[digitalradio] Re: Is D-Star a Viable Standard?

[k7ve]

If there is a market, there will be chips. It may be a new model number,
one that does duplex instead of just half-duplex. It may be integrated
with other chip functions to reduce parts count, improve performance,
etc.

AMBE encoding has uses beyond D-STAR, some think it has better
compression than IMBE.  In some parts of the world, I've been told,
D-STAR is marketed beyond the amateur market.

The AMBE algorithm is patented, and the standard requires the use of
that algorithm for voice (unfortunate, but it is what makes it fit in
6.25 kHz.). The parts are relatively cheap and are being used by other
manufacturers than Icom.

D-Star will succeed or fail based on applications that use the
technology and standard.  Right now it is gaining very rapid momentum.
Open source implementations of  hardware and software (other than the
AMBE codec), and so forth are well under way.

Standards fall into place for a variety of reasons, for example LSB
below 20 meters and USB above, happened because the engineering of some
of the early radios dictated it, there is no good reason that we
continue to operate by that standard other than it is almost universally
adopted.  BTW, those early SSB designs were proprietary as well.  Read
my thoughts on proprietary technology D-Star, and amateur radio at:
k7ve.ampr.org
<http://k7ve.ampr.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13&Itemi\
d=26>

Is it viable? Yes.  Will it succeed? Depends on applications and user
adoption.

-- John, K7VE