- Features
- Issues
- TODO
- Dependencies
- input
- Installation
- Soapy suport on linux
- Tested with
- Command line examples
- Debugging
- AD936x pluto XO support
This was an exercise in writing some python which expanded into providing a web based UI. The fft computations are done by libraries in Python, so not the fastest.
If you have some sort of sdr working with other tools then after installing the required python dependencies it should just work, mmmmm.
Performance will depend on your machine and how the supporting fft libraries were compiled.
- Python processing.
- Web javascript UI.
- Support for rtlsdr, pluto, funcube, sdrplay (soapy), audio, socket, file input
- Spectrums are done at the sample rate.
- Useful for detecting short bursting signals.
- Plugin architecture for sources and analysis of spectrums.
- Snapshot file upon an event, currently a manual trigger.
- Has a web based UI that can be used to take measurements on the spectrum.
- Processing runs with no web client attached.
- Useful for seeing how to get samples from different sdr devices with python.
- If the program exceptions immediately, check the dependencies.
- funcube will exception under Windows when closed, which we do when changing the source
- Runnning out of processing time and dropping samples
- FFTs are not overlapping - so you can miss things.
- There is a real problem in determining if samples are being dropped by underlying libraries or not.
- Anything over around 1Msps is difficult to guarantee that samples are not being dropped somewhere. The soapy interface can detect dropped samples (overflows) but sources such as the ADALM pluto will silently drop samples. Monitoring network or usb transfer rates will show that the rate does not scale with increasing sample rate - indicative of the source just dropping samples.
- On a raspberry Pi-5 things work quite well. You can run a desktop with a web browser at the same time if you are careful.
- A raspberry Pi-4 can sometimes keep up if there is no local desktop. A local dsktop and browser will instantly take 100% of a core and everything will start to fail. See the notes and spreadsheet in the docs directory for some insight into how things run.
- The "loop %" can be used to check if things are running with no problems. Percentages over 100% generally indicate problems. This % is expected to hit 100% as it is the total time around the main loop.
- Larger FFT sizes can help as there is less copying of data around and more operating on the data.
- SDRplay support either requires allowing python to search the system paths as well as the virtual environment, or copying the relevant python file to the environment. With lots of other software installed you may find things running very slowly if the system search path is allowed due to version problems.
- hackrf input would be nice to try, don't have one :(
- Detect and record automatically
The following python modules should be installed. Optional ones provide specific capabilities.
These should be installed into a virtual environment to not clash with system installed versions.
Required:
numpy
websockets
matplotlib
Testing:
pytest
Optional:
scipy - another FFT library
pyfftw - another FFT library, faster above 8k size (for me)
pyadi-iio - pluto device
iio - pluto device
pyrtlsdr - rtlsdr devices
sounddevice - audio and funcube devices
soapysdr - soapy support
paho-mqtt - mqtt plugin (client)
hid - funcube control through usb hid, linux only?
sigmf - sigmf file support
- audio - Useful for testing, in linux requires 'sudo apt-get install libportaudio2'
- file - wav and raw binary supported, all files must be in the snapshot directory
- pluto (IP) - Analog devices pluto SDR, 70MHz to 6GHz with wide open front end
- rtlsdr - USB source
- rtltcp - rtl over tcp
- socket - A stream of IQ samples
- funcube - Pro and pro+ as audio devices, hid control supported in Linux only
- soapy - Support for sdrplay under Linux
- 8bit offset binary
- 8bit 2's complement
- 16bit 2's complement little endian (x86)
- 16bit 2's complement big endian
- 32bit ieee float little endian
- 32bit ieee float big endian
Should be similar to the linux install, but
- No support for hid control of funcube, we can stream samples but not control the device.
- No support for sdrplay, as we don't have SoapySDR support - don't know how to install on windows.
cd ~
git clone https://github.com/naj1024/pyspectrum.git
Edit requirements.txt for required input sources.
vi ./pyspectrum/src/requirements.txt
I'm using pipenv for a virtual environment.
