diff --git a/lib/77bit/New_Features_WSJT-X_2.0.txt b/lib/77bit/New_Features_WSJT-X_2.0.txt new file mode 100644 index 000000000..209db71e2 --- /dev/null +++ b/lib/77bit/New_Features_WSJT-X_2.0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,241 @@ + 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 -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. W9XYZ Compound call + 1. W9XYZ 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 -13 Nonstandard call + 1. W9XYZ R+02 + 1. W9XYZ RRR + 1. 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 -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 -11 + W9XYZ R-09 + PJ4/K1ABC RRR + PJ4/K1ABC 73 + +---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- +9. Compound or nonstandard callsign answering CQ +---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- +CQ W9XYZ EN37 + YW18FIFA + W9XYZ -11 + W9XYZ R-09 +YW18FIFA RRR + 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 diff --git a/lib/77bit/messages.txt b/lib/77bit/messages.txt index 4d29e1189..54fd44b05 100644 --- a/lib/77bit/messages.txt +++ b/lib/77bit/messages.txt @@ -81,4 +81,4 @@ KA1ABC -11 KA1ABC R-17 YW18FIFA RR73 KA1ABC 73 -123456789ABCD +123456789ABCDEF012