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Demo Mode

Demo mode runs the full AetherSDR interface against a built-in simulator, so you can explore the app with no radio attached. It generates its own receive audio and a matching panadapter. It cannot transmit.

Demo Noise applet. Preset buttons birdie-hell, cw-in-noise, night-40m, noisy-qth, quiet-20m and storm sit above a list of noise sources, each with a toggle and level slider: CW tone, Voice (speech), White / AWGN, Pink / hiss, QRN crackle, Power-line, Static crash, Birdie carrier, SMPS hash and Woodpecker. A Fault Injection row below has High SWR, Drop Slice, Stall Scope, Disconnect, Malformed and Clear buttons.

The Demo Noise applet, shown only while connected to the demo simulator.

Where to go next​

Setup​

  1. Open the Connect to Radio window (File → Connect to Radio...).
  2. On On This Network, the list includes AetherSDR Demo, labelled "Simulator (not on the air)".
  3. Select it and click Connect Selected Radio.

The demo always sorts below real radios and is never chosen over one. There is no menu item or command-line flag; you connect to it like any radio.

To hide it, untick Show the AetherSDR demo simulator in the Connect to Radio window. The choice is remembered.

The demo's name is its "not on the air" safety label, so it cannot be renamed.

Using the Demo​

  • One slice on one panadapter, with synthetic receive audio and spectrum.
  • The panadapter title bar, adaptive RX filter, auto-squelch, centre lock and band recall work as they do on a radio.
  • Simulated CW is proper Morse at 18 WPM and 700 Hz.
  • Memory channels are stored on this computer, in the bank shared with other radios that have no memory slots of their own.

Demo Noise applet​

While connected to the demo, the Demo Noise applet lets you build a noisy band and practise with the noise-reduction tools (DSP Noise Mitigation).

Presets set up a whole scene at once: quiet-20m, night-40m, storm, noisy-qth, birdie-hell and cw-in-noise.

Sources each have a toggle and a level slider, and some have a second control. Hover any source for a tooltip that explains the real-world cause and what to do about it. The CW tone slider glides its pitch without clicks.

Fault injection​

The Fault Injection row lets you see how AetherSDR handles trouble without risking a real radio. The buttons are listed under Reference.

Reference​

Demo Noise sources​

SourceExtra controlWhat it imitates
CW tonePitch (300–1200 Hz)A wanted CW signal
Voice (speech)A wanted SSB voice signal
White / AWGNThe receiver's own thermal noise
Pink / hissAtmospheric band noise
QRN crackleRateLightning static from distant storms
Power-line50 / 60 HzMains buzz and its harmonics
Static crashRateLoud crashes from a nearby storm front
Birdie carrierFrequencyA steady unwanted carrier
SMPS hashPulse rateSwitch-mode power supply hash
WoodpeckerPulse rateOver-the-horizon radar

Fault Injection buttons​

ButtonEffect
High SWRReports a high SWR
Drop SliceRemoves the slice
Stall ScopeStops the spectrum stream
DisconnectDrops the connection
MalformedInjects a malformed message
ClearClears injected faults

Troubleshooting​

AetherSDR Demo is not in the radio list​

Show the AetherSDR demo simulator is unticked, and the choice is remembered.

  1. Open File → Connect to Radio....
  2. Tick Show the AetherSDR demo simulator.

See also​