1. When SDR Console window remains minimized, the memory usage continuously increases. It can reach insane levels of memory usage until the application can stop responding or crashes.
2. Restoring the window causes very high disk activity for a long time, as the memory is slowly released.
3. An unusual GUI message box may be displayed containing the text "Please Wait..." and a progress bar.
HOW TO REPRODUCE
1. Open SDR Console, QO-100 satellite mode, lock to beacon.
2. Open a VarAC session connected to SDR Console, and turn on beaconing....
3. Minimize SDR Console window.
4. Open Task Manager, and observe the memory usage of SDR Console.
5. Try any of the following:
a. Allow it to use up all memory.
b. Restore the window and observe the effect on memory usage.
c. If it stops responding, kill it from the Task Manager. Observe the effect on memory usage.
USE CASE
For example, where it is running on a server with minimal user interaction.
1. VarAC Cluster with multiple radios, and the SDR applications may be minimized for significant periods of time. There is no reason to watch the SDR Console window, since all the relevant information is displayed in the VarAC window, so it makes sense to leave SDR Console running minimized most of the time.
2. Winlink or other digital mode that runs for a while.
3. Any radio application where the display is not used often. Maybe the function/frequency is preset, or it is controlled by another application, for example using CAT control, and the other application produces and consumes the audio.
ANALYSIS
1. Perhaps SDR Console is writing to the window, even while it is minimized, and this activity is somehow cached in RAM?
2. Maybe it is continuously writing the waterfall or signal history, and it is cached in RAM when it cannot be displayed.
FIX
1. Running minimized should not significantly increase memory usage.
2. Perhaps it can pause generating / writing unconsumed / display data after it has been minimized for a while, and redraw the window to a safe state when the window is restored.
*This could decrease CPU usage* - since SDR Console seems to be performing an activity that is not going to be used by the operator!
3. In any case, it appears there may be a data structure that is ever increasing in size in RAM. Perhaps a different design could be used that cannot fill up, for example a circular buffer. Or detect the size in RAM is excessive and reset it to a safe state.
4. It is important that the radio continue to function without glitch, even though the window is minimized and there is no user interaction. The Tx and Rx audio streaming should not be interrupted.
5. When running on a server, running minimized or perhaps without any display, reduce resources by pausing or deactivating display functionality and the functions that are only consumed by the display.
6. Perhaps even consider a server mode, where there is no need for a display at all.
7. Perhaps adjust the architecture: The GUI and particularly related RAM and CPU intensive functionality required for graphical display, can be separated from the radio and audio functionality, as separate functional modules in the architecture. So when they are not being used, they can be paused (window minimized) or even not loaded (headless server), depending on the use case.
E.g.:
AUDIO STREAM | VIDEO STREAM | GUI CONTROL | CLI CONTROL
[RADIO, TRANFORMATIONS, etc...] [NETWORKING]
PLATFORM
12th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-12600H
48.0 GB RAM
64-bit operating system, x64-based processor
Windows 10 Pro 22H2 19045.5608
Windows Feature Experience Pack 1000.19061.1000.0
RADIO
Pluto+ SDR connected to LAN over Gigabit Ethernet
- SDR Console Memory Leak when Minimized BUG 03-05-2025_01 CR.png (161.06 KiB) Viewed 6626 times