LimeSDR-USB Cannot transmit using gnuradio + osmocom-sink

[Sig]

Hi everyone,

I’m trying since a while to get LimeSDR working with gnuradio. For my suprise gr-limesdr seems to not work properly and gives me much more problems as osomocom. As my little defence I am pretty much new to SDR devices and still keep climbing the learning curve. And specific documentation is really rare.

My problem now is I wan’t to make a test simple test setup to transmit a signal via osmocom-sink and receive it at the same time with osmocom-source. The receiving part works, but nothing is transmitted and no errors show up in the log.

You can see the setup in the picture

Hardware:
LimeSDR-USB Aluminum version

Log:
gr-osmosdr 0.2.0.0 (0.2.0) gnuradio 3.8.1.0
built-in source types: file osmosdr fcd rtl rtl_tcp uhd miri hackrf bladerf rfspace airspy airspyhf soapy redpitaya freesrp
[INFO] Make connection: ‘LimeSDR-USB [USB 3.0] 9072C00D51020’
[INFO] Reference clock 30,72 MHz
[INFO] Device name: LimeSDR-USB
[INFO] Reference: 30,72 MHz
[INFO] LMS7002M register cache: Disabled
[INFO] RX LPF configured
[INFO] RX LPF configured
gr-osmosdr 0.2.0.0 (0.2.0) gnuradio 3.8.1.0
built-in sink types: uhd hackrf bladerf soapy redpitaya freesrp file
[INFO] Filter calibrated. Filter order-4th, filter bandwidth set to 10 MHz.Real pole 1st order filter set to 2.5 MHz. Preemphasis filter not active
[INFO] TX LPF configured
[INFO] Filter calibrated. Filter order-4th, filter bandwidth set to 7,5 MHz.Real pole 1st order filter set to 2.5 MHz. Preemphasis filter not active
[INFO] TX LPF configured
[INFO] Tx calibration finished
[INFO] Rx calibration finished

[andrewback]

If you could provide details of issues with gr-limesdr, we could help to get you up and running with this, but I don’t believe that gr-osmosdr is actively maintained and it’s not something we could help with.

[Sig]

Thanks for the reply.

With gr-limesdr I’ve got following output:

Config Sink:
Allow TXCO DAC control: no
TCO:DAC val: 180

NCO frequency: 0
Calibration bandwitdth: 0
PA path: auto
Analog filter bandwidth: 0
Digital filter bandwitdh: 10e6
Gain: 20

Config Source:
Minoutbuf: 0
Maxoutbuf: 0
Allow TCXO DAC control: No
TCX0: DAC val: 180

NCO frequency: 0
Calibration bandwitdth: 0
PA path: auto
Analog filter bandwidth: 0
Digital filter bandwitdh: 10e6
Gain: 20

Log:

LimeSuite Source (RX) info

##################
Connecting to device
##################
LimeSuite version: 20.07.2-myriadrf1~focal
gr-limesdr version: 3.1.3.0
##################
Device list:
Nr.:0 device:LimeSDR-USB, media=USB 3.0, module=FX3, addr=1d50:6108, serial=0009072C00D51020
##################
INFO: device_handler::open_device(): no serial number. Using first device in the list.
Use “LimeUtil --find” in terminal to find prefered device serial.
Reference clock 30,72 MHz
Using device: LimeSDR-USB(0009072C00D51020) GW: 2.23 FW: 4
##################

INFO: device_handler::enable_channels(): SISO CH0 set for device number 0.
INFO: device_handler::set_samp_rate(): set sampling rate: 10 MS/s.
INFO: device_handler::set_rf_freq(): RF frequency set [RX]: 424 MHz.
INFO: device_handler::set_analog_filter(): RX LPF configured
INFO: device_handler::set_digital_filter(): GFIR LPF cannot be set to the requested bandwidth
digital filter CH0 [RX]: 10 MHz.
INFO: device_handler::set_gain(): set gain [RX] CH0: 20 dB.
INFO: device_handler::set_antenna(): CH0 antenna set [RX]: LNAL.
INFO: device_handler::calibrate(): Rx calibration finished

LimeSuite Sink (TX) info

##################
Connecting to device
INFO: device_handler::open_device(): no serial number. Using first device in the list.
Use “LimeUtil --find” in terminal to find prefered device serial.
Previously connected device number 0 from the list is used.
##################

INFO: device_handler::enable_channels(): SISO CH0 set for device number 0.
INFO: device_handler::set_samp_rate(): GFIR LPF cannot be set to the requested bandwidth
set sampling rate: 10 MS/s.
INFO: device_handler::set_rf_freq(): RF frequency set [TX]: 424 MHz.
INFO: device_handler::set_digital_filter(): GFIR LPF cannot be set to the requested bandwidth
digital filter CH0 [TX]: 10 MHz.
INFO: device_handler::set_gain(): set gain [TX] CH0: 20 dB.
INFO: device_handler::set_antenna(): CH0 antenna set [TX]: BAND1.
INFO: sink_impl::init_stream(): sink channel 0 (device nr. 0) stream setup done.
INFO: source_impl::init_stream(): source channel 0 (device nr. 0) stream setup done.

WIFI-TEST

With gr-limesdr I got much lower signal strength at receiver input. If I scan the local wifi, the difference to osmocom is about 20 dB, with 20dB Gain adjusted for gr-osmo and 40 dB for gr-limesdr.
The signal generating Laptop was right next to LimeSDR.

[andrewback]

Thanks!

@Garmus, could you take a look and advise, please.

[Sig]

Solved the Problem, I’m now using gr-limesdr and adjusted the receiver gain to 50. I was just to conservative with the gain settings.