pipenv shell
pip install -r ./pyspectrum/src/requirements.txt
Run, then connect to localhost:8080 in a browser
python3 ./pyspectrum/src/pyspectrum.py
# From fresh install of bookworm on RP-5 (January 2024)
$ sudo apt update
$ sudo apt upgrade
# python virtual environement
$ sudo apt install pipenv
$ pipenv shell
(pi) pi@pi5:~ $ ctrl-d
exited from shell - just needed virtual env configured
# rtlsdr hardware support, if required
$ sudo apt install librtlsdr0
$ sudo apt install librtlsdr-dev
$ sudo apt install rtl-sdr
$ sudo usermod -a -G plugdev pi
# pluto hardware support, if required
$ sudo apt install libiio0 libiio-utils
# audio hardware support, if required
$ sudo apt install libportaudio2
# hardware support for control support of funcube devices, if required
$ sudo apt install libhidapi-hidraw0 libhidapi-libusb0
# sdrplay API support, required for any soapy builds.
# Note API version can cause problems so get latest of everything
## Down load SDRplay_RSP_API-Linux-xxxxxxx.run from https://www.sdrplay.com/api/
$ chmod +x SDRplay_RSP_API-Linux-3.14.1.run
$ sudo ./SDRplay_RSP_API-Linux-3.14.1.run
$ sudo systemctl status sdrplay
$ sudo systemctl enable sdrplay
# Soapy because distro soapy does not include your device, some example builds given here
## dependancies for soapy build
$ sudo apt install cmake g++ libpython3-dev python3-numpy swig
## sdrplay base, required
$ cd ~
$ mkdir soapy
$ cd soapy
$ git clone https://github.com/pothosware/SoapySDR.git
$ cd SoapySDR
$ mkdir build
$ cd build
$ cmake ..
$ make
$ sudo make install
$ sudo ldconfig
$ SoapySDRUtil --info # no modules found
## Soapy sdrplay module, if required
$ cd ~/soapy
$ git clone https://github.com/SDRplay/SoapySDRPlay.git
$ cd SoapySDRPlay
$ mkdir build
$ cd build
$ cmake ..
$ make
$ sudo make install
$ sudo ldconfig
$ SoapySDRUtil --info # libsdrPlaySupport.so module found
## test how fast raw driver can go, change sample rate
$ SoapySDRUtil --rate=8e6 --direction=RX --args="driver=sdrplay"
## Soapy rtlsdr module, if required
$ cd ~/soapy
$ git clone https://github.com/pothosware/SoapyRTLSDR.git
$ cd SoapyRTLSDR
$ mkdir build
$ cd build
$ cmake ..
$ make
$ sudo make install
$ SoapySDRUtil --info # librtlsdrSupport.so module found
## Soapy adalm pluto, if required
$ sudo apt install libiio-dev
$ cd ~/soapy
$ git clone https://github.com/pothosware/SoapyPlutoSDR
$ cd SoapyPlutoSDR
$ mkdir build
$ cd build
$ cmake ..
$ make
$ sudo make install
## Soapy audio, if required - useful for testing if you have audio in
$ sudo apt install librtaudio-dev
$ cd ~/soapy
$ git clone https://github.com/pothosware/SoapyAudio
$ cd SoapyAudio
$ mkdir build
$ cd build
$ cmake ..
$ make
$ sudo make install
# Soapy support
###########
# Either allow system search paths for the python environment for soapy
######
$ vi ~/.local/share/virtualenvs/pi-xxxxxx/pyvenv.cfg
# allow search on system packages as Soapy has installed them there
include-system-site-packages = true
###########
# Or copy the relevant file into our local environment
######
$ find /usr -name SoapySDR.py -ls
$ find /usr -name _SoapySDR.so -ls
# copy the files into your environment, pi-xxxxxx
cp /usr/local/lib/python3.11/dist-packages/SoapySDR.py \
/usr/local/lib/python3.11/dist-packages/_SoapySDR.so \
~/.local/share/virtualenvs/pi-xxxxxx//lib/python3.11/site-packages/
# let things sort themselves out, libraries, rules, groups etc
$ sudo ldconfig
$ sudo reboot
# test for working rtlsdr devices, as normal user
$ rtl_test
# clone the pyspectrum repository
$ cd
$ git clone https://github.com/naj1024/pyspectrum.git
$ cd pyspectrum
$ git checkout flask
## install python requirements
$ cd
$ pipenv shell
$ cd pyspectrum/src
# edit for the features you require
$ vi requirements.txt
$ pip install -r ./requirements.txt
## Run the spectrum anlayser
$ python3 ./pyspectrum.py -vvv
web server port 8080
web socket port 8081
* Serving Flask app 'webUI.FlaskInterface'
* Debug mode: off
ctr-c
# check logs for errors
$ cat ./logs/SpectrumAnalyser.log
#############
# Alternative soapy drivers
# - distrubution provided
# - no sdrplay
#######
$ sudo apt install soapysdr-module-all
$ sudo apt install python3-soapysdr
$ vi ~/.local/share/virtualenvs/pi-xxxxxx/pyvenv.cfg
# allow search on system packages as Soapy has installed them there
include-system-site-packages = true
# check that path includes system path python3/dist-packages
$ pi@pi5:~ $ pipenv shell
Launching subshell in virtual environment...
