cudaSDR/Source/WORKLOG_PROTOCOL2_2026-04-13.md

cudaSDR Protocol 2 Worklog

Date: 2026-04-13

This file records the Protocol 2 related work completed in this repository so future sessions can quickly restore context.

Implemented Earlier In This Session History

• Added separate openHPSDR Protocol 2 transport implementation:
  • src/DataEngine/cusdr_protocol2_io.h
  • src/DataEngine/cusdr_protocol2_io.cpp
• Added separate Protocol 2 discovery implementation:
  • src/DataEngine/cusdr_discoverer_P2.h
  • src/DataEngine/cusdr_discoverer_P2.cpp
• Wired Protocol 2 into the existing project flow without replacing Protocol 1.
• Updated DataIO so it delegates network start/stop and receive path to the separate Protocol 2 module when the selected device reports protocolVersion >= 2.
• Added Protocol 2 fallback search after Protocol 1 and fixed the Search button path so manual search also tries Protocol 2.
• Added initial RX-only Alex support for Protocol 2:
  • General packet enables Alex.
  • High Priority packet sends Alex 0.
  • Filters switch automatically by band/frequency using existing Alex settings.

Implemented Today

1. Device capability model for Protocol 2

• Extended TNetworkDevicecard in src/cusdr_settings.h with Protocol 2 specific fields:
  • adcCount
  • ddcCount
  • dspClockHz
  • iqFormatFlags
  • phaseWords
  • hasAlex0
  • hasAlex1

2. Separate board profile helper

• Added:
  • src/DataEngine/cusdr_protocol2_profile.h
  • src/DataEngine/cusdr_protocol2_profile.cpp
• This helper maps Protocol 2 board ID to default hardware capabilities and human-readable model name.
• It also provides a summary string for UI device lists.

3. Discovery improvements for Protocol 2

• Updated src/DataEngine/cusdr_discoverer_P2.cpp to:
  • use board profiles,
  • fill the new capability fields in TNetworkDevicecard,
  • parse extra discovery reply fields from the documentation:
    • byte 20: number of implemented DDCs,
    • byte 21: frequency vs phase word,
    • byte 22: supported IQ/endian formats.
• Updated src/DataEngine/cusdr_discoverer_P1.cpp to initialize the new fields to safe defaults for Protocol 1 devices.

4. Protocol 2 initialization based on actual device profile

• Updated src/DataEngine/cusdr_protocol2_io.cpp:
  • fixed General packet bit handling,
  • enabled phase-word mode where required,
  • selected IQ format only when the discovery flags say it is supported,
  • used discovered/default ADC count in the DDC Specific packet,
  • routed DDCs across ADCs,
  • limited receiver count to hardware DDC count,
  • used board DSP clock to compute phase words,
  • preserved RX-only behavior.

5. Data engine behavior for Protocol 2 devices

• Updated src/DataEngine/cusdr_dataEngine.cpp so Protocol 2 devices:
  • are treated as modern integrated hardware instead of legacy Mercury/Penelope stacks,
  • automatically clamp receiver count to discovered DDC count,
  • publish Hermes firmware field from the Protocol 2 discovery result for existing UI/status paths,
  • enable Alex UI only if the selected Protocol 2 board profile says Alex is present.

6. UI modernization for Protocol 2 devices

• Updated src/cusdr_networkWidget.cpp so the device list shows a summary instead of only IP address.
• Updated src/GL/cusdr_oglDisplayPanel.h and src/GL/cusdr_oglDisplayPanel.cpp so the top status display uses the real Protocol 2 model name instead of always showing Hermes.

7. Documentation-driven corrections made today

• Re-read local documentation:
  • doc/openHPSDR Ethernet Protocol v4.3.docx
• Corrected Protocol 2 board naming and assumptions from the document:
  • board 1: Hermes / ANAN-10/100
  • board 2: Hermes / ANAN-10E/100B
  • board 5: Orion MkII / ANAN-7/8000DLE
  • board 10: Saturn / ANAN-G2
• Corrected one important capability assumption:
  • board 2 no longer auto-enables Alex RX support, because the document indicates no Alex receive filters for that board.

