arm64 builds

[Josh Logan]

I'm working on a Raspberry Pi 3 install for a portable setup, and I picked Ubuntu 20.04 arm64.  It looks like you are still building against the 32-bit release.

Which install are you using so I can try to have mine match?

Thanks and 73, KD7HGL

Josh

[ahop...@googlemail.com]

Hi Josh,

the 32bit builds should work on 64bit arm, I'm using Raspbian from about a year ago on pi2 & pi4, I recently got a pi3 but have not tried it, hopefully over the holidays I'll give it ago and maybe try a 64 bit build.

73 Alan M0NNB

[Josh Logan]

Hi.  I'm using the 32-bit build of SparkSDR 2.0.3.5 on a Raspberry Pi 4 and I'm not able to get audio to move between SparkSDR and WSJT-X.

I see Loopback: PCM (hw:0,0) and Loopback: PCM (hw:0,1) in SparkSDR.  I can then pick plughw:CARD=Loopback,DEV=0 and plughw:CARD=Loopback,DEV=0 in WSJT-X.

I see a weird waterfall in WSJT-X, but did manage to get a few decodes:

If I change from SparkSDR to pihpsdr I don't see this problem.  Quisk has a lot of relay clicks.  Does anyone have a working setup on a Raspberry pi?

I wish more programs used the UDP source/sink like DireWolf and SDRangel.  https://gqrx.dk/doc/streaming-audio-over-udp

Please let me know if you have any suggestions.

Thanks and 73, KD7HGL

Josh

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[Josh Logan]

I should add, decreasing the DigiU volume does not change the WSJT-X waterfall, and tune/tx in WSJT-X keys the HL2, but there is no tone and the power out is 0.

73, KD7HGL

[ahop...@googlemail.com]

Hi Josh,

sorry for my slow reply, I'm just not expert enough on linux audio to give you a quick answer, maybe one of the linux gurus will have some idea. I've just got some extra sd cards to simplify testing 32 and 64 bit arm on pi3 and pi4, I'll play with the audio at the same time.

73 Alan M0NNB

[ahop...@googlemail.com]

Hi all,

there is an experimental rpi arm64 build here http://www.ihopper.org/radio/download.aspx?file=SparkSDR.2.0.4-9.linux-arm64.deb

I've tested it on rpi4 and the raspiOS 64 beta from late last year. It also has the faster built in FT8 & FT4 decoders, just select decode level 0.

I've improved my .deb skills so hopefully all dependencies should sort themselves out, feedback on this would be very welcome (testing installs is very time consuming and boring). Setting the gl desktop is reccomended.

I finally did some testing on rpi3 (32 bit) and have not found a set of settings to make it work as well as it should, I don't think the gpu is being used by Avalonia, setting the gl desktop helps but not as much as it should.

73 Alan M0NNB

[J P Watters]

Alan,

HooooRahhh!!  

I have a Cluster of 5 Raspberry Pi4 8GB boards assembled into a cluster, just waiting for this.

https://www.picocluster.com/collections/pico-5/products/pico-5-raspberry-pi4-8gb

On the road to building a Coherent Capable Configuration, this sounds like the right stuff. 

In the end, it is having enough horsepower ( or is the Pi-Power) to fuel coherent operations. 

Is there a erratta sheet as to the features of 2.0.4.9?

Also being accumulated are the parts for a 600W amplifier, Switchable LPF,  N7DDC Antenna Tuner sized for more power and since it is destined for Coherent Operations, parts were ordered to build two high powered Coherent Channels. 

For more fun, I ordered another HL2 (the third one) to drive my VHF transverter to tinker with the local amateur radio club members. 

Some of them have been building other SDR rigs ( I tried to convert them to becoming HL2 users ) , so there is alot of fun to be had.

Since I am not working tomorrow, I know what I will be doing. 

..jpw J P Watters

KC9KKO

Morris, IL USA

[J P Watters]

What version of WSJT-X should I run on the Raspberry PI to work with the new experimental rpi arm64 build ie http://www.ihopper.org/radio/download.aspx?file=SparkSDR.2.0.4-9.linux-arm64.deb

Should I install the Raspberry Pi OS (Buster), ARMv6, ... :   wsjtx_2.3.0-rc4_armhf.deb

..jpw J P Watters

KC9KKO

Morris, IL USA

On Tuesday, January 26, 2021 at 7:22:31 AM UTC-6 ahop...@googlemail.com wrote:

[Kristofer Danner]

JP, looks like you've found an error in the packaging, I get this output:

dpkg -I SparkSDR.2.0.4-9.linux-arm64.deb

 new Debian package, version 2.0.

 size 23582716 bytes: control archive=835 bytes.

     551 bytes,     9 lines      control

     880 bytes,    12 lines      md5sums

 Package: SparkSDR

 Architecture: arm64

 Depends: libc6, libgcc1, libgssapi-krb5-2, libstdc++6, zlib1g, libssl1.1 | libssl1.0.2 | libssl1.0.1 | libssl1.0.0 | libssl0.9.8, libic70 | libicu69 |libicu68 | libicu67 |libicu66 | libicu65 | libicu64 | libicu63 | libicu62 | libicu61 | libicu60 | libicu59 | libicu58 | libicu57 | libicu56 | libicu55 | libicu54 | libicu53 | libicu52, libportaudio2

 Description: SparkSDR multi radio, multi receiver software defined radio.

