GQRX and AIrspy HF+ and R2, again!

691 views
Skip to first unread message

Mike Roth

unread,
Apr 11, 2018, 4:59:28 PM4/11/18
to Gqrx SDR

Hi guys, hope you can get me out of this misery - frustration :(...


Having endless trouble installing gqrx to work with airspy and about to give up with gqrx AND Linux…


It appears there has not been too much progress with successfully installing SW in Linux over the last 30 years - I must say, it's just as bothersome as it had been back then and works only sporadically. Although I'd so much like to give Windoze the boot...


Have read other comments here but without success...


Am essentially Linux newbie again after a 30 year break and had gqrx running once with HF+ only, running Linux Mint / Ubunto.


One night by playing around for >>1 h I finally got it to find the HF+. I don't remember hat I did...


One night (after using gqrx for 3 days) Libre Office decided to freeze the PC and that was the last time gqrx worked, it claims it can't find any airspy – again.


I have an HF+ and an R2 and run gqrx 2.11.2.


It had never found any airspy products in the I/O device list since although it should be apparently now out of the box supported. Hmm.


I don't know how many times I have executed the uninstalling and re-installing procedure posted on the gqrx/ubunto page to no avail. Thought that the purge would delete everything but although not in the drop down list under I/O devices it remembers the 1st working configuration it used, and when I select OK nothing happens.


Config file seems to be the default one.



Comand line gives this response, looks like it can't find a thing…


qwerty@qwerty-OptiPlex-755 ~/.config $ gqrx

Controlport disabled

No user supplied config file. Using "default.conf"

gr-osmosdr v0.1.x-xxx-xunknown (0.1.5git) gnuradio 3.7.10

built-in source types: file osmosdr fcd rtl rtl_tcp plutosdr miri hackrf bladerf rfspace airspy airspyhf soapy redpitaya

FM demod gain: 3.05577

Resampling audio 96000 -> 48000

IQ DCR alpha: 1.04166e-05

Using audio backend: auto

BookmarksFile is /home/qwerty/.config/gqrx/bookmarks.csv

getDeviceList : Available input devices:

"PlutoSDR"

"RFSPACE SDR-IQ Receiver"

"RFSPACE SDR-IP Receiver"

"RFSPACE NetSDR Receiver"

"RFSPACE Cloud-IQ Receiver"

"RTL-SDR Spectrum Server"

"Red Pitaya Transceiver Server"

"Complex Sampled (IQ) File"

Loading configuration from: "default.conf"

Configuration file: "/home/qwerty/.config/gqrx/default.conf"

gr-osmosdr v0.1.x-xxx-xunknown (0.1.5git) gnuradio 3.7.10

built-in source types: file osmosdr fcd rtl rtl_tcp plutosdr miri hackrf bladerf rfspace airspy airspyhf soapy redpitaya


FATAL: Failed to open Airspy HF+ device (-1)


Trying to fill up 1 missing channel(s) with null source(s).

This is being done to prevent the application from crashing

due to gnuradio bug #528.


********************

********************

No change in output device:

old:

new:


Failed to set RX input rate to 768000

Your device may not be working properly.


IQ DCR samp_rate: 768000

IQ DCR alpha: 1.30208e-06

Changing NB_RX quad rate: 96000 -> 768000

Requested sample rate: 768000

Actual sample rate : "768000.000000"

New FFT rate: 25 Hz

Requested bandwidth: 0 Hz

Actual bandwidth : 0 Hz

setFreqCorr : 0 ppm

New LNB LO: 0 Hz

updateHWFrequencyRange failed fetching new hardware frequency range

New mode index: 6

Filter preset for mode 6 LO: -2800 HI: -100

Generating taps for new filter LO:-2800 HI:-100 TW:540 Taps: 429

setFftRate to "25 fps"

New FFT rate: 25 Hz

New FFT rate: 25 Hz

setFftSize to "8192"

New FFT rate: 25 Hz

Generating taps for new filter LO:-2800 HI:-100 TW:540 Taps: 429



Well that is about all the info I can give you from a very basic Linux user.


