We are now moving to the arcane part of the project, the software to run the MSHT. Software is elusive and its installation is made even more difficult if like me, you type with only two fingers!
The QUISK software was developed by Jim Ahlstrom N2ADR, and it has been around for some time. It can be configured via a menu selection to operate with some very popular radios like the Hermes Lite 2 and if you own an old Soft Rock V6.3 it will do that as well.
It comes in several varieties and can be installed on both Linux and Windows based machines. Installation on Linux machines is a bit more involved than on a Windows 10 machine. We are at a junction in that the Linux approach has been beset with some issues with trying to use a Pi Pico to control the frequency via QUISK. After loading QUISK on a big box Windows 10 64Bit machine the Pi Pico seems to respond better.
So, I may have to initially use a Windows 10 Machine to get the prototype working and then try to port that over to a small form factor SBC.
To show the difference in the installations, Linux requires about a dozen files for the install and the Windows about 6. The Windows based QUISK seems more automatic to install.
Quisk Control Panel
The Windows 10 version requires you to 1st install Python3 using versions in the range 3.8 to 3.13 as the QUISK only works now with versions in that range. On one Windows machine I was able to install version 3.12 yet another would only let me install version 3.10.
Open up Windows Power Shell and load the 6 files and top off with a desktop ICON. This lets you open the GUI front end where you must add parameters for your specific rig, like the sound cards and the type of rig. You must have two sound cards with one dedicated to the I/Q signal streams and the 2nd for the audio output and microphone input. For this 2nd sound card, I have a headset mic that has the sound card as a plug into the USB port and plug the headset into the USB adapter.
Them that know can make it go.
73's
Pete N6QW