Lunux noob / Funcube Dongle question

[Ray Hodgkiss / N9YNG]

Hi,

I recently installed Ubuntu 16.04 on a ThinkPad T420.  I've had a FunCube Dongle Pro+ for awhile now, works great on my windows machine.

I can see the FunCube Dongle as an analog input device in sound, and I can see the input level moving around, so I think that's working.  I'm suspecting it's a noob issue I'm having with the OS itself.

Tried installing gqrx per the instructions on the website, but no joy when I run it.  I'm launching it from a terminal window, and this is what I'm getting:

Using FUNcube Dongle V2.0 (hw:1)
gr::log :INFO: audio source - Audio source arch: alsa
gr::log :ERROR: audio_alsa_source0 - [hw:1]: Device or resource busy
Could not open device: hw:1
gr::log :INFO: audio source - Audio source arch: alsa
gr::log :ERROR: audio_alsa_source0 - [plughw:1,0]: Device or resource busy

FATAL: audio_alsa_source

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 192000
Your device may not be working properly.
....

What do you think?  Sorry for the n00by question.

-Ray

[Alexandru Csete]

Hi Ray,

The error says:

> gr::log :ERROR: audio_alsa_source0 - [plughw:1,0]: Device or resource busy

so, something is blocking access to the Funcube Dongle. Perhaps
because you have opened the sound settings window, I don't know.
Try unplugging the dongle then plug it in again, then run gqrx.

Alex

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[Ray Hodgkiss / N9YNG]

Thanks, Alex.  I did that.  This is what I'm seeing now:

ray@ThinkPad:~$ gqrx
linux; GNU C++ version 5.4.0 20160609; Boost_105800; UHD_003.010.000.000-release

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 uhd miri hackrf bladerf rfspace airspy soapy redpitaya
FM demod gain: 1.52789
IQ DCR alpha: 1.04166e-05
Using audio backend: auto
BookmarksFile is /home/ray/.config/gqrx/bookmarks.csv
getDeviceList : Available input devices:
    0 : "FUNcube Dongle V2.0"
    1 : "RFSPACE SDR-IQ Receiver"
    2 : "RFSPACE SDR-IP Receiver"
    3 : "RFSPACE NetSDR Receiver"
    4 : "RFSPACE Cloud-IQ Receiver"
    5 : "RTL-SDR Spectrum Server"
    6 : "Red Pitaya Transceiver Server"
    7 : "Complex Sampled (IQ) File"
Loading configuration from: "default.conf"
Configuration file: "/home/ray/.config/gqrx/default.conf"
Crash guard triggered!

Launching I/O device editor
firstTimeConfig
CIoConfig : Available output devices:
    0 : "Built-in Audio Analog Stereo"
saveConfig
Output device 1 : "alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1b.0.analog-stereo"
Loading configuration from: "/home/ray/.config/gqrx/default.conf"
Configuration file: "/home/ray/.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 uhd miri hackrf bladerf rfspace airspy soapy redpitaya

Using FUNcube Dongle V2.0 (hw:1)
gr::log :INFO: audio source - Audio source arch: alsa

Opened: hw:1
Dongle sucessfully initialized
Result of Action :+++++
FCDAPP 20.03
 Lna gain enabled
 Mixer gain enabled
If gain set to: 15
IQ DCR samp_rate: 192000
IQ DCR alpha: 5.20831e-06
Changing NB_RX quad rate: 96000 -> 192000
New antenna selected: "RX"
********************
Gain name: "LNA"
      min: 0
      max: 1
     step: 1
Gain name: "MIX"
      min: 0
      max: 1
     step: 1
Gain name: "BB"
      min: 0
      max: 59
     step: 1
********************
New audio output device:
   old:
   new: alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1b.0.analog-stereo
IQ DCR samp_rate: 192000
IQ DCR alpha: 5.20831e-06
Requested sample rate: 192000
Actual sample rate   : "192000.000000"
New FFT rate: 25 Hz
Requested bandwidth: 0 Hz
Actual bandwidth   : 0 Hz
setFreqCorr : 0 ppm
New LNB LO: 0 Hz
Set Frequency to: 1.445e+08 Hz, corrected to: 144500000 Hz
If gain set to: 15
 Lna gain enabled
 Mixer gain enabled
If gain set to: 15
 Lna gain enabled
 Mixer gain enabled
New mode index: 5
FM demod gain: 0.509296
Filter preset for mode 5 LO: -80000 HI: 80000
Genrating taps for new filter   LO:-80000   HI:80000 TW:32000   Taps: 19
setFftRate to "25 fps"
New FFT rate: 25 Hz
New FFT rate: 25 Hz
setFftSize to "8192"
New FFT rate: 25 Hz
Set Frequency to: 1.01119e+08 Hz, corrected to: 101119000 Hz

