PSK31 or "Phase Shift Keying, 31 Baud" is a popular computer-soundcard-generated

radioteletype mode, used primarily by amateur radio operators to conduct real-time keyboard-
to-keyboard chat, most often using frequencies in the high frequency amateur radio bands
(near-shortwave). PSK31 is distinguished from other digital modes in that it is specifically
tuned to have a data rate close to typing speed, and has an extremely narrow bandwidth,
allowing many conversations in the same bandwidth as a single voice channel. This narrow
bandwidth also concentrates the RF energy in a very narrow bandwidth, allowing relatively
low-power equipment (25 watts) to communicate globally using the same skywave
propagation used by shortwave radio stations.
Contents
1 History
2 Use and implementation
3 Resistance to interference
4 Technical information
5 Spectrum efficiency compared to other modes
6 Common frequencies
7 References
8 Further reading
9 External links
History
PSK31 was developed and named by English amateur radio operator Peter Martinez (call
sign G3PLX) and introduced to the wider amateur radio community in December 1998.
[1][2]

The 31 baud BPSK modulation system used in PSK31 was introduced by Pawel Jalocha
(SP9VRC) in his SLOWBPSK program written for Motorola's EVM radio. Instead of the
traditional frequency-shift keying, the information is transmitted by patterns of polarity-
reversals (sometimes called 180-degree phase shifts). PSK31 was enthusiastically received,
and its usage grew like wildfire worldwide, lending a new popularity and tone to the on-air
conduct of digital communications.
[citation needed]
Due to the efficiency of the mode, it became,
and still remains, especially popular with operators whose circumstances do not permit the
erection of large antenna systems, the use of high power, or both.
Use and implementation

A sample PSK31 transmission

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A PSK31 operator typically uses a single-sideband (SSB) transceiver connected to the sound
card of a computer running PSK31 software. When the operator enters a message for
transmission, the software produces an audio tone that sounds, to the human ear, like a
continuous whistle with a slight warble. This sound is then fed through either a microphone
jack (using an intermediate resistor to reduce the sound card's output power to microphone
levels) or an auxiliary connection into the transceiver, from which it is transmitted.
[3]

From the perspective of the transmitter, the sound amounts to little more than somebody
whistling into the microphone. However, the software rapidly shifts the phase of the audio
signal between two states (hence the name "phase-shift keying"), forming the character
codes. These phase shifts serve the same function as the two tones used in traditional RTTY
and similar systems.
To decode PSK31, the audio whistle received from the transceiver's headphone output is fed
into a computer sound card's audio input, and software decodes it. The software displays the
decoded text.
[3]

The use of PSK31 does not require exclusive use of a dedicated computer. When it is not
running the PSK31 program, the computer can still be used for normal activities. Because
PSK31 was developed for use through a computer's sound card, many programs have since
been created to use the same technology for other modes, such as RTTY, Hellschreiber, and
Olivia MFSK. So, once it has been set up to run PSK31, a computer can be used to explore a
variety of digital message transmission modes.
Aside from a standard radio transceiver and a computer with a sound card, very little
equipment is required to use PSK31. Normally, an older computer and a few cables will
suffice, and many PSK31 software applications are free. Many operators now use a
commercially available interface/modem device (or "nomic") between their computers and
radios. These devices incorporate the necessary impedance matching and sound level
adjustment to permit the sound card output to be injected into the microphone input, send the
radio's audio output to the sound card input, and handle the radio's transmit-receive
switching. Recently introduced interfaces also incorporate their own sound card and can be
powered and run from the computer via a single USB connection.
Resistance to interference
Like other narrow band digital modes, PSK31 can often overcome interference and poor
propagation conditions in situations where voice or other methods of communication fail.
However, PSK31 was designed only for leisure use by amateurs, and due to its relatively
slow speed and limited error control, is not suitable for transmitting large blocks of data or
text, or critical data requiring high immunity from errors.
PSK31 works well over propagation paths that preserve phase, and resists fading (QSB) well.
However, it can be adversely affected by propagation modessuch as transpolar paths
where auroral "flutter" or multipathing can disrupt the signal phase continuity. In such cases
the use of QPSK (see below) is often beneficial.
Some software supports PSK10 and PSK05 variants, running at 10 baud and 5 baud,
respectively. These slower speeds sacrifice throughput to provide greater resistance to noise
and other interference. Conversely, PSK63 is increasingly used for faster exchanges,
especially during contest operating.
Technical information


