AlbFer

Download SATSAGEN 0.5 and latest versions from this page:

SATSAGEN Download Page

Highlights:

• Works with:
  • ADALM-PLUTO
  • HackRF One
  • RTL-SDR Dongles
  • Simple Spectrum Analyzer series like D6 JTGP-1033, Simple Spectrum Analyzer, and so on.
• Video trigger, real-time trigger, and fast-cycle feature
• ADALM-PLUTO custom gain table and Extended linearization table for all devices
• Transmit from raw format files
• I/Q balance panel
• Waterfall
• RX/TX converter offset
• Video Filter average option
• Keyboard or mouse wheel moving markers
• Status Display
• The X-Axis CT and SU indicators

Choose the device

In Settings->Devices select the device model from the Model list control.

If one or more type model selected devices are present, these will be proposed in the below Device list.

If you connect a device at this time, press the Scan button to refresh the Device list control.

In a multi-device scenario, different RX and TX device model is allowed, with the one exception that the RTL-SDR device obviously can’t act as a TX device.

Video trigger, real-time trigger, and fast-cycle feature

The Video trigger shows the spectrum graph when a signal of the minimum selected level occurs.

This is a random 4ms pulse caught by the Video trigger set at level 18. The Video level trigger is referred directly to the ADC depth value of the RX device.

The Line and Ext are real-time triggers, these start the acquisition when an external digital event occurs. With the knob select what type of digital event desire from Low, High, Chg, Neg, and Pos options.

• Low type starts the acquisition when the digital input is in a low state.
• High type starts the acquisition when the digital input in a high state.
• Chg type starts the acquisition when the digital input changes state.
• Neg type starts the acquisition at the falling edge of the input.
• Pos type starts the acquisition at the raising edge of the input.

Simple external hardware is required for the real-time triggers feature.

If a Generic serial is selected on the Trigger IN device control of Settings->EXT OUT tab, the Line trigger is mapped to DCD input of the serial specified by COM port control, and the Ext trigger is mapped to RI input of that serial COM port.

If a USB D/A albfer.com is selected on the Trigger IN device control of Settings->EXT OUT tab, the interface described on this page with FW version 2.0 can be used as a real-time input interface. The digital inputs are mapped like the above Generic serial on the USB D/A albfer.com interface, but an added feature of analog inputs can be used: the Line trigger is mapped to A0 input and the Ext trigger is mapped to A1 input. To enable this feature, click on the type title below the knob when a Line or Ext triggers are selected.

Now with the knob selects the analog level where the trigger starts the acquisition, with RE (rising edge) level or FE (falling edge) level.

To use the real-time trigger is required the Fast-Cycle set to on and the Optimize buffer size for real-time sampling checked (see on RX device controls on Settings->Devices tab).

The Line and Ext labels could be red blinking if the trigger fails to respond at the events in time.

Fast-Cycle

The Cycle-Time of the acquisitions (or Sweep-Time depending on the model of the RX device) is automatically tuned by the application to minimize CPU load according to sampling rate and FFT size selected by the user.

If the Fast-Cycle feature is turned on, the Cycle-time is fixed to the maximum speed of acquisition.

More speed performance (but with more CPU load) can be reached by selecting the SA uses CPU timestamp-based timer feature located in the Settings->Extra tab.

ADALM-PLUTO custom gain table

The ADALM-PLUTO standard gain table is optimized by ADI for the best RX noise factor in the whole range of frequencies. Unfortunately, the standard gain table doesn’t work as expected for spectrum analyzer operations because of the non-linear gain of LNA and for the table that is divided into three different ranges of frequencies.

This is what happens with the standard gain table after calibration and moving from 30dB of RX gain to 31dB.

A flat frequency custom gain table is provided with the SATSAGEN distribution, it is located on the program directory as ad9361_CGT.

Add these lines to the RX linearization INI file to load the custom gain table on Pluto at the power on:

[settings\device_0]
PathNameCustomGainTable=ad9361_CGT

An extended RX linearization file is required to mitigate the non-linear gain of LNA in any case.

An extended RX linearization file model with the load of the custom gain table is provided on the program directory as curvecorrRX_PLUTOCGT.ini.

More information about compiling the extended RX linearization files will be published soon.

The standard gain table will be reloaded on the Pluto device at the power off of SATSAGEN to ensure the operation of other applications.

