SDR-Console is probably the best AFE822x single channel SDR software. It works well over a USB, Network Server or direct Ethernet connection. 

If you just want to use your Afedri AFE822x single channel mode, the most popular choices for SDR software are HDSDR and SDR-Console V3. As mentioned previously, HDSDR is a great way to get started with your Afedri radio. If you use the HDSDR distribution on the CD everything you need is already configured. It’s also a good way to explore the Control Box, which shows up automatically with HDSDR. Control Box provides the GUI for the ExtIO DLL that connects to the AFE822x.

But more likely you will want to explore AFE822x single channel mode with Simon Brown’s SDR-Console V3. He gives you the flexibility of connecting by USB or Ethernet and his hand-crafted drivers remove any requirement for Control Box during operation.

Here is how you set up Afedri to use SDR-Console with a USB link. Using Control Box, make sure that the Radio ID is set to “AFE822x-SDR” and in Single Channel Mode. Then, close Control Box. Instruct SDR-Console to search for the Afedri-SDR (USB) definition. This will find the radio, and you just add it to your list of controllable receivers. Also, make sure the sound card setting is for Afedri line audio device.  Finally, press Start, and SDR-Console will go live with your radio.

Once you have the initial configuration, it’s easy to activate the SDR-Console Server to provide the AFE822x over the network (or Internet) to any SDR-Console client (anywhere). Keep in mind though that since you are using USB for the Server connection, your sampling bandwidth will be limited to 250 kHz.

The great thing about Simon’s Afedri driver is that it provides controls for FE and RF gain right in the Console.

AFE822x Single Channel over Direct Ethernet

If you want to experience full sampling bandwidth, you can connect the Afedri to SDR-Console directly over Ethernet. To make this work, though, you must open Control Box and change the Radio ID to “AFEDRI-SDR” rather than “AFE822x-SDR”. Otherwise SDR-Console will not find the radio properly.

Set the sample bandwidth to 1.333 MHz or less. I have not been able to get the 2.0 MHz rate to work yet.

Unfortunately, getting SDR-Console to connect over Ethernet requires a different Radio ID than is needed for it to connect over USB. That means, at present, you must choose one or the other. Other than that, everything works fine. I am sure that future updates to the SDR-Console Afedri driver will sort this out.

One final point. If you are going to use AFE822x Ethernet, use a static IP address and make sure there are no conflicts on your LAN. Then, in Control Box select “SDR-Net Discover” and “Disable DHCP Server”. This will keep the radio on the same IP address and make it easy for any other PC to find it on your network.

Next, we will explore using the Afedri with software for dual diversity reception.