[Skimmertalk] CW Skimmer + RTTY Skimmer running simultaneously on Red Pitaya - Success!
Tom Berry
tberry1 at triad.rr.com
Sat Jul 1 11:40:41 EDT 2017
Thanks for the good information Bob.
Do you think the Red Pitaya is as sensitive as the QS1R?
73 Tom AA4VV
On 7/1/2017 1:40 AM, Bob Wilson, N6TV wrote:
> I finally succeeded in getting both CW and RTTY Skimmer to run
> simultaneously on a single Red Pitaya SDR. I hope someone else can confirm
> that the procedure below works for them too.
>
> Furthermore, I am able to view a live waterfall display *and* *listen *to
> any band being monitored by the same SDR at the same time, using the HDSDR
> software. And finally, I was able to configure the RBN Aggregator to
> launch both skimmers automatically and in the right sequence.
>
> Screen shot, here:
>
> http://www.kkn.net/~n6tv/N6TV_RedPitaya_CW_and_RTTY_Skimmer_and_HDSDR.PNG
>
> I'm not sure if the procedure for doing this on the Red Pitaya has been
> well-documented yet, so here's what to do. It's similar to the process for
> the QS1R, with some very important differences.
>
> Red Pitaya Hardware and SDR Setup:
>
> 1. The only Red Pitaya OS version that worked for me was the Customized
> SD Card Image linked below. Do not waste time trying any other versions,
> such as the one that comes pre-installed on the Red Pitaya micro SD
> card, even though it's newer, or the one on the Red Pitaya web site.
> 2. As discovered by K1TTT, use a single jumper to bypass the 1M ohm
> input impedance circuit. Connect pins 2 and 5 (the two middle pins)
> together (pictures in W2NAF's doc linked below)
> 3. I'm using a tiny 14:1 transformer supplied by Red Pitaya on the
> input. I'm so glad I found the Red Pitaya rep. at Dayton. I've asked
> him to let me know when this transformer will be available for anyone to
> order.
> 4. I found a 10 dB preamp to be helpful on the high bands with my
> antenna. Without it, I saw no change in noise floor when I disconnected
> the antenna on the high bands. It was very nice to watch the noise floor
> in HDSDR.
> 5. Configuration: VE3DO Loop Antenna -> DX Engineering Receiver Guard
> -> 10 dB Pre-Amp -> 14:1 transformer -> Red Pitaya Input 2.
> 6. I recommend a short BNC to SMA pigtail, rather than a BNC to SMA
> adapter, to reduce strain on the SMA connector.
>
> Quick Summary, for Windows (software links follow):
>
> 1. Copy *CWSL_Tee.dll* to the *SkimSrv* installation directory
> 2. Copy *CWSL_Tee.dll* to the *RttySkimServ* installation directory
> 3. Copy *HermesIntf.dll* to the *SkimSrv* installation directory
> 4. *Do NOT* (repeat, do NOT) copy *HermesIntf.dll* to the *RttySkimServ*
> directory, otherwise everything stops when you try to start RTTY Skimmer
> Server after CW Skimmer Server
> 5. Create a two-line file named *CWSL_Tee.cfg* containing only these two
> lines and nothing more:
>
> HermesIntf
> 64
>
> 6. Save *CWSL_Tee.cfg* in the *SkimSrv* directory
> 7. Copy *CWSL_Tee.cfg* to the *RTTYSkimServ* directory
> 8. Copy *CWSL_Tee.cfg *to the *RBN Aggregator* directory (a very
> important step)
> 9. Copy *ExtIO_CWSL.dll* to the HDSDR installation directory, nothing
> more
> 10. Just as for the QS1R, configure both *SkimSrv/SkimSrv.ini* and
> *RttySkimServ/RTTYSkimServ.ini* with identical values for the following
> lines:
> (mostly left blank below, for clarity):
> *DeviceName=01 CWSL_Tee on*
> FreqCalibration=1
> CenterFreqs48=
> CenterFreqs96=
> CenterFreqs192=
> SegmentSel48=
> SegmentSel96=
> SegmentSel192=
> Rate=1
> 11. In *SkimSrv.ini* use:
> [Telnet]
> Port=7300
> In *RTTYSkimServ.ini* use:
> [Telnet]
> Port=7301
> (value not critical, but the two skimmers must *not* be using the same
> TELNET port)
> 12. Manually *start CW Skimmer Server* *first*
> 13. If necessary, select the SDR named "*01 CWSL_Tee on ..."* and verify
> normal operation. The device name may show strange characters (ignore)
> 14. Manually *start RTTY Skimmer Server **second*
> 15. Verify that both skimmers are still running and show no errors or
> warning messages.