I hope it makes some sense and it would be so great to get it all to work again.



Thanks


Mike

Robin Gape

unread,
Apr 12, 2018, 3:07:38 PM4/12/18
to gq...@googlegroups.com

Mike,

1) one feels your pain, as a number of other list members will;

2) the suspicion is that you are having USB problems. A deep root cause analysis goes back to cheapskate USB implementations on-chip, even though one presumes the implementors should have been able to read the specifications (buggy chips affect, in general, all OSes);

3) turning to practical stuff, it looks as if the Airspy (HF or R2) is not being recognised as a USB peripheral, and there may also be a problem with the configuration file. Having faced similar problems in the past, a two step fault-finding is indicated:

    a) to make sure that a plugged-in Airspy has been recognised

    b) to reset the config file

4) Linux should recognise a USB peripheral when it is plugged in, or when it is plugged out. There are associated messages sent to the kernel log, available via the dmesg command.

Bring up a terminal [Ctl-Alt-T, or via the menu], and issue a command:

dmesg | grep usb

Then search for the lines which relate to whichever Airspy is connected. If such lines are found, and look convincing, then USB is working correctly. If such lines are not found, then there is an interconnection problem. The causes could be: a bad cable, a dirty or broken connector, a motherboard problem. It is unlikely to be a Linux driver problem, since your PC is very, shall we say, mature.

If the Airspy is not found, then reboot the PC and see if it is found after the reboot. If not, try the AIrspy in a different USB socket. If the Airspy remains unfound,  then look for causes as listed above.

If the Airspy is still not present, try plugging in a different USB peripheral, such as a camera, a second keyboard, pretty much anything, and check that has, or has not, been found using the dmesg procedure noted above.

If the Airspy is not found, but some other peripheral can be, then the problem may be that the Airspy draws more current than the USB port can supply. Beware: unpowered USB hubs are not suitable for this class of peripheral. A host port for USB 2 should be able to source 500mA at 5V. In the past some USB ports could not provide this much current (no-one will ever need more than 300mA syndrome).

5) When there are problems with the GQRX configuration file, there are two possible solutions:

    a) simply delete the file ~/.config/gqrx/default.conf, and then restart GQRX [~ is the home directory],

    b) start GQRX from the command line with a parameter:

gqrx -r

That resets the default configuration file to the built-in defaults, and throws up the input selector dialog(ue) box. The options include a number of network options, plus whatever USB connected peripherals have been recognised.

6) If you are still having no success, then there may be OS problems. If stages 4) and 5) still result in no success, you may wish to consider re-installing the OS. [As a newcomer, or old-timer, it may still be quicker than trying to sort out half, or not-at-all, understood configuration files.] Thankfully, the days of installing from 30 floppy disks are long since passed.

With an OS installed, and even if you don't re-install, adding synaptic for package management is strongly recommended.

HTH, Good luck,

Robin, G8DQX

Mike Roth

unread,
Apr 12, 2018, 7:03:21 PM4/12/18
to gq...@googlegroups.com
Thanks Robin for comprehensive answer. Just on my phone now and unable to go into detail. Could be usb problem, am on powered hub. What will I see as airspy, fti232 chip or something more descriptive? Will have better look at it tomorrow. Thanks Mike

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Gqrx SDR" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to gqrx+uns...@googlegroups.com.
To post to this group, send email to gq...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/gqrx/9c60a49d-ab33-8a19-61e3-b9f840b74711%40googlemail.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

Alexandru Csete

unread,
Apr 12, 2018, 7:29:17 PM4/12/18
to gq...@googlegroups.com
These are the messages I get when I plug in my Airspy HF+:

Apr 13 01:23:06 atlantis kernel: usb 6-1.1: new high-speed USB device number 15 using xhci_hcd
Apr 13 01:23:06 atlantis kernel: usb 6-1.1: New USB device found, idVendor=03eb, idProduct=800c
Apr 13 01:23:06 atlantis kernel: usb 6-1.1: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3
Apr 13 01:23:06 atlantis kernel: usb 6-1.1: Product: AIRSPY HF+
Apr 13 01:23:06 atlantis kernel: usb 6-1.1: Manufacturer: www.airspy.com
Apr 13 01:23:06 atlantis kernel: usb 6-1.1: SerialNumber: AIRSPYHF SN:C8528E80BE343F4A

