Visualyse EPFD V3 Maintenance History

This document describes the changes that have been made to Visualyse EPFD V3 for each maintenance release.

Release 3.9.1.0 (December 2024)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Warn that SRS v10 databases aren’t (currently) supported.
Add notification when running in Demo Mode to inform user that demo / example masks are used.
Fix possible issue when running on constrained hardware.

Release 3.9.0.0 (April 2024)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Revise Resolution 770 implementation following WRC-23 and approval of Recommendation ITU-R S.2157.
Add entry in Help menu for new online User Guide

Release 3.8.7.0 (March 2024)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Fix possible issue calculating IS WCG.

Release 3.8.6.0 (February 2024)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Fix possible issue with losing connection to DK2 Network Server when PC goes to sleep.
Handle DK2 HID devices.
Fix registry/Application ID issue.

Release 3.8.5.0 (July 2023)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Fix possible dialog display issue on low DPI displays.
Update installed DK2 DLL.

It is recommended all users install the latest DK2 device drivers (V8.22.26) from https://www.transfinite.com/content/dongledriverinstall_V8_22_26

Release 3.8.4.0 (April 2023)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Fix possible Alpha Table: Continue to Track issue.

Release 3.8.3.0 (March 2023)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Fix memory issue with certain setups (large application memory usage / .EPFD files being larger than expected).
Fix possible Toolbar icon redraw issue on low DPI displays.

Release 3.8.2.0 (March 2023)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Add new Setting: "Show Update Dialog at Startup" so user can be informed of new version via Notifications only.
Add Notification for possible screen resolution issues.
Fix possible issues refreshing Notification List.

Release 3.8.1.0 (November 2022)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Add an initial implementation of a time step option to derive long-term statistics. This is enabled in the Additional Settings dialog.
Fix issue with --timeStepCalculation and --analyticalAlpha command line options not being passed correctly to the application.
Fix issue with Res 770 Report Dialog output.
Don’t render map objects when running in non-interactive mode.

It is recommended all users install the latest DK2 device drivers (V8.20.21) from https://www.transfinite.com/content/dongledriverinstall

Release 3.8.0.0 (November 2022)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Add initial implementation of Alpha Table as per document 4A/653-E. Note: this is enabled in the new Additional Settings dialog as described in Section 6.3.5 of the User Guide.

Release 3.7.2.0 (July 2022)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Fix possible issue with minimum value used on Graph Y-Axis.

Release 3.7.1.0 (July 2022)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Add a search bar to the Application Title bar. This allows users to search the menu options.
Add a notification icon to the Application Title Bar. This displays a badge with the number of notifications. Clicking displays the Notifications View. At present this is used to display general application information (new software updates, DK2 driver updates etc).
Implemented Windows 11 Snap Layout. When the program is running on Windows 11 and the maximize/restore caption button is hovered, the layout popup menu will appear near this button.
Update installed DK2 DLL.

Release 3.7.0.0 (July 2022)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Add ability to start the software from command line (note: currently in this mode there is no U.I just a simple interface like the S1503 software)
Allowed options:

--help produce help message

--resultsDB arg location of results database

--srsDB arg location of SRS database

--masksDB arg location of masks database

--ntc_id arg ntc_id

--limitedRuns arg only examine specified runs

--timeStepCalculation arg (=0) Normal (0), TS1 (1), TS2 (2)

--analyticalAlpha arg (=0) use analytical alpha calculation

--fixedWCGUp arg fix UP WCG (ES Lat, ES Lon, GSO Lon)

--fixedWCGDown arg fix DOWN WCG (ES Lat, ES Lon, GSO Lon)

--fixedWCGIS arg fix IS WCG (ES Lat, ES Lon, GSO Lon)

--numHardwareThreads arg number of hardware threads

Release 3.6.3.0 (April 2022)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Improve error message when no satellite EIRP mask found.

Release 3.6.2.0 (March 2022)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Fix issue when calculating Worst Case Geometry in IS case for some systems.
Make sure alpha angle is visible on Map View even if PFD mask is not using alpha format.

Release 3.6.1.0 (January 2022)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Improve scaling of UI components for Windows 10/11 scale factors of 125%, 175%, 225%.

