[WIP] kb3gtn's bladeRF libusb setup guide (ubuntu 13.04)

[kb3gtn]

Building Instructions for Ubuntu 13.04

newer up-to-date install documentation:
https://github.com/Nuand/bladeRF/wiki

modify for your needs as needed for your distro..

-- build libusb tools and libraries from Nuand --
* Clone the libusb support branch to your system

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git clone https://github.com/Nuand/bladeRF.git bladeRF -b dev-libusb_support

* Install dependent packages for the build:

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sudo apt-get install libusb-1.0-0-dev libusb-1.0-0 build-essential cmake libncurses5-dev

* building the libusb stuff

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cd <git_base_dir>/hosts/
mkdir build
cd build
cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=debug -DINSTALL_UDEV_RULES=ON -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/opt/bladeRF/ ../
make
sudo make install

* Update library paths
sudo vi /etc/ld.so.conf.d/bladeRF.conf

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/opt/bladeRF/lib/

now run "sudo ldconfig" to update library paths

* Initial firmware loading & fpga loading procedure
Assuming you added /opt/bladeRF/bin to your path or system path. (not covered here, just google it.. )
See if you can detect your bladeRF:

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bladerf-cli -p

Should return something that looks like:

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    Backend: libusb
    Serial: <Not yet supported> | a serial number  depending on FPGA version
    USB Bus: 6
    USB Address: 4

Then load the FX3 firmware. Note: you only need to do this once.. It's stored in flash, and survives power cycling. The FPGA image, needs to be loaded every time.

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bladerf-cli -f <firmware.img>

Load FPGA

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bladerf-cli -l <fpga.rbf>

Recommended firmware and FPGA images to use:
FX3 Image: http://nuand.com/fx3/latest.img
FPGA: http://nuand.com/fpga

The BladeRF at this point should be ready to go.. Now you just need something to talk to it.. Gnu Radio is a good candidate..

*** Building GNURADIO from GIT ***
* Use gnuradio-build to pull and check dependencies

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$ cd ~/sandbox
$ mkdir gnuradio-builds
$ cd gnuradio-builds
$ wget http://www.sbrac.org/files/build-gnuradio
$ chmod +x ./build-gnuradio.sh
$ ./build-gnuradio.sh -m prereqs gitfetch

This takes a while... check top, seems like it sits a long time on checking prerequisits with no output.

* now compile up GNU Radio

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$ cd ~/sandobx/gnuradio-builds/gnuradio/
$ mkdir build
$ cd build
$ cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/opt/gnuradio-3.7.1git  ../ (based on git release, change as needed)
$ make

( This is a large build and will take some time.. good time to take a break..)

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$ sudo make install

Now for some voodoo to get the new program installed into system libraries and python paths and executable path.
With your favorite text editor.. ( vim ) create a new file call /etc/profile.d/gnuradio.sh
you will need sudo for this...

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sudo vi /etc/profile.d/gnuradio.sh

Put the following into it:

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#!/bin/bash
# add gnuradio and bladerf stuff to path
export PATH=$PATH:/opt/gnuradio-3.7.1git/bin:/opt/bladeRF/
# add gnuradio python libraries to python search path
if [ $PYTHONPATH ]; then
        export PYTHONPATH=$PYTHONPATH:/opt/gnuradio-3.7.1git/lib/python2.7/dist-packages
else
        export PYTHONPATH=/opt/gnuradio-3.7.1git/lib/python2.7/dist-packages
fi

update path above if you deviated from gnuradio-3.7.1git
note: If your on some non-debian based distro, you might need to replace "dist-packages" with "site-packages".

Again, with your favorite text editor, create a new file call /etc/ld.so.conf.d/gnuradio.conf
you will need sudo for this again.. (one line file)

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$ sudo vi /etc/ld.so.conf.d/gnuradio.conf

Put this in the new file:

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/opt/gnuradio-3.7.1git/lib

(note:) on some 64 bit systems, you might need a lib64 directory in this file as well?

* now update your library cache

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$ sudo ldconfig -v | grep gnuradio

should see this or something simular..

