Monitor TX or RX audio on the waveform display¶
The Waveform applet displays a live time-domain view of the active TX or RX audio path. Use it to spot clipping, dropouts, and audio level problems without leaving the main window.
Before you start¶
- AetherSDR must be running. A radio connection is not required — the applet displays audio from the local audio engine.
- The applet panel must be visible. If it is hidden, enable it via
View > Applet Panel.
Steps¶
- Locate the WAVE tray button in the right sidebar's top row of tray buttons.
- Click WAVE to show the Waveform applet. Click it again to hide it.
- Watch the waveform display. The trace is tinted cool when monitoring RX audio and warm when monitoring TX audio — no label reading required.
- Check the header readout for the current direction (RX or TX), RMS level in dBFS, and peak level in dBFS.
- If no audio has arrived within one second, the display shows a "no RX audio" or "no TX audio" placeholder instead of an empty trace.
- To open the settings drawer, double-click anywhere on the waveform display. Double-click again to close it.
- In the settings drawer, use the View combo box to choose a visualization: Scope, Envelope, History, or Bands. The default is Scope.
- Use the Zoom slider to scale the amplitude axis. The default is 1.7x (range 1.0x–6.0x). Drag right to stretch small signals; at high zoom values, clipping artifacts appear sooner.
- Use the FPS slider to set how often the display repaints (range 5–30 Hz, default 24). Lower values reduce CPU load.
What each control does¶
| Control | Default | Valid range | Persisted key | Behavior |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| View | Scope | Scope, Envelope, History, Bands | WaveApplet_ViewMode |
Selects the visualization mode. Scope shows min/max waveform and RMS lines. Envelope shows a peak/RMS filled area. History shows horizontal level bars. Bands shows frequency band bars. |
| Zoom | 1.7x (170) | 1.0x–6.0x (100–600) | WaveApplet_ZoomPercent |
Scales the amplitude axis vertically. |
| FPS | 24 | 5–30 Hz | WaveApplet_RefreshRateHz |
Controls repaint frequency. |
| Click on display | Live | Live / Paused | — | Toggles pause. A PAUSED badge appears in the footer while the display is frozen. |
| Double-click on display | — | — | — | Toggles the settings drawer open or closed. |
Tips¶
- When clipping occurs, affected columns are highlighted and a CLIP N counter appears in the header. Reduce your audio drive level or lower the Zoom value to bring the signal back within range.
- Click once on the waveform to freeze a snapshot when you notice a transient. Click again to resume the live view.
- The settings drawer opens in the expanded state each time you launch AetherSDR.
Troubleshooting¶
- The display shows "no RX audio" or "no TX audio" — No scope samples have arrived in the last second. Verify that audio is flowing through the relevant path and that the correct audio device is selected in
Settings > Radio Setup.... - The WAVE tray button is missing — The applet panel may be hidden. Enable it via
View > Applet Panel. If the panel is visible but WAVE is absent, useView > Reset Applet Orderto restore the default applet layout.