PCI Express SDR Cards and GNU Radio

GNU Radio
1

Hello guys,

I am searching for PCI Express cards that can (or possibly can) work
together with GNU Radio. So far I have found this
http://www.pervices.com/shop/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=48
and they provide a block for the GRC to communicate with the card.

Has anyone played with this or a similar card?

Thanks in advance!

–
Code is the Law!

2

There are a few companies that do business in data acquisition and DSP
hardware (slap a RF front end and antenna in front of these and you
got a SDR) that offer many, many form factor (i.e. PCIe) for all kinds
of applications. Unfortunately they are not playing well with the GNU
Radio environment as far as I know. The supporting software
environment will quickly exceed any budget you have in mind.

Here is the biggest ones I have in mind if you are still interested:

http://www.pentek.com/
http://www.spectrumsignal.com/

Processing wise, they are all using the FPGA much more than your
typical Ettus USRP. This involves Simulink (3000$), HDL Coder (10000$)
and Xilinx System Generator (5000$) packages that will set you back
quite a bit but allow rapid implementation of all your DSP needs
(effectively replacing GNU Radio) right on the FPGA. Aside from that
on the software side each company offers their own custom supporting
software libraries and drivers although I am sure you can hook to
MATLAB and Simulink too somehow.

So I don’t think this is what you need if you’re looking for a cost
efficient platform that supports free software but there is indeed
many PCIe SDR platforms that exist out there worth mentioning. Your
best bet is that maybe someday Ettus R. will have a product with
PCIe form factor… I wouldn’t count on that anytime soon though.

On Wed, Jul 4, 2012 at 3:55 AM, Manolis Surligas

3

On Wed, Jul 4, 2012 at 3:55 AM, Manolis Surligas
[email protected] wrote:

Hello guys,

I am searching for PCI Express cards that can (or possibly can) work
together with GNU Radio. So far I have found this
http://www.pervices.com/shop/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=48
and they provide a block for the GRC to communicate with the card.

Has anyone played with this or a similar card?

Thanks in advance!

I only know of the Per Vices product but have not gotten my hands on
it. But I’m really happy that they have produced their own GNU Radio
interface for it already.

My biggest question is if it’s well-shielded enough for the noisy RF
environment inside a computer chassis.

Tom