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/opt/gnuradio-3.7.1git/lib:
        libgnuradio-atsc-3.7.1git.so.0.0.0 -> libgnuradio-atsc.so
        libgnuradio-trellis-3.7.1git.so.0.0.0 -> libgnuradio-trellis.so
        libgnuradio-analog-3.7.1git.so.0.0.0 -> libgnuradio-analog.so
        libgnuradio-pager-3.7.1git.so.0.0.0 -> libgnuradio-pager.so
        libgnuradio-vocoder-3.7.1git.so.0.0.0 -> libgnuradio-vocoder.so
        libgnuradio-video-sdl-3.7.1git.so.0.0.0 -> libgnuradio-video-sdl.so
        libgnuradio-pmt-3.7.1git.so.0.0.0 -> libgnuradio-pmt.so
        libgnuradio-noaa-3.7.1git.so.0.0.0 -> libgnuradio-noaa.so
        libgnuradio-filter-3.7.1git.so.0.0.0 -> libgnuradio-filter.so
        libgnuradio-digital-3.7.1git.so.0.0.0 -> libgnuradio-digital.so
        libgnuradio-channels-3.7.1git.so.0.0.0 -> libgnuradio-channels.so
        libgnuradio-qtgui-3.7.1git.so.0.0.0 -> libgnuradio-qtgui.so
        libgnuradio-wxgui-3.7.1git.so.0.0.0 -> libgnuradio-wxgui.so
        libgnuradio-fec-3.7.1git.so.0.0.0 -> libgnuradio-fec.so
        libgnuradio-wavelet-3.7.1git.so.0.0.0 -> libgnuradio-wavelet.so
        libgnuradio-fcd-3.7.1git.so.0.0.0 -> libgnuradio-fcd.so
        libgnuradio-blocks-3.7.1git.so.0.0.0 -> libgnuradio-blocks.so
        libgnuradio-fft-3.7.1git.so.0.0.0 -> libgnuradio-fft.so
        libgnuradio-runtime-3.7.1git.so.0.0.0 -> libgnuradio-runtime.so
        libgnuradio-audio-3.7.1git.so.0.0.0 -> libgnuradio-audio.so

If so.. All is good.

you will now need to logout and log back in for the profile.d settings to take effect.
Once you have logged back in to your desktop, you should be able to run gnuradio-companion.
If you get a pop up about PYTHONPATH or LD_LIBRARY_PATH, check env to see if the python path or ldconfig returns the correct libraries.

--- build for gr-osmosdr ---
* Pull the git version of gr-osmosdr, build, install

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$ cd ~/sandbox
$ git clone git://git.osmocom.org/gr-osmosdr ./gr-osmosdr
$ mkdir ~/sandbox/gr-osmosdr/build
$ cd ~/sandbox/gr-osmosdr/build
$ cmake -DLIBBLADERF_PKG_INCLUDE_DIRS=/opt/bladeRF/include/ -DLIBBLADERF_PKG_LIBRARY_DIRS=/opt/bladeRF/lib/ -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/opt/gnuradio-3.7.1git ../  (change as needed)
$ make
$ sudo make install

simple test applications to verify device operation
shaun_tx wrote a nice little bash script to do some sample captures with bladerf-cli check it out: https://github.com/Nuand/bladeRF/issues ... t-22814848

[yingerj]

I'm running plain old 13.04 and i had to also install libncurses5-dev to get make to compile bladeRF-cli. It couldn't hurt to add this to your dependencies install list.

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sudo apt-get install libncurses5-dev

Thanks for the guide! I'll update with any other bits I come across.

[kb3gtn]

Thanks.. Missed that one.. Was already install on my box.. Thus I didn't notice it..

[rowan.doherty]

Thanks for the guide.
I've got my board communicating with my computer, but still haven't managed to get samples out of it (still learning how to do that).

[kb3gtn]

if you build the gr-osmosdr stuff. You get a signal generator and a spectrum display test program..

Receive:
osmocom_fft -s 8000000 -f 446000000 -g 60

Transmit: Make a 25 KHz tone offset from 446e6 MHz LO
osmocom_siggen -s 8000000 -g 4 -f 446000000 --sine -x 25000

I don't think you can run them both at the same time.. Don't connect TX to RX.

[schrambo]

Hi,

I have just received my bladeRF and in the middle of testing / configuring it out.
I have come accross two other dependencies needed to compile the bladeRF_cli that are not noted in the above guide.
- Doxygen
- libtec1al-dev

I'm currently running Linux Mint 15. but just an "apt-cache search <searchfield>" to find your particular package name for your distro.

[dk5ras]

Git tells me that it can not interpret the "dev-libusb_support" and uses "head" instead. Did the repo change to libusb by default?

Ralph.

[bpadalino]

Yes - the default is now to use libusb. Also note there is a Wiki with instructions on Github which might make updating them a bit easier.

[dk5ras]

Yes - the default is now to use libusb. Also note there is a Wiki with instructions on Github which might make updating them a bit easier.

OK, great; this is in parts similar to what I already have managed during todays lunch break, leaving out the gnuradio stuff as I have this already installed, so I should be successful this evening in completing the installation with downloading the FPGA image and compiling gr-osmosdr

Ralph.

[carrotface013]

What is meant by "Assuming you added /opt/bladeRF/bin to your path or system path."?
How do I know if I have done this or not?

[jynik]

What is meant by "Assuming you added /opt/bladeRF/bin to your path or system path."?
How do I know if I have done this or not?

Assuming you're using bash, echo $PATH. Items you've added to your binary search path in your .bashrc or via the system wide configurations (e.g., /etc/profile.d/ items) should appear in the list. Library search paths are configured via the ldconfig command and items in the /etc/ld.so.conf.d/ directory).

Note that this thread is very dated. The details here have been migrated to the "Getting Started" guides on the wiki. If you run into problems with those guides on the wiki, feel free to ask questions on IRC or start a new thread in the Troubleshooting forum.