Transmit from raw format files

Open the EXT modulation panel from the menu or the EXTMOD Panel button of the Toolbar.

An only the RAW file is accepted. Specify in Format list the format to use to play the file and the sample rate according to the TX device selected capability.

If the Loop control is checked, the file will be transmitted endlessly until the stop command by the user.

The Offset DC value can be an aid to minimize the LO image residual component. Set initially to zero, check the control Apply changes to running thread and start TX streaming. During the reproduction, change the Offset DC value with the knob control until the LO image component reaches the lower position.

To start TX streaming of the file specified above, select the EXT modulation on the Generator panel and start the Generator.

The EXT label is red blinking when the thread is streaming.

I/Q balance panel

Open the I/Q balance panel with the context menu:

The Device I/Q balance panel is a tool useful to manually improve the quadrature of the RX/TX signal, especially when devices like RTL-SDR or HackRf are used.

This is the LO component of the RTL-SDR dongle before the I/Q balanced is applied.

After the right I/Q balanced is applied, the LO component is almost at -80dBm.

The values of I/Q balance will be saved on devices configuration and automatically restored when the devices are connected and used.

Waterfall

When the Spectrum Analyzer is running, open the Waterfall with the context menu or the Waterfall button on the new tool panel opened by the panels button.

The Min and Max controls adjust the contrast of the Waterfall according to the signal level.

Click to Info button to adding the frequency and the time information.

RX/TX converter offset

If your SDR device has a converter, it could be useful setting an offset in SATSAGEN to have a matching frequency scale and input field.

Two fields in the Settings->Devices tab can be used to specify converters offset, Converter RX and Converter TX:

When a down-converter like an LNB is connected to the RX port, it should set the Converter RX field with the LO converter’s exact frequency with a minus sign. E.g., for a converter like LNB should be -9750000 kHz.

The rule for both fields is a minus value for a down-converter and a plus value for an up-converter.

Video Filter average option

The video filter normally operates to displays each measurement’s max value for the number of times chosen by the user. To switch to the averaging video filter, click on the little Led/button VF avg over the Video filter knob control.

Keyboard or mouse wheel moving markers

After a marker is placed, it can be moved by the mouse’s wheel or by the two keys J and K. This features works either in SA and TSA operations, but to activate it should be clicking on the window scope, and the marker to move should be active firstly.

A marker was placed.

The above marker after pressing the J key three times.

The same marker after pressing the K key six times.

Status Display

The status display shows some peculiar information about the active RX and TX devices. To activate this feature, click on the Status display from the context menu. For each device are displayed the type model, the attenuator value, and the converter offset value.

The X-Axis CT and SU indicators

The CT indicator shows the Cycle Time of the SA. The Cycle Time includes the sampling time, the frequency switch time if the SA is in the swept-tuned mode, the Data computation and formatting time, and finally the display update time. For the SSA devices like the Simple Spectrum Analyzer, the CT is replaced by the Sweep-Time indicator.

The SU indicator shows the percentage of use of the stream from the SDR device. In the image example above, 7,43% of the sampling stream is used to display the spectrum.

Based on a Siegfried DG9BFC idea, this application shows the temperature of the TRX and the FPGA of ADALM-PLUTO in real-time.

Download WSDRTEMP from this page:

WSDRTEMP download page

WSDRTEMP can share the connection to ADALM-PLUTO with other SDR Applications.

WSDRTEMP can be executed in multiple instances to monitoring more Pluto together. See Multiple instances of the WSDRTEMP section on this page. Each session has private settings, where the user can configure the device’s IP address, poll time in seconds, and other parameters.

The main window size and position are saved and restored on successive sessions. The range scaling of the virtual meters can be done by the Min and Max controls. The alarms state and the temperature trend will show by the two indicators in the right lower panes.

Alarm states:

• Alarm Off = The temperature is normal
• Warning = Blinking yellow, the warning temp is reached
• Overheat = Blinking red, the device is overheating

Temperature trend states

• Wait… = The application is running for a few seconds, or the configuration has changed from the user. It’s the start of the temperature trend analysis.
• Heating = The device is in a heating trend
• Cooling = The device is in a cooling trend
• Steady = Shows green, the temperature is in steady-state

Open the configuration panel from the Settings menu:

Poll time accepts from 1 to 59 seconds by default. This range is related to the 60 sec of time default of the temperature trend analysis process.

Temp warning defines the warning temp zone threshold, and Temp max defines the threshold of overheat.

