WSJT-X/lib/77bit/New_Features_WSJT-X_2.0.txt
2018-09-11 15:57:25 -04:00

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New Features in WSJT-X 2.0
--------------------------
This document is an update to the white paper "Plans for WSJT-X
Version 2.0", publicly distributed on July 26, 2018. It describes the
most important enhancements in WSJT-X 2.0 relative to WSJT-X 1.9.1.
A majority of the new features involve the FT8 and MSK144 protocols.
Both have been upgraded to use use 77-bit information payloads rather
than the 75 bits of the older FT8 protocol or 72 bits of JT4, JT9,
JT65, MSK144, and QRA64. Cyclic redundancy checks (CRCs) that protect
against false decodes have been increased from 12 to 14 bits (FT8) and
from 8 to 12 bits (MSK144). These changes bring many benefits,
including support of messages for the following special types of QSOs
and exchanged information:
1. NA VHF Contest operation with full and transparent support of grid
locators and "/R" (Rover) callsigns
2. EU VHF Contest operation with the exchange of 6-digit locators, QSO
serial numbers, and "/P" (portable) callsigns
3. ARRL Field Day operation with standard Field Day exchanges such as
"6A SNJ"
4. ARRL RTTY Roundup operation with standard contest exchanges such as
"579 NJ" or "559 0071"
5. Much better and more user-friendly support for compound and
nonstandard callsigns
6. A special "telemetry" message format for exchange of arbitrary
information (up to 71 bits)
7. All features of FT8 DXpedition mode, as in WSJT-X v1.9.1
Enhancements to the FT8 decoder ensure that in most situations
decoding sensitivity is slightly better than for the old FT8 protocol.
Sensitivity for MSK144 can be up to 0.4 dB worse. Symbol rates and
occupied bandwidths are the same as for the older protocols, and
false-decode rates are significantly lower.
IMPORTANT: For the convenience of beta-testers, the first and second
"release candidates" -- releases with "-rc1" or "-rc2" in their names
-- will have Rx and Tx capability for both the new FT8 protocol and
the older one. Starting with the third release candidate ("-rc3"),
and in the general-availability full release of WSJT-X 2.0, only the
new protocol will be supported. In contrast, the new MSK144 protocol
replaces the old one from the outset, without backward compatibility.
To minimize on-the-air confusion, it's important that users be aware
of these distinctions and our planned schedule for the release of
WSJT-X 2.0, as detailed below.
OTHER PROGRAM ENHANCEMENTS: Several other new features should be
mentioned, even in this brief overview. The WSPR decoder has
significantly better sensitivity, by about 1 dB. Color highlighting
of decoded messages provides "worked before" status for callsigns,
grid locators, and DXCC entities on a "by band" basis. Color
highlighting can also identify stations that have (or have not)
uploaded their logs to "Logbook of the World" (LoTW) within the past
year. (Information from LoTW for this purpose can be downloaded from
the ARRL web site.)
WSJT-X 2.0 introduces no significant changes to any of the modes JT4,
JT9, JT65, QRA64, ISCAT, Echo, or FreqCal.
The following table shows examples of message formats supported by the
new FT8 and MSK144 protocols. Parameters i3 and n3 (shown in the
first column) are used in the software to define major and minor
77-bit message types.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
i3.n3 Example Messages Comments
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
0.0 TNX BOB 73 GL Free text
0.1 K1ABC RR73; W9XYZ <KH1/KH7Z> -08 DXpedition Mode (sent only by Fox)
0.2 G4ABC/P R 570007 JO22DB EU VHF Contest
0.2 PA9XYZ 590003 IO91NP EU VHF Contest
0.3 K1ABC W9XYZ 6A WI ARRL Field Day
0.3 W9XYZ K1ABC R 2B EMA ARRL Field Day
0.5 123456789ABCDEF012 Telemetry (up to 18 hex digits)
1. <PJ4/K1ABC> W9XYZ Compound call
1. W9XYZ <PJ4/K1ABC> 73
1. CQ FD K1ABC FN42
1. CQ K1ABC FN42
1. CQ TEST K1ABC FN42 NA VHF Contest
1. CQ TEST K1ABC/R FN42
1. K1ABC W9XYZ EN37
1. K1ABC W9XYZ -09
1. K1ABC W9XYZ R-17
1. K1ABC W9XYZ RRR
1. K1ABC W9XYZ 73
1. K1ABC W9XYZ RR73
1. K1ABC/R W9XYZ EN37
1. K1ABC W9XYZ/R RR73
1. W9XYZ <YW18FIFA> -13 Nonstandard call
1. <YW18FIFA> W9XYZ R+02
1. W9XYZ <YW18FIFA> RRR
1. <YW18FIFA> W9XYZ RR73
2. CQ G4ABC/P IO91
2. G4ABC/P PA9XYZ JO22
2. PA9XYZ G4ABC/P RR73
3. K1ABC KA0DEF 559 MO ARRL RTTY Roundup
3. K1ABC W9XYZ 579 WI ARRL RTTY Roundup
3. KA1ABC G3AAA 529 0013 ARRL RTTY Roundup
3. TU; G3AAA K1ABC R 559 MA ARRL RTTY Roundup
3. TU; KA0DEF K1ABC R 569 MA ARRL RTTY Roundup
3. W9XYZ K1ABC R 589 MA ARRL RTTY Roundup
4. CQ KH1/KH7Z Compound call
4. CQ YW18FIFA Nonstandard call
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Minimal QSO sequences that take advantage of the new 77-bit messages
are illustrated below. Model QSOs 1 and 2 are the same as those used
by the old FT8 and MSK144 protocols, and QSO number 3 is the same as
the existing FT8 DXpedition Mode. Model QSOs 4 through 8 were not
possible with the old protocols.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Standard QSO
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CQ K1ABC FN42
K1ABC W9XYZ EN37
W9XYZ K1ABC -11
K1ABC W9XYZ R-09
W9XYZ K1ABC RRR
K1ABC W9XYZ 73
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Short-cycle QSO
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CQ K1ABC FN42
K1ABC W9XYZ -09
W9XYZ K1ABC R-11
K1ABC W9XYZ RR73
W9XYZ K1ABC 73
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. FT8 DXpedition Mode
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CQ KH1/KH7Z
KH7Z K1ABC FN42
K1ABC KH7Z -12
KH7Z K1ABC R-14
KH7Z W9XYZ EN37
... possibly other callers ...