Example of PSK31 modulation
PSK31 is typically created by software that generates an amplitude- and phase-modulated
waveform that is converted to an audio frequency analog signal by a sound card. In the most-
commonly-used variant, BPSK31, binary information is transmitted by either imparting a
180-degree phase shift (a binary "zero") or no phase shift (a binary "one") in each 32ms
symbol interval. The 180-degree phase shift for a "zero" bit code occurs at a null amplitude.
[4]

As shown in the figure, a raised-cosine filter is used to smooth the rise and fall times of the
audio waveform and eliminate key clicks. All subsequent amplification of the signal must be
linear to preserve the modulation waveform and ensure minimum occupied bandwidth. In
practice, this means limiting the transmit audio volume to below the level where the
transmitter generates Automatic Level Control (ALC) feedback and disabling any audio
compression or speech processing.
The boundaries between character codes are marked by two or more consecutive zeros. Since
no character code contains more than one consecutive zero, the software can easily identify
the spaces between characters, regardless of the length of the character. The idle sequence,
sent when an operator is not typing, is a continuous sequence of phase-shifts, which do not
print on the screen.
[2]
Martinez arranged the character alphabet so that, as in Morse code, the
more frequently occurring characters have the shortest encodings, while rarer characters use
longer encodings. He named this encoding scheme "varicode".
PSK31's symbol rate of 31.25 Hz was chosen because a normal typing speed of about 50
words per minute requires a bit rate of about 32 bits per second, and specifically because
31.25 Hz could easily be derived from the 8 kHz sample rate used in many DSP systems,
including those used in the computer sound cards commonly used for PSK31 operation
(31.25 Hz is 8 kHz divided by 256, and so can be derived from 8 kHz by halving the
frequency eight times in succession).
Colloquial usage of the term 'PSK31' in amateur radio usually implies the use of the most
commonly used variant of PSK31: binary phase shift keying (BPSK). BPSK uses no error
control, but an allied mode, QPSK31, uses four phases instead of two, to provide a degree of
forward error correction. It is simple to switch from BPSK to QPSK if difficulties arise
during a contact. When QPSK is used; after encoding into varicode, the binary signal is
further transformed into a quaternary set of phase shifts. A sliding window of five bits is used
to select one of the four possible phase shifts, providing a means of error correction by
spreading each bit of data across adjacent bits. Successful decoding of an input bit requires a
large number of phase shift sequences to be received, causing a 20-bit, 640-millisecond
latency (delay) in the output of the decoder.
[5]

Spectrum efficiency compared to other modes
PSK31's efficiency and narrow bandwidth make it highly suitable for low-power and
crowded-band operation. PSK31 contacts can be conducted at less than 100 Hz separation, so
with disciplined operation at least twenty simultaneous PSK31 contacts can be carried out
side-by-side in the 2.5 kHz bandwidth required for just one SSB voice contact.
Common frequencies
The following amateur radio frequencies are commonly used for transmitting and receiving
PSK31 signals. They normally occupy the lower edge of each band's digital modes section.
PSK31 operators generally use upper sideband (USB), even on frequencies below 10 MHz
where the convention normally calls for lower sideband. This is because (a) signals then
spread upwards into the digimode section from the "base" frequency, and (b) using QPSK
requires both stations to use the same sideband.
PSK31 Frequencies
[6]

