Programs created specifically for hams or used by them can make the design process more enjoyable, check certain calculations, pick up the necessary details and many other useful things. Since amateur radio business already requires money, it is advisable to find out about free software for amateur radio. And this article contains just such a selection of useful functionalities.
Why are programs designed for hams?
Why are new programs for hams created and released? Because there is demand. It may seem strange to some people, but the number of programs for this purpose is very large. They are created primarily to save all the necessary data at hand: various directories, lightweight development environments, in case a good idea comes to mind, etc. Therefore, quite a few applications can easily work with tablets, smartphones or very functional phones (though working with the latest equipment a little). Many of the special programs have individual authors who created them for their own needs, and then decided to share with the whole community of amateur radio enthusiasts.
How can amateur radio software help?
What problems or tasks do radio amateur programs help to cope with? If you need to check or calculate in advance the operation of microchips or microcontrollers, then there is such software. Do you need to theoretically measure the voltage at some node? There is software that will do this. To simulate how everything will visually look? And this is possible. And it’s not worth talking about calculating calculators, reference books or identifiers of details - there are a lot of such programs. And now let's move on to voicing what free amateur radio programs are and why they are useful.
Software designed to work with a microcontroller or microcircuit
Radio amateurs working with AVR will be happy to facilitate the programming process. And specifically for this, the ForMC program was created. It allows you to determine the character code, generate it, calculate the constants for the interrupt memory in order to obtain the necessary speed for the tasks assigned to the microcontroller, translate monochrome pictures with the extension 128 * 64 into a “data array” view, so that you can later use it in the microcontroller program for graphical indicator.
If the radio amateur works with the circuit and wants to make a sound card that will play sounds of a certain frequency, a sound frequency software generator is useful . There are so many programs for this purpose and they are designed for such a number of purposes and under such working conditions, and others like them, that it makes no sense to give a concrete example of a specific software. For each computer and special conditions (frequency, microcircuit, etc.), you can choose a separate application that will allow you to fully realize your ideas.
Measuring software
A very wide range of applications can be brought here. Alas, the size of the article does not allow us to describe all kinds of software and the programs themselves, which can be used by a radio amateur in their creative searches. But some are still worth considering.
Coil32 program will be loved by those who work with winding elements (design of receivers, transmitters, speakers). It is used to calculate the inductors required for proper operation. The positive properties in the first place include the fact that the program is quite universal and cross-platform, which is quite important for those who often change computers.
Visualization software
Such programs help to better understand what kind of creation will be, to calculate everything necessary and how it will be placed.
Sprint Layout is used to design circuit boards with low to medium complexity. The main advantages include a simple and intuitive interface that has everything you need and nothing more to work with boards. For professional surveys, it is not suitable, since the program can only calculate small-sized boards that do not have a significant number of elements. These are not all useful programs, further more.
Calculator
Programs are not in the sense of ordinary calculators, but in the fact that they help to calculate the necessary parameters for work. For example, a program such as Electrician Calculator, developed by a user known as Ivan219. In terms of functionality, this calculator can be compared with a food processor, but for a radio amateur. The program calculates inductance, resistances, coils on a
ferrite ring and core, and much more. There is also a small guide to
labeling resistors, chokes, and SMDs. And the functionality of the program does not end there: here you can find analogues for transistors or microcircuits. This is not only a calculator, but also a radio amateur reference program, we think readers understand why there is such an enthusiastic opinion about it.
Reference Programs
Almost no circuit can do without a resistor. It happens that you need to buy a transistor, but there is no way to figure it out. Rezistor v1.0 fixes this flaw. It is designed to work with phones, and if you have games launched on your mobile, it will also start. With it, you can choose the appearance
of the resistor that is in front of you, and the program will immediately show its resistance. In general, there is one catch in the work: the program is distributed in Czech, but this is not a significant problem: everything is clear on an intuitive level.
The use of transistors is also popular. In determining the part that is in front of the ham, help the program "Transistor" authorship Kucherenko Valery. The determination is carried out by marking. The pluses of the program include the fact that even transistors with non-standard marking are present in it.
And if you want to chat with other hams, then there is such a program. It is called "Virtual barrel organ: a program for radio amateurs." It is used to communicate on 4 frequencies, where someone is sitting. And those who are in touch, you can get a full consultation on the implementation of some work. But useful programs do not end there.
There is another good universal development, with which you can figure out by color marks which resistor or capacitor is in front of you. Compared with the Czech program, the interface is slightly less intuitive, but more functional in Russian. Oh yes, the program itself was not specified - this is Resss.
Programs for parts that are being worked on
If you work with a transformer with a power of up to 500 W, having a frequency of 50 Hz, then the Transformer program can serve you as a useful service. It will facilitate the assembly of its own power supply.
Also, those who often work with inexpensive industrial speakers know that calculating filters manually is quite a long time, so any way to facilitate work is good. Especially for such people, a program was created to determine the AC filters using calculations compiled by the formulas Aldoshina and Tereshchuk.