using GQRX + sdrplay_rsp1 on Debian

[Robert Lainé]

Hi,

I am trying to use GQRX with a SDRplay model RSP1, but it crashes GQRX.
I installed SDRplay_RSP_MiricsAPI-Linux-1.97.1.run but I seem to miss
something else or what?

Has anybody a solution to offer?

--
Regards / Amitiés
Robert LAINE
http://www.sailcut.com Free sails design open software
------

[David Ranch]

You didn't mention which version of Debian or version of Gqrx you're trying to run.  Those are important details that this list needs to be able to help you.  Anyway, I would recommend to read and follow this doc to test out the SDRPlay using the included tools before you then try to run Gqrx:
  

 http://www.sdrplay.com/docs/Mirics_SDR_API_Linux_install_technote_r2p0.pdf

--David
KI6ZHD

[Robin Gape]

Robert,

if you are running Ubuntu, then Mirics support, but not necessarily full SDRPlay support, should probably come automatically, as part of the libmirisdr0 library.  When GNU Radio is installed, then libgnuradio-osmosdr0.1.4 should call in libmirisdr0 as a dependency.

You haven't given any specific detail of the system that you're running, but AFAIK installing from the PPAs noted for Ubuntu might bring in the support. Using the PyBombs script could be expected to bring in the support without needing any other library, however the Osmocom GNU Radio block contains the note:

SDRplay Source

The sdrplay source uses a precompiled (closed source) library available from ​http://www.sdrplay.com/api_drivers.html to interface with the hardware. To enable this nonfree driver you have to call cmake with the additional parameter -DENABLE_NONFREE=TRUE

sdrplay

Use this argument without a value

which seems to indicate that you will need to compile in specific support. Note that the recent change of SDRPlay API is likely to require a recompile, as explicitly noted at http://gqrx.dk/supported-hardware#sdrplay.

Note: I do not have your hardware, so cannot confirm this.

You may find that it is necessary to compile everything—GNU Radio & GQRX—from source, even if using Ubuntu.

Robin, G8DQX

[Alexandru Csete]

On Wed, Nov 23, 2016 at 5:59 PM, Robert Lainé <robert...@sailcut.com> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I am trying to use GQRX with a SDRplay model RSP1, but it crashes GQRX. I
> installed SDRplay_RSP_MiricsAPI-Linux-1.97.1.run but I seem to miss
> something else or what?
>
> Has anybody a solution to offer?
>

No binary distribution of gqrx supports SDRPlay and installing
SDRplay_RSP_MiricsAPI-Linux-1.97.1.run is not enough.

SDRPlay is problematic because of the binary only driver and the
complexity of gqrx/gnuradio/... setup. We can not bundle the driver
with the binary packages, so technically you have to build the whole
driver wrapper stack after you have installed
SDRplay_RSP_MiricsAPI-Linux-1.97.1.run

The only solution that I know of and that gives a working setup with
the SDRPlay is:

1. Build SoapySDR https://github.com/pothosware/SoapySDR
2 .Build gr-osmosdr with SoapySDR support
3. Build gqrx
4. Install the SDRPlay driver lib SDRplay_RSP_MiricsAPI-Linux-1.97.1.run
5. Build SoapySDRPlay https://github.com/pothosware/SoapySDRPlay

This will give access to the device through an extra layer of driver
lib wrapper, namely SoapySDR:

SDRplay -> SoapySDRPlay -> SoapySDR -> gr-osmosdr -> gqrx

In gqrx the device string would be something like:

soapy=0,driver=sdrplay

The different API versions available add one more dimension to the
complexity of this setup...


On Ubuntu, things are little bit simpler because the gr-osmosdr
package from out PPA already has SoapySDR support enabled, and so you
can start with point number 4 above.

Alex

[Alexandru Csete]

On Wed, Nov 23, 2016 at 7:52 PM, 'Robin Gape' via Gqrx SDR
<gq...@googlegroups.com> wrote:
>
> if you are running Ubuntu, then Mirics support, but not necessarily full SDRPlay support, should probably come automatically, as part of the libmirisdr0 library. When GNU Radio is installed, then libgnuradio-osmosdr0.1.4 should call in libmirisdr0 as a dependency.

Unfortunately, I don't think this library works with the SDRPlay at all.

Alex

[David Ranch]

Hello Robert,

which seems to indicate that you will need to compile in specific support. Note that the recent change of SDRPlay API is likely to require a recompile, as explicitly noted at http://gqrx.dk/supported-hardware#sdrplay.

It might be worth mentioning that the source code for the Mirics API is not available as it's closed sourced.  I tried once to get the source code to get my SDR-Play (since returned) running on Centos6.  The SDR-Play people were more than timely and friendly in the email exchange but they a) couldn't release the Mirics source code due to the license and b) considered but later decided NOT to release binaries for Centos as they felt there was minimal benefit for them.  I understood their decision and as such, returned the SDR-Play in favor of the 100% open source AirSpy,SDR.  There, I built everything from scratch and I've been a happy camper ever since.

--David
KI6ZHD