Installing drivers and support for the SDRplay RSP1A, HackRF One and RTL-SDR on a Raspberry Pi

On a newly installed Ubuntu operating system.

There seems to be little Linux support for SDRplay devices outside of the convenient images from SDRplay with preinstalled software. That software was limited and out of date as of this writing. I have spent quite a bit of time getting an up to date system on which to install the latest Linux SDR software. I have added support for the HackRF One. This procedure uses Ubuntu, whose packages are much more up-to-date. I hope this helps you. These procedures may work for other SDR hardware except for the drivers and device specific items.

I suggest turning off power saving features as they will halt your SDR reception. There are several places where this should be done in Ubuntu. There are details ner the end of this section.

I basically included prerequisites that were not found on my system. However, there may be a few packages listed that are already installed. This is OK.

Note: I have included support for the SDRplay RSP1A, HackRF One and RTL-SDR. You will only need to install support for the device(s) that you have.

Install Ubuntu:

Download the latest 32 bit server version of Ubuntu with long term support here: https://ubuntu.com/download/raspberry-pi
This procedure is developed for version ubuntu-20.04.2-preinstalled-server-armhf+raspi. This procedure may not be appropriate for the next major version.
Follow the tutorial titled "How to install Ubuntu Server on your Raspberry Pi" starting with
https://ubuntu.com/tutorials/how-to-install-ubuntu-on-your-raspberry-pi#1-overview Some of these instructions are also in the tutorial.
Install the image on a 32 GB or larger SD card. Use your favorite image program. I used Balena Etcher on Windows. For more help extracting and flashing the image, look on the image help page.
- If you need to use WiFi, follow the directions titled "Getting setup with Wi-Fi" before booting the SD card image .
Boot the image in your Raspberry Pi.
Log in using "ubuntu" as both the password and login ID. It will require that you change the password.
When your Internet connection is working, update the OS with these comnmands.
```
sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade
```
Install a desktop. I like Lubuntu, a lightweight, power-efficient desktop environment.
```
sudo apt install lubuntu-desktop
```
- It will offer a choice of Desktop. Select gdm3. When the installation finishes, type sudo reboot.
- When the desktop boots to the login prompt, press enter. From the gear icon at the lower right corner of the screen, choose lubuntu.
  The Gnome Display Manager is the default Display Manager for Gnome Desktop, but I found that CPU usage idled at around 50%

Install software:

cmake
- To install the version in the packager: sudo apt-get install cmake
- You may want to install the latest version of cmake, but the package version will work. Instructions are here. It is a long procedure.

Qt5 5.12.8 should already be installed.

Install additional Qt5 packages

sudo apt install pyqt5-dev python3-sip python3-pyqt5.sip python3-pyqt5 python3-venv python3-pip
sudo apt install man git g++ build-essential ntfs-3g apt-utils libudev-dev at-spi2-core
sudo apt install qt5-qmake qtbase5-dev qtmultimedia5-dev libqt5multimediawidgets5 libqt5multimedia5-plugins qtgstreamer-plugins-qt5 qtcreator libqt5svg5-dev libqt5serialport5-dev qttools5-dev libqwt-qt5-6 libqwt-qt5-dev
sudo apt install libqt5websockets5-dev libqt5charts5-dev qml-module-qtlocation qml-module-qtpositioning qml-module-qtquick-dialogs qml-module-qtquick-controls qml-module-qtquick-controls2 qtdeclarative5-dev qtpositioning5-dev qtlocation5-dev libqt5texttospeech5-dev libqt5opengl5 libqt5opengl5-dev

SDRplay API Installation

Prerequisites

sudo apt install libusb-1.0-0 libusb-1.0-0-dev libfftw3-3 libfftw3-dev

# Create a new file:
sudo featherpad /etc/udev/rules.d/66-mirics.rules

Paste this line into the 66-mirics.rules file opened in the previous step:

SUBSYSTEM=="usb",ENV{DEVTYPE}=="usb_device",ATTRS{idVendor}=="1df7",ATTRS{idProduct}=="2500",MODE:="0666"

Save the file. Once this file is in place you should reset the udev system by typing:
```
sudo service udev restart
```

Download API 3.07 or later, RSP Control Library + Driver from https://www.sdrplay.com/downloads/

cd ~/Downloads # or wherever you downloaded the file
chmod 755 SDRplay_RSP_API-ARM32-3.07.2.run
sudo ./SDRplay_RSP_API-ARM32-3.07.2.run
sudo ldconfig

To stop and start the API service, use the following commands...
```
sudo systemctl stop sdrplay
sudo systemctl start sdrplay
```
Type lsusb. Bus 001 Device 003: ID 1df7:3000 should be displayed.

