Newcomer fist feedback.
Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2016 2:18 pm
Hello all,
I just acquired the redpitaya board a week ago.
Here is below my first feedback:
First of all I am using this board mostly for HAM radio activities. What conviced me to purchase it is the ability to use it for measurements but also to build and design of my own radio equipments.
- The board and its associated ecosystems of application is very impressive. So far I used the RadioBox, VNA and SDR transceiver. All of them work like a charm. The VNA showed the SWR curves of my various antennas exactly as measured with my MFJ. ( I used an RLB bridge for measurement ).
- Strangely I spent more time seting up the network (Wifi and Eth) than using the applications themselves.
I strongly recommend looking at these URLs for anyone strugling with WIFI and searching for a clear debug approach:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Wi ... management
and https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/WPA_supplicant
- Regarding the SDR transceiver, I have to use it through ethernet my wifi seems to slow and the audio is hashed. I therefore purchased a wifi router, were I can connect my PC and my red pitaya on the ethernet switch. If I remove the ethernet then the RP connects via WIFI on the network, and it can be used for other apps.
I attached a power meter to the OUT1 output and measure a little less than 10dbm for the power with an FM modulation. Then by attaching a dummy load and approaching the antenna cable of another transceiver I was able to go to transmit mode and hear my voice. The modulation is very good also in SSB modulation.
Now the great fun will begun. I plan to build the additional hardware to get a full operational transceiver:
- receive and transmit switch.
- 45W HF power amplifier.
- LPFs for the various bands.
- Band switcher through I2C commands.
What is really fabulous is that all these missing parts will be developped using the read pitaya as a measurement tool.
Thanks for reading.
F4HGA.
I just acquired the redpitaya board a week ago.
Here is below my first feedback:
First of all I am using this board mostly for HAM radio activities. What conviced me to purchase it is the ability to use it for measurements but also to build and design of my own radio equipments.
- The board and its associated ecosystems of application is very impressive. So far I used the RadioBox, VNA and SDR transceiver. All of them work like a charm. The VNA showed the SWR curves of my various antennas exactly as measured with my MFJ. ( I used an RLB bridge for measurement ).
- Strangely I spent more time seting up the network (Wifi and Eth) than using the applications themselves.
I strongly recommend looking at these URLs for anyone strugling with WIFI and searching for a clear debug approach:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Wi ... management
and https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/WPA_supplicant
- Regarding the SDR transceiver, I have to use it through ethernet my wifi seems to slow and the audio is hashed. I therefore purchased a wifi router, were I can connect my PC and my red pitaya on the ethernet switch. If I remove the ethernet then the RP connects via WIFI on the network, and it can be used for other apps.
I attached a power meter to the OUT1 output and measure a little less than 10dbm for the power with an FM modulation. Then by attaching a dummy load and approaching the antenna cable of another transceiver I was able to go to transmit mode and hear my voice. The modulation is very good also in SSB modulation.
Now the great fun will begun. I plan to build the additional hardware to get a full operational transceiver:
- receive and transmit switch.
- 45W HF power amplifier.
- LPFs for the various bands.
- Band switcher through I2C commands.
What is really fabulous is that all these missing parts will be developped using the read pitaya as a measurement tool.
Thanks for reading.
F4HGA.