VBCable Audio Piping - alanbjohnston/CubeSatSim GitHub Wiki

This page describes how you can configure VBCable to connect the audio output from an SDR such as SDR# or a Web SDR to the audio input so that decoding software such as FoxTelem or AFSK 1200 Decoder can be used to decode telemetry.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you have an RTL-SDR or FunCube dongle, it is much easier to just use FoxTelem to perform the SDR function. VBCable is not needed in this case. This is described here in the Ground Station configuration. You can use these instructions if you have a different SDR dongle, or have your radio audio connected to your computer.

NOTE: VBCable is Windows software. For Mac, I recommend Soundflower https://rogueamoeba.com/freebies/soundflower/.

In order to connect (or "pipe") the audio from SDR# to the telemetry decoding software, we need to install VBCable software. Download it at:

https://download.vb-audio.com/Download_CABLE/VBCABLE_Driver_Pack43.zip

Extract all files and run installer VBCABLE_Setup_x64.exe as Administrator (Right click then choose "Run as administrator" - you may need to enter a password).

Next, you need to configure VBCable by running the Windows Sound Control Panel. Note that your Speaker device may have a different name, and you may have additional devices if you have headphones plugged in or additional sound cards.

Under Playback, right click Cable Input VBCable and select "Enable" or "Set as Default Device".

With your Playback configured correctly, the Cable Input should show green when a signal is present, but you will not hear it anymore. Adjust the volume on SDR# to maximum, and also set the volume on your PC to maximum as well.

Under Recording, right click Cable Output VBCable and select "Enable".

Right click Cable Output again and select Properties (or double click). Click on the Advanced tab, and make sure the Default Format is set to "2 channel, 16 bit, 48000 Hz (DVD Quality)"

Each telemetry packet will will cause the green bar to show in the Cable Output device in the Recording tab.

If you see the green bar in the Cable Input in Playback but not in the Cable Output in Recording, you might have your microphone muted. To fix this, double click on the Cable Output device in Recording, then click on the Levels tab. If you see a red circle with a slash on the speaker icon like this:

then your microphone is muted. Click on it to Unmute it:

In your decoding application, you need to select the audio input/sound device source as Cable Output. You will not hear the output from your SDR, but your decoding software should receive the audio.

Some decoding software will allow you to monitor the input. If you do this, be careful that this output is routed only to the speaker or headphones and not the Default output or the Cable Input - if this happens, there will be feedback and your telemetry decoding will fail.