HackRF One installation
- Prerequisites
  If you did not install these for SDRplay:
```
sudo apt install libusb-1.0-0-dev usbutils libfftw3-3 libfftw3-dev
```
- Install
```
cd ~/
git clone https://github.com/greatscottgadgets/hackrf
cd hackrf/host
mkdir build
cd build
cmake ..
make -j 4
sudo make install
sudo ldconfig
```
- Reboot
- You need to update the HackRF firmware if it does not match the version of the driver. As of this writing, the latest firmware/driver version was 2022.09.1
  Many HackRF devices have firmware version 2018.01.1 or earlier. Use hackrf_info to see if the firmware version matches the driver that you installed.
```
hackrf_info
```
  If you see "Firmware Version: 2022.09.1 (API:1.06)", then it is up to date and you do not need to do the firmware update shown below.
  Note: the latest release is 2023.01.1. A firmware update will be required. I will update this page after I test it.
```
# Transfer rate test:
hackrf_transfer -r /dev/null -s 20000000

# Connect an antenna and test sending data:
hackrf_transfer -t /dev/zero
```
- Firmware updating instructions are based on this:
  https://hackrf.readthedocs.io/en/latest/updating_firmware.html#updating-the-spi-flash-firmware
  Note that the zip and tar.xz archives have the firmware files. The git clone procedure does not.
  
  Download hackrf-2022.09.1.zip
  Extract only the firmware-bin directory into the ~/hackrf directory
```
cd ~/hackrf/firmware-bin

# To update the firmware on a working HackRF One, use the hackrf_spiflash program:
hackrf_spiflash -w hackrf_one_usb.bin

# Press the reset button on the HackRF.
hackrf_info

# The new firmware version should now displayed.
```
Install the rtl-sdr driver
Based on a NESDR SMArt SDR. Others should be similar.
- Connect your rtl-sdr to your Raspbery Pi computer. In a terminal window, type lsusb. If it is working, you should see something similar to: Bus 001 Device 008: ID 0bda:2838 Realtek Semiconductor Corp. RTL2838 DVB-T
- We need to "blacklist" the default drivers. This is done by editing blacklist-dvb.conf:
```
sudo mousepad /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-dvb.conf
```
- Add this line to the file:
  blacklist dvb_usb_rtl28xxu
  Save and close the file.
- ```
sudo apt-get install rtl-sdr librtlsdr-dev
```
- reboot
- Connect an antenna. In a terminal window, type rtl_test.
  This tool will continuously read from the device, and report if samples get lost. If you observe no further output, everything is fine.
  Press CTRL-C to stop the test.

GNU Radio 3.8
This will install GNU Radio from packages supplied with Ubuntu. It saves a few hours of installation time. If you want to install a newer version from source, follow the procedures on Part 1 - Installing drivers and support for the SDRplay RSP1A and QRadioLink on a Raspberry Pi with Raspberry Pi OS.

Prerequisites

Install these packages. (some may already be installed).

sudo apt install g++ libcodec2-dev libvolk2-bin libvolk2-dev libvolk2.2
sudo apt install libboost-all-dev libgmp-dev swig python3-requests python3-ruamel.yaml python3-setuptools python3-numpy python3-mako python3-sphinx python3-lxml doxygen libsdl1.2-dev libgsl-dev libzmq3-dev cppzmq-dev python3-yaml python3-click python3-click-plugins python3-zmq python3-scipy python-docutils liborc-0.4-0 liborc-0.4-dev python3-gi-cairo python3-waitress liblog4cpp5-dev liblog4cpp5v5
sudo apt install osspd osspd-pulseaudio sudo osspd-alsa libcppunit-dev

Install UHD and GNU Radio 3.8.1

Installing UHD will automatically install GNU Radio.

sudo apt install libuhd3.15.0 libuhd-dev

# Show version
gnuradio-config-info -v

featherpad ~/.profile
#add this  export command to the end of the file or to any existing PYTHONPATH line. Save changes to make the variables permanent.
export PYTHONPATH=/usr/local/lib/python3/dist-packages:$PYTHONPATH

Create a file named /etc/ld.so.conf.d/gnuradio.conf containing: /usr/local/lib

sudo featherpad /etc/ld.so.conf.d/gnuradio.conf
# insert the line: /usr/local/lib
# Save the file

sudo ldconfig

Run VOLK profiler for optimal performance
```
volk_profile
```
reboot

Build SoapySDR

cd ~/
git clone https://github.com/pothosware/SoapySDR.git
cd SoapySDR
mkdir build
cd build
cmake ..
make -j4
sudo make install
sudo ldconfig

