My Softrock Ensemble RXTX-based transceiver runs a variety of software packages hosted on a standard desktop PC or notebook PC.

Here's what my setup looks like ( the old Air King 1950s radio in the background, near the keyboard, is not part of the SDR transceiver!)

The Software

For transmitting I usually use free software from PE1NNZ, which he compiled specifically for the Softrock. This package is derived from the open-source code available free from Flex Radio ; PE1NNZ's code adds Si570 VFO control to PowerSDR.

The next image is a typical PSDR display of the rig in operation.

Note the panoramic display in the upper part of the screen, with a corresponding waterfall display below it. The buttons are used to select bands, modes, filters, etc. and are very much akin to what you'd find on a hardware transceiver. These are, however, selected by mouse clicking. There are also soft sliders for adjusting various levels.

Click on the image for a magnified detail view.

Another interesting SDR package is the free Rocky software from VE3NEA. It works nicely for CW, with some limitations due to system latency. It also includes a PSK encoder-decoder. Here's a typical screen image, showing the panoramic display. A lateral waterfall is also selectable.
Here are a few SDR and Softrock links you may find interesting:

Some thoughts on connecting soundcards to Softrock SDRs, from G4ZFQ

More good Softrock set-up information from G4ZFQ

The High Definition SDR (HDSDR) package, by I2PHD

ARRL's QEX magazine also ran a series of tutorial articles by KF6DX entitled "Signals, Samples, and Stuff."

Part 1 QEX, March 1998, pp. 3-16

Part 2 QEX, May 1998, pp. 22-37

Part 3 QEX, July 1998, pp. 13-27

Part 4 QEX, September 1998, pp. 19-29
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