Frequency Amateur Band
1.838 MHz 160 meters
3.580 MHz 80 meters
7.035 MHz* 40 meters (region 3)
7.040 MHz* 40 meters (regions 1,2)
10.142 MHz 30 meters
14.070 MHz 20 meters
18.100 MHz 17 meters
21.080 MHz* 15 meters
24.920 MHz 12 meters
28.120 MHz 10 meters
50.290 MHz 6 meters
* Current usage as of 2010, based on observation, is centered on 7,070.15 and 21,070.15.
7,035.15 is commonly used in Region 2 as of 2012. There is no authoritative list, as the
frequencies are determined by common convention.
The IARU Region 1 Bandplan was revised in March 2009 to reflect the expanded 40 meter
band. The CW-only section within Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the former USSR is
now 7.000 to 7.040. Region 2 - The Americas - followed in September 2013. Region 3 -
South Asia and Australasia - has not yet synchronised its bandplan with Regions 1 and 2.
SK31 Guide
Welcome to bpsk31.com, your definitive resource for PSK31 station setup and operation.
We invite you to sign up for our email discussion list where you are free to send any and all
PSK31-related questions and topics. Best of all, its completely free!
About PSK31
PSK31 Station Setup
PSK31 Operation
Discussion
About PSK31
PSK31 is a digital communication mode for amateur radio. It is one of the most common and
easy-to-use digital modes as a PSK31 station needs only to consist of an SSB transceiver, an
antenna, and a soundcard equipped PC.
Brief history of PSK31
PSK31 was created by Peter Martinez, G3PLX, in the mid-90s. In the early stages, PSK31
signals were sent using specialized DSP platforms. However, in 1999, Peter released software
that allowed PSK31 to be sent and received using a computer soundcard. Due in part to the
widespread availability of such a setup, PSK31 has become one of the most popular digital
modes in amateur radio.
How PSK31 Works
PSK31 signals consist of changing audio tones to convey the transmission content. Individual
characters are represented by a binary sequence of 1s and 0s, the sequence being determined
by a system called Varicode. The number of bits per character varies based on how
commonly the letter is used, an e being represented by 11, thus achieving greater
transmission speed.
The bits, 1s and 0s, are transmitted my phase-shifting an audio tone, hence the name Phase
Shift Keying (PSK). The 31 in PSK31 refers to the speed at which data is sent; in this mode,
at about 31 bits-per-second.
PSK31 archives its weak-signal performance as a result of two factors. First, a PSK31 signal
is narrow, being about 31 Hz wide. Second, the structure of Varicode allows the receiving
computer to anticipate the times for each data bit. These factors combine to make PSK31 one
of the most popular and high performance digital modes.
Whats the b in BPSK31?
The b in BSPK31 stands for binary. This refers to the most common form of PSK31, which
sends two channels of data with a transmission. There is also another flavor, QPSK31, which
adds two additional channels for error correction, but it is far less popular than BSPK31.
PSK31 is a digital communication mode for amateur radio. It is one of the most common and
easy-to-use digital modes as a PSK31 station needs only to consist of an SSB transceiver, an
antenna, and a soundcard equipped PC.
PSK31 Station Setup
A basic PSK31 station should consist of the following components:
HF SSB Transceiver
Soundcard-equipped PC
Antenna
PSK31 Software
(optional) Soundcard Interface
Transceiver / Antenna
Virtually any SSB transceiver will do. The same is true of the antenna, as PSk31 will function
with a few watts and a wire antenna. Obviously, the better the transceiver and antenna, the
better performance will be achieved, however PSK31 performance is often virtually the same
on both low-end and high-end equipment.
PC / Software
The only major requirement for the computer used to send and receive the PSK31 signals is
that it contain a soundcard. As a rule, a faster CPU and more memory are desired, however
PSK31 will work on virtually any PC equipped with an internal or external soundcard.
Software for PSK31 is abundant, so the choice of software packages depends largely on
personal preference, as will as system requirements. All PSK31 software has the basic ability
to send and receive PSK31 signals. Many more features exist. Be sure to check our Software
Reviews section to see some of the available packages.
Soundcard Interface
PSK31 software will output audio to the PCs soundcard to send a transmission, however a
mechanism must exits for keying the radio to transmit an RF signal, as well as link the audio
tone to the radios audio input. Therefore some form of soundcard interface may be used. It
might simply be an audio cable with a radio with VOX capabilities, or it might be a
specialized external interface. These interfaces connect to the computer and key the
transmitter whenever an audio tone is present. Some interfaces contain external soundcards
themselves, allowing extra flexibility in soundcard setup. My personal favorite is the
SignaLink USB from TigerTronics. This device is an external soundcard that connects to the
computer via USB and to my Yaesu FT-857D radio via its data port. It is plug-and-play
compatible with minimal setup required.
Another option lies in software based keying. The software suite, Ham Radio Deluxe, can
utilize this approach. If the radios CAT port is already connected to the computer, Ham
Radio Deluxe and its multimode software, Digital Master 780, will send the keying command
via the CAT connection.
Setup Steps
Setup / Install Soundcard Interface or Cable Install PSK31 Software Read User Guide / Help
for Software Configure Settings as Desired * Operate!
PSK31 Operation
The first, and most important, step before operating any station is making sure to tune the
transmitter. This will prevent damage to the transmitter and guard against messy, distorted
signals. most PSK31 software packages have a testing / tuning feature for this purpose.
Another thing to watch is the ALC (automatic leveling control) meter on the radio. Adjust the
audio level until the ALC meter always reads at 0. If the audio level is too high, the ALC
controls in the transmitter will kick in, and the result will be a distorted PSK31 signal
(splatter).
If you do contact someone with a messy signal, do not give them an automated (macro)
signal report of 599 an easy 595 will let them know to adjust their audio drive.
Next, tune your radio to a common PSK31 frequency; two are 7.070 MHz and 14.070 MHz
(see a full list of PSK31 Frequencies). Make sure your radio is set to SSB mode on the upper
sideband (USB). Your will not have to change frequencies after that, since PSK31 signals are
so narrow (31 Hz), all the transmissions will be picked up by the receiver without changing
frequencies. It is then up to the software, not the radio, what signal(s) to decode.
Fire up your favorite your favorite PSK31 software. Most packages will have a waterfall
display where you will see all the signals from the receiver. If all station setup is correct, you
will see something like this:
In most software packages, you can click on or move a marker to a signal to begin decoding
the transmission.
Conversation
The first transmission is usually a CQ call. This is similar to CW, like this:
CQ CQ CQ de KD5TEN KD5TEN KD5TEN CQ CQ CQ de KD5TEN KD5TEN KD5TEN
K
This basically means that KD5TEN (myself) is calling for someone to contact. The K a the
end of the transmission means over, signifing that the other station may begin transmission.
Typically, the next transmission would be something like this:
KD5TEN KD5TEN KD5TEN de OTHERCALL OTHERCALL OTHERCALL KD5TEN
KD5TEN KD5TEN de OTHERCALL OTHERCALL OTHERCALL pse K
After that, the conversation proceeds with the station transmitting back and forth following
this format:

