# How to schedule iq recordings?

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-schedule-iq-recordings/234119>\
**Category:** GNU Radio\
**Created:** [February 8, 2015, 2:38am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-schedule-iq-recordings/234119 "2015-02-08T02:38:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![addis\_a](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/c4cdca/32.png) [@addis\_a](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/addis_a)\
**Post date:** [February 8, 2015, 2:38am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-schedule-iq-recordings/234119/1 "2015-02-08T02:38:30Z")

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Hello

I have a need to record raw iq files of varing lengths of time and each  
iq  
file needs to have a unique file name. I am at the point now where i  
can  
record and iq file with a time stamp of the pc clock. That is perfect  
so  
far, however, i need to automate this so that i can schedule multple  
recordings of 5 minutes with a 1 minute standby between each recording  
just  
as an example. the timings need to be flexible. my issue is that my  
super  
simple record iq flow graph runs until i manualy close it. are there  
any  
ideas out there? thanks a lot guys. John

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**Author:** ![jmaenpaa](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@jmaenpaa](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jmaenpaa)\
**Post date:** [February 8, 2015, 2:43am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-schedule-iq-recordings/234119/2 "2015-02-08T02:43:31Z")

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On 02/07/2015 08:37 PM, John M. wrote:

> lot guys. John
> 
> * * *
> 
> Discuss-gnuradio mailing list  
> [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid)  
> [Discuss-gnuradio Info Page](https://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss-gnuradio)  
> The file-sink will start a new file every time you give it a new  
> filename.

There are, as in most programming exercises, a flarbillion (that’s a  
technical term) ways of accomplishing any given task. You might try,  
for example,  
using a variable-name for your filesink filename (are you already  
doing that?), and then using XMLRPC for an outside ‘scheduler’ to tell  
it the new  
filenames, and while you’re in a “record nothing” timeframe, just  
have it recording to /dev/null.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jmaenpaa](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@jmaenpaa](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jmaenpaa)\
**Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 2:05pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-schedule-iq-recordings/234119/3 "2015-02-09T14:05:25Z")

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On 02/08/2015 02:42 AM, Marcus D. Leech wrote:

> > until i manualy close it. are there any ideas out there? thanks a  
> > lot guys. John
> 
> There are, as in most programming exercises, a flarbillion (that’s a  
> technical term) ways of accomplishing any given task. You might try,  
> for example,  
> using a variable-name for your filesink filename (are you already  
> doing that?), and then using XMLRPC for an outside ‘scheduler’ to tell  
> it the new  
> filenames, and while you’re in a “record nothing” timeframe, just have  
> it recording to /dev/null.

Or you have a dedicated script that uses a ‘head’ block to record N  
samples worth of time and terminates. Then, use some unix tool to call  
that script whenever you need to.

M

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jmaenpaa](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@jmaenpaa](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jmaenpaa)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 10:42am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-schedule-iq-recordings/234119/4 "2015-02-20T10:42:58Z")

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I just use the “at” linux command to schedule my recordings. Your  
script can handle the timestamps, gain, antenna settings, etc.

For example, to run bash\_script.sh at 04:00

# at 04:00 -f bash\_script.sh

To see queued executions,

# atq

This works really well for me.

PWG

On 02/08/2015 02:42 AM, Marcus D. Leech wrote:

> /\> until i manualy close it. are there any ideas out there? thanks a/  
> /\> lot guys. John/  
> /\>/  
> / There are, as in most programming exercises, a flarbillion (that’s a/  
> / technical term) ways of accomplishing any given task. You might try,/  
> / for example,/  
> / using a variable-name for your filesink filename (are you already/  
> / doing that?), and then using XMLRPC for an outside ‘scheduler’ to tell/  
> / it the new/  
> / filenames, and while you’re in a “record nothing” timeframe, just have/  
> / it recording to /dev/null./

Or you have a dedicated script that uses a ‘head’ block to record N  
samples worth of time and terminates. Then, use some unix tool to call  
that script whenever you need to.

M