If desired, it’s possible to specify a CSV file where the application logs the temperatures at the frequency defined by the Poll time field.

Field list of CSV files:

• First field: Date and time of reading yyyy-mm-gg hh:mm:ss
• Second field: TRX temp
• Third field: FPGA temp

Example of CSV line: 2020-10-31 10:12:59,32.46,30.69

At need, you can specify applications or script files on fields “Application or script to start when…”. These applications or script files are launched by WSDRTEMP when the follows conditions are reached:

Steady: Is launched when TRX and FPGA devices reach a steady-state temp. For steady-state, the application expects by default max 2 degrees of temp shift inside the 60-sec window.

Warning: Is launched when the TRX or the FPGA device reaches the threshold defined by the Temp warning field.

Overheat: Is launched when the TRX or the FPGA device reaches the threshold defined by the Temp max field.

Normal: Is launched when the temperature of TRX and FPGA returns to the normal value from a warning or overheat state.

WSDRTEMP tracks the applications or scripts executions. No new start of external applications will performed if they still running.

Multiple instances of the WSDRTEMP

WSDRTEMP can monitor one device at a time. If a second instance of the application is run, WSDRTEMP catches the configuration lock and asks the user if supersede is desired.

To monitoring more devices at a time, WSDRTEMP should be run with the parameter -config followed by a number from 0 to 7. The number parameter defines the configuration to use.

Create a shortcut and modify the target field adding -config number, for example:

Target with “WSDRTEMP -config 0” is like to run the application without that parameter, because config 0 is the default.

Download SATSAGEN 0.4 and latest versions from this page:

SATSAGEN Download Page

Highlights:

• Dual device mode
• Generator with LO frequency output

Dual device mode

From version 0.4.0, SATSAGEN can handle two devices. In this dual device mode, the first device defined act as RX and the second as TX.

This mode improves the dynamic range of the system because it eliminates the internal crosstalk of devices.

Dual device mode settings

To enable this mode, select Two devices on tab Devices in Settings and specify the device that will act as RX in the first pane and device that will act as TX in the second. If neither devices are specified and the fields Connection string override are left blank, the default URI will be used for devices. The default URI for the first device is ip:192.168.2.1 and the second is ip:192.168.3.1.

If you have changed the default user and password of devices, you can save these on the program in safe encrypted mode, click buttons, and set credentials. These credentials will be used for sending commands useful to identify the devices uniquely. For example, these credentials will be used by the program to sending the commands to reverse the activity Led blinking of the devices when buttons Led On will be clicked. With buttons labeled Led On you can easily identify a device, the Led activity normal blinking of the related device will reverse.

The settings of the TX device in dual-mode have a checkbox labeled Discipline XO; if checked, the TX device is tuning with periodically XO correction values according to the position and shaping of the signal received in the dual-mode by RX device. These corrections are running during the scans and calibrations only with appropriate RX amplitude. This feature aid in mitigating the drift of the standard TCXO. Without this feature, the drift of standard TCXO in dual device mode can considerably affect the amplitudes read during the scans.

The feature Discipline XO is not active when:

• Frequency is below 71 MHz
• RX or TX offset are specified.
• The TSA scan modality is in multiplier offset or harmonic.
• The RX amplitude drops below -20 dBm for the fine correction according to signal shaping.
• The RX amplitude drops below -60 dBm for the correction according to the signal position.

The tab Level correction has a new section in dual device mode where can be specified the custom linearization files for RX and TX devices running in this modality:

Dual device mode operation

The dual device mode operation is the same as a standard single device; also, the user interfaces not change. The only difference is the small virtual LED in the right lower of the panel of TSA. This LED indicates the Discipline XO feature’s status with green color when normal condition and displays the value used for correction, in this example, -222 Hz.

I suggest before to do a calibration and execute the measures, to let running for some scans with a loopback cable. This trick allows the Discipline XO feature to reach the optimal correction for the TX device.

The best condition is reached when the temperature of devices is in steady-state, mostly when the devices use standard TCXO components.

Generator with LO frequency output

Set the generator to DC to turn off the modulation of the carrier:

This feature improves the generator output; moreover, the harmonics can be easily calculated because the output frequency is the same as the TX LO. In this mode, a DC is applied to the I and Q input of the TX mixer.

plutotx is a very simple console application that drives Adalm Pluto to generate a CW tone on the frequency and power level selected by the user.