> If you get errors, note them and immediately terminate both skimmer
> programs.
> Look at the CWSL_Tee and HermesIntf log files written to both
> directories to help identify the problem
> 16. (optional) *Start HDSDR* and select *ExtIO_CWSL.dll* when prompted
> 17. In HDSDR, use only the small pull-down menu in the ExtIO pop-up
> dialog to change bands. You can listen to any band being monitored by
> the Skimmers. Do not change the LO frequency, only the TUNE frequency
> (just click on the spectrum or waterfall)
>
> Once the above is verified as operational, it's time to test the process
> via the RBN Aggregator.
>
> 1. Terminate HDSDR, RTTY Skimmer Server, and CW Skimmer Server, in that
> order
> 2. Launch the RBN Aggregator and quickly click on the *ini Files* tab
> and select *Stop Rotation*
> 3. Check the path and file names make sure you're launching *SkimSrv.exe*,
> and the same *SkimSrv.ini* file edited previously. View the file with
> the *Edit* button to verify.
> 4. On the *Secondary Skimmers* tab, last slot (#8), select IP address
> 127.0.0.1 port 7301 or whatever you used in* RttySkimServ.ini*
> 5. On the *RttySkimServ* tab, verify the full path to *RttySkimServ.exe*
> and *RttySkimServ.ini* - do not use any other file name here.
> 6. Check the box *Force RTTY Skimmer Server to follow CW Skimmer Server*
> 7. Go back to the *ini Files* tab and click the *NOW* button next to the
> proper *SkimSrv.ini* to launch both skimmers, in order.
> 8. Verify that both Skimmer Servers start up normally with no errors,
> and show one telnet connection each.
> 9. In the *Skimmer Traffic* tab of the Aggregator, you should see
> messages indicating telnet connections to both CW Skimmer and RTTY
> Skimmer
> 10. In the *Status* tab, there should be no errors
> 11. If you do have errors, look for HermesIntf and CWSL_Tee log files *in
> the Aggregator directory*. The most common problem is not having the
> correct *CWSL_Tee.cfg* file in the Aggregator directory.
>
> Here are useful links to all the required software files and extras, with
> proper credit to all the developers and enthusiasts who made it possible
> for simple folks like us to replace our failed QS1Rs with a Red Pitaya or
> two:
>
> - Creating a 6-Band RBN Receiver Using a Red Pitaya
> <http://hamsci.org/cw-reverse-beacon-network-how-guide> by W2NAF (start
> here for sure)
> - Customized Red Pitaya SD Card Image File
> <https://www.dropbox.com/sh/5fy49wae6xwxa8a/AAAP62ge2aAqpTxTP1of5zLga/sdr/ecosystem-0.95-1-6deb253-sdr-receiver-hpsdr.zip?dl=1>
> by Pavel Demin
> - CWSL_Tee.zip<https://github.com/HrochL/CWSL/blob/master/bin/CWSL.zip> by
> Petr Parýzek
> - HermesIntf-16.6.27.zip
> <https://downloads.sourceforge.net/project/hermesintf/HermesIntf-16.6.27.zip>
> by Vasiliy Gokoyev, K3IT
> - Running-RTTYSkimServer-and-CW-SkimServer.pdf
> <http://hamsci.org/www.reversebeacon.net/downloads/aggregator/Running-RTTYSkimServer-and-CW-SkimServer.pdf>
> by
> N4ZR
> - RBN Aggregator 4.4<http://reversebeacon.net/pages/Aggregator+19> by
> W3OA
> - HDSDR 2.76<http://www.hdsdr.de/> by DG0JBJ
> - CW Skimmer Server 1.5<http://dxatlas.com/SkimServer/Files/SkimSrv.zip>
> by VE3NEA
> - RTTY Skimmer Server 1.2
> <http://dxatlas.com/RttySkimServ/Files/RttySkimServ.zip> by VE3NEA
> - OmniRig<http://dxatlas.com/OmniRig/Files/OmniRig.zip> by VE3NEA
> - Preparing a Red Pitaya SD Card
> <http://redpitaya.readthedocs.io/en/latest/doc/quickStart/SDcard/SDcard.html>
> (not
> required unless you want to restore the SD image that came pre-installed,
> using the Win32 Disk Imager)
>
>
> Random notes on the Red Pitaya:
>
> 1. I couldn't find Pavel Demin's email address, but we all owe him a big
> THANK YOU for his Red Pitaya SDR Receiver.