pi@pi5:~ $ . /home/pi/.local/share/virtualenvs/pi-xxxxxx/bin/activate
(pi) pi@pi5:~ $ python3.11 -c "import sys; print('\n'.join(sys.path))"
/usr/lib/python311.zip
/usr/lib/python3.11
/usr/lib/python3.11/lib-dynload
/home/pi/.local/share/virtualenvs/pi-xxxxxx/lib/python3.11/site-packages
/usr/local/lib/python3.11/dist-packages
/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages
/usr/lib/python3.11/dist-packages
(pi) pi@pi5:~ $ exit
The easiest way to get SoapySDR support is to install it from your distrbutions repository.
However, your distribution may not include the soapy driver you need, see above for source build instead.
$ apt install python3-soapysdr
$ dpkg -L dpkg -L python3-soapysdr
Then either let your virtual environment searches the system paths as well, say it is called sid-xxxx
$ vi ~/.local/share/virtualenvs/pi-xxxx/pyvenv.cfg
# allow search on system packages as Soapy has installed them there
include-system-site-packages = true
Or copy the files into the virtual environment
$ find /usr -name SoapySDR.py -ls
$ find /usr -name _SoapySDR.so -ls
$ cp /usr/local/lib/python3.11/dist-packages/SoapySDR.py \
/usr/local/lib/python3.11/dist-packages/_SoapySDR.so \
~/.local/share/virtualenvs/pi-xxxxxx//lib/python3.11/site-packages/
Windows: audio, file, pluto, rtlsdr, rtltcp, socket, funcube
Linux : audio, file, pluto, rtlsdr, rtltcp, socket, funcube
soapy(audio, rtlsdr, sdrplay)
On windows make sure you have the correct rlibrtlsdr.dll for your python 32bit/64bit
pipenv shell
cd pyspectrum/src
python ./pyspectrum.py - Then goto http://127.0.0.1:8080 and configure the source
python ./pyspectrum.py -h - help
python ./pyspectrum.py -i? - list input sources that are available
python ./pyspectrum.py -vvv - max debug output in logs/SpectrumAnalyser.log
Some default input selections, you normally select through web interface:
python ./pyspectrum.py -ipluto:192.168.2.1 -c433.92e6 -s600e3 - pluto at 433MHz and 600ksps
python ./pyspectrum.py -ipluto:192.168.2.1 -c433.92e6 -s1e6
--plugin analysis:peak:threshold:12
--plugin report:mqtt:broker:192.168.0.101 - detect and log signals
python ./pyspectrum.py -ifile:test.wav -c433.92e6 - a test wav file
python ./pyspectrum.py -iaudio:1 -s48e3 -iaudio:1 - audio input
python ./pyspectrum.py -irtlsdr:kk -c433.92e6 -s1e6 - rtlsdr
SOAPY:
python ./src/pyspectrum.py -isoapy:audio -s48000 -c0 - soapy input
python ./src/pyspectrum.py -isoapy:sdrplay -s2e6 c433.92e6
Some useful tools for testing things under linux, e.g. transfer rates.
top - process monitoring
iftop - network bandwidth monitoring
usbtop - USB bandwidth monitoring, needs usbmon kernel module installed
iostat - device monitoring
dstat - disk activity monitor
glances - monitoring tool
nmon - monitoring tool
We can add support for pluto frequency correction in ppm by adding the following to the file ad936x.py when pyadi-iio is installed. You should find the ad936x.py file under the adi directory in the site packages traversed by your environment. Insert the lines in the ad9364 class definitions.
@property
def xo_correction(self):
return self._get_iio_dev_attr("xo_correction")
@xo_correction.setter
def xo_correction(self, value):
self._set_iio_dev_attr_str("xo_correction", value)