I hope that the information and the C source that you will read below can be a small help for all developers who want to create a new SDR project.

From the archive available for download you will also find the binaries compiled for Windows and Linux x86, so it could also be useful to those who are not developers but simply have an interest in experimenting with Pluto.

Latest Release:

plutotx v.1.1 (16 november 2020)
File size: 705.865 Bytes
MD5 C1EC3A1D6F5A6B95B60B97C542061584
SHA1 9B79B99F70DAD241A012B64C6B2B370A8270AA0F
SHA256 BD852F72A79549053D00ABA86EE18DC9C749E62965887DCA8FE4B0685A8778DF

- F: 2,147GHz limit
- I: Output bursts issue
- I: Switching off any DDS second tone active
- A: Include, library and instruction to compile under Windows and Linux

Older versions:

plutotx (10 august 2020)
File size: 690,282 Bytes
MD5 36FEE854E3D118A153675C930BF36B18
SHA1 3905F554B962C7553264A128FD558A0A39556525
SHA256 EDD8E7D41D7DEE758F7FCFD791274688076F1C1A0B25A583DBBFC77E3F3ED62E

To compiling and execute plutotx needs libiio library from ADI. Download and install the library for your specific SO from here: libiio

To launch, plutotx requires three parameters: frequency in kHz, a power level output expressed in dBm and a URI of device to connect (optional)

eg.: plutotx 432410 -10

plutotx will connect to default URI of device ip:192.168.2.1 if the third optional parameter is not specified.

How it works

I will describe the source of plutotx in a simplified form to facilitate understanding of the steps required to generate the CW tone:

• Connect to Pluto device and acquire the context structure
• From the acquired context test the model of the transceiver if an AD9364
• Find devices physical transceiver and the DAC/TX output driver (FPGA)
• Find channels of I, Q, TX chain and TX Local Oscillator
• Apply the default configuration
• Set the TX attenuator value
• Set the TX bandwidth
• Set the frequency and phase of the I and Q channels
• Set the frequency of the TX Local Oscillator
• Turn on the TX output activating channels I and Q raw

First of all, we need to connect to Pluto device and acquire the context structure:

struct iio_context *ctx;
ctx = iio_create_context_from_uri("ip:192.168.2.1");

From the acquired context test the model of the transceiver if an AD9364:

if((value=iio_context_get_attr_value(ctx, "ad9361-phy,model"))!=NULL)
  {
  if(strcmp(value,"ad9364"))
    stderrandexit("Pluto not expanded",0,__LINE__);
  }else
   stderrandexit("Error retrieving phy model",0,__LINE__);

Find devices physical transceiver and the DAC/TX output driver (FPGA):

phy = iio_context_find_device(ctx, "ad9361-phy");
dds_core_lpc = iio_context_find_device(ctx, "cf-ad9361-dds-core-lpc");

Find channels of I, Q, TX chain and TX Local Oscillator:

tx0_i = iio_device_find_channel(dds_core_lpc, "altvoltage0", true);
tx0_q = iio_device_find_channel(dds_core_lpc, "altvoltage2", true);
tx_chain=iio_device_find_channel(phy, "voltage0", true);
tx_lo=iio_device_find_channel(phy, "altvoltage1", true);

Apply the default configuration. This step is not necessary probably but recommended if using another SDR application before plutotx:

//enable internal TX local oscillator
if((rc=iio_channel_attr_write_bool(tx_lo,"external",false))<0)
  stderrandexit(NULL,rc,__LINE__);

//disable fastlock feature of TX local oscillator
if((rc=iio_channel_attr_write_bool(tx_lo,"fastlock_store",false))<0)
  stderrandexit(NULL,rc,__LINE__);

//power on TX local oscillator
if((rc=iio_channel_attr_write_bool(tx_lo,"powerdown",false))<0)
  stderrandexit(NULL,rc,__LINE__);

//full duplex mode
if((rc=iio_device_attr_write(phy,"ensm_mode","fdd"))<0)
  stderrandexit(NULL,rc,__LINE__);

//calibration mode to manual
if((rc=iio_device_attr_write(phy,"calib_mode","manual"))<0)
  stderrandexit(NULL,rc,__LINE__);

Line 18 sets the TX calibration mode to manual to avoid spikes on output over the TX power level sets by the user.

