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Software Development and Requirements Creep
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I haven't loaded up the firmware implementing SSB on the QMX (I don't have an antenna at the moment so no HF for the time being) but I've looked through the documentation. It's an impressive list of features that have been implemented in this release. My own experience in software development inclines me to believe that's why the process took so long, and why Hans felt so frustrated.
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The initial requirement was direct -
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? ? ?1) implement basic SSB capability (polar modulation)
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However, as Hans was working on that, he saw other features that would complement this requirement?
? ? ?2) agc / compression
? ? ?3) CESSB
? ? ?4) pre-distortion / self calibration
? ? ?5) noise cancellation
? ? ?6) UI reconfiguration
? ? ?7) VOX
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Each of these requirements could have formed the? basis for a separate release. (And as for my breakout of the requirements, I reserve the right to be wrong about how the enhancements would be grouped). However, Hans went for doing development on all of these all at once. Ouch! I am not criticizing the work - I'm impressed that he was able to hold everything together as well as he did. Early in my career I was involved in a project that had requirements creep - the project eventually collapsed and I suffered burnout (I found myself unable to code for about a year - fortunately I recovered)
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As I indicated, I'm seriously impressed that he managed to get to a deliverable product with all that.?
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John, KI3J
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Hello John Yes, I believe you are 100% correct. Much of it could indeed have been released piecemeal as releases in their own right.? And yes, I also don't know where I found the endurance to push through to the end. But I am pleased that I did manage it! 73 Hans G0UPL On Fri, Mar 21, 2025 at 5:49?PM john.christopher2 via <john.christopher2=[email protected]> wrote:
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Hoorah.
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Gets more done before breakfast .. Stunning achievement. FB Hans.? GREG KI4NVX?
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Hi Hans
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I worked in software development for over 40 years for both UK and US companies, and I found that the big difference between the UK and the USA was "software engineering" vs "application development". In the US, there was a need to continuously & publicley demonstrate "progress" on a regular basis, so US teams were required to release as often as possible (even if they knew there were flaws), so as to demonstrate that they were making progress, whereas UK teams in UK companies were required to release stuff that worked as per specifications/requirements - and it is clearly economically superior that the US approach has won, but as a customer of "tech" am I happy?.
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I personally found the "release it early but never mind the flaws, but we'll fix it afterwards" approach very un-professional, and in fact got fired from a US firm because I refused to compromise my professional standards - in the US "there was never enough time to do it right first time, but always enough time to put it right afterwards (at the customer's expense of course)" - time to market even if it was only just good-enough trumped delivering what was promised/contracted (and specified).
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So, Hans, may I exhort you to just keep doing what you do, and do so very well. QRPLabs (you) deliver quality stuff which we can trust and rely upon, there is no need for us to carefully scrutinise the fine-print, because what you deliver is what you say, as we used to say "my word is my bond", "no ifs, no buts", "marketing does not TRUMP reality".
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May the Force be with you always
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Peter - GM8JCF
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U.S. software guy here, interesting observations. Perhaps there's a happy medium between "just throw it out there' and 'it ain't right till it's right'".
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Personally I'm amazed at the sheer work output of Hans, I mean come on look at his level of information sharing. He's a singularity for sure.
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While I'm not a ssb guy, feels to me like he's tossed it out there at the right time, time to get some real feedback, while perhaps in the uk way, it's pretty dang complete and ready to go! |
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I think the key difference is one of morality, imo, how the US works is on the basis of forgiveness, ie take action and then ask for forgiveness/forebearance/understanding, whereas the UK (and Europe by and large), works on the basis of seek permission first/before and then take action.
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So in the USA take risks, don't deliver what was promised, but then argue the toss afterwards is the default - and if one is rich enough, keep arguing the toss forever.
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If I was in charge, - and clearly we in Europe are not - transgresors of the law should pay for their transgressions to the full extent possible without any mitigating factors being admitted to diminish the penalty - it is one thing to unknowingly and accidenetly have transgressed, it is ir-redeemable to know, and yet still to have transgressed.
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How is it possible that a convicted criminal is commander & chief of any country, never mind the claimed core of democracy ?
