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RF Lab
Status: Implemented test bench. RF Lab is for observing and recording the live receiver path; it is not a calibrated lab instrument by default.
RF Lab exposes the same live analyzer used by OrcSDR. It is useful when you need more than a listening dashboard: compare signal conditions, make a short recording, or investigate transport health.
The Live page shows spectrum and waterfall plus the strongest signal, noise floor, SNR, channel power, occupied bandwidth, frequency error, clipping, DC offset, and I/Q balance. Values are dBFS unless you have set a known reference source and completed the reference estimate workflow.
The Controls page can request frequency changes, sample-rate changes, PPM correction, gain mode, tuner gain, RTL digital AGC, and bias tee where the driver advertises support. Requests are asynchronous and display their accepted software state; they are not a substitute for bus-level proof of a hardware register write.
Do not enable bias tee with a DC-short load connected. The interface requires a deliberate hold before it queues the request.
Use a snapshot or timed run to collect readings at 5 Hz. Completed sessions are stored on the SD card under:
/orcsdr/rf_lab/<session>/
Each completed session contains:
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readings.csv— timestamped measurements and markers. -
screen.bmp— captured screen image. -
session.json— configuration, driver/runtime data, result, and artifact names.
If the source disappears during a run, the session is marked inconclusive rather than silently treated as a valid measurement.
- Start with the default gain and a known signal.
- Confirm the source is live and counters are stable.
- Make a short snapshot or 10-second run.
- Review the record on SD before drawing conclusions.
For an everyday receiver check, FM Radio and its RF Health view remain the quickest first test.