PSK31 Description
PSK31 is a new digital mode:
designed by Peter G3PLX
that betters SLOWBPSK, an idea and implementation of Pawel SP9VRC
based on the RTTY mode of operation,
useful for live keyboard to keyboard QSO
that works at 31.25 bauds,
that uses varicode caracter coding what gives 50wpm,
easy to use and monitor,
that give very good copy under low Eb/No numbers and is thus suitable for QRP,
that instead of using FSK or on/off keying uses BPSK or QPSK with a Viterbi decoder,
that is available for free for many platforms, including Windows (c) with SoundBlaster type
Soundcard,
and uses advanced DSP and narrow band (31 Hz!!) techniques.
PSK31 is not a digital mode that
will make Pactor, Pactor-2, Clover-II or Gtor obsolete,
offers error free links,
can be used to transmit files or acces mailboxes...
You can see also how much spectra they use. These images have been obtained with EvmSpec.
PSK31 in bpsk mode.
PSK31 in qpsk mode.
You can hear these modes here: Note that these files will be correctly decoded if feeded on the DSP
board or SoundBlaster, that's why they are so lengthy.Note the preamble at the start and end of the
transmission. If you only want to know how they sound, you can get the ADPCM compressed version
(I haven't tested if they decode correctly).
PSK31 in bpsk mode calling CQ. Compressed here.
PSK31 in qpsk mode calling CQ. Compressed here.
A basic approach to understand and design a PSK31 modem is here, by Peter G3PLX. See also articles
section






