Start from scratch - Ubuntu or Windows?

Dear Marty,

Thank you for responding to my cry for help.

I have used my 64bits Windows 10 PC. I have installed PothosSDR-2019.06.09-vc14-x64.exe
I run the LimeSuite. Click “Options”, click “Connection Settings” and nothing comes up in the window.

I go to Device Manager. Under the title “Other devices” (not under the heading USB devices) is “LimeSDR-USB”. I click on “LimeSDR-USB” and get the message:
The drivers for this device are not installed (Code 28)
There are no compatible drivers for this device
To find a driver for this device click Update driver.

I click “Update driver” and select online searching. It starts searching online and after 10 minutes it has found nothing.

I then start USBview. A device is connected with an exclamation sign indicating something is not working. When I click on it I get the data from the enumeration and they are:

Device Descriptor:
bcdUSB: 0x0300
bDeviceClass: 0x00
bDeviceSubClass: 0x00
bDeviceProtocol: 0x00
bMaxPacketSize0: 0x09 (9)
idVendor: 0x1D50
idProduct: 0x6108
bcdDevice: 0x0000
iManufacturer: 0x01
iProduct: 0x02
iSerialNumber: 0x03
bNumConfigurations: 0x01

ConnectionStatus: DeviceConnected
Current Config Value: 0x00
Device Bus Speed: High
Device Address: 0x06
Open Pipes: 0

Configuration Descriptor:
wTotalLength: 0x0046
bNumInterfaces: 0x01
bConfigurationValue: 0x01
iConfiguration: 0x00
bmAttributes: 0x80 (Bus Powered )
MaxPower: 0x32 (100 Ma)

Interface Descriptor:
bInterfaceNumber: 0x00
bAlternateSetting: 0x00
bNumEndpoints: 0x04
bInterfaceClass: 0xFF
bInterfaceSubClass: 0x00
bInterfaceProtocol: 0x00
iInterface: 0x00

Endpoint Descriptor:
bEndpointAddress: 0x01 OUT
Transfer Type: Bulk
wMaxPacketSize: 0x0400 (1024)
bInterval: 0x00

Unknown Descriptor:
bDescriptorType: 0x30
bLength: 0x06
06 30 0F 00 00 00

Endpoint Descriptor:
bEndpointAddress: 0x81 IN
Transfer Type: Bulk
wMaxPacketSize: 0x0400 (1024)
bInterval: 0x00

Unknown Descriptor:
bDescriptorType: 0x30
bLength: 0x06
06 30 0F 00 00 00

Endpoint Descriptor:
bEndpointAddress: 0x0F OUT
Transfer Type: Bulk
wMaxPacketSize: 0x0400 (1024)
bInterval: 0x00

Unknown Descriptor:
bDescriptorType: 0x30
bLength: 0x06
06 30 00 00 00 00

Endpoint Descriptor:
bEndpointAddress: 0x8F IN
Transfer Type: Bulk
wMaxPacketSize: 0x0400 (1024)
bInterval: 0x00

Unknown Descriptor:
bDescriptorType: 0x30
bLength: 0x06
06 30 00 00 00 00

I appears to me that the USB enumeration fails, but I am not an expert in that. the parameters iManufacturer, iProduct and iSerialNumber look empty.

I have not tried to reload the FX3 software yet using the CyUSB suite. Do you have the software to reload the FX3 correctly in a form suitable for “dummies”?

Please, I need your help to either make my LimeSDR-USB work or conclude, that it is broken.

Regards,
Jorgen

@Jorgen - Jorgen,

I’m surprised that the Pothosware installation didn’t install the drivers for the LimeSDR USB for you - that’s usually the first thing that the installation does is to set up all the correct drivers to make the LimeSDR USB communicate with LimeSuite. Given all that, here is the absolute final way to install the drivers for the LimeSDR USB (and I’m hoping that you’re not mixing this up with the Lime-Mini because it has a completely different way of driver installation - - I’m taking your word that this is truly a LimeSDR USB you’re trying to install). Use this link below to install the drivers for the LimeSDR USB:

https://wiki.myriadrf.org/LimeSDR-USB_driver_installation

This is the only way it can be done for ALL versions of Windows from XP to Win 10. If you follow the directions there, Windows detects a USB 3.0 device plugged into an appropriate USB 3.0 port on your PC (and I cannot stress enough you MUST be plugged into a USB 3.0 port - trying to make this work on USB 2.0 is just a nonstarter), once you launch LimeSuite and connect, or you use the Command Prompt and do a:

LimeUtil – find

or a:

SoapySDRUtil --find

and see your LimeSDR USB present, if after all that your PC cannot ‘see’ the LimeSDR, then it’s likely that there is something wrong with the LimeSDR USB. Generally if there’s a problem with your LimeSDR USB there will be LEDs on the board that will flash red indicating a communication problem - that’s the first sign that there could be a potential hardware issue.

Work the driver installation that I sent above (link) and let us know how you progress.

73 de Marty, KN0CK

Dear Marty,

VOW, you hit it.

I used my Windows 10 PC. I installed the driver following the instructions given in the link you stated. The driver was installed successfully. The LimeSDR-USB moved from “Other devices” to a USB device in the Windows Device Manager.
I started the LimeSuite ->Options->ConnectionSettings. The LimeSDR-USB came up in the window as a USB 3 device. I selected it and a warning came up in the lower part of the LimeSuite window. The warning stated that the firmware and gateware were out of date. I ran the LimeUtil --update and the LimeSDR-USB was updated. When I ran LimeSuite ->Options->ConnectionSettings selecting LimeSDR-USB again the lower window stated that the firmware is version 4 and the gateware is version 2.21.
After this I ran the LimeQuickTest_20180702_01e2d00.exe asnd my board passed all tests.

Should I do some other tests ensuring all work properly?

Regards,
Jorgen

Thank you very much for your patience and help.

1 Like

@Jorgen - Jorgen,

Nope - I would apply your LimeSDR to the latest version of SDRConsole available and give it a try on the bands of your choice.

Have fun with it…!

73 de Marty, KN0CK