USRP B205 mini-i Compatibility

[jasmitch]

Have a USRP B205 connected by USB and SigDigger(AppImage) detects the device however reports it as being unavailable?
I get this message from the application log: "Referenced device `uhd (B205mini 313634B)' is not available. device suscan_source_detect_devices"

I get the following output from the command line:

QStandardPaths: XDG_RUNTIME_DIR not set, defaulting to '/tmp/runtime-root'
linux; GNU C++ version 7.3.0; Boost_106501; UHD_003.010.003.000-0-unknown

-- Loading firmware image: /usr/share/uhd/images/usrp_b200_fw.hex...
[INFO] Detected Device: B205mini
[INFO] Operating over USB 3.
[INFO] Detected Device: B205mini
[INFO] Operating over USB 3.
[INFO] Detected Device: B205mini
[INFO] Operating over USB 3.
[INFO] Detected Device: B205mini
[INFO] Operating over USB 3.

[BatchDrake]

Okay, this is odd. Does your USRP work with other applications?

[jasmitch]

Yeah, it is working fine with gqrx, sdrangel & general USRP utilities.

[BatchDrake]

When you say it detects the device, but it is not available, where do you see this? In the device window? Or in the configuration dialog? (in which you get to choose the appropriate device) What happens when you click Refresh in the device window?

[jasmitch]

I get that from the message log(cntrl+l):
"Referenced device `uhd (B205mini 313634B)' is not available. device suscan_source_detect_devices"

When I look at the device windows(cntrl+d), I can see the device but it is greyed out. Pressing the refresh button doesn't
change anything.

[BatchDrake]

Interesting. Could you do the following?

1. Find the files ~/.suscan/config/uiconfig.yaml and ~/.suscan/config/sources.yaml and attach them to this issue (so I can rule out any misconfiguration due to wrong IPs or whatever).
2. Open a terminal window, go to wherever your AppImage is, and softlink it to a file named suscli (and make sure that it is executable). If your AppImage file is named SigDigger-0.3.0-x86_64-full.AppImage, you just would need to do:

$ ln -s SigDigger-0.3.0-x86_64-full.AppImage suscli
$ chmod a+x suscli

3. In that same directory, run ./suscli devices. You should see something like this:

$ ./suscli devices
... (lots of debug logs) ...

 ndx Device name                              Driver   Interface Availability 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[ 0] Dummy device                             null     local     unavailable
[ 1] ... (whatever devices you have plugged) ...

If I don't find the error here, the next step will be to provide you with an engineering build so we can debug this issue (sounds scary but it is not, it would consist of another SigDigger AppImage that prints more logs and lets you do more tests).

[jasmitch]

cat ~/..suscan/config/uiconfig.yaml
%TAG ! tag:actinid.org,2022:suscan:

• !qtui
  version: 1
  width: 1918
  height: 1111
  x: 1
  y: 60
  fullScreen: false
  sidePanelRatio: 1.536050156739811878e-01
  disableHighRateWarning: false
  loFreq: 35695
  bandwidth: 0
  source: !source_config
  type: SDR
  label: Default source
  interface: local
  freq: 433920000.00000000
  lnb_freq: 0.00000000
  bandwidth: 1000000.00000000
  iq_balance: false
  dc_remove: true
  ppm: 0.00000000
  start_time: 1662178595.229696
  loop: true
  samp_rate: 1000000
  average: 1
  channel: 0
  sdr_args:
  driver: null
  gains: {}
  analyzerParams: !AnalyzerParams
  channelUpdateInterval: 0.10000000
  psdUpdateInterval: 0.04000000
  spectrumAvgAlpha: 0.01000000
  sAvgAlpha: 0.00100000
  nAvgAlpha: 0.50000000
  snr: 2.00000000
  windowSize: 8192
  minFreq: 0.000000000000000000e+00
  maxFreq: 0.000000000000000000e+00
  windowFunction: blackmann-harris
  mode: channel
  colors: !colorcfg
  lcdBackground: '#070d0c'
  lcdForeground: '#3ed180'
  spectrumBackground: '#070d0c'
  spectrumForeground: '#3ed180'
  spectrumAxes: '#152d2b'
  spectrumText: '#ffffff'
  constellationForeground: '#3ed180'
  constellationBackground: '#070d0c'
  constellationAxes: '#152d2b'
  transitionForeground: '#3ed180'
  transitionBackground: '#070d0c'
  transitionAxes: '#152d2b'
  histogramForeground: '#3ed180'
  histogramBackground: '#070d0c'
  histogramAxes: '#152d2b'
  histogramModel: '#ffff00'
  symViewLow: '#000000'
  symViewHigh: '#ffffff'
  symViewBackground: '#134529'
  selection: '#152d2b'
  filterBox: '#327d54'
  guiConfig: !guicfg
  useLMBdrag: false
  noLimits: false
  useGLWaterfall: false
  useMaxBlending: false
  useGlInWindows: false
  enableMsgTTL: true
  msgTTL: 15
  tleSourceConfig: !tlesrccfg
  autoDownloadOnStartup: false
  panoramicSpectrum: !PanoramicDialogConfig
  fullRange: true
  rangeMin: 0.000000000000000000e+00
  rangeMax: 0.000000000000000000e+00
  panRangeMin: -90.00000000
  panRangeMax: 0.00000000
  lnbFreq: 0.000000000000000000e+00
  sampRate: 20000000
  device:
  strategy:
  partitioning:
  palette: Turbo (Gqrx)
  bandPlans: []
  Components:
  AudioWidget: !AudioWidgetConfig
  enabled: false
  collapsed: false
  demod: AM
  rate: 44100
  cutOff: 15000.00000000
  volume: -6.00000000
  savePath:
  squelch: false
  amSquelch: 0.10000000
  ssbSquelch: 0.00100000
  tleCorrection: false
  isSatellite: false
  satName: ISS (ZARYA)
  tleData:
  SourceWidget: !SourceWidgetConfig
  collapsed: false
  throttle: false
  throttleRate: 196000
  dcRemove: true
  iqRev: false
  agcEnabled: false
  gainPresetEnabled: false
  dataSaverConfig: !DataSaverConfig
  path:
  savedPresets: []
  InspToolWidget: !InspToolWidgetConfig
  collapsed: true
  inspectorClass: psk
  inspFactory: GenericInspector
  precise: false
  palette: Suscan
  paletteOffset: 0
  paletteContrast: 0
  autoSquelchTriggerSNR: 10.00000000
  FFTWidget: !FFTWidgetConfig
  collapsed: false
  averaging: 1.00000000
  panWfRatio: 0.30000001
  peakDetect: false
  peakHold: false
  filled: false
  panRangeMin: -60.00000000
  panRangeMax: -10.00000000
  wfRangeMin: -60.00000000
  wfRangeMax: -10.00000000
  palette: Magma (Feely)
  zoom: 1
  rangeLock: true
  timeSpan: 0
  timeStamps: false
  bookmarks: true
  unitName:
  zeroPoint: 0.00000000
  gain: 50.00000000

cat ~/.suscan/config/sources.yaml
%TAG ! tag:actinid.org,2022:suscan:

• !source_config
  type: SDR
  label: Default source
  interface: local
  freq: 433920000.00000000
  lnb_freq: 0.00000000
  bandwidth: 1000000.00000000
  iq_balance: false
  dc_remove: true
  ppm: 0.00000000
  start_time: 1662178595.229696
  loop: true
  samp_rate: 1000000
  average: 1
  channel: 0
  sdr_args:
  driver: null
  gains: {}

./suscli devices
linux; GNU C++ version 7.3.0; Boost_106501; UHD_003.010.003.000-0-unknown

ndx Device name Driver Interface Availability

[ 0] Dummy device null local available
[ 1] Audio input (hw:HDA Intel PCH,0) audio local available
[ 2] Audio input (default) audio local available
[ 3] uhd (B205mini 313634B) uhd local unavailable

I'm currently running Ubuntu 20.04.5 LTS, was thinking of performing a fresh install of 22.04.01 LTS and re-installing the USRP mini driver with relevant packages and trying the AppImage again?

Would it be better to compile SigDigger from source?

[BatchDrake]

Hey,

Some people are experiencing issues with the USRP as well (especially the x300 ones), but every clue so far is pointing to driver issues.

Nonetheless, if building is an option for you, yes. Please go ahead, so we can rule out more possible causes. My suggestion is that you download & execute https://actinid.org/blsd. Is a script that automatizes the process of cloning & building SigDigger from the development branch. The cool thing is that you do not need root for this, everything is going to be compiled in a subdirectory, and you can run SigDigger directly from there.

[jasmitch]

Performed a fresh install of 22.04.01 LTS and installed SigDigger via the dev branch build script at https://actinid.org/blsd.
Can now see the device with this new build and looks to be working fine, thanks for your help.

[BatchDrake]

Thanks to you! I will link this thread to other users that seem to be affected by the same issue.

[BatchDrake]

I am also closing it, feel free to reopen it if something related comes up.