Note that the Troubleshooting wiki page also has some common "gotchas" and issues people encounter.

[andrew77]

Unfortunately I couldn't build this version of gnuradio because:

sudo -u giorgio ./build-gnuradio -m prereqs gitfetch

This script will install Gnu Radio from current GIT sources
You will require Internet access from the computer on which this
script runs. You will also require SUDO access. You will require
approximately 500MB of free disk space to perform the build.

This script will, as a side-effect, remove any existing Gnu Radio
installation that was installed from your Linux distribution packages.
It must do this to prevent problems due to interference between
a linux-distribution-installed Gnu Radio/UHD and one installed from GIT source.

The whole process may take up to two hours to complete, depending on the
capabilities of your system.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
NOTE: if you run into problems while running this script, you can re-run it with
the --verbose option to produce lots of diagnostic output to help debug problems.
This script has been written to anticipate some of the more common problems one might
encounter building ANY large, complex software package. But it is not pefect, and
there are certainly some situations it could encounter that it cannot deal with
gracefully. Altering the system configuration from something reasonably standard,
removing parts of the filesystem, moving system libraries around arbitrarily, etc,
it likely cannot cope with. It is just a script. It isn't intuitive or artificially
intelligent. It tries to make life a little easier for you, but at the end of the day
if it runs into trouble, a certain amount of knowledge on your part about
system configuration and idiosyncrasies will inevitably be necessary.


Proceed?y
SUDO privileges are required
Do you have SUDO privileges?y
Continuing with script
./build-gnuradio: line 1411: tmp5291: Permission denied
cat: tmp5291: No such file or directory

We trust you have received the usual lecture from the local System
Administrator. It usually boils down to these three things:

#1) Respect the privacy of others.
#2) Think before you type.
#3) With great power comes great responsibility.

[sudo] password for giorgio:
Installing prerequisites.
====> THIS MAY TAKE QUITE SOME TIME <=====
Unsupported Debian version Kali Linux 1.0.6

Any suggestions? Thanks

[andrew77]

Solved!
I replaced in Debiad distro file with Kali Linux 6.0 instead of Kali Linux 1.1.0,
but I have another question:
"on some 64 bit systems, you might need a lib64 directory in this file as well"
How can I do that?
and when I type: ldconfig -v | grep gnuradio
this is the output:
ldconfig: Can't stat /lib/i486-linux-gnu: No such file or directory
ldconfig: Can't stat /usr/lib/i486-linux-gnu: No such file or directory
ldconfig: Path `/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu' given more than once
ldconfig: Path `/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu' given more than once
/opt/gnuradio-3.7.6.1/lib:
libgnuradio-runtime-3.7.6.1.so.0.0.0 -> libgnuradio-runtime.so
libgnuradio-wavelet-3.7.6.1.so.0.0.0 -> libgnuradio-wavelet.so
libgnuradio-filter-3.7.6.1.so.0.0.0 -> libgnuradio-filter.so
libgnuradio-fcd-3.7.6.1.so.0.0.0 -> libgnuradio-fcd.so
libgnuradio-pager-3.7.6.1.so.0.0.0 -> libgnuradio-pager.so
libgnuradio-fec-3.7.6.1.so.0.0.0 -> libgnuradio-fec.so
libgnuradio-digital-3.7.6.1.so.0.0.0 -> libgnuradio-digital.so
libgnuradio-noaa-3.7.6.1.so.0.0.0 -> libgnuradio-noaa.so
libgnuradio-wxgui-3.7.6.1.so.0.0.0 -> libgnuradio-wxgui.so
libgnuradio-qtgui-3.7.6.1.so.0.0.0 -> libgnuradio-qtgui.so
libgnuradio-pmt-3.7.6.1.so.0.0.0 -> libgnuradio-pmt.so
libgnuradio-atsc-3.7.6.1.so.0.0.0 -> libgnuradio-atsc.so
libgnuradio-analog-3.7.6.1.so.0.0.0 -> libgnuradio-analog.so
libgnuradio-trellis-3.7.6.1.so.0.0.0 -> libgnuradio-trellis.so
libgnuradio-video-sdl-3.7.6.1.so.0.0.0 -> libgnuradio-video-sdl.so
libgnuradio-channels-3.7.6.1.so.0.0.0 -> libgnuradio-channels.so
libgnuradio-dtv-3.7.6.1.so.0.0.0 -> libgnuradio-dtv.so
libgnuradio-audio-3.7.6.1.so.0.0.0 -> libgnuradio-audio.so
libgnuradio-vocoder-3.7.6.1.so.0.0.0 -> libgnuradio-vocoder.so
libgnuradio-blocks-3.7.6.1.so.0.0.0 -> libgnuradio-blocks.so
libgnuradio-fft-3.7.6.1.so.0.0.0 -> libgnuradio-fft.so
ldconfig: Cannot stat /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libjackserver.so: No such file or directory

how can I proceed? I'm new of linux
thanks