Mac troubles

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fotoralf
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Mac troubles

Post by fotoralf » Wed Aug 08, 2018 10:23 pm

Hi all,

My Macs are acting up.

On the Mac mini, running under Sierra 10.12.6, gqrx has decided overnight that it won't recognise my RSP2 any longer. Not even on the second attempt, as it did before. Cubic SDR works within its limitations. So does gqrx with a simple RTL SDR.

On the Macbook, running under El Capitan 10.11.6, both gqrx and Cubic SDR crash as soon as I try to start them.

All programs are the latest versions. I've re-installed the drivers and software several times on both machines, to no avail.

I'm definitely at my wit's end. Any help?

Ralf
DL9KCG
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fotoralf
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Re: Mac troubles

Post by fotoralf » Wed Aug 15, 2018 9:21 am

Really no hope?

Ralf
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sdrplay
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Re: Mac troubles

Post by sdrplay » Wed Aug 15, 2018 11:05 am

What is the result of the following commands run from a terminal window...

SoapySDRUtil --info

SoapySDRUtil --find=sdrplay

SoapySDRUtil --probe=sdrplay

If you don't get any output, run it twice. Also, try this also in a terminal window to show what USB devices are connected...

ioreg -p IOUSB

If CubicSDR and GQRX are crashing on startup, it would suggest an issue somewhere else as with CubicSDR, the device driver isn't loaded until the device is selected after CubicSDR is running.

You can raise a CubicSDR issue here (https://github.com/cjcliffe/CubicSDR/issues) for the CubicSDR authors.

If you need support for RSP related issues, it's always best to raise a support ticket (https://www.sdrplay.com/support) as this is a community forum that we don't always get a chance to respond to.

Best regards,

SDRplay Support

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fotoralf
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Re: Mac troubles

Post by fotoralf » Thu Aug 16, 2018 10:38 am

Thanks for your reply. Here goes...
sdrplay wrote:What is the result of the following commands run from a terminal window...

SoapySDRUtil --info
######################################################
## Soapy SDR -- the SDR abstraction library ##
######################################################

Lib Version: v0.7.0-g69c16e98
API Version: v0.7.0
ABI Version: v0.7
Install root: /usr/local
Search path: /usr/local/lib/SoapySDR/modules0.7
Module found: /usr/local/lib/SoapySDR/modules0.7/libsdrPlaySupport.so (0.1.0-12c3db6)
Available factories... sdrplay
Available converters...
- CF32 -> [CF32, CS16, CS8, CU16, CU8]
- CS16 -> [CF32, CS16, CS8, CU16, CU8]
- CS32 -> [CS32]
- CS8 -> [CF32, CS16, CS8, CU16, CU8]
- CU16 -> [CF32, CS16, CS8]
- CU8 -> [CF32, CS16, CS8]
- F32 -> [F32, S16, S8, U16, U8]
- S16 -> [F32, S16, S8, U16, U8]
- S32 -> [S32]
- S8 -> [F32, S16, S8, U16, U8]
- U16 -> [F32, S16, S8]
- U8 -> [F32, S16, S8]
SoapySDRUtil --find=sdrplay
######################################################
## Soapy SDR -- the SDR abstraction library ##
######################################################

Found device 0
driver = sdrplay
label = SDRplay Dev0 RSP2 1707032C20
SoapySDRUtil --probe=sdrplay
######################################################
## Soapy SDR -- the SDR abstraction library ##
######################################################

Probe device sdrplay

----------------------------------------------------
-- Device identification
----------------------------------------------------
driver=SDRplay
hardware=1707032C20
mir_sdr_api_version=2.130000
mir_sdr_hw_version=2

----------------------------------------------------
-- Peripheral summary
----------------------------------------------------
Channels: 1 Rx, 0 Tx
Timestamps: NO
Other Settings:
* RF Gain Select - RF Gain Select
[key=rfgain_sel, default=4, type=string, options=(0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)]
* IF Mode - IF frequency in kHz
[key=if_mode, default=Zero-IF, type=string, options=(Zero-IF, 450kHz, 1620kHz, 2048kHz)]
* IQ Correction - IQ Correction Control
[key=iqcorr_ctrl, default=true, type=bool]
* AGC Setpoint - AGC Setpoint (dBfs)
[key=agc_setpoint, default=-30, type=int, range=[-60, 0]]
* ExtRef Enable - External Reference Control
[key=extref_ctrl, default=true, type=bool]
* BiasT Enable - BiasT Control
[key=biasT_ctrl, default=true, type=bool]
* RfNotch Enable - RF Notch Filter Control
[key=rfnotch_ctrl, default=true, type=bool]