 Installed-Size: 89820

 Maintainer: SparkSDR

 Priority: extra

 Section: misc

 Version: 2.0.4-9

The .deb should have a dependency on the correct wsjt-x version so that tools like apt can auto install the neeeded dependencies, but in this case it doesn't have wsjtx listed as a dependency at all, and we know it won't work without it.

KD

[ahop...@googlemail.com]

Hi KD,

that is an interesting point. I don't think It should be in the deb as there are many uses for Spark without wsjtx being installed (especially with the new decoders) but I shall give it some thought. I notice I have a typo in  libic70  so thanks for that .

73 Alan M0NNB

[J P Watters]

Alan and All others,

Had the WSPR and FT8 Spot reporting off for a couple days. 

I was able to get the Pico 5 Cluster of 5 Raspberry Pi4 8GB running Raspian, loaded Teamviewer for Remote Control, Audacity (for portaudio), SparkSDR 2.0.3.5 ARM version, WSJT-X 2.3.0-RC4 that is connected to a pair of Hermes Lite 2.0 transceivers with the RF3 port jumpered together for receive. One HL2 is running 10 (384K) Receiver Gateware Receive only and a second HL2 is running the Current 4 Receiver/1Transmitter Gateware.  

Noticed that the footprint is globally smaller. But it has been getting smaller each day for weeks. I have not seen the Antarctica Stations for over a month.

But it is back running, and powered by the Cluster.

..jpw J P Watters

KC9KKO

Morris, IL USA

On Wed, Jan 27, 2021 at 8:26 AM Alan Hopper <al...@samsararesearch.com> wrote:

Hi jpw,

if you are using the standard rpi os it is armhf(32bit) so for now you need the spark version from the preview page. I'll release a new armhf version of spark shortly.

73 Alan M0NNB

On Wed, Jan 27, 2021 at 2:20 PM J P Watters <jpwa...@gmail.com> wrote:

Alan,

I was able to get WSTJ-X installed on the cluster. 

Sadly, the file does not match my architecture. 

Is there a different installation that for "armhf" ?

 picocluster@pc0:~/installSparkSDR $ sudo dpkg -i SparkSDR.2.0.4-9.linux-arm64.deb 

dpkg: error processing archive SparkSDR.2.0.4-9.linux-arm64.deb (--install):

 package architecture (arm64) does not match system (armhf)

Errors were encountered while processing:

 SparkSDR.2.0.4-9.linux-arm64.deb

picocluster@pc0:~/installSparkSDR $

..jpw J P Watters

KC9KKO

Morris, IL USA

On Wed, Jan 27, 2021 at 3:14 AM Alan Hopper <al...@samsararesearch.com> wrote:

Hi jpw,

Good question, I have not tried installing wsjtx on 64bit rpios, my belief is that the armhf version you pointed to should work. The 64 bit build was really an experiment to see if there were performance advantages (I think it is just a little bit faster). I'll release a 32 bit version very soon.

This version does have a first cut at the client server stuff that might work for you cluster, it is very untested as I got distracted by the built in ft4&8 decoders, the help lists the other changes.

73 Alan M0NNB

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sparksdr/4fa355f0-e15d-4059-8696-2c04e1436b93n%40googlegroups.com.

[Kristofer Danner]

Alan, in that type of situation, normal practice would be to put wsjtx in either the Reccomends or Suggests field when creating the .deb. From man deb-control:

       Recommends: package-list

           Lists packages that would be found together with this one in all

           but unusual installations. The package maintenance software will

           warn the user if they install a package without those listed in its

           Recommends field.

       Suggests: package-list

           Lists packages that are related to this one and can perhaps enhance

           its usefulness, but without which installing this package is

           perfectly reasonable.

KD

[ahop...@googlemail.com]

Hi KD,

thanks for that, it looks like a good option. I'm currently using this tool https://github.com/qmfrederik/dotnet-packaging to package .deb but it has stopped working on armhf which has wasted many hours trying to fix it so I might look at using the native tools.  I shall explore further once I've got the armhf build working again.

73 Alan M0NNB

[J P Watters]

Steve and Alan,

Powered down the Cluster and HL2's.

I did not see the results that I expected. After investigating, I noticed that HL2-(A) was not seeing the RX levels that I expected.

So time to take them apart and trouble shoot them. 

While simply installing the cluster to replace the computer should have been a easy task, something else changed. 

Now to find out what did over the next few days. 

The HL2-(A) is connected to HL2-(B) with RF3 jumpered between the two. The antenna is connected to RF1.

Each of the HL2's has a prototype board that brings out the PATRRX to RF3 from J1. 

So reviewing the connections and checking the basics. 

After getting the RF RX back to normal, there is so much software updates to be done.

Need to install QUISK on the Raspberry Pi4 Raspian Environment. I think that  installing Python 3 and then Quisk. 

Further need to see what other software such as OPENHPSDR and Thetis can run on a Raspberry Pi4 environment. 

And maybe there will be a updated version of SparkSDR to run. 

Are there tools of some kind to show the performance of the RPi4 Cluster, just to gauge the performance improvements?

Soon to arrive is the third HL2, then I can reconfigure HL2-(A)/HL2-(B) to a master/slave coherent relationship.

And then use the third HL2, ie HL2-(C) to support the VHF (144mhz) transverter, skimming and other configurations, leaving HL2-(A)/HL2-(B) to stay in the master/slave mode.

Again Thanks to all for your contributions to the hobby and assistance in tinkering.

..jpw J P Watters

KC9KKO

Morris, IL USA