Build Status

• Full build completed successfully:
  • make -j4
• Output binary:
  • bin/cudaSDR

Additional Fix Applied Later Today

Protocol 2 stop path hardening

• Investigated the stop path after a reported crash when pressing Stop with a Protocol 2 device.
• Confirmed that the shutdown flow was effectively hitting Protocol 2 stop twice:
  • first through DataEngine::stop() -> DataIO::networkDeviceStartStop(0),
  • then again through DataIO::stop() -> Protocol2DataPath::stop().
• Updated src/DataEngine/cusdr_protocol2_io.cpp so that:
  • Protocol2DataPath::stop() only sends the final run = 0 High Priority packet if the path was actually running,
  • networkDeviceStartStop(0) returns immediately if Protocol 2 is already stopped,
  • closeSockets() explicitly disconnects timer and socket signals before deletion.
• This removes the most obvious duplicate-stop race and reduces the chance of a timer/socket callback firing during teardown.
• Build was re-checked after this fix:
  • make -j4
  • success

Still needs runtime verification

• This stop-path fix is compile-verified but still needs validation on real Protocol 2 hardware.
• If the transceiver still does not stop cleanly, the next thing to verify is whether the specific board expects more than a single High Priority run = 0 packet before socket teardown.

Additional Investigation And Fixes After Emulator Testing

1. Cross-thread DataIO control calls

• Emulator testing showed that Protocol 2 startup and shutdown were still unreliable.
• Investigation found that DataIO is moved to its own QThread, but DataEngine was still calling these methods directly from another thread:
  • sendInitFramesToNetworkDevice(...)
  • networkDeviceStartStop(...)
  • stop()
• Updated src/DataEngine/cusdr_dataEngine.cpp to route those calls through:
  • QMetaObject::invokeMethod(..., Qt::BlockingQueuedConnection)
• This was done so the Protocol 2 sockets and timers are manipulated from the DataIO thread they belong to.

2. Additional Protocol 2 stop crash findings

• User logs then showed:
  • QObject::killTimer: Timers cannot be stopped from another thread
  • QObject::~QObject: Timers cannot be stopped from another thread
  • DataEngine:: data IO thread not yet finished...
• This indicated there were still object-lifetime issues during teardown, not only packet-order issues.

3. DataIO destructor bug in Protocol 2 mode

• Found a concrete bug in src/DataEngine/cusdr_dataIO.cpp:
  • in Protocol 2 mode, m_dataIOSocketOn can be true while m_dataIOSocket is never created,
  • but DataIO::~DataIO() still dereferenced m_dataIOSocket.
• Fixed destructor logic so the legacy socket is only closed/deleted when the pointer is valid.
• This was a direct segfault candidate in Protocol 2 shutdown.

4. Sound output teardown issue

• Found that DataIO::stop() was stopping and deleting CSoundOut while Protocol 2 shutdown was already in progress.
• Adjusted src/DataEngine/cusdr_dataIO.cpp so:
  • DataIO::stop() no longer deletes the sound object,
  • CSoundOut shutdown is deferred to DataIO::~DataIO().
• This was done to reduce cross-thread/timer teardown problems during the live stop sequence.

Current status after these fixes

• Build re-checked successfully after each change:
  • make -j4
• Protocol 2 stop handling is more robust than before, but user testing still shows there may be at least one remaining shutdown/lifetime issue.
• Most likely next area:
  • final deletion order of DataIO / Protocol2DataPath and their child QObjects after m_dataIOThread->quit().

Known Limitations / Remaining Work

• Protocol 2 implementation is still RX-only.
• Protocol 2 Alex support currently sends Alex 0 only.
• Boards with Alex1 support such as Orion MkII / SATURN are not yet fully mapped to the second Alex register according to Appendix D.
• Full XML or extended hardware-description discovery modes (board 254/255) are not implemented.
• Wideband Protocol 2 path is still not integrated.
• Some UI sections still conceptually assume old Metis/Hermes naming internally even though the visible device/model handling is now better.

Good Starting Points For Next Session

• If continuing Protocol 2 work, read these files first:
  • src/DataEngine/cusdr_protocol2_profile.cpp
  • src/DataEngine/cusdr_discoverer_P2.cpp
  • src/DataEngine/cusdr_protocol2_io.cpp
  • src/DataEngine/cusdr_dataEngine.cpp
  • src/cusdr_networkWidget.cpp
  • src/GL/cusdr_oglDisplayPanel.cpp
• For documentation reference, use:
  • doc/openHPSDR Ethernet Protocol v4.3.docx
• Highest value next task:
  • implement proper Alex1/BPF2/RX2 handling for Protocol 2 boards that support a second Alex register.