> 2. Follow the steps in W2NAF's excellent Red Pitaya RBN How-To Guide
> exactly; don't take any shortcuts:
> - The Red Pitaya Starter kit includes a new and improved v0.97 operating
> system, which boots fine and has handy features, but I have not been able
> to find a binary version of Pavel Demin's HPSDR code that runs on it
> - For now, use *only* the v0.95 ecosystem Zip image linked above
> - Insert the micro SD card and adapter included with the Red Pitaya
> Start Kit into your Windows computer, *format the FAT partition
> (wiping out v0.97)*, then extract Pavel Demin's entire SD Card Image
> to the root directory.
> - You can get back to a vanilla v0.97 later using images on the Red
> Pitaya web site<http://downloads.redpitaya.com/downloads/> .
> - Leave the other hidden partitions on the 4GB micro SD card alone,
> just format the FAT partition, do not delete or touch any other
> partitions.
> - Extracting the Zip without first formatting the partition does not
> work.
> - Installing the v0.94 SDR receiver from the "Marketplace" link
> instead of from the Zip image does not work.
> - You don't have to use PowerSDR, which I found very hard to use.
> HDSDR seems much more intuitive to me.
> - You do not need to install Bonjour to access the Red Pitaya box
> from Windows; use the Windows command *arp -a* or your Router
> interface to find the IP address assigned to the Red Pitaya, then
> open your browser and enter that IP address as a URL
> 3. Just use *FreqCalibration=1*. I wasted a lot of time trying to get
> just the right calibration setting on the highest band, but then it messed
> up the other bands. Frequency calibration is not consistently "high" or
> "low" from band to band due varying sampling conversions, and since the
> Skimmer provides only one calibration setting, it's best to leave it alone.
> 4. Frequency accuracy got better when I added a small 30mm fan via the
> plastic case, as recommended. I did have to crimp on my own 0.1 mm fan
> connector. Not well indicated on the board is that the positive pin of the
> fan connector is the pin closest to the center of the board.
> 5. You can calibrate HDSDR very accurately using *Options | Calibration
> Settings* while tuned to WWV in EECS (AM) mode with AFC enabled.
> 6. With OmniRig support, HDSDR can follow your transceiver's VFO and
> vice versa (Options -> CAT to radio (Omni-Rig) -> sync from Omni-rig
> (enable), sync to Omni-Rig (enable)
> 7. Use Putty on Windows to get Unix command line access to the Red Pityaa
> (userid *root*, password *root*).
> 8. Use *datetime -s "YYYY-MM-DD hh:mm:ss"* to set the internal Red Pitaya
> clock (in UTC). Any error logs produced will then be properly
> time-stamped. Do this first, then change the password. I'd like to know
> how to automate setting the clock via NTP on v0.95 of this OS.
> 9. Use the *passwd* command to change the root password. Unfortunately,
> the new password is not saved between power cycles in this version of the
> OS, so it must be reset every time you power up the Red Pitaya. :-(
> 10. The *top* command will display the Red Pitaya CPU utilization and
> memory use. I never saw the CPU usage exceed 20%. Type q to exit and
> return to the command line.
> 11. Type exit to exit from the Unix command line shell
> 12. If you open the IP address of the Red Pitaya in your browser, you'll
> see a nice friendly interface with an "Application Marketplace" link, but
> that software is not pre-installed on the SD card, it just redirects to
> http://bazaar.redpitaya.com/, and the SDR Receiver v0.94 on that site is
> old and does not run at all on v0.95. DO NOT CLICK INSTALL!
> 13. Despite W4KAZ's blog post (http://w4kaz.com/qth/?p=2786), the only
> SDR receiver build that seems to work with CW Skimmer Server and RTTY
> Skimmer Server at this time is 0.95 pre-built version. I think there
> are still outstanding issues preventing the SDR code from running on any
> new version of the OS.
> 14. I tried SDR-Console and WINRAD but they are not compatible. Only
> HDSDR and PowerSDR worked for me, and only HDSDR works when the Skimmers
> are running.
> 15. The *monitor -ams* command is documented to display Red Pitaya CPU
> temperature, but it isn't implemented in v0.95. :-(
> 16. Error messages in the Red Pitaya are saved in in
> */tmp/log/redpitaya_nginx* (use the *tab* key to auto-complete long file
> names)
> 17. Use *vi filename* to view a log file in a full screen Unix text
> editor
> 18. Type colon (:) *q* [Enter] to exit the vi editor.
>
> 73,
> Bob, N6TV
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