Release 3.6.0.4 (October 2021)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Add initial beta RES 770 implementation as per https://www.itu.int/md/R19-WP4A-C-0509/en

Release 3.5.3 (August 2021)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Install latest DK2 DLL.
Display DK2 driver version on About dialog.

It is recommended all users install the latest DK2 device drivers (V8.19.7) from https://www.transfinite.com/content/dongledriverinstall

Release 3.5.2 (May 2021)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Fix possible issue with Application Settings dialog not saving results/limits DB location correctly.
Resolve font issue on Debug dialog.

Release 3.5.1 (April 2021)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Install newer DK2 DLL.

Release 3.5.0 (March 2021)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Improve UI for creating new runs (see User Guide for more details).
Output more parameters to the Report.
Save more information to the .EPFD file.
Ensure DB call is made on document close.
Fix possible issue when UI thread processes an update message when UP run selected.

Release 3.4.0 (January 2021)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Initial work for a x64 ## Release.

Release 3.3.2 (July 2020)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Resolve font size issue with Report Dialog.
Fixed problem with squashed header on Run Schedule in high DPI.
Ensure all dialogs use the same system font.
Scale graph lines/markers better when using high DPI.
Add Application Settings Dialog option for “Maximum number of non-GSO Earth Stations for Link Status display”

Release 3.3.1 (May 2020)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Fix issue toggling Run Schedule from Menu.
Add registry setting to handle case where memory usage is too high when creating UP runs with lots of Earth Stations.

Release 3.3.0 (January 2020)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Improve display of dialogs when using Windows 7.

Release 3.2.8 (November 2019)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Improve cursors when using high DPI displays.
Add “Check for Updates” to the “About VisualyseEPFD” dialog.
Add setting to control checking for updates at start-up.
Improve installer icons for high DPI displays.

Release 3.2.7 (August 2019)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Improve X-Axis auto scaling on the CDF Graph View.

Release 3.2.6 (May 2019)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Resolve Status Bar display issues on high DPI displays.
Add a “Close” button to the toolbar.
Performance improvements.

Release 3.2.5 (February 2019)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Allow the user to select the Masks database to use on the New Run Definition dialog.

Release 3.2.4 (February 2019)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Fix potential issue with Art 9.7B database query.

Release 3.2.3 (January 2019)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Improve UI performance when all EPFD runs have completed.
Allow Edit | Copy to be performed on the Map View.
Add extra error handling when performing an Art 9.7B database query.

Release 3.2.2 (January 2019)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Performance improvements.
Ensure ‘sw_version’ and ‘name’ are always written to ‘result_def’ table.
Make application Large Address Aware to better handle case where UP run generates a large number of Earth Stations.

Release 3.2.1 (September 2018)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Improve handling of case where EPFD Limit has two percentages for the same EPFD value.

Release 3.2.0 (June 2018)

The following changes have been made to the software:

New User Interface to improve display on high DPI screens.
Add “Analytical Alpha” calculation setting
Performance improvements

Release 3.1.9.6 (March 2018)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Handle inclinations greater than 90 degrees in WCG calculation.
Ensure precession read as Degrees/Day not Degrees/Sec and revise test database.

Release 3.1.9.5 (January 2018)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Fix issues running Visualyse EPFD V3 in certain locales.

Release 3.1.9.4 (November 2017)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Fix handling of APERR_019V01 (RR22_5C_12) gain pattern.
Improve logging for refbw_khz.
Handle error conditions for numEarthStationsInCell for SpecificES better.
Improve display of relative gain on Map View,
Limit number of DPs considered in CheckCase in WCG calculation to enable easier comparison with other implementations.

Release 3.1.9.3 (November 2017)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Add a “PDF” table to the results database.
Improve handling of error conditions.

Release 3.1.9.2 (October 2017)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Handle scenario where user running software is not the user that installed the software.
Ensure alpha/X calculation uses correct resolution in WCG edge cases.
Improve WCG calculation performance
Handle DK2 dongle issues.

Release 3.1.9.1 (August 2017)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Performance improvements
Fix map scrolling issue.
Fix issue with WCG Down calculation for certain input parameters.

Release 3.1.9.0 (July 2017)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Performance improvements
In some rare scenarios, the UP run creation can fail to create all the required earth stations.

