понедельник, 1 июня 2009 г.

Offline analyzers and real-time analyzers.

In the almost four years of the development of the Signals Analyzer, practically constantly we are taking part in the discussions, where most popular questions are:

- Why SA is offline signals analyzer and not the real-time?
- Why is this necessary to use Signals Analyzer while some people can define signals by ear?
- What will I have by using SA?
- There are lots of professional real-time analyzers and everything works okey in real timeanalyzators aswel?
- Why SA do not include real time analyzer and decoder? And etc etc

We have decided to reply on most popular questions, and the answers, which will be represented - are the result of long-standing practice, not just our opinion. I think you will agree that the best
answer on the question, is the fact which was admitted on practice many times.

First of all, I have to disappoint people who analyze signals by ear. I do not deny, that some people have abilities for that, but it is the absolute impasse, even when you have abilities for that.There are tens of hundreds of signals, where these people frankly give up, but they greatly are proud of the fact that they can distinguish CW of RTTY, but nevertheless they ask “why can’t I decode anything in MiX or SkySweeper?”

Our team is also still getting surprised, when people send us sonograms and ask to analyze them, or they try to analyze the sonogram by their own. The real analysis must have the object of analysis, and the object of the signals analysis – it is record of the signals first of all. In 90% of cases, we can see one stuff on the sonogram and hear completely other stuff on the record. Analyst has no interest to shadow of the signal, the record of the signal is the first thing, which is necessary.

These two aspects explain paradox: on hundreds of forums we see lots of same questions like: what is rustled yesterday? I heard grunted signal, something is hisses in my dynamics what was that?? And only small amount of people can intelligible answer what was it, who was it and etc.
The paradox is: everyone want to know details about the signal they cached, but only small number of people able to know it for real. Besides, signals analysis isn’t that terrible hard as many people think about it.

Now couple of words about real-time analysis. Don’t want to disappoint most of people, but…….today, the real-time analysis it is fiction, it does not exist in that kind of way, which most of people imagine. Of course, many developers are occupied by the real-time analysis, and our MSM team is also engaged into it. But we can’t create real-time tools, until all problems of the offline analysis will be fully solved.Surely, analysts who need fast and unclear analysis with an absolutely not accurate, not precise, not exact and not clear results, can please themselves with the illusion of the real-time analysis.

I underline, we are speaking about real true analysis, when the signal is unknown, and even, when it is not even known if it is signal or just noise. Sorting from the known signals as many programs do - this is not analysis. Especially, we can’t deny that we all need secure exact results, and get such results we can only through offline analysis.

The next question is : why SA does not include decoder, this is sooooo bad!

Well, let me explain. First of all, please, pay attention on the fact, that decoders work ONLY with
absolutely known signals. If the signal is unknown or it is shifted or it has parameters, which are
different from the expected parameters, then the decoder sharply moving in the category of the
beautiful expensive knickknack. Any of bit streams, in this case, can’t be considered seriously.
Thus, we see that the signals analysis and decoding of the signals are two completely different
categories. Analysis identifies the signal, gets parameters of it, studies it, and only after the
signal is analyzed, it can be placed into decoder. The better signal is analyzed, the better results
you will get after decoding.

Professional expensive software, mostly consist of real-time decoders, where functions of the signals analysis are declared. But in reality these functions of analysis just do not work. It is impossible to do reliable trustworthy analysis by such functions.
The overwhelming majority of people don’t want to admit it, but it does not change anything actually.


Thus, you understand, that analysis of the signals and decoding of the signals, are completely
different spheres of activities, which are going together and analyzers prepare material for decoders. And there is no other way.

So why SA? No problem, you can choose any other product, if it will give secure and reliable results as SA gives, will be more comfortable and better then SA and will be cheaper then SA.
Our MSM team has been developing and creating methods and principles of the signals analysis within 4 years, we still develop our own unique tools, which are designed specially for the practical applying, and seems like we have some success here:) SA is in constant development and evolution.

Recently there was the very interesting hypothesis that SA it is the plagiarism of Centurion. To visitors Resource (www.radioscanner.ru) it is not necessary to explain anything because the evolution of SV program (the first versions 2004-2005) into SV + (2006-2007), and after into SA (2009) occurred on eyes of many people. Monteria company really had the licence for usage of the program SV + under The COA brand, in their products. Approximately one year ago,probably a bit more, the licence was expired, the project SV + had been recognised by us as outdated and succssesfully abandoned.We decided to realise all our operating time and new ideas in the commercial project SA , and this decision was accepted. Whole mathematic had undergoned the careful analysis and full re-processing, it had allowed to increase speed of processing on the average by 30 %. Most of algorithms were realized on qualitatively another level, and today SA has not anything common with SV + and-or COA in the plan of mathematics and realisation of algorithms. The general concept is saved, becasue to us it does seem convenient enough, and the bases of this concept had been put into SV (2004-2005).


Many people write that SA free is too functional for demo version. I have to dissapoint you , it is only seems so. SA free is practically version SV + from March-April, 2007, with certainly out-of-date
solutions and the mathematics, it is having problems and inaccuracies in the analysis, and it is accessible only with the purpose of familiarization with the main ideas and principles. Eventually in the process of SA development the distance between commercial version of SA and SA free will only increase.

And in conclusion...What will You get from all that analysis stuff? All same what you have from book that you had read, from the QSO that you done, from the contact with your friends and etc.
Can You have more?Of course you can. Good analysts are on demand nowadays, this is profession. After all this is sphere, where amount of skilled, competent specialists is less then no matter where.