LimeSuite fails to find LimeSDR - Fixed

Projects LimeSDR
1

Hello all,
I have had my LimeSDR for a little while now and have been having issues getting started with it, not having windows 32bit support has hindered some of my progress.

However, I have done a fresh install of Ubuntu 16.04 64bit in the hopes of getting it working, yet I still have troubles. I have been able to use the LimeSDR with SDRConsole v3 (windows 7 32bit), Limesuite on a laptop (winows 10 64bit), modified version of DATV express (Windows 7 32bit) and SDRAngel (Ubuntu 16.04) so i am fairly happy the card itself is working. When I try to follow the Lime Suite (SDR driver) Installaion instructions section 4.1.2 Device enumeration things dont go as expected.

atv@atv-All-Series:~$ LimeUtil --info
######################################################

LimeSuite information summary

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

Version information:
Library version: v17.06.0-myriadrf1~xenial
Build timestamp: 2017-06-21
Interface version: v2017.6.0
Binary interface: 17.06-1

System resources:
Installation root: /usr
User home directory: /home/atv
App data directory: /home/atv/.local/share/LimeSuite
Config directory: /home/atv/.limesuite
Image search paths:
- /home/atv/.local/share/LimeSuite/images
- /usr/share/LimeSuite/images

Supported connections:

  • NovenaRF7
  • PCIEXillybus
  • STREAM
  • uLimeSDR

atv@atv-All-Series:~$ LimeUtil --find

  • [LimeSDR-USB, media=USB 3.0, module=STREAM, addr=1d50:6108, serial=0009060A0243121E]

atv@atv-All-Series:~$ SoapySDRUtil --info
######################################################

Soapy SDR – the SDR abstraction library

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

Lib Version: v0.6.0-0.6.0-myriadrf1~xenial
API Version: v0.6.0
ABI Version: v0.6
Install root: /usr
Search path: /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/SoapySDR/modules0.6
Search path: /usr/local/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/SoapySDR/modules0.6
Search path: /usr/local/lib/SoapySDR/modules0.6
Module found: /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/SoapySDR/modules0.6/libLMS7Support.so
Loading modules… done
Available factories…lime, null,

atv@atv-All-Series:~$ SoapySDRUtil --find=“driver=lime”
######################################################

Soapy SDR – the SDR abstraction library

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

Found device 0
addr = 1d50:6108
driver = lime
label = LimeSDR-USB [USB 3.0] 9060A0243121E
media = USB 3.0
module = STREAM
name = LimeSDR-USB
serial = 0009060A0243121E

When I open LimeSuite I get the following:

Screenshot from 2017-06-26 17-57-18.png1360×768 132 KB

Can someone help me with this issue, I’m expecting it to be something simple that I have missed?

73
VK5BD

2

You have not actually connected limesuite to the LimeSDR-USB yet…

Click on options … connections

3

That is one of my problems, as can be seen in the first picture there is no devices to connect to.

4

Dogh!!!

Did you add the lime to the permissions list?

The udev-rules thing …

5

After this fresh install of Ubuntu 16.04 I used the snap installation method and expected most installation requirements would have been met, this morning I did try the udev-rules command as per the Lime Suite instructions section 3.21 Unix makefiles, Linux Only step.
On my machine the directory was in Downloads/LimeSuite-master/udev-rules and inside that directory I ran “sudo ./install.sh”, rebooted the computer but still no devices to connect to in LimeSuite

6

So there has been another development, and unfortunately maybe not a good one, I decided to try the “4.13 Flashing Images” as mentioned at the bottom of the Lime Suite page https://wiki.myriadrf.org/Lime_Suite with my Windows 10 64bit Laptop as that seemed to connect to the LimeSDR, as indicated this can be an automatic process so I went with it, However this now seems to have caused the LimeSDR to become unresponsive, I now only have the Green power LED on and the other two LEDs have extinguished.
I have tried a couple of times to do the programming and I can hear the “USB Disconnect” tone from my computer during the programming process.
I have also noted that the version of LimeSuite on my laptop is 17.02 and that the images that are written to the LimeSDR during the programming process are for HW 1.3 where as my device I believe is revision 1.4, the second file (.rbf) written to the LimeSDR indicated HW1.4
I have looked at the image repository http://downloads.myriadrf.org/project/limesuite/ and can not find a .img file for HW1.4

So after having a minor panic attack that I had bricked my LimeSDR, I decided to update the version of LimeSuite on my Windows 10 Laptop to v17.06, when I connected the LimeSDR, I got an error message that I had seen someone else have “WARNING: Gateware version mismatch! Expected gateware version 2, revision 8 But found version 0, revision 0…” and remembered that in their struggles were told to return their LimeSDR, however I thought it cant get any worse, let try programmng again, the first attempt I got “Programming Failed”, but the screen was left showing downloading the image file, pressed the program button again and a couple of windows popped up over time and then the progress bar proceeded towards the end then LimeSuite reported “Not responding”, and then I heard the USB disconnect tones, then three LEDS illuminated back on the LimeSDR. Yah it isn’t bricked :grinning: and I was able to connect to the LimeSDR on my Windows 10 laptop, but still not connect on the Ubuntu 16.04 PC

7

Hello @andrewback,
I’m getting the impression you are the guru behind the development of the LimeSuite of things, are you maybe able to help shed some light on this issue that I am having and maybe some other issues.

I addition to the above, what is the best way of upgrading the LimeSuite from 17.02 to 17.06 as I have tried reinstalling from the snap repository with no improvement?
I saw a warning about only installing one way ie through packages/installer and not source code, can I use step 2.1 of https://wiki.myriadrf.org/Lime_Suite after I have done the snap install method?

Thanks in advance,
Bevan

8

Note that snap apps include their own build of Lime Suite and will use this, effectively ignoring any Ubuntu package or local source build installs of Lime Suite. This offers various benefits, but does mean that if a snap is not updated it can be running an old build which is missing some bug fix or new feature.

If you have the PPA configured, you will get 17.06 packages and any package installs and source builds of apps should use this (unless you also install Lime Suite from source — but don’t do this and package install)

9

Thank you for your help, I decided to remove the packages that I had installed via the snap repository, I then followed the step 2.1 in the LimeSuite Guide with the addition of --reinstall in the apt-get commands. I executed LimeSuiteGUI from the terminal and version 17.06 opened, I was then able to connect to the LimeSDR (The menu bar that appeared in the earlier version only appears if you hover over the title bar when the windows is maximised or in the task bar if not maximised - trap for unsuspecting players :smirk:) so I think I am now all sorted on this issue.

73
VK5BD