Install the Soapy SDR module for SDRPlay

cd ~/
git clone https://github.com/pothosware/SoapySDRPlay.git
cd SoapySDRPlay
mkdir build
cd build
cmake ..
make -j4
sudo make install
sudo ldconfig

# Type these commands. If your SDR is listed, the hardest work is done!
SoapySDRUtil --info
SoapySDRUtil --probe="driver=sdrplay"

Install the Soapy SDR module for HackRF

cd ~/
git clone https://github.com/pothosware/SoapyHackRF.git
cd SoapyHackRF
mkdir build
cd build
cmake ..
make -j4
sudo make install
sudo ldconfig

# Type this command. Check that your SDR is listed and the details are correct.
SoapySDRUtil --probe="driver=hackrf"

Soapy SDR plugin for RTL-SDR

cd ~/
git clone https://github.com/pothosware/SoapyRTLSDR.git
cd SoapyRTLSDR
mkdir build
cd build
cmake ..
make -j4
sudo make install
sudo ldconfig

# Type this command. Check that your SDR is listed and the details are correct.
SoapySDRUtil --probe="driver=rtlsdr"

Alternate gr-osmosdr module for SDRplay API 3.x - supports RSPduo (all modes) and RSPdx
The latest version of fventuri/gr-osmosdr does not compile with gnuradio 3.8. Download gr-osmosdr.GR3.8.zip from before the changes. Extract it to ~/gr-osmosdr (the directory inside of the archive) using xarchiver.
Please note that this code is still experimental. The installer does find SDRplay, Soapy and HackRF. OsmoSDR does appear in GNU Radio Companion, no reference to SDRplay or Soapy.
```
cd ~/
git clone https://github.com/fventuri/gr-osmosdr.git
cd gr-osmosdr/
mkdir build
cd build
cmake .. -DENABLE_NONFREE=TRUE
```
Under Gnuradio enabled components in the terminal text, check that SDRplay RSP (NONFREE), SoapySDR and HackRF support are listed.
```
make -j4
sudo make install
sudo ldconfig
```

gr-sdrplay3
GNU Radio OOT module for SDRplay RSP devices (SDRplay API V3.x)

cd ~/
git clone https://github.com/fventuri/gr-sdrplay3.git
cd gr-sdrplay3
mkdir build
cd build
cmake ..
make -j4
sudo make install
sudo ldconfig

Run GNU Radio Companion and check that OsmoSDR and SDRplay3 are present with all of the SDRplay devices under SDRplay3 in the tree on the right side of the window.
If you find that the operating system only has mono audio:
```
sudo featherpad /usr/share/pulseaudio/alsa-mixer/profile-sets/default.conf
```
- Comment out each line in the [Mapping analog-mono] section with a ";" at the beginning of the line.
- Save the file and reboot.
Disabling the screen savers and power features in Lubuntu takes some doing. If you don't want the screen saver to activate, try these settings:
- Preferences > Screensaver
  Select Disable Screen Saver.
  If a popup says that XScreenSaver is not running, click cancel.
- Preferences > LXQT settings > Power Management
  Click on Idle. Uncheck Enable Idleness Watcher
- Preferences > LXQT settings > Session Settings
  Click on Basic Settings. Uncheck Power Management.
- Preferences > LXQT settings > Session Settings
  Click on Autostart. Under LXQt Autostart uncheck XScreenSaver
- After all of this, it may still activate a screen saver and go onto power saving mode!
  - To disable the X screen saver and power management, place these commands in /etc/profile:
```
sudo featherpad /etc/profile
```
  - Add these lines to the end of the file, save and reboot.
```
xset s 0 0
xset -dpms
```
Perhaps the most annoying bug in Lubuntu is a few minutes after you log in, the screen turns purple (the login screen color), then fades to black. For several seconds, any active windows flicker. The screen is restored by causing it to redraw by moving a window or changing to another desktop and back. Running the mouse over the taskbar will restore that. Every minute, a small black bar appears at the top of the screen in the center.
This is all caused by sddm-greeter running in the desktop session. A dirty little workaround for that is as follows:
- Kill the greeter processes after login.
```
featherpad ~/.profile
```
- Add this line to the end of the file, save and reboot.
```
sudo pkill -9 -f "/usr/share/gdm/greeter/autostart"
```
- After you log in, a warning will pop up complaining about the processed being killed. The system will operate normally, but if you log out, the greeter screen will have to reboot.
  If I find a better solution, I will post it here.

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