Set the TX attenuator value. The attenuator value is calculated from the value requested by the user minus the output power of Pluto that is about 10 dBm defined by REFTXPWR:

if((rc=iio_channel_attr_write_double(tx_chain,"hardwaregain",dBm-REFTXPWR))<0)
  stderrandexit(NULL,rc,__LINE__);

Set the TX bandwidth:

if((rc=iio_channel_attr_write_longlong(tx_chain,"rf_bandwidth",FBANDWIDTH))<0)
  stderrandexit(NULL,rc,__LINE__);

Set the scale, frequency and phase of the I and Q channels:

if((rc=iio_channel_attr_write_double(tx0_i,"scale",1))<0)
  stderrandexit(NULL,rc,__LINE__);

if((rc=iio_channel_attr_write_double(tx0_q,"scale",1))<0)
  stderrandexit(NULL,rc,__LINE__);

if((rc=iio_channel_attr_write_longlong(tx0_i,"frequency",FCW))<0)
  stderrandexit(NULL,rc,__LINE__);

if((rc=iio_channel_attr_write_longlong(tx0_q,"frequency",FCW))<0)
  stderrandexit(NULL,rc,__LINE__);

if((rc=iio_channel_attr_write_longlong(tx0_i,"phase",90000))<0)
  stderrandexit(NULL,rc,__LINE__);

if((rc=iio_channel_attr_write_longlong(tx0_q,"phase",0))<0)
  stderrandexit(NULL,rc,__LINE__);

Set the frequency of the TX Local Oscillator. The TX local oscillator frequency will be the value requested by the user minus the frequency of the CW tone.

if((rc=iio_channel_attr_write_longlong(tx_lo,"frequency",freq-FCW))<0)
  stderrandexit(NULL,rc,__LINE__);

Turn on the TX output activating channels I and Q raw:

int rc;

if((rc=iio_channel_attr_write_bool(
		tx0_i,
		"raw",
		1))<0)
 stderrandexit(NULL,rc,__LINE__);

if((rc=iio_channel_attr_write_bool(
		tx0_q,
		"raw",
		1))<0)
 stderrandexit(NULL,rc,__LINE__);

Entire source code of plutotx:

/*
 Author: Alberto Ferraris IU1KVL - https://www.albfer.com

 This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
 it under the terms of the version 3 GNU General Public License as
 published by the Free Software Foundation.
 
 This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
 but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
 MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
 GNU General Public License for more details.
 
 You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
 along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
 */
 
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <string.h>
#include "iio.h"

#define URIPLUTO "ip:192.168.2.1"
#define MINFREQ 50000000
#define MAXFREQ 6000000000
#define MINDBM -89
#define MAXDBM 10
#define REFTXPWR 10
#define FBANDWIDTH 4000000
#define FSAMPLING 4000000
#define FCW 1000000

struct iio_channel *tx0_i, *tx0_q;

void stderrandexit(const char *msg, int errcode, int line)
{
if(errcode<0)
  fprintf(stderr, "Error:%d, program terminated (line:%d)\n", errcode, line);
  else
  fprintf(stderr, "%s, program terminated (line:%d)\n",msg, line);
exit(-1);
}

void CWOnOff(int onoff)
{
int rc;

if((rc=iio_channel_attr_write_bool(
		tx0_i,
		"raw",
		onoff))<0)
 stderrandexit(NULL,rc,__LINE__);

if((rc=iio_channel_attr_write_bool(
		tx0_q,
		"raw",
		onoff))<0)
 stderrandexit(NULL,rc,__LINE__);
}

int main(int argc, char* argv[])
{
struct iio_context *ctx;
struct iio_device *phy;
struct iio_device *dds_core_lpc;
struct iio_channel *tx_chain;
struct iio_channel *tx_lo;
const char *value;
long long freq;
double dBm;
int rc;
int ch;

if(argc<3)
  {
  printf("Usage: plutotx kHz dBm [uri]\n");
  return  0;
  }

freq=atol(argv[1])*1000;

if(freq<MINFREQ || freq>MAXFREQ)
  stderrandexit("Frequency is not in range",0,__LINE__);

dBm=atof(argv[2]);

if(dBm<MINDBM || dBm>MAXDBM)
  stderrandexit("dBm is not in range",0,__LINE__);

if(argc>3)
  ctx = iio_create_context_from_uri(argv[3]);
  else
  ctx = iio_create_context_from_uri(URIPLUTO);

