Table of Contents
Carbon SDR - Getting Started Guide
This documentation is being finalized and is not yet ready for release. If you purchased a Carbon SDR and need help getting started, please contact us at sales@redwiretechnologies.us and we will be glad to assist you.
Required Host Computer
To work with the RWT Carbon SDR, a computer running Linux or similar operating system is required. At the current time Microsoft Windows is not supported. Also being familiar with Linux, ssh, and the Linux command line will improve your use and understanding of the RWT Carbon SDR.
What's in the box
A Hard case containing:
- RWT Carbon SDR Development kit
- USB-C Power power supply
- USB-C Male to Female cable
- USB-C Male to Male cable
- A microSDXC card which is pre-loaded with the latest release of software for the RWT Carbon SDR
- CR123 Battery Holder
- SMA Cable Adapter
First Time Startup
The microSDXC card should come installed in the Carbon, it is located in the SD card slot, which is under the metal cover on the side of the case. Connect the Male to Female USB-C cable to the male port on top of the Carbon and the other end to your Linux host computer. Connect the USB-C cable to the power supply and the USB-C port at the end of the Carbon SDR. Plug the power adapter in.
Press and hold the power button for 5 seconds to power up the Carbon SDR. The LED indicator light will light up green when the system is turned on and operating. Your host computer should display a new Ethernet interface in 1-2 minutes. To access the command line of the Carbon SDR type
ssh -X root@192.168.10.1
in a terminal window on the host computer. Answer “yes” to the question concerning the security key being provided. It is recommended to create a password for the root user.
Starting GNU Radio
The Linux image which is provided with the RWT Carbon contains GNU Radio 3.10 plus multiple OOT modules to maximize the use of the software defined radio. To start GNU Radio Companion type:
gnuradio-companion
on the command line in the terminal window which was used to log into the Carbon SDR. The first time this command is run it may take a few minutes for GNU Radio Companion to start.
The GNU Radio blocks for controlling the Carbon SDR are in the block section “RWT”. For first time testing use the blocks “RWT Sink” and “RWT Source” to control the Carbon SDR. The RWT Dual Sink and Dual Source blocks can also be used to control the multiple RF channels of the Carbon.
In order to receive or transmit, an antenna will need to be connected to the correct ports of the radio covering the desired band of operation. For users who are not experienced with GNU Radio, RWT recommends completing the GNU Radio tutorials at https://wiki.gnuradio.org/index.php/Tutorials.