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Re: SDRPlay GQRX gr-osomsdr (I think)

Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2016 10:04 pm
by W7RTM
I have no modules with containing "msi" or "mir" in lsmod

I did a clean reboot without the SDRPlay plugged in. Compared the lsmod results after plugging in SDRPlay, running SoapySDRUtil --probe=sdrplay and running GQRX with the results just after a clean reboot.

No differences after plugging in SDRPlay to modules. Running SoapySDRUtil changed the Device number for SDRPlay from 004 to 005 but no differences in the modules loaded. Upon starting GQRX the only changes in modules were the number of users on some of the modules; sdn_hda_intel, snd_pcm, and snd.

Did a similar exercise with processes using "ps -ef". No significant changes there ether till starting GQRX. beyond the expected addition of "gqrx".

This leaves me with GQRX itself and it Devices. Should the SDRPlay show up in the Device list? The only devices I can select, from day one, are:

Device: Mirics MSi2500 default (e.g. VTX3D card) --> Device string: mir=0
Device: RFSPACE SDR-IQ Receiver --> Device string: sdr-iq=/dev/ttyUSB0
Device: RFSPACE SDR-IP Reciever --> Device string; sdr-ip=127.0.0.1:50000
Device: RFSPACE NetSDR Reciever --> Device string: netsdr=127.0.0.1:50000
Device: RTL-SDR Spectrum Server --> Device string: localhost:1234
Device: Complex Sampled (IQ) File --> Device string: file=/path/to/your/file,freq=100e6,rate=1e6,repeat=true.trottle=true
Device: Other --> Device string: null

And of those Only the Mirics opens the application without complaint. All the others break the configuration and will not start GQRX.

Re: SDRPlay GQRX gr-osomsdr (I think)

Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2016 10:21 pm
by W7RTM
just plugged a cheap TV Dongle DVB-T+DAB+FM GQRX recognized it and added it to the Device list "Realtek RTL2838UHIDIR ..." Device string: rtl=0. Seems to work too except I have no way of attaching an antenna. This suggests to me that maybe Soapy is not successfully registering itself with GQRX?

Re: SDRPlay GQRX gr-osomsdr (I think)

Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2016 10:38 pm
by sdrplay
If there are issues between SoapySDR and Gnu Radio/GQRX probably the best place to check for information is here: https://github.com/pothosware/SoapySDR/wiki

It may come down to the gr-osmosdr build. I would make sure the gr-osmosdr build is standard and if you have to build it rather than get a binary, then I wouldn't enable anything that says Mirics or SDRplay - do all the connectivity to the RSP via the SoapySDR interface.

Best regards,

SDRplay Support

Re: SDRPlay GQRX gr-osomsdr (I think)

Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2017 8:50 pm
by jerryn
Hi,

I am having the same problem. The hardware is great but the API.. not so much. It would be great if you just contribute to the open source libraries that are out there.
You will sell more hardware... trust me. I wrote a Police/Fire/Maritime Scanner for GQRX. I'd like to have it running with the SDRPLAY. I support multiple platforms. My Native platform is OS/X. I have a Linux Mint 18 (Debian) VM and a Windows 10 VM. Sure your application works in windows 10, it's got a lot of bells and whistles but it is limited.
no connectivity to other apps. Most of us here demodulate and decode signals with SDR devices. weather maps, digital speech.. sometime we control the SDR software with another app. My scanner controls GQRX and flips through.


We need your code officially assimilated into gr-osmosdr.. the sooner it makes it there Linux will be fixed, and soon after that it will make it to MacPorts and Homebrew.
You will be amazed what will be developed with your hardware. But linking to a binary API.. SUCKS! It causes all sorts of problems. The mismatch I have is causing protocol errors over the usb bus.. like this:

gr-osmosdr v0.1.x-xxx-xunknown (0.1.5git) gnuradio 3.7.10.1
built-in source types: file fcd rtl rtl_tcp uhd sdrplay hackrf bladerf rfspace airspy soapy
get_devices started
Device count: 0
get_devices end
[WARNING] mir_sdr version: '1.970' does not equal build version: '2.090'
[INFO] Using format CF32.
mir_sdr_StreamInit()
mir_sdr_Init: starting hardware initialization
mir_sdr_Init: gR=40dB fs=2.000MHz rf=0.000MHz bw=0.200MHz if=0.000MHz
DownConvert: Enable=0 DecM=1 OutScale=0 (fs=2.000000 bw=200 if=0)
mir_sdr_usb_USB DLL: Revision 0.1.1
mir_sdr_usb_Init: Timeout expired/failed to establish connection with the device
mir_sdr_2500_Init: mir_sdr_usb_Init() failed
mir_sdr_Init: mir_sdr_2500_Init() Error 1
mir_sdr_StreamInit: mir_sdr_Init failed 7

... soapysdr connects but I need gr-osmosdr with sdrplay functionality.

Re: SDRPlay GQRX gr-osomsdr (I think)

Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2017 12:12 am
by sdrplay
I'm slightly confused and I think there are several issues here.

Firstly, the API mismatch just means that SoapySDRPlay has been built against an old API - just build it with the new API and that will sort that issue.

Secondly, gr-osmosdr supports SoapySDR devices so is that how you are using the RSP? That should work - indeed, Pothosware, which is very similar to Gnu Radio works with SoapySDR devices very well.

I'm guessing you are talking about SDRuno on Windows 10? It connects to other applications via VAC and we've had people send us satellite images, etc. using that method.

We are currently documenting the non-windows flow. It will be largely based around SoapySDR/SoapySDRPlay as that is what we have found to be very easy to use and support.

Best regards,

SDRplay Support

Re: SDRPlay GQRX gr-osomsdr

Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2017 1:40 am
by jerryn
I use multiple operating systems. MacOS 10.11.6, Linux Mint 18.1, Windows 10... and on the Rasberrt Pi.. Raspian.
I had to modify thr gr-osmosdr port in MacPorts. I modified it to build with your closed API. It works.. I worked on modifying gr-osmosdr too long..to long to notice that the notch filter is enabled and that's why my reception isn't great. LOL.. Have you played with SDRPlay ? How do I modify the values below ?
----------------------------------------------------
-- Device identification
----------------------------------------------------
driver=SDRplay
hardware=2 170104D400
mir_sdr_api_version=2.090000
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]]
* Antenna Select - Antenna Select
[key=ant_sel, default=Antenna A, type=string, options=(Antenna A, Antenna B)]
* AMport Select - AM Port Select
[key=amport_ctrl, default=AntA//AntB, type=string, options=(AntA/AntB, Hi-Z)]
* 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: RX
Corrections: DC removal
Full gain range: [0, 39] dB
IFGR gain range: [20, 59] dB
Full freq range: [0.01, 2000] MHz
RF freq range: [0.01, 2000] MHz
CORR freq range: MHz
Sample rates: [0.25, 10] MHz
Filter bandwidths: [0.2, 8] MHz

mir_sdr_usb_ReleaseDeviceIdx 0

Jerrys-Mac-Pro:build jerryn$

Re: SDRPlay GQRX gr-osomsdr (I think)

Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2017 8:25 am
by sdrplay
I'm not sure why some of the boolean defaults are true - they should be false (extref_ctrl, biasT_ctrl and rfnotch_ctrl)

Apart from that the other defaults look right. I'll get the SoapySDRPlay updated and get some Pothosware information into the non-windows flow document we're putting together and do an initial release within the next couple of days.

Best regards,

SDRplay Support