Hi,
Back on topic:
The algorithm I programmed initially could only use manually created frequency lists in IF frequencies (aka 950MHz-2150MHz for satellites). This is the format the software is currently exporting the transponders found.
This is all nice, when it comes to recognizing satellites which were "learned" by the software due to the user saving those lists in the beginning and naming them after the satellites. This would work with ANY transponder list, including CATV, radio, C-band, Ku-band, C-band, etc. Let's call it the "old version".
However, this was not satifying for me, because the kick was to recognize satellites which the user doesn't know in first place! So I changed the algorithm to handle standard transponder *.ini files (like the ones generated by different web sites - and mind you, the quality of some *.ini files is questionable, to say the least).
What my software does is to read such file in, separating the VL, HL, VH and HH bands, since only one of those bands are rendered in the spectrum at a given moment: one *.ini file is therefore transformed internally into 4 different satellites (same name, but with VL, HL, VH and HH addon). Also, I down-converted the RF frequencies to IF frequencies, using internally either 9750MHz or 10600MHz as a LOF (and a switch frequency of 11700MHz) . This is necessary, because the spectrum is obviously handling IF frequencies, while the *.ini files contain RF frequencies. That was "new version 1".
Then it occured to me, that I had forgotten about C-band! So I added two additional internal lists per satellite (6 in total) for C-band V and C-band H, converting the RF to IF using a LOF of -5150MHz (the sign is to represent the inverted spectrum). That is "new version 2". Side note: I need feedback if satellite identification works in C-band!
Now John pointed out that there are of course Ka-band satellites! Again, I forgot about those and I don't have any experience in Ka band (I do have a few LNB's, but none is operational and/or I cannot receive a suitable beam). Anyway, there is this doubt I have: in Ka band, there are many different bands, actually. Each using their own LOF. In V and H polarisation. Is there any Low/High band , too? How do Ka-band transponders look like in *.ini files? I guess it is more complicated here...
But there could be a workaround: I could (and probably will) add an option, where the user selects between the "old version" and the "new version 2": while "old version" works with any previously trained transponder list (everything is handled in IF frequencies), "new version 2" will work with plain *.ini files for Ku- and C-band.
Otherwise, I think it will get messy, since there will be always new bands and I *think* that only Ku- and C-band transponders are really supported in *.ini files. Even here, most *.ini files contain a lot of garbage, which messes up the results: if someone once saw a feed at some odd frequency, said frequency will be listed forever... Also, most *.ini files contain transponders from totally different beams/regions. Example: you can't receive South American transponders on Hispasat in Europe, but having those in the *.ini file, however, will possibly cause false results on other satellites, which share those transponder frequencies.
The less satellites and transponders are in the transponder_list folder, the better the results.
All in all, I think I will keep both approaches and the user can select which one to use: standard *.ini files for Ku and C, custom *.txt files for any kind of transponders on any band.
Regards,
Vitor
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