SOMEWHERE AROUND HERE, I START THE DSP

aONew FFT rate: 25 Hz
New FFT rate: 25 Hz
aONo audio FFT data.
aONo audio FFT data.
aONo audio FFT data.
aONo audio FFT data.
aOaONo audio FFT data.
aONo audio FFT data.
aONo audio FFT data.
aONo audio FFT data.
aONo audio FFT data.
aOaONo audio FFT data.
aONo audio FFT data.
aONo audio FFT data.
aONo audio FFT data.
aONo audio FFT data.
aOaONo audio FFT data.
aONo audio FFT data.
aONo audio FFT data.
aONo audio FFT data.
aONo audio FFT data.
aOaONo audio FFT data.
aONo audio FFT data.
aONo audio FFT data.
aONo audio FFT data.
aONo audio FFT data.
aOaONo audio FFT data.
aONo audio FFT data.
aONo audio FFT data.
aONo audio FFT data.
aONo audio FFT data.
aONo audio FFT data.
aOaONo audio FFT data.
aONo audio FFT data.
aONo audio FFT data.
aONo audio FFT data.
aONo audio FFT data.
aOaONo audio FFT data.
aONo audio FFT data.
aONo audio FFT data.
aONo audio FFT data.
aONo audio FFT data.
aOaONo audio FFT data.
aONo audio FFT data.
aONo audio FFT data.
aONo audio FFT data.

I STOP THE DSP HERE, AND THIS IS WHAT I SEE

aOaOaOaOaOaOaOaOaOaOaOaOaOaOaOaOaOaOaOaOaOaOaOaOaOaOaOaOaOaOaOaOaOaOaOaOaOaOaOaOaOaO.......

[Alexandru Csete]

There is a known issue with Funcube Dongle devices on Linux on some hardware:
https://github.com/csete/gqrx/issues/91

Maybe you are one of the unlucky ones. You could try a different USB
port on the computer.

Alex



On Wed, Oct 19, 2016 at 1:06 AM, Ray Hodgkiss / N9YNG

> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/gqrx/9a2d8a58-a23f-4d79-859e-5a877a9b7f25%40googlegroups.com.

[Ray Hodgkiss / N9YNG]

Alex,

Maybe I'm one of the unlucky ones.  That is what I am seeing.

Thanks for your help.

73,  Ray

[Alexandru Csete]

Hi Ray,

You could try a Raspberry Pi 3 if you have one:
http://gqrx.dk/download/gqrx-sdr-for-the-raspberry-pi

The Funcube Dongle Pro+ works quite all right there.

Alex

[Robin Gape]

Ray,

on a certain laptop of mine (running Ubuntu 14.04, but the issue is probably version independent), the FCDPP (Funcube Dongle Pro Plus) works fine on the 2 USB3.0 ports. However, when it is plugged in to the single USB2 port, it isn't correctly recognised.

The suspicion is that the PC's specific USB hardware is to blame for this bad behaviour or, alternatively, the kernel driver software. Other people have reported good results, in similar circumstances, when connecting an FCDPP via an external powered USB Hub.

Good luck,

Robin, G8DQX