FAQ - in3otd/Hermes-Lite2 GitHub Wiki

Where can I purchase a complete tested unit?

The Hermes-Lite 2.0 is an experimental project which targets homebrewers. You are expected to complete the build as described on this wiki page.

What frequencies does the Hermes-Lite 2.0 cover?

The Hermes-Lite 2.0 covers the HF frequencies, 0 to 38.4 MHz. Due to filtering, there may be some attenuation in the 30 to 38.4 MHz range. Unlike the Hermes, there is no 6M coverage. There are community projects to add 6M coverage via undersampling.

Where is the audio jack?

There is no audio out on the Hermes-Lite 2.0. In openHPSDR architectures, software running on the host PC does the final processing to audio frequencies. It can not be done on the FPGA alone. Rather than send the audio data back to the Hermes-Lite 2.0 and add a sound card on the Hermes-Lite 2.0, this audio data is sent directly to any sound card attached to the host PC. This project is not about creating a sound card.

What is the power output?

The Hermes-Lite 2.0 is a QRP transceiver and achieves 5W out on all HF amateur radio bands. There is a secondary low power instrumentation output that provides maximum 17dBm. Either power output can be lowered by up to 7.5 dB using internal attenuation of the AD9866, not just by lowering the audio input levels.

What is the ADC and DAC bit resolution?

The AD9866 ADC and DAC run at 12-bits. The ADC samples at 76.8MHz. The DAC runs at 153.6MHz to allow for interpolation on the output.

How many slice receivers are supported?

Currently 4.

What bandwidth is supported?

Since the Hermes-Lite is intended for amateur radio HF use, large bandwidths are not required. Each receiver supports a maximum of 384 kHz. Raw ADC samples are sent to the host PC periodically so that a good visualiation of the entire HF spectrum can be created.