Release 3.1.8.1 (January 2017)

The following changes have been made to the software:

If you enter user entered WCG then there should be a check for visibility as per the revised WCG.
Don't display time left to complete runs when none running.
Only count active runs for time left.
Rename fast up/down setting.
Use transparent icons for Time Settings dialog.

Release 3.1.8.0 (November 2016)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Fix issue in UP run calculation following Rec. clarification.
Change alpha calculation so it is easier to compare with other implementation of S.1503.
Fix dialog display issues when using a timed dongle.
Apply changes to WCG Down calculation following Rec. fixes.
Add Fast Up/Down setting to utilise more threads per run.
Fix error in calculation of “Estimated time to finish all runs”.
Add menu option to access “Error Log”.
Trap misuse of Specific ES.

Release 3.1.7.2 (November 2016)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Output better error messages when PFD masks are missing.
Better handle scenarios where no Down runs are created/required.

Release 3.1.7.1 (July 2016)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Improve error handling when incorrect Masks database is selected.

Release 3.1.7.0 (June 2016)

The following changes have been made to the software:

New optimisation settings (which are detailed in section 6.4 of the User Guide).
Improved Graph View.

Release 3.1.6.8 (June 2016)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Archive error log file if it gets too big.
Fix typos in error strings.
Use correct names for Article 22, 9.7A, 9.7B in New Run Definition dialog.
Select first system (if present) in New Run Definition dialog.

Release 3.1.6.7 (June 2016)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Improve 9.7A/B error handling.

Release 3.1.6.6 (May 2016)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Use ellipsis when text is too long for progress dialog.
Handle 9.7A errors better.
Show WCG progress on run creation.

Release 3.1.6.5 (April 2016)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Correct issue in WCG UP calculation for Specific Earth Station (Repeating).
Performance improvement for Down/IS runs.
Don’t inform user of new ## Release of software if no dongle present.
Improve error handling for 9.7A/B checks.
Use correct document title for 9.7A/B checks.
Handle errors better when creating run / improve error logging.
Fix issue when changing WCG locations for UP runs that have already been run and rewound.

Release 3.1.6.4 (April 2016)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Correct issue in WCG DOWN calculation for some Networks.
Revise WCG UP calculation so it handles multiple masks consistently.
Improve error logging.

Release 3.1.6.3 (April 2016)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Fix Map View issues that can cause the software to crash.
Add “Name” to display parameters. Remove unused “Log to File”.
Graph Data not showing failing values correctly.
Read ref_bw_khz from masks (default to 40 kHz) and apply bandwidth correction as applicable.
Fix divide by zero error when interpolating EPFD limits for graph data.
Revise WCG calculation so it handles scenario when network has multiple orbit parameters.
If can’t calculate IS WCG then log error and default to 0,0,0.
Correct issue in WCG calculation for Specific ES Repeating orbit.
Catch exception and log when issue extracting mask data from DB.
Ensure phase table data is read in correct order.

Release 3.1.6.2 (March 2016)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Don’t force update after “OK” on GSO System Settings dialog when the run has started.
Improve estimation of time to finish all runs.
Fix crash on map zoom.
Use worst not current timestep on the Debug Dialog.
Add ability to turn on/off map UI elements (L-Button double click on Map View to invoke dialog).
Fix issue with drag/drop opening files.
Add mouse wheel support to map and report/debug dialogs.
Documentation links on Help menu don’t work correctly.

Release 3.1.6.1 (March 2016)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Improve UP run performance.
Check for all lats using same mask in WCG UP calculation.
Catch masks being empty when creating UP runs.
Ensure lat_fr < lat_to in sat_oper data.
Don’t store LinkStatus data when large number of links.

Release 3.1.6.0 (March 2016)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Ensure f_x_zone, f_precess,f_stn_keep strings are converted to UPPER CASE before checking value.
Order runs by frequency/antenna size.
Stop using as many CPU cycles when not running any runs.
Add handling for special case (earthStationSeparation == 0 && earthStationDensity == 1)
MinElevationAngle should only consider valid (non-NULL) values.
Handle floating point rounding when checking satellite is above the minimum.
Handle case where worst bin is < -9999.
If freqToUse is not in valid range for filing then don't create run.
Wire up restart manager/Fixed double check on .EPFD file not working.
Fix issue with ITU-R S.1428-1.
Resolve WCG calculation issues with Specific ES UP runs for non-repeating orbits.