And these are the messages for the Airspy R2:

Apr 13 01:27:43 atlantis kernel: usb 6-1.1: new high-speed USB device number 16 using xhci_hcd
Apr 13 01:27:43 atlantis kernel: usb 6-1.1: New USB device found, idVendor=1d50, idProduct=60a1
Apr 13 01:27:43 atlantis kernel: usb 6-1.1: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3
Apr 13 01:27:43 atlantis kernel: usb 6-1.1: Product: AIRSPY
Apr 13 01:27:43 atlantis kernel: usb 6-1.1: Manufacturer: www.airspy.com
Apr 13 01:27:43 atlantis kernel: usb 6-1.1: SerialNumber: AIRSPY SN:16C463C83245A6C7
Apr 13 01:27:43 atlantis kernel: airspy 6-1.1:1.0: Board ID: 00
Apr 13 01:27:43 atlantis kernel: airspy 6-1.1:1.0: Firmware version: AirSpy NOS v1.0.0-rc10-0-g946184a 2016-09-19
Apr 13 01:27:43 atlantis kernel: airspy 6-1.1:1.0: Registered as swradio0
Apr 13 01:27:43 atlantis kernel: airspy 6-1.1:1.0: SDR API is still slightly experimental and functionality changes may follow
Apr 13 01:27:43 atlantis mtp-probe[10626]: checking bus 6, device 16: "/sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:10.0/usb6/6-1/6-1.1"
Apr 13 01:27:43 atlantis mtp-probe[10626]: bus: 6, device: 16 was not an MTP device


As an alternative to dmesg, you can also use "sudo journalctl -f" to have a continuously updating log viewer.

Alex



To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to gqrx+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.

To post to this group, send email to gq...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/gqrx/9c60a49d-ab33-8a19-61e3-b9f840b74711%40googlemail.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Gqrx SDR" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to gqrx+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.

To post to this group, send email to gq...@googlegroups.com.

Mike Roth

unread,
Apr 13, 2018, 2:30:22 AM4/13/18
to gq...@googlegroups.com
Thanks a lot Alex, will hopefully have some time over the weekend to investigate further. M

To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to gqrx+uns...@googlegroups.com.

To post to this group, send email to gq...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/gqrx/9c60a49d-ab33-8a19-61e3-b9f840b74711%40googlemail.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Gqrx SDR" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to gqrx+uns...@googlegroups.com.

To post to this group, send email to gq...@googlegroups.com.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Gqrx SDR" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to gqrx+uns...@googlegroups.com.

To post to this group, send email to gq...@googlegroups.com.

Mike Roth

unread,
Apr 14, 2018, 2:00:54 PM4/14/18
to Gqrx SDR
All,

It appears to be a USB problem. In fact very few of the USB ports work in Linux after the crash and I get all sorts of "can't enumerate messages" on boot up.

I had the Airspy HF+ recognised as in your list shown once when I moved it to a known good port. But they seem to change depending on boot up.
It seems to be a common problem without a common solution.
I have tried all sorts of things to no avail.
It will absolutely NEVER recognise the Airspy R2 EVER, even when I plug it in alone, it sees it but it can't get data from it. Never ever had it working.
As can be seen it finds nothing, now, the device hanging on an external hub device 2?
Have removed all unnecessary USB clutter but it made no difference.

here dmesg print: (KBD, Mouse and a externally powered hub with airspy connected that it doesn't even seem to reconise at all now.
When I plug airspy into a currently working port I SOMETIMES get it to work with gqrx.

