition of own call +messages. As before it is imperative that operators take note of their +QSO partners responses and be prepared to manually edit replies when +communicating with compound callsign stations. + + + +WSJT-X v1.4.0 Release Notice +============================ + +Migration of User Files +----------------------- + +This release includes a new install mechanism that separates user +files from installation and program files. This means that going +forward upgrades will be seamless with user files preserved and +automatically carried forward without user intervention. For this +release only it is necessary to move your user files manually if you +wish to preserve them. The locations of user files have changed and +now vary depending on the installation platform. The following notes +are intended to guide you in moving your user files, this is a one +time action. + +On Microsoft Windows: + +The new location for user files is %LOCALAPPDATA% which is an +environment variable defined automatically by Windows, you may use the +environment variable any place where a file path would normally be +used e.g. in the location entry bar in Windows File Explorer or in +arguments to command line programs from a Command Prompt window. + +On Linux and other Unix systems: + +The new location for user files ~/.local/share + +On Mac: + +The new location for user files is ~/Library/Application\ Support + +In all cases the files are stored in a subdirectory which by default +is WSJT-X + +In the case of users who run multiple instances of WSJT-X on a single +computer there are different user file locations for each +instance. The non-default locations are in sibling subdirectories each +suffixed by the rig name argument passed to WSJT-X at startup (See +Running Multiple Instances below). + +The user files that you may wish to migrate from older versions of +WSJT-X are: + + ALL.TXT + CALL3.TXT + wsjtx.log + wsjtx_log.adi + +The format of each of these files is unchanged in WSJT-X v1.4 so all +that is needed is to copy them to the new location. + +For example on Microsoft Windows assuming a WSJT-X v1.3 installation +in C:\WSJT\wsjtx-1.3, using a command prompt window: + + copy C:\WSJT\wsjtx-1.3\ALL.TXT %LOCALAPPDATA%\WSJT-X\ + copy C:\WSJT\wsjtx-1.3\CALL3.TXT %LOCALAPPDATA%\WSJT-X\ + copy C:\WSJT\wsjtx-1.3\wsjtx.log %LOCALAPPDATA%\WSJT-X\ + copy C:\WSJT\wsjtx-1.3\wsjtx_log.adi %LOCALAPPDATA%\WSJT-X\ + +On Linux: + + cp ~/wsjtx-1.3/ALL.TXT ~/.local/share/WSJT-X/ + cp ~/wsjtx-1.3/CALL3.TXT ~/.local/share/WSJT-X/ + cp ~/wsjtx-1.3/wsjtx.log ~/.local/share/WSJT-X/ + cp ~/wsjtx-1.3/wsjtx_log.adi ~/.local/share/WSJT-X/ + +On Mac: + + cp ~/wsjtx-1.3/ALL.TXT ~/Library/Application\ Support/WSJT-X/ + cp ~/wsjtx-1.3/CALL3.TXT ~/Library/Application\ Support/WSJT-X/ + cp ~/wsjtx-1.3/wsjtx.log ~/Library/Application\ Support/WSJT-X/ + cp ~/wsjtx-1.3/wsjtx_log.adi ~/Library/Application\ Support/WSJT-X/ + +If you have a customized cty.dat file installed, then that too should +be copied to the new directory. + + +Settings +-------- + +WSJT-X v1.4 introduces a new settings regime. There is no facility to +migrate settings from prior versions and copying the wsjtx.ini +settings file to the new user files location will not carry over any +useful information. The new settings dialog is very different from +prior versions but it is intuitive and will not take long to configure +for you equipment and preferences. + + +Running Multiple Instances +-------------------------- + +For users with multiple radios or multi-receiver SDRs WSJT-X offers +multiple instance support. Prior to WSJT-X v1.4 this involved +installing the application multiple times in separate locations, this +is no longer necessary and multiple instances MUST be run from a +single installation. This is possible as user and other writable data +files are stored in a unique location for each instance. + +WSJT-X has a new command line option that coordinates multiple +instances called --rig-name (-r for short) which allow you to specify +a unique key for each instance. If no --rig-name option is supplied a +default location is used for writable files as specified in the +Migrating of User Files section above. If a key is provided then the +same key must be used every time that instance is started so as to +associate it with the correct data files. + +If the unique key were ft-857 then you must start WSJT-X using that +key e.g. + + wsjtx --rig-name=ft-857 + +and the data files will be stored in a directory "WSJT-X - ft-857" for +example on Windows: + + "%LOCALAPPDATA%\WSJT-X - ft-857\" + +Multiple instance support may also be used if more than one operator +uses the same computer with their own call signs, or a single operator +who operates in multiple locations with different call signs or +wishing to maintain separate log files for each location. + + +Known Issues +------------ + +Editing station details in the frequencies tab of the settings window +may not save the changes to the settings file. Updates will show in +the settings tables until application exit but may not be used by the +application. A workaround is available, delete the whole row and +re-enter the details rather than editing individual fields. This +defect is resolved in the next release (v1.5). + + + + WSJT-X ChangeLog ------------------------------------------------------------------ October 7, 2013: Version 1.2.1, r3590