if(ctx==NULL)
  stderrandexit("Connection failed",0,__LINE__);

if((value=iio_context_get_attr_value(ctx, "ad9361-phy,model"))!=NULL)
  {
  if(strcmp(value,"ad9364"))
    stderrandexit("Pluto is not expanded",0,__LINE__);
  }else
   stderrandexit("Error retrieving phy model",0,__LINE__);

phy = iio_context_find_device(ctx, "ad9361-phy");
dds_core_lpc = iio_context_find_device(ctx, "cf-ad9361-dds-core-lpc");  
tx0_i = iio_device_find_channel(dds_core_lpc, "altvoltage0", true);
tx0_q = iio_device_find_channel(dds_core_lpc, "altvoltage2", true);
tx_chain=iio_device_find_channel(phy, "voltage0", true);
tx_lo=iio_device_find_channel(phy, "altvoltage1", true);

if(!phy || !dds_core_lpc || !tx0_i || !tx0_q || !tx_chain || !tx_lo)
  stderrandexit("Error finding device or channel",0,__LINE__);

//enable internal TX local oscillator
if((rc=iio_channel_attr_write_bool(tx_lo,"external",false))<0)
  stderrandexit(NULL,rc,__LINE__);

//disable fastlock feature of TX local oscillator
if((rc=iio_channel_attr_write_bool(tx_lo,"fastlock_store",false))<0)
  stderrandexit(NULL,rc,__LINE__);

//power on TX local oscillator
if((rc=iio_channel_attr_write_bool(tx_lo,"powerdown",false))<0)
  stderrandexit(NULL,rc,__LINE__);

//full duplex mode
if((rc=iio_device_attr_write(phy,"ensm_mode","fdd"))<0)
  stderrandexit(NULL,rc,__LINE__);

//calibration mode to manual
if((rc=iio_device_attr_write(phy,"calib_mode","manual"))<0)
  stderrandexit(NULL,rc,__LINE__);

CWOnOff(0);  

if((rc=iio_channel_attr_write_double(tx_chain,"hardwaregain",dBm-REFTXPWR))<0)
  stderrandexit(NULL,rc,__LINE__);

if((rc=iio_channel_attr_write_longlong(tx_chain,"rf_bandwidth",FBANDWIDTH))<0)
  stderrandexit(NULL,rc,__LINE__);

if((rc=iio_channel_attr_write_longlong(tx_chain,"sampling_frequency",FSAMPLING))<0)
  stderrandexit(NULL,rc,__LINE__);

if((rc=iio_channel_attr_write_double(tx0_i,"scale",1))<0)
  stderrandexit(NULL,rc,__LINE__);

if((rc=iio_channel_attr_write_double(tx0_q,"scale",1))<0)
  stderrandexit(NULL,rc,__LINE__);

if((rc=iio_channel_attr_write_longlong(tx0_i,"frequency",FCW))<0)
  stderrandexit(NULL,rc,__LINE__);

if((rc=iio_channel_attr_write_longlong(tx0_q,"frequency",FCW))<0)
  stderrandexit(NULL,rc,__LINE__);

if((rc=iio_channel_attr_write_longlong(tx0_i,"phase",90000))<0)
  stderrandexit(NULL,rc,__LINE__);

if((rc=iio_channel_attr_write_longlong(tx0_q,"phase",0))<0)
  stderrandexit(NULL,rc,__LINE__);

if((rc=iio_channel_attr_write_longlong(tx_lo,"frequency",freq-FCW))<0)
  stderrandexit(NULL,rc,__LINE__);

CWOnOff(1);

printf("TX ON! Q to exit or E to keep TX ON and exit\n");

while(1)
     {
     ch=getchar();
     if(ch=='q' || ch=='Q')
       {
       CWOnOff(0);
       break;
       }
     if(ch=='e' || ch=='E')
       break;
     };

iio_context_destroy(ctx);

return 0;
}

SATSAGEN is a Windows application that allows you to use an SDR device as a Spectrum Analyzer. SATSAGEN supports the ADALM-PLUTO device only, at the moment.

SATSAGEN is provided free of charge to the HAM Radio community, with the hope that SATSAGEN can be appreciated as a useful tool for our radio experimentation.