K1ABC RR73; W9XYZ <KH1/KH7Z> -08
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. ARRL Field Day
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CQ FD K1ABC FN42
K1ABC W9XYZ 6A WI
W9XYZ K1ABC R 2B EMA
K1ABC W9XYZ RR73
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5. ARRL VHF Contests
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CQ TEST K1ABC/R FN42 "/R" is optional
K1ABC/R W9XYZ EN37
W9XYZ K1ABC/R R FN42
K1ABC/R W9XYZ RR73
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6. ARRL RTTY Roundup
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CQ TEST K1ABC FN42
K1ABC W9XYZ 579 WI
W9XYZ K1ABC R 589 MA
K1ABC KA0DEF 559 MO
TU; KA0DEF K1ABC R 569 MA
KA1ABC G3AAA 529 0013
TU; G3AAA K1ABC R 559 MA
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7. EU VHF Contest
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CQ TEST G4ABC/P IO91 "/P" is optional
G4ABC/P PA9XYZ JO22
PA9XYZ 590003 IO91NP
G4ABC/P R 570007 JO22DB
PA9XYZ G4ABC/P RR73
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8. Compound or nonstandard callsign calling CQ
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CQ PJ4/K1ABC
PJ4/K1ABC <W9XYZ>
W9XYZ <PJ4/K1ABC> -11
<PJ4/K1ABC> W9XYZ R-09
<W9XYZ> PJ4/K1ABC RRR
PJ4/K1ABC <W9XYZ> 73
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9. Compound or nonstandard callsign answering CQ
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CQ W9XYZ EN37
<W9XYZ> YW18FIFA
<YW18FIFA> W9XYZ -11
W9XYZ <YW18FIFA> R-09
YW18FIFA <W9XYZ> RRR
<W9XYZ> YW18FIFA 73
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SCHEDULE FOR PROGRAM RELEASE: Candidate releases of WSJT-X 2.0 will
have built-in expiration dates after which they cannot be used.
Target dates for planned releases are as follows:
Monday, September 17: -rc1 (expires Oct 31)
Monday, October 15: -rc2 (expires Nov 30)
Monday, November 12: -rc3 (expires Dec 31)
Monday, December 10: GA full release of WSJT-X 2.0
WSJT-X 2.0-rc1 provides the first chance for beta testers to use the
new 77-bit messages. It supports the old (v1.9.1) FT8 protocol as
well as the new message types illustrated above. To avoid QRMing
legacy FT8 users with incompatible messages they can't decode, and to
help concentrate testing activity into a few sub-bands, we recommend
using the new FT8 capabilities on the 40- or 20-meter bands at dial
frequencies 7.078 or 14.078 MHz. These frequencies are offered as
FT8 alternatives on the drop-down frequency-selection control
The new MSK144 is fully functional for QSOs between any two stations
using a WSJT-X v2.0 release. MSK144 is not backward compatible with
that in v1.9.1 or earlier program versions. Therefore during the
testing period, approximately Sept 17 through December 10, we
recommend using the new MSK144 capabilities on 50.380 MHz in IARU
Region 1 or 50.280 in Regions 2 and 3. As soon as most regular users
have upgraded to a v2.0 release, MSK144 activity can be moved back to
50.360 (Region 1) or 50.260 (Regions 2 and 3).
By design, our proposed release schedule will make WSJT-X 2.0 usable
for all relevant ARRL operating events and Eurpoean VHF contests in
2019.
Dates of relevant upcoming ARRL contests
----------------------------------------
RTTY Roundup: January 5-6, 2019
VHF Sweepstakes: January 19-21, 2019