Release 3.1.5.2 (January 2016)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Warn if EIRP/PFD masks have duplicate entries.

Release 3.1.5.1 (January 2016)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Fix issue with WCG UP calculation.
Crash when attempting to transition to PAUSE from NON-INTERACTIVE.

Release 3.1.5 (January 2016)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Add “Debug” dialog.
Allow user to set fixed latitude step value for WCG Down calculation.

Release 3.1.4.1 (November 2015)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Use local round() function to improve performance.
Prevent divide by 0 when updating progress.
Update CDF in database as run progresses.
Improve WCG dialog feedback.

Release 3.1.4 (November 2015)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Revise WCG calculation for multiple masks.
By default calculation alpha/x with sign.
Improve statistics performance.

Release 3.1.3 (November 2015)

The following changes have been made to the software:

If no data in “freq” table then use old calculation method.
Only use latitude dependent limits if 22-1A (FSS) or 22-1D (BSS).
Don’t crash if can’t find recent file in MRU list.
Improve dialog feedback.

Release 3.1.2 (October 2015)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Improve WCG performance.
Query freq table for data.
Don’t expect a minimum of three masks.

Release 3.1.1 (October 2015)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Ensure code matches APL not Rec.
Handle very large number of timesteps.
Use data in sat_oper table when calculating WCG Down.
Improve error messages.
Don’t use APL (performance issues).

Release 3.1.0 (October 2015)

The following changes have been made to the software:

PFD / EIRP mask can vary between satellites.
Satellite / ES EIRP masks vary by latitude.
Use new algorithm for deployment of ES by density.
Handle equatorial non-GSO orbits.
Change to the time step / run duration calculations.
New WCG algorithms.

Release 3.0.5 (July 2015)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Handle multiple EIRP/PFD masks.

Release 3.0.4 (July 2015)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Handle latitude dependant EIRP masks.

Release 3.0.3 (Jan 2015)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Ensure WCG calculation handles masks correctly when only one latitude.
Ensure when WCG fails that default is setup correctly.

Release 3.0.2 (Jan 2015)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Ensure X-Angle calculation is as per Recommendation.

Release 3.0.1 (Dec 2014)

The following changes have been made to the software:

The application can crash after changing the GSO System Settings.
Ensure the map view updates correctly following any changes to the GSO location.
Handle errors when user specifies database that doesn’t exist or can’t be opened.

Release 3.0.0 (Nov 2014)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Improve calculation performance.
Integrate new orbit code that been rewritten to be based (as closely as possible) on the equations and approach used in the Rec
Change the location of the Earth Stations for the UP scenario so that they align on a grid to the GSO ES
Fix issue where the rounding for the statistics bins was incorrect.
Ensure application doesn’t crash when running without a valid dongle.
Remove Windows XP support.
Allow use of multiple hardware threads.

Release 2.9.0 (Oct 2014)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Ensure application doesn’t crash when running without a valid dongle.
Improve performance.

Release 2.8.0 (Oct 2013)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Further performance improvements.

Release 2.7.0 (March 2013)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Further performance improvements.

Release 2.6.0 (May 2012)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Performance improvements.

Release 2.5.0 (May 2012)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Add an Applications Settings dialog to allow fixing of the worst case geometry.
Add a Reset All Runs button to the toolbar.

Release 2.4.0 (May 2012)

The following changes have been made to the software:

If no limits are found for a frequency pair then carry on and don’t display any error dialog.
Ensure that runs that have completed and reset don’t run slower than expected.

Release 2.3.0 (May 2012)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Ensure the correct dongle checks are run.

Release 2.2.0 (May 2012)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Ensure database locations are saved to the registry.
Correctly handle changes to GSO position for Article 22 UP runs.

Release 2.1.0 (April 2012)

The following changes have been made to the software:

Saved files can fail to load correctly.
Correct Article 9.7A/B runs generation.

Release 2.0.0 (February 2012)

This was the first release of the software. Previous releases were for internal testing only.

Visualyse EPFD User Guide