RE: [Discuss-gnuradio] A newbie question

[Ettus, Matt]

> Given the dynamic range of actual signals that I have observed with a 
> spectrum analyzer I don't understand how they can be coded 
> with adequate
> resolution using coders that are affordable to the average 
> hobbyiest or

This is a problem, but not as much as it seems at first.  Since you can
oversample by a very large amount, you can gain effective resolution after
decimation.  As long as the strongest signals don't (or rarely) saturate the
a-d, you can often recover very weak narrowband signals, even if their
amplitude is less than 1 bit at the high sampling rate.

High resolution sigma-delta audio ADCs and DACs use this principle.  They
sample at 1 (sometimes 2 or 3) bits, but very fast.  Its a little more
complicated, than what we're talking about, but the same principle.

> that would be practical in consumer electronics.  Are log-coders 
> used - something similar to mu-law coders that are used for audio?
> How wide are the coders?  How much do they cost?

I've never heard of log coders being used for anything other than low
quality audio.

Matt