LimeSDR mini: No reception at all

Projects LimeSDR
1

Hi!

I’ve just got my LimeSDR mini. :slight_smile: However, I’m not able to get any signal out of it.
I tried gqrx, pothos fm example, the ‘made simple part 4’ pothos example, and the LimeSuite. I just get noise… :frowning:
To make sure the hw is fine, I run the LimeSDR tester which can be found in of the other threads.
The fw is already up-to-date. I’m using it with a 2,4/5 GHz WiFi antenna. Although this is not the best choise for FM radio (90-18MHz in germany), it should at least work.

I know this is very little information to start debugging. Which further information do you need?

Regards,
Alex

2

How did you install Lime Suite, e.g. packages or from source, and versions etc. Also if you could post the output of:

LimeUtil --find

SoapySDRUtil --find

3

LimeUtil --find

  • [LimeSDR Mini, media=USB 3.0, module=FT601, addr=24607:1027, serial=1D3AC710636CDD]

SoapySDRUtil --find
######################################################

Soapy SDR – the SDR abstraction library

######################################################

Found device 0
addr = 24607:1027
driver = lime
label = LimeSDR Mini [USB 3.0] 1D3AC710636CDD
media = USB 3.0
module = FT601
name = LimeSDR Mini
serial = 1D3AC710636CDD

I installed LimeSuite, Soapy, and Pothos from the respective Ubuntu repositories:
http://ppa.launchpad.net/myriadrf/drivers/ubuntu
http://ppa.launchpad.net/myriadrf/gnuradio/ubuntu
http://ppa.launchpad.net/pothosware/framework/ubuntu
LimeSuite: 18.04.0-myriadrf1~artful (Build: 2018-04-06)
soapysdr: 0.6.1-myriadrf~artful

4

Thanks!

Not sure if you tried Gqrx with the default device, which doesn’t seem to work. So if you could try it with a device type of other and string “driver=lime,soapy=0”.

5

Yes, I tried it. Doesn’t work either. I just get noise.
I even switch the antenna to LNAW, because LNAL_NC is not supported on LimeSDR mini: “[WARNING] LNAL has no connection to RF ports”.

Here’s the console ouput of gqrx (I did switched the antenna.):

CGEN: Freq=128 MHz, VCO=2,304 GHz, INT=56, FRAC=629145, DIV_OUTCH_CGEN=8
CGEN: Freq=128 MHz, VCO=2,304 GHz, INT=56, FRAC=629145, DIV_OUTCH_CGEN=8
IQ DCR samp_rate: 1e+06
IQ DCR alpha: 9.99999e-07
Changing WFM RX quad rate: 1e+07 → 1e+06
Generating taps for new filter LO:-80000 HI:80000 TW:32000 Taps: 19
Generating taps for new filter LO:-80000 HI:80000 TW:32000 Taps: 19
[WARNING] LNAL has no connection to RF ports
Rx calibration using INTERNAL loopback
Rx ch.A @ 106,7 MHz, BW: 5 MHz, RF input: LNAW, PGA: 18, LNA: 1, TIA: 2
Current MCU firmware: 5, DC/IQ calibration full
MCU Ref. clock: 40 MHz
[INFO] Rx calibration finished
RX | DC | GAIN | PHASE
—±----±-----±-----
I: | 4 | 2046 | 16
Q: | 0 | 2047 |
Duration: 132 ms

6

Change your bandwidth to about 50 mhz and sample rate should be 5msps to 10 msps. The low bandwidth setting is probably the issue. For the mini I set my bandwidth to 50mhz and sample rate to 5 msps. If that doesn’t work raise your bandwidth to 60mhz. Hope this helps

7

Nope. Doesn’t work either. :frowning:

8

Bump.

Btw, C176 and C181 touch each other on my baord as well: LimeMini Problems

9

Following… seem to have similar problems not able to get FM channels with the LimeSDR-USB. Swapped out the RXW, to hopefully help… no luck

Anyone/