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Peter, It wasn't always that way.? At least not in the mid '60s when I started my career working at HP.? After my retirement from Intel (a hardware?company?that writes an awful lot of software), an Intel software team in Eastern Europe wrote the finest (fully documented) code I have ever seen.? Anyone?could pick it up and work with it. It was very complex, but well thought out before they actually started the?coding.? I used it as an?example of "how to".? ? I also ran a UK based software?company in the?US.? My approach never changed here (do it right first time), and it did challenge a few US software engineers, but even they got accustomed to it and liked it. So much?less grief. Dave WI6R On Sat, Mar 22, 2025 at 6:29?PM G8JCF via <g8jcfsdr=[email protected]> wrote:
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On Sat, Mar 22, 2025 at 07:59 PM, Michael N6QP wrote:
OK, this started out as a nice discussion on the appropriate time to send out a release. Keep in mind, Hans warned this is Beta and asked for help with the QC, admirable. This has degraded into a disgusting political debate. K Really, really are you proud of the laughing stock your .country has become? Yes we have to bend the knee to the USA but one day, and it will come justice will be done, keep laughing but the righteous will have the last laugh??????
nock it off! |
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On Fri, Mar 21, 2025 at 07:52 AM, Hans Summers wrote:
If you had then I think there would have been a massive amount of demands for the additional features to be added NOW!? There would have been massive criticism.? The "are we there yet" posts would have? been replaced by "I want it NOW!" posts.? This would have been far more stressful and harmful to the QMX Labs reputation. ?
In more detail:
It couldn't have been launched without a UI to control things - everything, the more functionality the more UI.? It isn't optional.
It had to have SSB.
It had to have microphone input.
SSB may have needed it's calibration functions.
The microphone would probably need compression and it emerged that noise cancellation was required.
I personally don't use VOX, so everyone else could do without that :)
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CESSB might have been able to be left but for most features there would have been instant demands for them and Hans would have been coping with juggling these demands at the same time as doing what he's doing now, responding to and fixing bugs - and having a break I hope!
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Then I'm also a UK software developer who worked for a UK scientific tech company (Oxford Instruments) and we tried not to release products until they were ready.
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Chris, G5CTH
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On Sun, Mar 23, 2025 at 02:23 AM, G8JCF wrote:
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Fun fact #1 About 33% of the popuation of Britain has a criminal record.
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Fun fact #2
In Britain you can become a fully fledged criminal for not purchasing a TV receiver ownership licence.
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No wonder the prisons are full ;-)
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I rarely post because I believe I can learn more from listening than from sharing my limited experience.
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I'm a customer of QRP Labs, and as such, I would like to add my opinion to this discussion about Software development. From my point of view, what Hans has offered to the amateur radio community is more than a great little radio. It's a chance for a consumer to have a glimpse behind the curtain and the opportunity to have meaningful input.?
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The one outstanding feature that Hans produces is the engineering that goes into his products. From a consumer's view, that is what stands out. I appreciate the chance to watch something wonderful come into the world. Congratulations, Hans... and my thanks.
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KC3PBY - John
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Well said John. I agree with you. Mike Krieger On Sun, Mar 23, 2025 at 7:34?AM John Olsavicky via <kc3pby=[email protected]> wrote:
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Either way would have been fine.
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Releasing SSB firmware for 80m only, no CESS, limited menu, no support for CW or digital modes,
no calibration step would have shut down the "This EER SSB Stuff Can't Possibly Work" posts.
And many here would have been happy to try out an early version of 80m SSB.
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Pushing through and releasing it in more or less final form may be for the best, assuming Hans recovers.
It's mostly bug reports being reported, often stuff Hans wasn't aware of, not reports of needed additional functionality.
It would have taken months for Hans to find those bugs, releasing piecemeal would likely have a larger total bug count,
more documentation to write, more discussion in the forum.. All at once makes best use of his time.
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I'm just happy it's out, and that it mostly works.
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Jerry, KE7ER
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On Sun, Mar 23, 2025 at 02:55 AM, Chris wrote:
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Michael N6QP
Dave WI6R
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