Lime SDR Setup Guide

LimeSDR_Setup_Guide

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LimeSDR Setup Guide (Ubuntu 16.04)
This guide details the process of setting up the various layers of software required to be able to
use the LimeSDR, specifically using gnuradio to interface with LimeSuite through the gr-limesdr
block. In addition, SoapySDR is installed in case it is required in future. The process is identical
for both the LimeSDR and LimeSDR-Mini. This guide was written by Matthew Coates using a
fresh install of Ubuntu 16.04 LTS.
The order of installation below is critical for success.

1

SoapySDR

Install Instructions: https://github.com/pothosware/SoapySDR/wiki/BuildGuide
SoapySDR is not required to get the LimeSDR working with gnuradio, however lots of other
applications that may not have native support for the LimeSDR can sometimes be made to work
through Soapy. It is recommended to install SoapySDR from source. To begin, install dependencies.
sudo apt-get install \
cmake g++ git \
libpython-dev python-numpy swig
Next navigate to the desired directory and clone the source code.
git clone https://github.com/pothosware/SoapySDR.git
cd SoapySDR
git pull origin master
Finally build and install.
mkdir build
cd build
cmake ..
make -j4
sudo make install
sudo ldconfig
SoapySDRUtil --info
If successful then the last command SoapySDRUtil --info should have been recognised and a
some information about the version of SoapySDR printed out.

1

2

LimeSuite

Install Instructions: https://wiki.myriadrf.org/Lime Suite
LimeSuite is the package that contains the low level drivers required for the computer to be able
to interface with the LimeSDR board. Again it is recommended to install LimeSuite from source.
To begin, install dependencies.
#install core library and build dependencies
sudo apt-get install git g++ cmake libsqlite3-dev
#install hardware support dependencies
sudo apt-get install libsoapysdr-dev libi2c-dev libusb-1.0-0-dev
#install graphics dependencies
sudo apt-get install libwxgtk3.0-dev freeglut3-dev
Next navigate to the desired directory and clone the source code.
git clone https://github.com/myriadrf/LimeSuite.git
cd LimeSuite
git pull origin master
Finally build and install. Here the udev rules must also be modified to allow non-root users to
access the USB port the LimeSDR is connected to.
mkdir builddir && cd builddir
cmake ../
make -j4
sudo make install
sudo ldconfig
cd LimeSuite/udev-rules
sudo ./install.sh
Finally verify the install by running LimeSuite with the LimeSDR plugged into the computer.
#make sure that FT601 or FX3 are one of the available connections
LimeUtil --info
#now run LimeUtil with --find to locate devices on the system
LimeUtil --find
#Example print output from LimeUtil
* [LimeSDR Mini, media=USB 3.0, module=FT601, addr=24607:1027, serial=1D3AC]

2

Additionally verify that LimeSuite and SoapySDR are interfacing correctly.
#make sure that lime is one of the available factories
SoapySDRUtil --info
#now run SoapySDRUtil with --find to locate devices on the system
SoapySDRUtil --find="driver=lime"
#Example print output from SoapySDRUtil
Found device 0
addr = 24607:1027
driver = lime
label = LimeSDR Mini [USB 3.0] 1D3AC940C7E517
media = USB 3.0
module = FT601
name = LimeSDR Mini
serial = 1D3AC940C7E517

3

GNURadio

Install Instructions: https://wiki.gnuradio.org/index.php/InstallingGR
GNURadio is the software in which the actual development is done using flow graphs and other signal processing blocks. This will interface with LimeSuite using gr-limesdr, which must be installed
after installing gnuradio. It is recommended to install using the already available binaries.
sudo apt install gnuradio

4

gr-limesdr

Install Instructions: https://wiki.myriadrf.org/Gr-limesdr Plugin for GNURadio
gr-limesdr is a plugin that allows interfacing between gnuradio and LimeSuite. It is required to
install from source. First install dependencies.
sudo apt-get install libboost-all-dev swig
Next download the source.
git clone https://github.com/myriadrf/gr-limesdr

3

Finally build and install.
cd gr-limesdr
mkdir build
cd build
cmake ..
make
sudo make install
sudo ldconfig
If successful, the LimeSuite Source and Sink blocks should now be available inside gnuradio. The
link above explains the individual settings within each of these blocks.

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