----------------------------------------------------
-- RX Channel 0
----------------------------------------------------
Full-duplex: YES
Supports AGC: YES
Stream formats: CS16, CF32
Native format: CS16 [full-scale=32767]
Antennas: Antenna A, Antenna B, Hi-Z
Corrections: DC removal
Full gain range: [0, 47] dB
IFGR gain range: [20, 59] dB
RFGR gain range: [0, 8] dB
Full freq range: [0.01, 2000] MHz
RF freq range: [0.01, 2000] MHz
CORR freq range: MHz
Sample rates: 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 2.048, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 MSps
Filter bandwidths: 0.2, 0.3, 0.6, 1.536, 5, 6, 7, 8 MHz
ioreg -p IOUSB
+-o Root <class IORegistryEntry, id 0x100000100, retain 14>
+-o Root Hub Simulation Simulation@fd000000 <class AppleUSBRootHubDevice, id$
| +-o Built-in iSight@fd400000 <class AppleUSBDevice, id 0x10000024f, regist$
| +-o IOUSBHostDevice@fd100000 <class AppleUSBDevice, id 0x100000704, regist$
+-o Root Hub Simulation Simulation@5d000000 <class AppleUSBRootHubDevice, id$
| +-o IR Receiver@5d100000 <class AppleUSBDevice, id 0x10000028c, registered$
| +-o Apple Internal Keyboard / Trackpad@5d200000 <class AppleUSBDevice, id $
+-o Root Hub Simulation Simulation@1a000000 <class AppleUSBRootHubDevice, id$
+-o IOUSBHostDevice@1a100000 <class AppleUSBDevice, id 0x1000002c5, regist$

I'll wait for your comments on the above before taking the matter any further.

73
Ralf
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fotoralf
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Re: Mac troubles

Post by fotoralf » Thu Aug 16, 2018 10:58 am

sdrplay wrote:If CubicSDR and GQRX are crashing on startup, it would suggest an issue somewhere else as with CubicSDR, the device driver isn't loaded until the device is selected after CubicSDR is running.
Here's what happens when I try to start CubicSDR and gqrx through the Terminal:

CubicSDR:

RMacBook:~ xxxxx$ cd /Applications/CubicSDR.app/Contents/MacOS
RMacBook:MacOS xxxxx$ ./CubicSDR
Loaded 219 rig models via hamlib.
Illegal instruction: 4


gqrx:

RMacBook:MacOS xxxxx$ cd /Applications/SDR/Gqrx.app/Contents/MacOS
RMacBook:MacOS xxxxx$ ./gqrx
Controlport disabled
No user supplied config file. Using "default.conf"
gr-osmosdr bbb97873 (0.1.5git) gnuradio 3.7.11
built-in source types: file fcd rtl rtl_tcp hackrf rfspace airspy airspyhf soapy redpitaya
FM demod gain: 3.05577
Resampling audio 96000 -> 48000
IQ DCR alpha: 1.04166e-05
gr::fft: can't import wisdom from /Users/xxxxx/.gr_fftw_wisdom
Illegal instruction: 4
RMacBook:MacOS xxxxx$

I have no idea what this all means, but the inability to import wisdom sounds like a serious problem to me. ;-)

Maybe you have some wisdom to share on this ...

73
Ralf
Last edited by fotoralf on Thu Aug 16, 2018 12:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.

sdrplay
Posts: 978
Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2015 7:58 am

Re: Mac troubles

Post by sdrplay » Thu Aug 16, 2018 11:39 am

Firstly, the result from SoapySDRUtil is absolutely correct, so SoapySDR can see the RSP just fine.

It looks like CubicSDR and gqrx seem to report the same error condition.

Focusing on CubicSDR, did you build that from source or install it from a installer?

I found something similar here: https://github.com/cjcliffe/CubicSDR/issues/610

You can always go to https://github.com/cjcliffe/CubicSDR/issues and search for your error message or raise an issue if you can't find something that fits your exact problem.

Best regards,

SDRplay Support

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fotoralf
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Re: Mac troubles

Post by fotoralf » Wed Sep 05, 2018 8:32 pm

I've just set up my 'new' (well new to me, Mid-2012) Macbook Pro with OSX Sierra and made a few interesting discoveries.

Using the latest API (2.13.2) from the SDRPlay website and the current version of GQRX (2.11.5), the RSP2 is recognised by the API but not by GQRX. I then installed an older API (2.11.2) and GQRX 2.9. This combination works within its limitations. Tried the current GPRX version with the old API. Lo and behold, it works as well, but only until the next reboot of the Mac after which I have to start and quit the old GQRX version before the new one will work again.

At least, my holidays with lots of DXing on the French North Sea coast later this month are saved now. Still quite strange, all that.

Ralf

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