Radioteletype (RTTY) is a telecommunications system consisting originally of two or more
electromechanical teleprinters in different locations, later superseded by personal computers
(PCs) running software to emulate teleprinters, connected by radio rather than a wired link.
Radioteletype evolved from earlier landline teleprinter operations that began in the mid-
1800s. The US Navy Department successfully tested printing telegraphy between an airplane
and ground radio station in 1922. Later that year, the Radio Corporation of America
successfully tested printing telegraphy via their Chatham, Massachusetts, radio station to the
R.M.S. Majestic. Commercial RTTY systems were in active service between San Francisco
and Honolulu as early as April 1932 and between San Francisco and New York City by 1934.
The US military used radioteletype in the 1930s and expanded this usage during World War
II. From the 1980s, teleprinters were replaced by computers running teleprinter emulation
software.
The term radioteletype is used to describe:
either the entire family of systems connecting two or more teleprinters or PCs using
software to emulate teleprinters, over radio, regardless of alphabet, link system or
modulation,
or specifically the original radioteletype system, sometimes described as "Baudot".


Teleprinter
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For Radioteletype, see RTTY.


Teletype machines in use during World War II


A Teletype Model 33 ASR teleprinter, with punched tape reader and punch, usable as a computer
terminal
A teleprinter (teletypewriter, Teletype or TTY) is an electromechanical typewriter that can
be used to send and receive typed messages from point to point and point to multipoint over
various types of communications channels. They were adapted to provide a user interface to
early mainframe computers and minicomputers, sending typed data to the computer and
printing the response. Some models could also be used to create punched tape for data storage
(either from typed input or from data received from a remote source) and to read back such
tape for local printing or transmission.
Teleprinters could use a variety of different communication media. These included a simple
pair of wires, dedicated non-switched telephone circuits (leased lines), switched networks
that operated similarly to the public telephone network (telex), and radio and microwave links
(TOR). A teleprinter attached to a modem could also communicate through standard switched
public telephone lines. This latter configuration was often used to connect teleprinters to
remote computers, particularly in time-sharing environments.
Teleprinters have largely been replaced by fully electronic computer terminals which usually
use a computer monitor instead of a printer (though the term "TTY" is still occasionally used
to refer to them, such as in Unix systems). Teleprinters are still widely used in the aviation
industry (AFTN and airline teletype system), and variations called Telecommunications
Devices for the Deaf (TDDs) are used by the hearing impaired for typed communications
over ordinary telephone lines.


Terminal emulator
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by
adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
(October 2009)


xterm, a popular terminal emulator designed for the X Window System
A terminal emulator, terminal application, term, or tty for short, is a program that
emulates a video terminal within some other display architecture. Though typically
synonymous with a shell or text terminal, the term terminal covers all remote terminals,
including graphical interfaces. A terminal emulator inside a graphical user interface is often
called a terminal window.
A terminal window allows the user access to a text terminal and all its applications such as
command line interfaces (CLI) and text user interface (TUI) applications. These may be
running either on the same machine or on a different one via telnet, ssh, or dial-up. On Unix-
like operating systems, it is common to have one or more terminal windows connected to the
local machine.
Terminals usually support a set of escape sequences for controlling color, cursor position, etc.
Examples include the family of terminal control sequence standards known as ECMA-48,
ANSI X3.64 or ISO/IEC 6429.

Amateur radio operator
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Main article: Amateur radio


An amateur radio operator
An amateur radio operator is someone who uses equipment at an amateur radio station to
engage in two-way personal communications with other amateur operators on radio
frequencies assigned to the amateur radio service. Amateur radio operators have been granted
an amateur radio license by a governmental regulatory authority. As a component of their
license, amateur radio operators are assigned a call sign that they use to identify themselves
during communication. There are about three million amateur radio operators worldwide.
[1]

Amateur radio operators are also known as radio amateurs or hams. The term "ham" as a
nickname for amateur radio operators originated in a pejorative usage by operators in
commercial and professional radio communities. The word was subsequently adopted by
amateur radio operators.