qwerty@qwerty-OptiPlex-755 ~ $ dmesg | grep usb
[    0.412666] usbcore: registered new interface driver usbfs
[    0.412666] usbcore: registered new interface driver hub
[    0.412666] usbcore: registered new device driver usb
[    1.084064] usb usb1: New USB device found, idVendor=1d6b, idProduct=0002
[    1.084066] usb usb1: New USB device strings: Mfr=3, Product=2, SerialNumber=1
[    1.084068] usb usb1: Product: EHCI Host Controller
[    1.084070] usb usb1: Manufacturer: Linux 3.19.0-32-generic ehci_hcd
[    1.084072] usb usb1: SerialNumber: 0000:00:1a.7
[    1.100060] usb usb2: New USB device found, idVendor=1d6b, idProduct=0002
[    1.100062] usb usb2: New USB device strings: Mfr=3, Product=2, SerialNumber=1
[    1.100064] usb usb2: Product: EHCI Host Controller
[    1.100066] usb usb2: Manufacturer: Linux 3.19.0-32-generic ehci_hcd
[    1.100068] usb usb2: SerialNumber: 0000:00:1d.7
[    1.100859] usb usb3: New USB device found, idVendor=1d6b, idProduct=0001
[    1.100862] usb usb3: New USB device strings: Mfr=3, Product=2, SerialNumber=1
[    1.100864] usb usb3: Product: UHCI Host Controller
[    1.100866] usb usb3: Manufacturer: Linux 3.19.0-32-generic uhci_hcd
[    1.100868] usb usb3: SerialNumber: 0000:00:1a.0
[    1.101525] usb usb4: New USB device found, idVendor=1d6b, idProduct=0001
[    1.101527] usb usb4: New USB device strings: Mfr=3, Product=2, SerialNumber=1
[    1.101529] usb usb4: Product: UHCI Host Controller
[    1.101531] usb usb4: Manufacturer: Linux 3.19.0-32-generic uhci_hcd
[    1.101533] usb usb4: SerialNumber: 0000:00:1a.1
[    1.102180] usb usb5: New USB device found, idVendor=1d6b, idProduct=0001
[    1.102182] usb usb5: New USB device strings: Mfr=3, Product=2, SerialNumber=1
[    1.102184] usb usb5: Product: UHCI Host Controller
[    1.102186] usb usb5: Manufacturer: Linux 3.19.0-32-generic uhci_hcd
[    1.102188] usb usb5: SerialNumber: 0000:00:1d.0
[    1.102832] usb usb6: New USB device found, idVendor=1d6b, idProduct=0001
[    1.102835] usb usb6: New USB device strings: Mfr=3, Product=2, SerialNumber=1
[    1.102837] usb usb6: Product: UHCI Host Controller
[    1.102839] usb usb6: Manufacturer: Linux 3.19.0-32-generic uhci_hcd
[    1.102840] usb usb6: SerialNumber: 0000:00:1d.1
[    1.103484] usb usb7: New USB device found, idVendor=1d6b, idProduct=0001
[    1.103486] usb usb7: New USB device strings: Mfr=3, Product=2, SerialNumber=1
[    1.103488] usb usb7: Product: UHCI Host Controller
[    1.103490] usb usb7: Manufacturer: Linux 3.19.0-32-generic uhci_hcd
[    1.103492] usb usb7: SerialNumber: 0000:00:1d.2
[    1.452023] usb 1-4: new high-speed USB device number 3 using ehci-pci
[    1.540569] usb 3-2: new low-speed USB device number 2 using uhci_hcd
[    1.591696] usb 1-4: New USB device found, idVendor=0930, idProduct=6545
[    1.591699] usb 1-4: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3
[    1.591701] usb 1-4: Product: USB Flash Memory
[    1.591703] usb 1-4: Manufacturer:        
[    1.591705] usb 1-4: SerialNumber: 001372982A8EB920B61500F7
[    1.596018] usb 6-2: new full-speed USB device number 2 using uhci_hcd
[    1.716024] usb 6-2: device descriptor read/64, error -71
[    1.727300] usb-storage 1-4:1.0: USB Mass Storage device detected
[    1.727385] scsi host2: usb-storage 1-4:1.0
[    1.727476] usbcore: registered new interface driver usb-storage
[    1.731158] usb 3-2: New USB device found, idVendor=046a, idProduct=0023
[    1.731160] usb 3-2: New USB device strings: Mfr=0, Product=0, SerialNumber=0
[    1.731613] usbcore: registered new interface driver uas
[    1.800058] usb 7-2: new low-speed USB device number 2 using uhci_hcd
[    1.809093] usbcore: registered new interface driver usbhid
[    1.809095] usbhid: USB HID core driver
