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RoadTest POLL: Would You Be Interested in Roadtesting an SDR Active Learning Module

rscasny

ADALM-PLUTOI am getting to launch a roadtest on an active learning module used to learn the fundamentals of software-defined radio (SDR), radio frequency (RF), and wireless communications.

I wanted to gauge your interest in this roadtest.

Here's a some info on the product:

ADALM-PLUTO is a software-defined radio active learning module. The easy to use ADALM-PLUTO active learning module (PlutoSDR) helps introduce the fundamentals of software-defined radio (SDR), radio frequency (RF) and wireless communications.

Here are some features:

  • Portable self-contained RF learning module
  • Cost-effective experimentation platform
  • Based on Analog Devices AD9363--Highly Integrated RF Agile Transceiver and Xilinx® Zynq Z-7010 FPGA
  • RF coverage from 325MHz to 3.8GHz, up to 20MHz of instantaneous bandwidth
  • Flexible rate, 12bit ADC and DAC, GNU Radio sink and source blocks
  • MATLAB®, Simulink® support, libiio, a C, C++, C# and Python API
  • One transmitter and one receiver, half or full duplex
  • USB 2.0 powered Interface with Micro-USB 2.0 connector
  • High quality plastic enclosure

Here are some docs:

datasheet 
product overview
user guides 

For more information

Here's the poll questions:

  • in reply to shabaz

    I think that Matlab integration could be an interesting topic but I am not sure if it can be licensed for a manageable amount of money - from what I have learned by quickly checking, not only Matlab home license needs to be bought, but also (at least) Communications Toolbox, which in turn requires DSP System Toolbox and Signal Processing Toolbox add-ons. And I don't know if it is enough to have usable installation or any additional add-ons are recommended?

  • Could be fun to play with, but I am not up to it just now.

  • Not sure that I have all the required skills to test everything perfecly, but you will always learn something new, and that's the best part of it !

  • One of the important parameters to be tested is the frequency stability over the time and temperature range. Hence more time is for the road test of the SDR  

  • in reply to gordonmx

    There is a 1-month free trial on the Matlab site, which can be upgraded to a Home user license at a (relatively, and theoretically,) "low-ish" charge.

    The ADALM-PLUTO Matlab support package is a Matlab-provided download, I don't think this compatible with GNU Octave, but in theory users could create their own interface to GNU Octave if they wished, but perhaps that is not something for everyone if they just wish to use it without having to do that coding.

    Personally I think if Matlab isn't available, and if coding is desired then one may as well just use Python instead of Octave these days (since Octave isn't a full alternative to Matlab anyway), but I have not used Octave in a very long time.

  • The ADALM-PLUTO sound very interesting, but I have a few questions.

    1) Is a Matlab license included?  It can be a time-limited license, but it would seem that a couple of months would be needed to evaluate the module.

    2) After the evaluation, if I had a specific application. would I still need Matlab to run the module?

    3) Can the Matlab libraries be used with Matlab alternatives like GNU Octave or Scilab?

    Thanks

  • in reply to shabaz

    Hi,

    Aha. That way..Relieved.

    Yes I got it. So that software running on PC will handle the tasks. Because doing it on Linux running on FPGA could be difficult in terms of dependencies/availability of packages etc. But cool, at least signal is passed to PC.

  • in reply to embeddedguy

    Hi Ujjval,

    Regarding:

    One feature that I did not get quite well is how it works is that device can not only capture the these signals but it can abstract meaningful data out of it means it can understand the WiFi data. There should be WiFi stack running on the device itself. Same could be true for other protocols such as BLE, LoRa etc.

    The SDR device normally just passes through the captured spectrum directly to the attached PC, and then it is up to the PC software to do any demodulation and any protocol decode. You're right that theoretically the SDR device could do it on its own (for instance code running on Linux on the Zync chip inside the device) but that's an advanced topic, that would require coding to do it, as far as I'm aware. I don't know if there is already any existing software examples to do that for some protocols, there may be.

    Usually the SDR is run tethered to the PC, and the PC handles demodulation and the protocol stack where relevant.

  • Yes, for sure I will be interested. This and Analog devices ADALM2000 are both interesting. The issue might be that element14 launches both roadtest at same time frames.

    This device in particular has interesting features. The device can capture RF signals in the range of 325MHz to 3.8GHz which means it can capture signals from most well known wireless communication protocols such as Bluetooth/WiFi (2.3GhZ). Also signals from LoRa and cellular protocols.

    One feature that I did not get quite well is how it works is that device can not only capture the these signals but it can abstract meaningful data out of it means it can understand the WiFi data. There should be WiFi stack running on the device itself. Same could be true for other protocols such as BLE, LoRa etc.

    Regarding the time frame, normally it takes more than 80 hours of time because sometimes the software setup is complex and takes time. Also if there is low-level API's it takes time for the program. Fortunately, there is MATLAB/SIMULINK libraries for this device. The writing also may take some time. That's why I voted for more than 80 hours.!!