SATSAGEN news:

https://www.albfer.com/en/satsagen-news/

Download SATSAGEN from this link:

SATSAGEN Download Page

The prerequisites of the application are:

• OS: From Windows 7 to Windows 10
• Drivers for ADALM-PLUTO installed: PlutoSDR-M2k-USB-Drivers
• ADALM-PLUTO device with firmware > = 0.31

WARNING: At the first start, the application will perform on the device the frequency and bandwidth extension needed for the use of the 70MHZ-6000MHZ range, forcing the firmware to “see” the AD9363 transceiver as an AD9364. The extension is required for the application to work, but if you don’t want it to happen, don’t start SATSAGEN.

I would like to thank my friends Gianni IW1EPY, Domenico I1BOC and Mauro IZ1OTT for giving me the idea, the support in every sense, the radio components and the equipment necessary for the realization of the project!

A special thanks goes to Boian Mitov for the GREATS libraries www.mitov.com used in SATSAGEN!

Below you will found another valuable contribution by Gianni and at the end of the post you will find a short video that illustrates the application basics.

Alberto IU1KVL

“As Adalm Pluto owner I become acquainted to this device using radio programs (SDR Console, SDRAngel) to link Oscar 100.
But for this kind of hardware my asking was for a measurement system. I have test cheap network analyzer in the range of 4,4 GHz, vector analyzer up to 900 MHz and my idea was to set Pluto in this class of instruments using the extended range 70 MHz to 6 GHz.
After some encouraging trials from the RF point of view but disappointing for the measurement time delay in Matlab, I drag my friend Alberto into this adventure to have an acceptable measurement time using C libraries.
Apart the nice Alberto’s program I add some Hardware notes.
Adalm Pluto it is born for sure not for a professional measurement instruments so some drawbacks can be expected.
Due to the large bandwidth usage forced by the program (original Pluto frequency usage spans from 325 MHz to 3,8 GHz) the input and output impedance for sure are not 50 ohms.
A pair of attenuators on input and output mitigate the problem, for sure reducing the usable dynamic range but acceptable for HamRadio users. Using two 10 dB attenuators remain 40 dB down to the calibration level and 20 up in case of insertion of an active device under test.
The missing metal box generate some crosstalk problems in the upper range of frequency specially if Pluto is moved around metal frames or touched by fingers… some people have reboxed it.
The present structure (Pluto plus optional attenuators) allows a direct measurement of transfer function of filters, amplifiers, a directional coupler or a reflection bridge is mandatory for impedance measurement.
Is possible to attach a file to correct the deviation of output power over the frequency sweep, unluckily every Pluto have its own variance. By now I have analyzed 5 devices and the correction curve are available.
With the linearization file the output power can maintain an error of 1 dB versus 10 : 12 dB of the unleveled , most of this nonlinearity is located in the range from 50 to 300 MHz end 4.5 to 6 GHz obviously where Pluto was not designed for.
The receiver gain and the generator attenuator do not increase the linearization error, so one linearization file is enough. Pay attention to not overload the receiver or saturate the generator but this behavior become immediately evident.
To enhance the dynamic linearization is possible to apply a -40 dB calibration using a correct attenuator.
This linearization performs in the range thill -40 db but almost kill the response from -40 to -60, in any case due to cross talk end receiver erroring this range is severely degraded even without this correction.
All the level of the RX Gain and the Output Power and the attenuators that you have inserted at the I/O are programmable.
Any idea of improvement ?
This is the list of future enhancement:
Calibration using a directional coupler or bridge averaging open and short.
Offset between transmitter and receiver in order to test conversion systems.
Harmonic response of devices in order to test amplifiers or multipliers.
Open to suggestions.
I think that Adalm Pluto with SATSAGEN, covering 7 Ham bands, will be useful in designing and testing to every ones involved in RF field.
IW1EPY“

The project consists in the develop of a Windows application for the use of ADALM-PLUTO (recently received as a gift from a dear friend) as a spectrum analyzer.

I hope to write a post about this soon as well, anyway I list the highlights of the project now:

• Spectrum analyzer with full span operating range 70MHz-6GHz and representation of signal amplitude in dBm.
• Spectrum analyzer with tracking generator. Resolution up to 1024 points.
• Generator with 1 KHz of frequency resolution

The software and hardware prerequisites are:

• CPU: an old 1.7GHz Pentium M is more than enough!
• OS:> = Windows 7
• ADALM-PLUTO extended to let the FW “see” the AD9363 as an AD9364
• Analog Devices drivers installed (PlutoSDR-M2k-USB-Drivers)

See you soon!