[    1.813235] input: HID 046a:0023 as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1a.0/usb3/3-2/3-2:1.0/0003:046A:0023.0001/input/input5
[    1.868144] cherry 0003:046A:0023.0001: input,hidraw0: USB HID v1.11 Keyboard [HID 046a:0023] on usb-0000:00:1a.0-2/input0
[    1.879249] input: HID 046a:0023 as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1a.0/usb3/3-2/3-2:1.1/0003:046A:0023.0002/input/input6
[    1.932147] cherry 0003:046A:0023.0002: input,hidraw1: USB HID v1.11 Device [HID 046a:0023] on usb-0000:00:1a.0-2/input1
[    1.948044] usb 6-2: device descriptor read/64, error -71
[    1.973984] usb 7-2: New USB device found, idVendor=046d, idProduct=c00c
[    1.973988] usb 7-2: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=0
[    1.973991] usb 7-2: Product: USB Mouse
[    1.973994] usb 7-2: Manufacturer: Logitech
[    1.997206] input: Logitech USB Mouse as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.2/usb7/7-2/7-2:1.0/0003:046D:C00C.0003/input/input7
[    1.997333] hid-generic 0003:046D:C00C.0003: input,hidraw2: USB HID v1.10 Mouse [Logitech USB Mouse] on usb-0000:00:1d.2-2/input0
[    2.164032] usb 6-2: new full-speed USB device number 3 using uhci_hcd
[    2.288033] usb 6-2: device descriptor read/64, error -71
[    2.512025] usb 6-2: device descriptor read/64, error -71
[    2.728068] usb 6-2: new full-speed USB device number 4 using uhci_hcd
[    3.140019] usb 6-2: device not accepting address 4, error -71
[    3.456019] usb 6-2: new full-speed USB device number 5 using uhci_hcd
[    3.864062] usb 6-2: device not accepting address 5, error -71
[    3.864116] usb usb6-port2: unable to enumerate USB device
[  211.251177] usb 1-4: USB disconnect, device number 3
[  225.456013] usb 1-4: new high-speed USB device number 4 using ehci-pci
[  225.588863] usb 1-4: New USB device found, idVendor=0781, idProduct=557d
[  225.588868] usb 1-4: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3
[  225.588871] usb 1-4: Product: Cruzer Force
[  225.588874] usb 1-4: Manufacturer: SanDisk
[  225.588876] usb 1-4: SerialNumber: 4C530007831113106275
[  225.589152] usb-storage 1-4:1.0: USB Mass Storage device detected
[  225.589837] scsi host9: usb-storage 1-4:1.0

lsus:
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 007 Device 002: ID 046d:c00c Logitech, Inc. Optical Wheel Mouse
Bus 007 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 006 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 005 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 001 Device 004: ID 0781:557d SanDisk Corp.
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 003 Device 002: ID 046a:0023 Cherry GmbH CyMotion Master Linux Keyboard G230
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub

People have recommended to upgrade the BIOS which I have just done but it has changed absolutely nothing.

So I need to look elsewhere for other possibilities but I really am a LINUX newbie...


Thanks for all your inputs so far!

Mike
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to gqrx+uns...@googlegroups.com.

To post to this group, send email to gq...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/gqrx/9c60a49d-ab33-8a19-61e3-b9f840b74711%40googlemail.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Gqrx SDR" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to gqrx+uns...@googlegroups.com.

To post to this group, send email to gq...@googlegroups.com.

Alexandru Csete

unread,
Apr 14, 2018, 2:14:11 PM4/14/18
to gq...@googlegroups.com
Are sure your USB ports are working?

Alex

Mike Roth

unread,
Apr 14, 2018, 2:48:18 PM4/14/18
to Gqrx SDR
Yes, some definitely are, otherwise mouse and kbd would not work.


Mike
Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages