RJ
Robert J. McIntyre via USRP-users
Sat, May 3, 2014 8:49 PM
Hoping that someone can help me, and I can help the group with diagnosing
very frequent "lockups" of SDR software when using the B200.
My system is (roughly):
B200
USB 3 via a Renesas controller (though the same thing happens with an Intel
controller, and another Renesas controller on my laptop)
UHD 003.007.001
Core i7 with 16GB RAM
Regardless of whether I use SDR Sharp, or SDR Console, about every 5-10
minutes of using the SDR as a receiver (clicking around within the
bandwidth, etc.), both software will "lock up", in that they'll continue to
run the waterfall, but there won't be any data displayed. If I stop/restart
the radio (via the SDR software radio selection options) it will almost
always come back to life, for 5-10 minutes, and then die again.
I've set the sample rate to 8Msps, and get zero dropped/lost/overruns using
benchmark_rate.exe.
I'd love to help investigate this, but am looking for some help in where to
start. Based on the fact that it affects multiple programs, which use
different access methods (UHD vs. ExtIO), it seems like it's not the
individual software packages, but rather either my system in general, or
somewhere from UHD down through the firmware/FPGA image.
Thoughts?
Thanks!
Robert
Hoping that someone can help me, and I can help the group with diagnosing
very frequent "lockups" of SDR software when using the B200.
My system is (roughly):
B200
USB 3 via a Renesas controller (though the same thing happens with an Intel
controller, and another Renesas controller on my laptop)
UHD 003.007.001
Core i7 with 16GB RAM
Regardless of whether I use SDR Sharp, or SDR Console, about every 5-10
minutes of using the SDR as a receiver (clicking around within the
bandwidth, etc.), both software will "lock up", in that they'll continue to
run the waterfall, but there won't be any data displayed. If I stop/restart
the radio (via the SDR software radio selection options) it will almost
always come back to life, for 5-10 minutes, and then die again.
I've set the sample rate to 8Msps, and get zero dropped/lost/overruns using
benchmark_rate.exe.
I'd love to help investigate this, but am looking for some help in where to
start. Based on the fact that it affects multiple programs, which use
different access methods (UHD vs. ExtIO), it seems like it's not the
individual software packages, but rather either my system in general, or
somewhere from UHD down through the firmware/FPGA image.
Thoughts?
Thanks!
Robert
MM
Marcus Müller via USRP-users
Sat, May 3, 2014 9:14 PM
Hi Robert,
this is strange indeed, although there are several reports of things
working out very badly with renesas controllers, so try and stick with the
Intel one; Ettus actively does not recommend using any Renesas control,
since they have problems implementing the USB3.0 standard.
Access is always done using UHD (ExtIO is just an interface for which
Balint wrote an UHD wrapper), just to clear up on that.
You could try one of the binaries from the examples supplied with uhd, for
example rx_samples_to_udp,or _to_file and see if it runs without a GUI on
top for the desired amount of time (warning: 15 minutes of 8Msam/s will be
around 29 GB, so make sure you're not filling up your SSD inadvertently).
All the best,
Marcus
On Sat, May 3, 2014 at 10:49 PM, Robert J. McIntyre via USRP-users <
usrp-users@lists.ettus.com> wrote:
Hoping that someone can help me, and I can help the group with diagnosing
very frequent "lockups" of SDR software when using the B200.
My system is (roughly):
B200
USB 3 via a Renesas controller (though the same thing happens with an Intel
controller, and another Renesas controller on my laptop)
UHD 003.007.001
Core i7 with 16GB RAM
Regardless of whether I use SDR Sharp, or SDR Console, about every 5-10
minutes of using the SDR as a receiver (clicking around within the
bandwidth, etc.), both software will "lock up", in that they'll continue to
run the waterfall, but there won't be any data displayed. If I
stop/restart
the radio (via the SDR software radio selection options) it will almost
always come back to life, for 5-10 minutes, and then die again.
I've set the sample rate to 8Msps, and get zero dropped/lost/overruns using
benchmark_rate.exe.
I'd love to help investigate this, but am looking for some help in where to
start. Based on the fact that it affects multiple programs, which use
different access methods (UHD vs. ExtIO), it seems like it's not the
individual software packages, but rather either my system in general, or
somewhere from UHD down through the firmware/FPGA image.
Thoughts?
Thanks!
Robert
USRP-users mailing list
USRP-users@lists.ettus.com
http://lists.ettus.com/mailman/listinfo/usrp-users_lists.ettus.com
Hi Robert,
this is strange indeed, although there are several reports of things
working out very badly with renesas controllers, so try and stick with the
Intel one; Ettus actively does not recommend using any Renesas control,
since they have problems implementing the USB3.0 standard.
Access is always done using UHD (ExtIO is just an interface for which
Balint wrote an UHD wrapper), just to clear up on that.
You could try one of the binaries from the examples supplied with uhd, for
example rx_samples_to_udp,or _to_file and see if it runs without a GUI on
top for the desired amount of time (warning: 15 minutes of 8Msam/s will be
around 29 GB, so make sure you're not filling up your SSD inadvertently).
All the best,
Marcus
On Sat, May 3, 2014 at 10:49 PM, Robert J. McIntyre via USRP-users <
usrp-users@lists.ettus.com> wrote:
> Hoping that someone can help me, and I can help the group with diagnosing
> very frequent "lockups" of SDR software when using the B200.
>
> My system is (roughly):
>
> B200
> USB 3 via a Renesas controller (though the same thing happens with an Intel
> controller, and another Renesas controller on my laptop)
> UHD 003.007.001
> Core i7 with 16GB RAM
>
> Regardless of whether I use SDR Sharp, or SDR Console, about every 5-10
> minutes of using the SDR as a receiver (clicking around within the
> bandwidth, etc.), both software will "lock up", in that they'll continue to
> run the waterfall, but there won't be any data displayed. If I
> stop/restart
> the radio (via the SDR software radio selection options) it will almost
> always come back to life, for 5-10 minutes, and then die again.
>
> I've set the sample rate to 8Msps, and get zero dropped/lost/overruns using
> benchmark_rate.exe.
>
> I'd love to help investigate this, but am looking for some help in where to
> start. Based on the fact that it affects multiple programs, which use
> different access methods (UHD vs. ExtIO), it seems like it's not the
> individual software packages, but rather either my system in general, or
> somewhere from UHD down through the firmware/FPGA image.
>
> Thoughts?
>
> Thanks!
> Robert
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> USRP-users mailing list
> USRP-users@lists.ettus.com
> http://lists.ettus.com/mailman/listinfo/usrp-users_lists.ettus.com
>
RJ
Robert J. McIntyre via USRP-users
Sat, May 3, 2014 9:37 PM
Thanks, Marcus. It definitely seems to be related to sample rate: I dropped down to 2 Msps, and then 4 Msps, and was able to use it fine. Jumping to 8, however, caused almost immediate issues.
I switched to the Intel controller, and it seems to be more stable, even having gone as long as 15-20 minutes at 16Msps without issue, but strangely I tend to have better benchmark results with the renesas one. So, one gives better long-term uptime, the other gives less overruns/dropped samples on the benchmarks. :| I’ve tried two different VIA controllers (built on VL801 and VL805), but neither one would actually load the firmware to the B200, despite other devices working fine.
I do understand the UHD/ExtIO interaction, but I suppose that there could be an issue with the ExtIO code calling into UHD, but since the symptoms happen with or without ExtIO, it points to something further down the stack. :)
Any tips on getting the VIA controllers to work? I’d like to at least be able to benchmark one. :)
Thanks!!!!!
Robert
From: Marcus Müller [mailto:marcus.mueller@ettus.com]
Sent: Saturday, May 03, 2014 2:14 PM
To: Robert J. McIntyre
Cc: usrp-users@lists.ettus.com
Subject: Re: [USRP-users] Help diagnosing SDR software lockups when using B200?
Hi Robert,
this is strange indeed, although there are several reports of things working out very badly with renesas controllers, so try and stick with the Intel one; Ettus actively does not recommend using any Renesas control, since they have problems implementing the USB3.0 standard.
Access is always done using UHD (ExtIO is just an interface for which Balint wrote an UHD wrapper), just to clear up on that.
You could try one of the binaries from the examples supplied with uhd, for example rx_samples_to_udp,or _to_file and see if it runs without a GUI on top for the desired amount of time (warning: 15 minutes of 8Msam/s will be around 29 GB, so make sure you're not filling up your SSD inadvertently).
All the best,
Marcus
On Sat, May 3, 2014 at 10:49 PM, Robert J. McIntyre via USRP-users <usrp-users@lists.ettus.com mailto:usrp-users@lists.ettus.com > wrote:
Hoping that someone can help me, and I can help the group with diagnosing
very frequent "lockups" of SDR software when using the B200.
My system is (roughly):
B200
USB 3 via a Renesas controller (though the same thing happens with an Intel
controller, and another Renesas controller on my laptop)
UHD 003.007.001
Core i7 with 16GB RAM
Regardless of whether I use SDR Sharp, or SDR Console, about every 5-10
minutes of using the SDR as a receiver (clicking around within the
bandwidth, etc.), both software will "lock up", in that they'll continue to
run the waterfall, but there won't be any data displayed. If I stop/restart
the radio (via the SDR software radio selection options) it will almost
always come back to life, for 5-10 minutes, and then die again.
I've set the sample rate to 8Msps, and get zero dropped/lost/overruns using
benchmark_rate.exe.
I'd love to help investigate this, but am looking for some help in where to
start. Based on the fact that it affects multiple programs, which use
different access methods (UHD vs. ExtIO), it seems like it's not the
individual software packages, but rather either my system in general, or
somewhere from UHD down through the firmware/FPGA image.
Thoughts?
Thanks!
Robert
USRP-users mailing list
USRP-users@lists.ettus.com mailto:USRP-users@lists.ettus.com
http://lists.ettus.com/mailman/listinfo/usrp-users_lists.ettus.com
Thanks, Marcus. It definitely seems to be related to sample rate: I dropped down to 2 Msps, and then 4 Msps, and was able to use it fine. Jumping to 8, however, caused almost immediate issues.
I switched to the Intel controller, and it seems to be more stable, even having gone as long as 15-20 minutes at 16Msps without issue, but strangely I tend to have better benchmark results with the renesas one. So, one gives better long-term uptime, the other gives less overruns/dropped samples on the benchmarks. :| I’ve tried two different VIA controllers (built on VL801 and VL805), but neither one would actually load the firmware to the B200, despite other devices working fine.
I do understand the UHD/ExtIO interaction, but I suppose that there could be an issue with the ExtIO code calling into UHD, but since the symptoms happen with or without ExtIO, it points to something further down the stack. :)
Any tips on getting the VIA controllers to work? I’d like to at least be able to benchmark one. :)
Thanks!!!!!
Robert
From: Marcus Müller [mailto:marcus.mueller@ettus.com]
Sent: Saturday, May 03, 2014 2:14 PM
To: Robert J. McIntyre
Cc: usrp-users@lists.ettus.com
Subject: Re: [USRP-users] Help diagnosing SDR software lockups when using B200?
Hi Robert,
this is strange indeed, although there are several reports of things working out very badly with renesas controllers, so try and stick with the Intel one; Ettus actively does not recommend using any Renesas control, since they have problems implementing the USB3.0 standard.
Access is always done using UHD (ExtIO is just an interface for which Balint wrote an UHD wrapper), just to clear up on that.
You could try one of the binaries from the examples supplied with uhd, for example rx_samples_to_udp,or _to_file and see if it runs without a GUI on top for the desired amount of time (warning: 15 minutes of 8Msam/s will be around 29 GB, so make sure you're not filling up your SSD inadvertently).
All the best,
Marcus
On Sat, May 3, 2014 at 10:49 PM, Robert J. McIntyre via USRP-users <usrp-users@lists.ettus.com <mailto:usrp-users@lists.ettus.com> > wrote:
Hoping that someone can help me, and I can help the group with diagnosing
very frequent "lockups" of SDR software when using the B200.
My system is (roughly):
B200
USB 3 via a Renesas controller (though the same thing happens with an Intel
controller, and another Renesas controller on my laptop)
UHD 003.007.001
Core i7 with 16GB RAM
Regardless of whether I use SDR Sharp, or SDR Console, about every 5-10
minutes of using the SDR as a receiver (clicking around within the
bandwidth, etc.), both software will "lock up", in that they'll continue to
run the waterfall, but there won't be any data displayed. If I stop/restart
the radio (via the SDR software radio selection options) it will almost
always come back to life, for 5-10 minutes, and then die again.
I've set the sample rate to 8Msps, and get zero dropped/lost/overruns using
benchmark_rate.exe.
I'd love to help investigate this, but am looking for some help in where to
start. Based on the fact that it affects multiple programs, which use
different access methods (UHD vs. ExtIO), it seems like it's not the
individual software packages, but rather either my system in general, or
somewhere from UHD down through the firmware/FPGA image.
Thoughts?
Thanks!
Robert
_______________________________________________
USRP-users mailing list
USRP-users@lists.ettus.com <mailto:USRP-users@lists.ettus.com>
http://lists.ettus.com/mailman/listinfo/usrp-users_lists.ettus.com
MD
Marcus D. Leech via USRP-users
Sat, May 3, 2014 9:49 PM
On 05/03/2014 05:37 PM, Robert J. McIntyre via USRP-users wrote:
Thanks, Marcus. It definitely seems to be related to sample rate: I
dropped down to 2 Msps, and then 4 Msps, and was able to use it fine.
Jumping to 8, however, caused almost immediate issues.
I switched to the Intel controller, and it seems to be more stable,
even having gone as long as 15-20 minutes at 16Msps without issue, but
strangely I tend to have better benchmark results with the renesas
one. So, one gives better long-term uptime, the other gives less
overruns/dropped samples on the benchmarks. K I’ve tried two
different VIA controllers (built on VL801 and VL805), but neither one
would actually load the firmware to the B200, despite other devices
working fine.
I do understand the UHD/ExtIO interaction, but I suppose that there
could be an issue with the ExtIO code calling into UHD, but since the
symptoms happen with or without ExtIO, it points to something further
down the stack. J
Any tips on getting the VIA controllers to work? I’d like to at least
be able to benchmark one. J
Thanks!!!!!
Robert
*From:*Marcus Müller [mailto:marcus.mueller@ettus.com]
Sent: Saturday, May 03, 2014 2:14 PM
To: Robert J. McIntyre
Cc: usrp-users@lists.ettus.com
Subject: Re: [USRP-users] Help diagnosing SDR software lockups when
using B200?
Hi Robert,
this is strange indeed, although there are several reports of things
working out very badly with renesas controllers, so try and stick with
the Intel one; Ettus actively does not recommend using any Renesas
control, since they have problems implementing the USB3.0 standard.
Access is always done using UHD (ExtIO is just an interface for which
Balint wrote an UHD wrapper), just to clear up on that.
You could try one of the binaries from the examples supplied with uhd,
for example rx_samples_to_udp,or _to_file and see if it runs without a
GUI on top for the desired amount of time (warning: 15 minutes of
8Msam/s will be around 29 GB, so make sure you're not filling up your
SSD inadvertently).
All the best,
Marcus
On Sat, May 3, 2014 at 10:49 PM, Robert J. McIntyre via USRP-users
<usrp-users@lists.ettus.com mailto:usrp-users@lists.ettus.com> wrote:
Hoping that someone can help me, and I can help the group with
diagnosing
very frequent "lockups" of SDR software when using the B200.
My system is (roughly):
B200
USB 3 via a Renesas controller (though the same thing happens with
an Intel
controller, and another Renesas controller on my laptop)
UHD 003.007.001
Core i7 with 16GB RAM
Regardless of whether I use SDR Sharp, or SDR Console, about every
5-10
minutes of using the SDR as a receiver (clicking around within the
bandwidth, etc.), both software will "lock up", in that they'll
continue to
run the waterfall, but there won't be any data displayed. If I
stop/restart
the radio (via the SDR software radio selection options) it will
almost
always come back to life, for 5-10 minutes, and then die again.
I've set the sample rate to 8Msps, and get zero
dropped/lost/overruns using
benchmark_rate.exe.
I'd love to help investigate this, but am looking for some help in
where to
start. Based on the fact that it affects multiple programs, which use
different access methods (UHD vs. ExtIO), it seems like it's not the
individual software packages, but rather either my system in
general, or
somewhere from UHD down through the firmware/FPGA image.
Thoughts?
Thanks!
Robert
_______________________________________________
USRP-users mailing list
USRP-users@lists.ettus.com <mailto:USRP-users@lists.ettus.com>
http://lists.ettus.com/mailman/listinfo/usrp-users_lists.ettus.com
USRP-users mailing list
USRP-users@lists.ettus.com
http://lists.ettus.com/mailman/listinfo/usrp-users_lists.ettus.com
Make sure your Windows drivers for these controllers are up-to-date.
--
Marcus Leech
Principal Investigator
Shirleys Bay Radio Astronomy Consortium
http://www.sbrac.org
On 05/03/2014 05:37 PM, Robert J. McIntyre via USRP-users wrote:
>
> Thanks, Marcus. It definitely seems to be related to sample rate: I
> dropped down to 2 Msps, and then 4 Msps, and was able to use it fine.
> Jumping to 8, however, caused almost immediate issues.
>
> I switched to the Intel controller, and it seems to be more stable,
> even having gone as long as 15-20 minutes at 16Msps without issue, but
> strangely I tend to have better benchmark results with the renesas
> one. So, one gives better long-term uptime, the other gives less
> overruns/dropped samples on the benchmarks. K I’ve tried two
> different VIA controllers (built on VL801 and VL805), but neither one
> would actually load the firmware to the B200, despite other devices
> working fine.
>
> I do understand the UHD/ExtIO interaction, but I suppose that there
> could be an issue with the ExtIO code calling into UHD, but since the
> symptoms happen with or without ExtIO, it points to something further
> down the stack. J
>
> Any tips on getting the VIA controllers to work? I’d like to at least
> be able to benchmark one. J
>
> Thanks!!!!!
>
> Robert
>
> *From:*Marcus Müller [mailto:marcus.mueller@ettus.com]
> *Sent:* Saturday, May 03, 2014 2:14 PM
> *To:* Robert J. McIntyre
> *Cc:* usrp-users@lists.ettus.com
> *Subject:* Re: [USRP-users] Help diagnosing SDR software lockups when
> using B200?
>
> Hi Robert,
>
> this is strange indeed, although there are several reports of things
> working out very badly with renesas controllers, so try and stick with
> the Intel one; Ettus actively does not recommend using any Renesas
> control, since they have problems implementing the USB3.0 standard.
> Access is always done using UHD (ExtIO is just an interface for which
> Balint wrote an UHD wrapper), just to clear up on that.
>
> You could try one of the binaries from the examples supplied with uhd,
> for example rx_samples_to_udp,or _to_file and see if it runs without a
> GUI on top for the desired amount of time (warning: 15 minutes of
> 8Msam/s will be around 29 GB, so make sure you're not filling up your
> SSD inadvertently).
>
> All the best,
> Marcus
>
> On Sat, May 3, 2014 at 10:49 PM, Robert J. McIntyre via USRP-users
> <usrp-users@lists.ettus.com <mailto:usrp-users@lists.ettus.com>> wrote:
>
> Hoping that someone can help me, and I can help the group with
> diagnosing
> very frequent "lockups" of SDR software when using the B200.
>
> My system is (roughly):
>
> B200
> USB 3 via a Renesas controller (though the same thing happens with
> an Intel
> controller, and another Renesas controller on my laptop)
> UHD 003.007.001
> Core i7 with 16GB RAM
>
> Regardless of whether I use SDR Sharp, or SDR Console, about every
> 5-10
> minutes of using the SDR as a receiver (clicking around within the
> bandwidth, etc.), both software will "lock up", in that they'll
> continue to
> run the waterfall, but there won't be any data displayed. If I
> stop/restart
> the radio (via the SDR software radio selection options) it will
> almost
> always come back to life, for 5-10 minutes, and then die again.
>
> I've set the sample rate to 8Msps, and get zero
> dropped/lost/overruns using
> benchmark_rate.exe.
>
> I'd love to help investigate this, but am looking for some help in
> where to
> start. Based on the fact that it affects multiple programs, which use
> different access methods (UHD vs. ExtIO), it seems like it's not the
> individual software packages, but rather either my system in
> general, or
> somewhere from UHD down through the firmware/FPGA image.
>
> Thoughts?
>
> Thanks!
> Robert
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> USRP-users mailing list
> USRP-users@lists.ettus.com <mailto:USRP-users@lists.ettus.com>
> http://lists.ettus.com/mailman/listinfo/usrp-users_lists.ettus.com
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> USRP-users mailing list
> USRP-users@lists.ettus.com
> http://lists.ettus.com/mailman/listinfo/usrp-users_lists.ettus.com
Make sure your Windows drivers for these controllers are up-to-date.
--
Marcus Leech
Principal Investigator
Shirleys Bay Radio Astronomy Consortium
http://www.sbrac.org
RJ
Robert J. McIntyre via USRP-users
Sat, May 3, 2014 10:15 PM
I’ve downloaded the latest drivers off the VIA website (which are newer than the cards’ manufacturers’ drivers), as well as the manufacturers’ drivers. A variety of USB devices will work with that card, and the Device Manager shows the B200 as a “WestBridge” device attached to the controller, and the power light on the B200 is on.
When trying to run the benchmark utility (or start SDR Sharp via ExtIO), I get:
Creating the usrp device with: ...
Error: LookupError: KeyError: No devices found for ----->
Empty Device Address
Plugging the B200 into the onboard (Intel) controller makes it work as expected.
This exact thing happens with both different VIA cards. I’ve reinstalled the drivers for the cards, as well as UHD. If I put the Renesas controller back in, it will work fine from it.
Thanks!
Robert
From: USRP-users [mailto:usrp-users-bounces@lists.ettus.com] On Behalf Of Marcus D. Leech via USRP-users
Sent: Saturday, May 03, 2014 2:49 PM
To: usrp-users@lists.ettus.com
Subject: Re: [USRP-users] Help diagnosing SDR software lockups when using B200?
On 05/03/2014 05:37 PM, Robert J. McIntyre via USRP-users wrote:
Thanks, Marcus. It definitely seems to be related to sample rate: I dropped down to 2 Msps, and then 4 Msps, and was able to use it fine. Jumping to 8, however, caused almost immediate issues.
I switched to the Intel controller, and it seems to be more stable, even having gone as long as 15-20 minutes at 16Msps without issue, but strangely I tend to have better benchmark results with the renesas one. So, one gives better long-term uptime, the other gives less overruns/dropped samples on the benchmarks. :| I’ve tried two different VIA controllers (built on VL801 and VL805), but neither one would actually load the firmware to the B200, despite other devices working fine.
I do understand the UHD/ExtIO interaction, but I suppose that there could be an issue with the ExtIO code calling into UHD, but since the symptoms happen with or without ExtIO, it points to something further down the stack. :)
Any tips on getting the VIA controllers to work? I’d like to at least be able to benchmark one. :)
Thanks!!!!!
Robert
From: Marcus Müller [mailto:marcus.mueller@ettus.com]
Sent: Saturday, May 03, 2014 2:14 PM
To: Robert J. McIntyre
Cc: usrp-users@lists.ettus.com mailto:usrp-users@lists.ettus.com
Subject: Re: [USRP-users] Help diagnosing SDR software lockups when using B200?
Hi Robert,
this is strange indeed, although there are several reports of things working out very badly with renesas controllers, so try and stick with the Intel one; Ettus actively does not recommend using any Renesas control, since they have problems implementing the USB3.0 standard.
Access is always done using UHD (ExtIO is just an interface for which Balint wrote an UHD wrapper), just to clear up on that.
You could try one of the binaries from the examples supplied with uhd, for example rx_samples_to_udp,or _to_file and see if it runs without a GUI on top for the desired amount of time (warning: 15 minutes of 8Msam/s will be around 29 GB, so make sure you're not filling up your SSD inadvertently).
All the best,
Marcus
On Sat, May 3, 2014 at 10:49 PM, Robert J. McIntyre via USRP-users <usrp-users@lists.ettus.com mailto:usrp-users@lists.ettus.com > wrote:
Hoping that someone can help me, and I can help the group with diagnosing
very frequent "lockups" of SDR software when using the B200.
My system is (roughly):
B200
USB 3 via a Renesas controller (though the same thing happens with an Intel
controller, and another Renesas controller on my laptop)
UHD 003.007.001
Core i7 with 16GB RAM
Regardless of whether I use SDR Sharp, or SDR Console, about every 5-10
minutes of using the SDR as a receiver (clicking around within the
bandwidth, etc.), both software will "lock up", in that they'll continue to
run the waterfall, but there won't be any data displayed. If I stop/restart
the radio (via the SDR software radio selection options) it will almost
always come back to life, for 5-10 minutes, and then die again.
I've set the sample rate to 8Msps, and get zero dropped/lost/overruns using
benchmark_rate.exe.
I'd love to help investigate this, but am looking for some help in where to
start. Based on the fact that it affects multiple programs, which use
different access methods (UHD vs. ExtIO), it seems like it's not the
individual software packages, but rather either my system in general, or
somewhere from UHD down through the firmware/FPGA image.
Thoughts?
Thanks!
Robert
USRP-users mailing list
USRP-users@lists.ettus.com mailto:USRP-users@lists.ettus.com
http://lists.ettus.com/mailman/listinfo/usrp-users_lists.ettus.com
USRP-users mailing list
USRP-users@lists.ettus.com mailto:USRP-users@lists.ettus.com
http://lists.ettus.com/mailman/listinfo/usrp-users_lists.ettus.com
Make sure your Windows drivers for these controllers are up-to-date.
--
Marcus Leech
Principal Investigator
Shirleys Bay Radio Astronomy Consortium
http://www.sbrac.org
I’ve downloaded the latest drivers off the VIA website (which are newer than the cards’ manufacturers’ drivers), as well as the manufacturers’ drivers. A variety of USB devices will work with that card, and the Device Manager shows the B200 as a “WestBridge” device attached to the controller, and the power light on the B200 is on.
When trying to run the benchmark utility (or start SDR Sharp via ExtIO), I get:
Creating the usrp device with: ...
Error: LookupError: KeyError: No devices found for ----->
Empty Device Address
Plugging the B200 into the onboard (Intel) controller makes it work as expected.
This exact thing happens with both different VIA cards. I’ve reinstalled the drivers for the cards, as well as UHD. If I put the Renesas controller back in, it will work fine from it.
Thanks!
Robert
From: USRP-users [mailto:usrp-users-bounces@lists.ettus.com] On Behalf Of Marcus D. Leech via USRP-users
Sent: Saturday, May 03, 2014 2:49 PM
To: usrp-users@lists.ettus.com
Subject: Re: [USRP-users] Help diagnosing SDR software lockups when using B200?
On 05/03/2014 05:37 PM, Robert J. McIntyre via USRP-users wrote:
Thanks, Marcus. It definitely seems to be related to sample rate: I dropped down to 2 Msps, and then 4 Msps, and was able to use it fine. Jumping to 8, however, caused almost immediate issues.
I switched to the Intel controller, and it seems to be more stable, even having gone as long as 15-20 minutes at 16Msps without issue, but strangely I tend to have better benchmark results with the renesas one. So, one gives better long-term uptime, the other gives less overruns/dropped samples on the benchmarks. :| I’ve tried two different VIA controllers (built on VL801 and VL805), but neither one would actually load the firmware to the B200, despite other devices working fine.
I do understand the UHD/ExtIO interaction, but I suppose that there could be an issue with the ExtIO code calling into UHD, but since the symptoms happen with or without ExtIO, it points to something further down the stack. :)
Any tips on getting the VIA controllers to work? I’d like to at least be able to benchmark one. :)
Thanks!!!!!
Robert
From: Marcus Müller [mailto:marcus.mueller@ettus.com]
Sent: Saturday, May 03, 2014 2:14 PM
To: Robert J. McIntyre
Cc: usrp-users@lists.ettus.com <mailto:usrp-users@lists.ettus.com>
Subject: Re: [USRP-users] Help diagnosing SDR software lockups when using B200?
Hi Robert,
this is strange indeed, although there are several reports of things working out very badly with renesas controllers, so try and stick with the Intel one; Ettus actively does not recommend using any Renesas control, since they have problems implementing the USB3.0 standard.
Access is always done using UHD (ExtIO is just an interface for which Balint wrote an UHD wrapper), just to clear up on that.
You could try one of the binaries from the examples supplied with uhd, for example rx_samples_to_udp,or _to_file and see if it runs without a GUI on top for the desired amount of time (warning: 15 minutes of 8Msam/s will be around 29 GB, so make sure you're not filling up your SSD inadvertently).
All the best,
Marcus
On Sat, May 3, 2014 at 10:49 PM, Robert J. McIntyre via USRP-users <usrp-users@lists.ettus.com <mailto:usrp-users@lists.ettus.com> > wrote:
Hoping that someone can help me, and I can help the group with diagnosing
very frequent "lockups" of SDR software when using the B200.
My system is (roughly):
B200
USB 3 via a Renesas controller (though the same thing happens with an Intel
controller, and another Renesas controller on my laptop)
UHD 003.007.001
Core i7 with 16GB RAM
Regardless of whether I use SDR Sharp, or SDR Console, about every 5-10
minutes of using the SDR as a receiver (clicking around within the
bandwidth, etc.), both software will "lock up", in that they'll continue to
run the waterfall, but there won't be any data displayed. If I stop/restart
the radio (via the SDR software radio selection options) it will almost
always come back to life, for 5-10 minutes, and then die again.
I've set the sample rate to 8Msps, and get zero dropped/lost/overruns using
benchmark_rate.exe.
I'd love to help investigate this, but am looking for some help in where to
start. Based on the fact that it affects multiple programs, which use
different access methods (UHD vs. ExtIO), it seems like it's not the
individual software packages, but rather either my system in general, or
somewhere from UHD down through the firmware/FPGA image.
Thoughts?
Thanks!
Robert
_______________________________________________
USRP-users mailing list
USRP-users@lists.ettus.com <mailto:USRP-users@lists.ettus.com>
http://lists.ettus.com/mailman/listinfo/usrp-users_lists.ettus.com
_______________________________________________
USRP-users mailing list
USRP-users@lists.ettus.com <mailto:USRP-users@lists.ettus.com>
http://lists.ettus.com/mailman/listinfo/usrp-users_lists.ettus.com
Make sure your Windows drivers for these controllers are up-to-date.
--
Marcus Leech
Principal Investigator
Shirleys Bay Radio Astronomy Consortium
http://www.sbrac.org
MM
Marcus Müller via USRP-users
Sun, May 4, 2014 9:11 AM
Hi Robert,
for the benchmark utility, specifying
<executable> --args type=b200
should explicitely specify you're looking for USB3 devices. If that doesn't
help, make sure your USRP is found by the system at first.
Greetings,
Marcus
On Sun, May 4, 2014 at 12:15 AM, Robert J. McIntyre via USRP-users <
usrp-users@lists.ettus.com> wrote:
I’ve downloaded the latest drivers off the VIA website (which are newer
than the cards’ manufacturers’ drivers), as well as the manufacturers’
drivers. A variety of USB devices will work with that card, and the Device
Manager shows the B200 as a “WestBridge” device attached to the controller,
and the power light on the B200 is on.
When trying to run the benchmark utility (or start SDR Sharp via ExtIO), I
get:
Creating the usrp device with: ...
Error: LookupError: KeyError: No devices found for ----->
Empty Device Address
Plugging the B200 into the onboard (Intel) controller makes it work as
expected.
This exact thing happens with both different VIA cards. I’ve reinstalled
the drivers for the cards, as well as UHD. If I put the Renesas controller
back in, it will work fine from it.
Thanks!
Robert
From: USRP-users [mailto:usrp-users-bounces@lists.ettus.com] *On Behalf
Of *Marcus D. Leech via USRP-users
Sent: Saturday, May 03, 2014 2:49 PM
To: usrp-users@lists.ettus.com
Subject: Re: [USRP-users] Help diagnosing SDR software lockups when
using B200?
On 05/03/2014 05:37 PM, Robert J. McIntyre via USRP-users wrote:
Thanks, Marcus. It definitely seems to be related to sample rate: I
dropped down to 2 Msps, and then 4 Msps, and was able to use it fine.
Jumping to 8, however, caused almost immediate issues.
I switched to the Intel controller, and it seems to be more stable, even
having gone as long as 15-20 minutes at 16Msps without issue, but strangely
I tend to have better benchmark results with the renesas one. So, one
gives better long-term uptime, the other gives less overruns/dropped
samples on the benchmarks. K I’ve tried two different VIA controllers
(built on VL801 and VL805), but neither one would actually load the
firmware to the B200, despite other devices working fine.
I do understand the UHD/ExtIO interaction, but I suppose that there could
be an issue with the ExtIO code calling into UHD, but since the symptoms
happen with or without ExtIO, it points to something further down the
stack. J
Any tips on getting the VIA controllers to work? I’d like to at least be
able to benchmark one. J
Thanks!!!!!
Robert
From: Marcus Müller [mailto:marcus.mueller@ettus.commarcus.mueller@ettus.com]
Sent: Saturday, May 03, 2014 2:14 PM
To: Robert J. McIntyre
Cc: usrp-users@lists.ettus.com
Subject: Re: [USRP-users] Help diagnosing SDR software lockups when
using B200?
Hi Robert,
this is strange indeed, although there are several reports of things
working out very badly with renesas controllers, so try and stick with the
Intel one; Ettus actively does not recommend using any Renesas control,
since they have problems implementing the USB3.0 standard.
Access is always done using UHD (ExtIO is just an interface for which
Balint wrote an UHD wrapper), just to clear up on that.
You could try one of the binaries from the examples supplied with uhd, for
example rx_samples_to_udp,or _to_file and see if it runs without a GUI on
top for the desired amount of time (warning: 15 minutes of 8Msam/s will be
around 29 GB, so make sure you're not filling up your SSD inadvertently).
All the best,
Marcus
On Sat, May 3, 2014 at 10:49 PM, Robert J. McIntyre via USRP-users <
usrp-users@lists.ettus.com> wrote:
Hoping that someone can help me, and I can help the group with diagnosing
very frequent "lockups" of SDR software when using the B200.
My system is (roughly):
B200
USB 3 via a Renesas controller (though the same thing happens with an Intel
controller, and another Renesas controller on my laptop)
UHD 003.007.001
Core i7 with 16GB RAM
Regardless of whether I use SDR Sharp, or SDR Console, about every 5-10
minutes of using the SDR as a receiver (clicking around within the
bandwidth, etc.), both software will "lock up", in that they'll continue to
run the waterfall, but there won't be any data displayed. If I
stop/restart
the radio (via the SDR software radio selection options) it will almost
always come back to life, for 5-10 minutes, and then die again.
I've set the sample rate to 8Msps, and get zero dropped/lost/overruns using
benchmark_rate.exe.
I'd love to help investigate this, but am looking for some help in where to
start. Based on the fact that it affects multiple programs, which use
different access methods (UHD vs. ExtIO), it seems like it's not the
individual software packages, but rather either my system in general, or
somewhere from UHD down through the firmware/FPGA image.
Thoughts?
Thanks!
Robert
USRP-users mailing list
USRP-users@lists.ettus.com
http://lists.ettus.com/mailman/listinfo/usrp-users_lists.ettus.com
USRP-users mailing list
USRP-users@lists.ettus.com
http://lists.ettus.com/mailman/listinfo/usrp-users_lists.ettus.com
Make sure your Windows drivers for these controllers are up-to-date.
--
Marcus Leech
Principal Investigator
Shirleys Bay Radio Astronomy Consortium
http://www.sbrac.org
USRP-users mailing list
USRP-users@lists.ettus.com
http://lists.ettus.com/mailman/listinfo/usrp-users_lists.ettus.com
Hi Robert,
for the benchmark utility, specifying
<executable> --args type=b200
should explicitely specify you're looking for USB3 devices. If that doesn't
help, make sure your USRP is found by the system at first.
Greetings,
Marcus
On Sun, May 4, 2014 at 12:15 AM, Robert J. McIntyre via USRP-users <
usrp-users@lists.ettus.com> wrote:
> I’ve downloaded the latest drivers off the VIA website (which are newer
> than the cards’ manufacturers’ drivers), as well as the manufacturers’
> drivers. A variety of USB devices will work with that card, and the Device
> Manager shows the B200 as a “WestBridge” device attached to the controller,
> and the power light on the B200 is on.
>
>
>
> When trying to run the benchmark utility (or start SDR Sharp via ExtIO), I
> get:
>
>
>
> Creating the usrp device with: ...
>
> Error: LookupError: KeyError: No devices found for ----->
>
> Empty Device Address
>
>
>
> Plugging the B200 into the onboard (Intel) controller makes it work as
> expected.
>
>
>
> This exact thing happens with both different VIA cards. I’ve reinstalled
> the drivers for the cards, as well as UHD. If I put the Renesas controller
> back in, it will work fine from it.
>
>
>
> Thanks!
>
> Robert
>
>
>
>
>
> *From:* USRP-users [mailto:usrp-users-bounces@lists.ettus.com] *On Behalf
> Of *Marcus D. Leech via USRP-users
> *Sent:* Saturday, May 03, 2014 2:49 PM
> *To:* usrp-users@lists.ettus.com
>
> *Subject:* Re: [USRP-users] Help diagnosing SDR software lockups when
> using B200?
>
>
>
> On 05/03/2014 05:37 PM, Robert J. McIntyre via USRP-users wrote:
>
> Thanks, Marcus. It definitely seems to be related to sample rate: I
> dropped down to 2 Msps, and then 4 Msps, and was able to use it fine.
> Jumping to 8, however, caused almost immediate issues.
>
>
>
> I switched to the Intel controller, and it seems to be more stable, even
> having gone as long as 15-20 minutes at 16Msps without issue, but strangely
> I tend to have better benchmark results with the renesas one. So, one
> gives better long-term uptime, the other gives less overruns/dropped
> samples on the benchmarks. K I’ve tried two different VIA controllers
> (built on VL801 and VL805), but neither one would actually load the
> firmware to the B200, despite other devices working fine.
>
>
>
> I do understand the UHD/ExtIO interaction, but I suppose that there could
> be an issue with the ExtIO code calling into UHD, but since the symptoms
> happen with or without ExtIO, it points to something further down the
> stack. J
>
>
>
> Any tips on getting the VIA controllers to work? I’d like to at least be
> able to benchmark one. J
>
>
>
> Thanks!!!!!
>
> Robert
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> *From:* Marcus Müller [mailto:marcus.mueller@ettus.com<marcus.mueller@ettus.com>]
>
> *Sent:* Saturday, May 03, 2014 2:14 PM
> *To:* Robert J. McIntyre
> *Cc:* usrp-users@lists.ettus.com
> *Subject:* Re: [USRP-users] Help diagnosing SDR software lockups when
> using B200?
>
>
>
> Hi Robert,
>
> this is strange indeed, although there are several reports of things
> working out very badly with renesas controllers, so try and stick with the
> Intel one; Ettus actively does not recommend using any Renesas control,
> since they have problems implementing the USB3.0 standard.
> Access is always done using UHD (ExtIO is just an interface for which
> Balint wrote an UHD wrapper), just to clear up on that.
>
> You could try one of the binaries from the examples supplied with uhd, for
> example rx_samples_to_udp,or _to_file and see if it runs without a GUI on
> top for the desired amount of time (warning: 15 minutes of 8Msam/s will be
> around 29 GB, so make sure you're not filling up your SSD inadvertently).
>
> All the best,
> Marcus
>
>
>
>
>
> On Sat, May 3, 2014 at 10:49 PM, Robert J. McIntyre via USRP-users <
> usrp-users@lists.ettus.com> wrote:
>
> Hoping that someone can help me, and I can help the group with diagnosing
> very frequent "lockups" of SDR software when using the B200.
>
> My system is (roughly):
>
> B200
> USB 3 via a Renesas controller (though the same thing happens with an Intel
> controller, and another Renesas controller on my laptop)
> UHD 003.007.001
> Core i7 with 16GB RAM
>
> Regardless of whether I use SDR Sharp, or SDR Console, about every 5-10
> minutes of using the SDR as a receiver (clicking around within the
> bandwidth, etc.), both software will "lock up", in that they'll continue to
> run the waterfall, but there won't be any data displayed. If I
> stop/restart
> the radio (via the SDR software radio selection options) it will almost
> always come back to life, for 5-10 minutes, and then die again.
>
> I've set the sample rate to 8Msps, and get zero dropped/lost/overruns using
> benchmark_rate.exe.
>
> I'd love to help investigate this, but am looking for some help in where to
> start. Based on the fact that it affects multiple programs, which use
> different access methods (UHD vs. ExtIO), it seems like it's not the
> individual software packages, but rather either my system in general, or
> somewhere from UHD down through the firmware/FPGA image.
>
> Thoughts?
>
> Thanks!
> Robert
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> USRP-users mailing list
> USRP-users@lists.ettus.com
> http://lists.ettus.com/mailman/listinfo/usrp-users_lists.ettus.com
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
>
> USRP-users mailing list
>
> USRP-users@lists.ettus.com
>
> http://lists.ettus.com/mailman/listinfo/usrp-users_lists.ettus.com
>
> Make sure your Windows drivers for these controllers are up-to-date.
>
>
>
>
> --
>
> Marcus Leech
>
> Principal Investigator
>
> Shirleys Bay Radio Astronomy Consortium
>
> http://www.sbrac.org
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> USRP-users mailing list
> USRP-users@lists.ettus.com
> http://lists.ettus.com/mailman/listinfo/usrp-users_lists.ettus.com
>
>
RJ
Robert J. McIntyre via USRP-users
Sun, May 4, 2014 6:23 PM
Thanks, Marcus. Specified the type=b200, and it’s still not being recognized, giving the same results as below, but with a “type: b200” notation.
My B200 is listed in device manager (on Win7) as a “WestBridge” device, which is how it seems to be listed until firmware is loaded, at which point it becomes an Ettus B200.
Thanks for your continued help.
--Robert
From: Marcus Müller [mailto:marcus.mueller@ettus.com]
Sent: Sunday, May 04, 2014 2:11 AM
To: Robert J. McIntyre
Cc: usrp-users@lists.ettus.com
Subject: Re: [USRP-users] Help diagnosing SDR software lockups when using B200?
Hi Robert,
for the benchmark utility, specifying
<executable> --args type=b200
should explicitely specify you're looking for USB3 devices. If that doesn't help, make sure your USRP is found by the system at first.
Greetings,
Marcus
On Sun, May 4, 2014 at 12:15 AM, Robert J. McIntyre via USRP-users <usrp-users@lists.ettus.com mailto:usrp-users@lists.ettus.com > wrote:
I’ve downloaded the latest drivers off the VIA website (which are newer than the cards’ manufacturers’ drivers), as well as the manufacturers’ drivers. A variety of USB devices will work with that card, and the Device Manager shows the B200 as a “WestBridge” device attached to the controller, and the power light on the B200 is on.
When trying to run the benchmark utility (or start SDR Sharp via ExtIO), I get:
Creating the usrp device with: ...
Error: LookupError: KeyError: No devices found for ----->
Empty Device Address
Plugging the B200 into the onboard (Intel) controller makes it work as expected.
This exact thing happens with both different VIA cards. I’ve reinstalled the drivers for the cards, as well as UHD. If I put the Renesas controller back in, it will work fine from it.
Thanks!
Robert
From: USRP-users [mailto:usrp-users-bounces@lists.ettus.com mailto:usrp-users-bounces@lists.ettus.com ] On Behalf Of Marcus D. Leech via USRP-users
Sent: Saturday, May 03, 2014 2:49 PM
To: usrp-users@lists.ettus.com mailto:usrp-users@lists.ettus.com
Subject: Re: [USRP-users] Help diagnosing SDR software lockups when using B200?
On 05/03/2014 05:37 PM, Robert J. McIntyre via USRP-users wrote:
Thanks, Marcus. It definitely seems to be related to sample rate: I dropped down to 2 Msps, and then 4 Msps, and was able to use it fine. Jumping to 8, however, caused almost immediate issues.
I switched to the Intel controller, and it seems to be more stable, even having gone as long as 15-20 minutes at 16Msps without issue, but strangely I tend to have better benchmark results with the renesas one. So, one gives better long-term uptime, the other gives less overruns/dropped samples on the benchmarks. :| I’ve tried two different VIA controllers (built on VL801 and VL805), but neither one would actually load the firmware to the B200, despite other devices working fine.
I do understand the UHD/ExtIO interaction, but I suppose that there could be an issue with the ExtIO code calling into UHD, but since the symptoms happen with or without ExtIO, it points to something further down the stack. :)
Any tips on getting the VIA controllers to work? I’d like to at least be able to benchmark one. :)
Thanks!!!!!
Robert
From: Marcus Müller [mailto:marcus.mueller@ettus.com]
Sent: Saturday, May 03, 2014 2:14 PM
To: Robert J. McIntyre
Cc: usrp-users@lists.ettus.com mailto:usrp-users@lists.ettus.com
Subject: Re: [USRP-users] Help diagnosing SDR software lockups when using B200?
Hi Robert,
this is strange indeed, although there are several reports of things working out very badly with renesas controllers, so try and stick with the Intel one; Ettus actively does not recommend using any Renesas control, since they have problems implementing the USB3.0 standard.
Access is always done using UHD (ExtIO is just an interface for which Balint wrote an UHD wrapper), just to clear up on that.
You could try one of the binaries from the examples supplied with uhd, for example rx_samples_to_udp,or _to_file and see if it runs without a GUI on top for the desired amount of time (warning: 15 minutes of 8Msam/s will be around 29 GB, so make sure you're not filling up your SSD inadvertently).
All the best,
Marcus
On Sat, May 3, 2014 at 10:49 PM, Robert J. McIntyre via USRP-users <usrp-users@lists.ettus.com mailto:usrp-users@lists.ettus.com > wrote:
Hoping that someone can help me, and I can help the group with diagnosing
very frequent "lockups" of SDR software when using the B200.
My system is (roughly):
B200
USB 3 via a Renesas controller (though the same thing happens with an Intel
controller, and another Renesas controller on my laptop)
UHD 003.007.001
Core i7 with 16GB RAM
Regardless of whether I use SDR Sharp, or SDR Console, about every 5-10
minutes of using the SDR as a receiver (clicking around within the
bandwidth, etc.), both software will "lock up", in that they'll continue to
run the waterfall, but there won't be any data displayed. If I stop/restart
the radio (via the SDR software radio selection options) it will almost
always come back to life, for 5-10 minutes, and then die again.
I've set the sample rate to 8Msps, and get zero dropped/lost/overruns using
benchmark_rate.exe.
I'd love to help investigate this, but am looking for some help in where to
start. Based on the fact that it affects multiple programs, which use
different access methods (UHD vs. ExtIO), it seems like it's not the
individual software packages, but rather either my system in general, or
somewhere from UHD down through the firmware/FPGA image.
Thoughts?
Thanks!
Robert
USRP-users mailing list
USRP-users@lists.ettus.com mailto:USRP-users@lists.ettus.com
http://lists.ettus.com/mailman/listinfo/usrp-users_lists.ettus.com
USRP-users mailing list
USRP-users@lists.ettus.com mailto:USRP-users@lists.ettus.com
http://lists.ettus.com/mailman/listinfo/usrp-users_lists.ettus.com
Make sure your Windows drivers for these controllers are up-to-date.
--
Marcus Leech
Principal Investigator
Shirleys Bay Radio Astronomy Consortium
http://www.sbrac.org
USRP-users mailing list
USRP-users@lists.ettus.com mailto:USRP-users@lists.ettus.com
http://lists.ettus.com/mailman/listinfo/usrp-users_lists.ettus.com
Thanks, Marcus. Specified the type=b200, and it’s still not being recognized, giving the same results as below, but with a “type: b200” notation.
My B200 is listed in device manager (on Win7) as a “WestBridge” device, which is how it seems to be listed until firmware is loaded, at which point it becomes an Ettus B200.
Thanks for your continued help.
--Robert
From: Marcus Müller [mailto:marcus.mueller@ettus.com]
Sent: Sunday, May 04, 2014 2:11 AM
To: Robert J. McIntyre
Cc: usrp-users@lists.ettus.com
Subject: Re: [USRP-users] Help diagnosing SDR software lockups when using B200?
Hi Robert,
for the benchmark utility, specifying
<executable> --args type=b200
should explicitely specify you're looking for USB3 devices. If that doesn't help, make sure your USRP is found by the system at first.
Greetings,
Marcus
On Sun, May 4, 2014 at 12:15 AM, Robert J. McIntyre via USRP-users <usrp-users@lists.ettus.com <mailto:usrp-users@lists.ettus.com> > wrote:
I’ve downloaded the latest drivers off the VIA website (which are newer than the cards’ manufacturers’ drivers), as well as the manufacturers’ drivers. A variety of USB devices will work with that card, and the Device Manager shows the B200 as a “WestBridge” device attached to the controller, and the power light on the B200 is on.
When trying to run the benchmark utility (or start SDR Sharp via ExtIO), I get:
Creating the usrp device with: ...
Error: LookupError: KeyError: No devices found for ----->
Empty Device Address
Plugging the B200 into the onboard (Intel) controller makes it work as expected.
This exact thing happens with both different VIA cards. I’ve reinstalled the drivers for the cards, as well as UHD. If I put the Renesas controller back in, it will work fine from it.
Thanks!
Robert
From: USRP-users [mailto:usrp-users-bounces@lists.ettus.com <mailto:usrp-users-bounces@lists.ettus.com> ] On Behalf Of Marcus D. Leech via USRP-users
Sent: Saturday, May 03, 2014 2:49 PM
To: usrp-users@lists.ettus.com <mailto:usrp-users@lists.ettus.com>
Subject: Re: [USRP-users] Help diagnosing SDR software lockups when using B200?
On 05/03/2014 05:37 PM, Robert J. McIntyre via USRP-users wrote:
Thanks, Marcus. It definitely seems to be related to sample rate: I dropped down to 2 Msps, and then 4 Msps, and was able to use it fine. Jumping to 8, however, caused almost immediate issues.
I switched to the Intel controller, and it seems to be more stable, even having gone as long as 15-20 minutes at 16Msps without issue, but strangely I tend to have better benchmark results with the renesas one. So, one gives better long-term uptime, the other gives less overruns/dropped samples on the benchmarks. :| I’ve tried two different VIA controllers (built on VL801 and VL805), but neither one would actually load the firmware to the B200, despite other devices working fine.
I do understand the UHD/ExtIO interaction, but I suppose that there could be an issue with the ExtIO code calling into UHD, but since the symptoms happen with or without ExtIO, it points to something further down the stack. :)
Any tips on getting the VIA controllers to work? I’d like to at least be able to benchmark one. :)
Thanks!!!!!
Robert
From: Marcus Müller [mailto:marcus.mueller@ettus.com]
Sent: Saturday, May 03, 2014 2:14 PM
To: Robert J. McIntyre
Cc: usrp-users@lists.ettus.com <mailto:usrp-users@lists.ettus.com>
Subject: Re: [USRP-users] Help diagnosing SDR software lockups when using B200?
Hi Robert,
this is strange indeed, although there are several reports of things working out very badly with renesas controllers, so try and stick with the Intel one; Ettus actively does not recommend using any Renesas control, since they have problems implementing the USB3.0 standard.
Access is always done using UHD (ExtIO is just an interface for which Balint wrote an UHD wrapper), just to clear up on that.
You could try one of the binaries from the examples supplied with uhd, for example rx_samples_to_udp,or _to_file and see if it runs without a GUI on top for the desired amount of time (warning: 15 minutes of 8Msam/s will be around 29 GB, so make sure you're not filling up your SSD inadvertently).
All the best,
Marcus
On Sat, May 3, 2014 at 10:49 PM, Robert J. McIntyre via USRP-users <usrp-users@lists.ettus.com <mailto:usrp-users@lists.ettus.com> > wrote:
Hoping that someone can help me, and I can help the group with diagnosing
very frequent "lockups" of SDR software when using the B200.
My system is (roughly):
B200
USB 3 via a Renesas controller (though the same thing happens with an Intel
controller, and another Renesas controller on my laptop)
UHD 003.007.001
Core i7 with 16GB RAM
Regardless of whether I use SDR Sharp, or SDR Console, about every 5-10
minutes of using the SDR as a receiver (clicking around within the
bandwidth, etc.), both software will "lock up", in that they'll continue to
run the waterfall, but there won't be any data displayed. If I stop/restart
the radio (via the SDR software radio selection options) it will almost
always come back to life, for 5-10 minutes, and then die again.
I've set the sample rate to 8Msps, and get zero dropped/lost/overruns using
benchmark_rate.exe.
I'd love to help investigate this, but am looking for some help in where to
start. Based on the fact that it affects multiple programs, which use
different access methods (UHD vs. ExtIO), it seems like it's not the
individual software packages, but rather either my system in general, or
somewhere from UHD down through the firmware/FPGA image.
Thoughts?
Thanks!
Robert
_______________________________________________
USRP-users mailing list
USRP-users@lists.ettus.com <mailto:USRP-users@lists.ettus.com>
http://lists.ettus.com/mailman/listinfo/usrp-users_lists.ettus.com
_______________________________________________
USRP-users mailing list
USRP-users@lists.ettus.com <mailto:USRP-users@lists.ettus.com>
http://lists.ettus.com/mailman/listinfo/usrp-users_lists.ettus.com
Make sure your Windows drivers for these controllers are up-to-date.
--
Marcus Leech
Principal Investigator
Shirleys Bay Radio Astronomy Consortium
http://www.sbrac.org
_______________________________________________
USRP-users mailing list
USRP-users@lists.ettus.com <mailto:USRP-users@lists.ettus.com>
http://lists.ettus.com/mailman/listinfo/usrp-users_lists.ettus.com
RM
Robert McIntyre via USRP-users
Tue, May 6, 2014 5:27 AM
To close the loop on this:
I reformatted my system and installed Win 8.1 Update from scratch, and used the stock Windows drivers for the VIA board, and it worked right out of the box. And, it's performance is spectacular. On my system, I can use 32Msps with very, very low overruns/dropped samples under the benchmark example, and it works equally well at 32Msps under SDR-Radio v2.2 build 1735.
So, I'm sold on the VIA boards now. :)
Thanks, Marcus, and everyone!
Robert
To: marcus.mueller@ettus.com; usrp-users@lists.ettus.com
Date: Sun, 4 May 2014 11:23:39 -0700
Subject: Re: [USRP-users] Help diagnosing SDR software lockups when using B200?
From: usrp-users@lists.ettus.com
Thanks, Marcus. Specified the type=b200, and it’s still not being recognized, giving the same results as below, but with a “type: b200” notation. My B200 is listed in device manager (on Win7) as a “WestBridge” device, which is how it seems to be listed until firmware is loaded, at which point it becomes an Ettus B200. Thanks for your continued help. --Robert From: Marcus Müller [mailto:marcus.mueller@ettus.com]
Sent: Sunday, May 04, 2014 2:11 AM
To: Robert J. McIntyre
Cc: usrp-users@lists.ettus.com
Subject: Re: [USRP-users] Help diagnosing SDR software lockups when using B200? Hi Robert, for the benchmark utility, specifying <executable> --args type=b200should explicitely specify you're looking for USB3 devices. If that doesn't help, make sure your USRP is found by the system at first.Greetings,Marcus On Sun, May 4, 2014 at 12:15 AM, Robert J. McIntyre via USRP-users usrp-users@lists.ettus.com wrote:I’ve downloaded the latest drivers off the VIA website (which are newer than the cards’ manufacturers’ drivers), as well as the manufacturers’ drivers. A variety of USB devices will work with that card, and the Device Manager shows the B200 as a “WestBridge” device attached to the controller, and the power light on the B200 is on. When trying to run the benchmark utility (or start SDR Sharp via ExtIO), I get: Creating the usrp device with: ...Error: LookupError: KeyError: No devices found for ----->Empty Device Address Plugging the B200 into the onboard (Intel) controller makes it work as expected. This exact thing happens with both different VIA cards. I’ve reinstalled the drivers for the cards, as well as UHD. If I put the Renesas controller back in, it will work fine from it. Thanks!Robert From: USRP-users [mailto:usrp-users-bounces@lists.ettus.com] On Behalf Of Marcus D. Leech via USRP-users
Sent: Saturday, May 03, 2014 2:49 PM
To: usrp-users@lists.ettus.com
Subject: Re: [USRP-users] Help diagnosing SDR software lockups when using B200? On 05/03/2014 05:37 PM, Robert J. McIntyre via USRP-users wrote: Thanks, Marcus. It definitely seems to be related to sample rate: I dropped down to 2 Msps, and then 4 Msps, and was able to use it fine. Jumping to 8, however, caused almost immediate issues. I switched to the Intel controller, and it seems to be more stable, even having gone as long as 15-20 minutes at 16Msps without issue, but strangely I tend to have better benchmark results with the renesas one. So, one gives better long-term uptime, the other gives less overruns/dropped samples on the benchmarks. K I’ve tried two different VIA controllers (built on VL801 and VL805), but neither one would actually load the firmware to the B200, despite other devices working fine. I do understand the UHD/ExtIO interaction, but I suppose that there could be an issue with the ExtIO code calling into UHD, but since the symptoms happen with or without ExtIO, it points to something further down the stack. J Any tips on getting the VIA controllers to work? I’d like to at least be able to benchmark one. J Thanks!!!!!Robert From: Marcus Müller [mailto:marcus.mueller@ettus.com]
Sent: Saturday, May 03, 2014 2:14 PM
To: Robert J. McIntyre
Cc: usrp-users@lists.ettus.com
Subject: Re: [USRP-users] Help diagnosing SDR software lockups when using B200? Hi Robert, this is strange indeed, although there are several reports of things working out very badly with renesas controllers, so try and stick with the Intel one; Ettus actively does not recommend using any Renesas control, since they have problems implementing the USB3.0 standard.
Access is always done using UHD (ExtIO is just an interface for which Balint wrote an UHD wrapper), just to clear up on that.You could try one of the binaries from the examples supplied with uhd, for example rx_samples_to_udp,or _to_file and see if it runs without a GUI on top for the desired amount of time (warning: 15 minutes of 8Msam/s will be around 29 GB, so make sure you're not filling up your SSD inadvertently).All the best,
Marcus On Sat, May 3, 2014 at 10:49 PM, Robert J. McIntyre via USRP-users usrp-users@lists.ettus.com wrote:Hoping that someone can help me, and I can help the group with diagnosing
very frequent "lockups" of SDR software when using the B200.
My system is (roughly):
B200
USB 3 via a Renesas controller (though the same thing happens with an Intel
controller, and another Renesas controller on my laptop)
UHD 003.007.001
Core i7 with 16GB RAM
Regardless of whether I use SDR Sharp, or SDR Console, about every 5-10
minutes of using the SDR as a receiver (clicking around within the
bandwidth, etc.), both software will "lock up", in that they'll continue to
run the waterfall, but there won't be any data displayed. If I stop/restart
the radio (via the SDR software radio selection options) it will almost
always come back to life, for 5-10 minutes, and then die again.
I've set the sample rate to 8Msps, and get zero dropped/lost/overruns using
benchmark_rate.exe.
I'd love to help investigate this, but am looking for some help in where to
start. Based on the fact that it affects multiple programs, which use
different access methods (UHD vs. ExtIO), it seems like it's not the
individual software packages, but rather either my system in general, or
somewhere from UHD down through the firmware/FPGA image.
Thoughts?
Thanks!
Robert
USRP-users mailing list
USRP-users@lists.ettus.com
http://lists.ettus.com/mailman/listinfo/usrp-users_lists.ettus.com _______________________________________________USRP-users mailing listUSRP-users@lists.ettus.comhttp://lists.ettus.com/mailman/listinfo/usrp-users_lists.ettus.comMake sure your Windows drivers for these controllers are up-to-date.
-- Marcus LeechPrincipal Investigator Shirleys Bay Radio Astronomy Consortiumhttp://www.sbrac.org
USRP-users mailing list
USRP-users@lists.ettus.com
http://lists.ettus.com/mailman/listinfo/usrp-users_lists.ettus.com
USRP-users mailing list
USRP-users@lists.ettus.com
http://lists.ettus.com/mailman/listinfo/usrp-users_lists.ettus.com
To close the loop on this:
I reformatted my system and installed Win 8.1 Update from scratch, and used the stock Windows drivers for the VIA board, and it worked right out of the box. And, it's performance is spectacular. On my system, I can use 32Msps with very, very low overruns/dropped samples under the benchmark example, and it works equally well at 32Msps under SDR-Radio v2.2 build 1735.
So, I'm sold on the VIA boards now. :)
Thanks, Marcus, and everyone!
Robert
To: marcus.mueller@ettus.com; usrp-users@lists.ettus.com
Date: Sun, 4 May 2014 11:23:39 -0700
Subject: Re: [USRP-users] Help diagnosing SDR software lockups when using B200?
From: usrp-users@lists.ettus.com
Thanks, Marcus. Specified the type=b200, and it’s still not being recognized, giving the same results as below, but with a “type: b200” notation. My B200 is listed in device manager (on Win7) as a “WestBridge” device, which is how it seems to be listed until firmware is loaded, at which point it becomes an Ettus B200. Thanks for your continued help. --Robert From: Marcus Müller [mailto:marcus.mueller@ettus.com]
Sent: Sunday, May 04, 2014 2:11 AM
To: Robert J. McIntyre
Cc: usrp-users@lists.ettus.com
Subject: Re: [USRP-users] Help diagnosing SDR software lockups when using B200? Hi Robert, for the benchmark utility, specifying <executable> --args type=b200should explicitely specify you're looking for USB3 devices. If that doesn't help, make sure your USRP is found by the system at first.Greetings,Marcus On Sun, May 4, 2014 at 12:15 AM, Robert J. McIntyre via USRP-users <usrp-users@lists.ettus.com> wrote:I’ve downloaded the latest drivers off the VIA website (which are newer than the cards’ manufacturers’ drivers), as well as the manufacturers’ drivers. A variety of USB devices will work with that card, and the Device Manager shows the B200 as a “WestBridge” device attached to the controller, and the power light on the B200 is on. When trying to run the benchmark utility (or start SDR Sharp via ExtIO), I get: Creating the usrp device with: ...Error: LookupError: KeyError: No devices found for ----->Empty Device Address Plugging the B200 into the onboard (Intel) controller makes it work as expected. This exact thing happens with both different VIA cards. I’ve reinstalled the drivers for the cards, as well as UHD. If I put the Renesas controller back in, it will work fine from it. Thanks!Robert From: USRP-users [mailto:usrp-users-bounces@lists.ettus.com] On Behalf Of Marcus D. Leech via USRP-users
Sent: Saturday, May 03, 2014 2:49 PM
To: usrp-users@lists.ettus.com
Subject: Re: [USRP-users] Help diagnosing SDR software lockups when using B200? On 05/03/2014 05:37 PM, Robert J. McIntyre via USRP-users wrote: Thanks, Marcus. It definitely seems to be related to sample rate: I dropped down to 2 Msps, and then 4 Msps, and was able to use it fine. Jumping to 8, however, caused almost immediate issues. I switched to the Intel controller, and it seems to be more stable, even having gone as long as 15-20 minutes at 16Msps without issue, but strangely I tend to have better benchmark results with the renesas one. So, one gives better long-term uptime, the other gives less overruns/dropped samples on the benchmarks. K I’ve tried two different VIA controllers (built on VL801 and VL805), but neither one would actually load the firmware to the B200, despite other devices working fine. I do understand the UHD/ExtIO interaction, but I suppose that there could be an issue with the ExtIO code calling into UHD, but since the symptoms happen with or without ExtIO, it points to something further down the stack. J Any tips on getting the VIA controllers to work? I’d like to at least be able to benchmark one. J Thanks!!!!!Robert From: Marcus Müller [mailto:marcus.mueller@ettus.com]
Sent: Saturday, May 03, 2014 2:14 PM
To: Robert J. McIntyre
Cc: usrp-users@lists.ettus.com
Subject: Re: [USRP-users] Help diagnosing SDR software lockups when using B200? Hi Robert, this is strange indeed, although there are several reports of things working out very badly with renesas controllers, so try and stick with the Intel one; Ettus actively does not recommend using any Renesas control, since they have problems implementing the USB3.0 standard.
Access is always done using UHD (ExtIO is just an interface for which Balint wrote an UHD wrapper), just to clear up on that.You could try one of the binaries from the examples supplied with uhd, for example rx_samples_to_udp,or _to_file and see if it runs without a GUI on top for the desired amount of time (warning: 15 minutes of 8Msam/s will be around 29 GB, so make sure you're not filling up your SSD inadvertently).All the best,
Marcus On Sat, May 3, 2014 at 10:49 PM, Robert J. McIntyre via USRP-users <usrp-users@lists.ettus.com> wrote:Hoping that someone can help me, and I can help the group with diagnosing
very frequent "lockups" of SDR software when using the B200.
My system is (roughly):
B200
USB 3 via a Renesas controller (though the same thing happens with an Intel
controller, and another Renesas controller on my laptop)
UHD 003.007.001
Core i7 with 16GB RAM
Regardless of whether I use SDR Sharp, or SDR Console, about every 5-10
minutes of using the SDR as a receiver (clicking around within the
bandwidth, etc.), both software will "lock up", in that they'll continue to
run the waterfall, but there won't be any data displayed. If I stop/restart
the radio (via the SDR software radio selection options) it will almost
always come back to life, for 5-10 minutes, and then die again.
I've set the sample rate to 8Msps, and get zero dropped/lost/overruns using
benchmark_rate.exe.
I'd love to help investigate this, but am looking for some help in where to
start. Based on the fact that it affects multiple programs, which use
different access methods (UHD vs. ExtIO), it seems like it's not the
individual software packages, but rather either my system in general, or
somewhere from UHD down through the firmware/FPGA image.
Thoughts?
Thanks!
Robert
_______________________________________________
USRP-users mailing list
USRP-users@lists.ettus.com
http://lists.ettus.com/mailman/listinfo/usrp-users_lists.ettus.com _______________________________________________USRP-users mailing listUSRP-users@lists.ettus.comhttp://lists.ettus.com/mailman/listinfo/usrp-users_lists.ettus.comMake sure your Windows drivers for these controllers are up-to-date.
-- Marcus LeechPrincipal Investigator Shirleys Bay Radio Astronomy Consortiumhttp://www.sbrac.org
_______________________________________________
USRP-users mailing list
USRP-users@lists.ettus.com
http://lists.ettus.com/mailman/listinfo/usrp-users_lists.ettus.com
_______________________________________________
USRP-users mailing list
USRP-users@lists.ettus.com
http://lists.ettus.com/mailman/listinfo/usrp-users_lists.ettus.com
RM
Robert McIntyre via USRP-users
Tue, May 6, 2014 5:29 AM
To close the loop on this:
I reformatted my system and installed Win 8.1 Update from scratch, and used the stock Windows drivers for the VIA board, and it worked right out of the box. And, it's performance is spectacular. On my system, I can use 32Msps with very, very low overruns/dropped samples under the benchmark example, and it works equally well at 32Msps under SDR-Radio v2.2 build 1735.
So, I'm sold on the VIA boards now. :)
Thanks, Marcus, and everyone!
Robert
To: marcus.mueller@ettus.com; usrp-users@lists.ettus.com
Date: Sun, 4 May 2014 11:23:39 -0700
Subject: Re: [USRP-users] Help diagnosing SDR software lockups when using B200?
From: usrp-users@lists.ettus.com
Thanks, Marcus. Specified the type=b200, and it’s still not being recognized, giving the same results as below, but with a “type: b200” notation. My B200 is listed in device manager (on Win7) as a “WestBridge” device, which is how it seems to be listed until firmware is loaded, at which point it becomes an Ettus B200. Thanks for your continued help. --Robert From: Marcus Müller [mailto:marcus.mueller@ettus.com]
Sent: Sunday, May 04, 2014 2:11 AM
To: Robert J. McIntyre
Cc: usrp-users@lists.ettus.com
Subject: Re: [USRP-users] Help diagnosing SDR software lockups when using B200? Hi Robert, for the benchmark utility, specifying <executable> --args type=b200should explicitely specify you're looking for USB3 devices. If that doesn't help, make sure your USRP is found by the system at first.Greetings,Marcus On Sun, May 4, 2014 at 12:15 AM, Robert J. McIntyre via USRP-users usrp-users@lists.ettus.com wrote:I’ve downloaded the latest drivers off the VIA website (which are newer than the cards’ manufacturers’ drivers), as well as the manufacturers’ drivers. A variety of USB devices will work with that card, and the Device Manager shows the B200 as a “WestBridge” device attached to the controller, and the power light on the B200 is on. When trying to run the benchmark utility (or start SDR Sharp via ExtIO), I get: Creating the usrp device with: ...Error: LookupError: KeyError: No devices found for ----->Empty Device Address Plugging the B200 into the onboard (Intel) controller makes it work as expected. This exact thing happens with both different VIA cards. I’ve reinstalled the drivers for the cards, as well as UHD. If I put the Renesas controller back in, it will work fine from it. Thanks!Robert From: USRP-users [mailto:usrp-users-bounces@lists.ettus.com] On Behalf Of Marcus D. Leech via USRP-users
Sent: Saturday, May 03, 2014 2:49 PM
To: usrp-users@lists.ettus.com
Subject: Re: [USRP-users] Help diagnosing SDR software lockups when using B200? On 05/03/2014 05:37 PM, Robert J. McIntyre via USRP-users wrote: Thanks, Marcus. It definitely seems to be related to sample rate: I dropped down to 2 Msps, and then 4 Msps, and was able to use it fine. Jumping to 8, however, caused almost immediate issues. I switched to the Intel controller, and it seems to be more stable, even having gone as long as 15-20 minutes at 16Msps without issue, but strangely I tend to have better benchmark results with the renesas one. So, one gives better long-term uptime, the other gives less overruns/dropped samples on the benchmarks. K I’ve tried two different VIA controllers (built on VL801 and VL805), but neither one would actually load the firmware to the B200, despite other devices working fine. I do understand the UHD/ExtIO interaction, but I suppose that there could be an issue with the ExtIO code calling into UHD, but since the symptoms happen with or without ExtIO, it points to something further down the stack. J Any tips on getting the VIA controllers to work? I’d like to at least be able to benchmark one. J Thanks!!!!!Robert From: Marcus Müller [mailto:marcus.mueller@ettus.com]
Sent: Saturday, May 03, 2014 2:14 PM
To: Robert J. McIntyre
Cc: usrp-users@lists.ettus.com
Subject: Re: [USRP-users] Help diagnosing SDR software lockups when using B200? Hi Robert, this is strange indeed, although there are several reports of things working out very badly with renesas controllers, so try and stick with the Intel one; Ettus actively does not recommend using any Renesas control, since they have problems implementing the USB3.0 standard.
Access is always done using UHD (ExtIO is just an interface for which Balint wrote an UHD wrapper), just to clear up on that.You could try one of the binaries from the examples supplied with uhd, for example rx_samples_to_udp,or _to_file and see if it runs without a GUI on top for the desired amount of time (warning: 15 minutes of 8Msam/s will be around 29 GB, so make sure you're not filling up your SSD inadvertently).All the best,
Marcus On Sat, May 3, 2014 at 10:49 PM, Robert J. McIntyre via USRP-users usrp-users@lists.ettus.com wrote:Hoping that someone can help me, and I can help the group with diagnosing
very frequent "lockups" of SDR software when using the B200.
My system is (roughly):
B200
USB 3 via a Renesas controller (though the same thing happens with an Intel
controller, and another Renesas controller on my laptop)
UHD 003.007.001
Core i7 with 16GB RAM
Regardless of whether I use SDR Sharp, or SDR Console, about every 5-10
minutes of using the SDR as a receiver (clicking around within the
bandwidth, etc.), both software will "lock up", in that they'll continue to
run the waterfall, but there won't be any data displayed. If I stop/restart
the radio (via the SDR software radio selection options) it will almost
always come back to life, for 5-10 minutes, and then die again.
I've set the sample rate to 8Msps, and get zero dropped/lost/overruns using
benchmark_rate.exe.
I'd love to help investigate this, but am looking for some help in where to
start. Based on the fact that it affects multiple programs, which use
different access methods (UHD vs. ExtIO), it seems like it's not the
individual software packages, but rather either my system in general, or
somewhere from UHD down through the firmware/FPGA image.
Thoughts?
Thanks!
Robert
USRP-users mailing list
USRP-users@lists.ettus.com
http://lists.ettus.com/mailman/listinfo/usrp-users_lists.ettus.com _______________________________________________USRP-users mailing listUSRP-users@lists.ettus.comhttp://lists.ettus.com/mailman/listinfo/usrp-users_lists.ettus.comMake sure your Windows drivers for these controllers are up-to-date.
-- Marcus LeechPrincipal Investigator Shirleys Bay Radio Astronomy Consortiumhttp://www.sbrac.org
USRP-users mailing list
USRP-users@lists.ettus.com
http://lists.ettus.com/mailman/listinfo/usrp-users_lists.ettus.com
USRP-users mailing list
USRP-users@lists.ettus.com
http://lists.ettus.com/mailman/listinfo/usrp-users_lists.ettus.com
To close the loop on this:
I reformatted my system and installed Win 8.1 Update from scratch, and used the stock Windows drivers for the VIA board, and it worked right out of the box. And, it's performance is spectacular. On my system, I can use 32Msps with very, very low overruns/dropped samples under the benchmark example, and it works equally well at 32Msps under SDR-Radio v2.2 build 1735.
So, I'm sold on the VIA boards now. :)
Thanks, Marcus, and everyone!
Robert
To: marcus.mueller@ettus.com; usrp-users@lists.ettus.com
Date: Sun, 4 May 2014 11:23:39 -0700
Subject: Re: [USRP-users] Help diagnosing SDR software lockups when using B200?
From: usrp-users@lists.ettus.com
Thanks, Marcus. Specified the type=b200, and it’s still not being recognized, giving the same results as below, but with a “type: b200” notation. My B200 is listed in device manager (on Win7) as a “WestBridge” device, which is how it seems to be listed until firmware is loaded, at which point it becomes an Ettus B200. Thanks for your continued help. --Robert From: Marcus Müller [mailto:marcus.mueller@ettus.com]
Sent: Sunday, May 04, 2014 2:11 AM
To: Robert J. McIntyre
Cc: usrp-users@lists.ettus.com
Subject: Re: [USRP-users] Help diagnosing SDR software lockups when using B200? Hi Robert, for the benchmark utility, specifying <executable> --args type=b200should explicitely specify you're looking for USB3 devices. If that doesn't help, make sure your USRP is found by the system at first.Greetings,Marcus On Sun, May 4, 2014 at 12:15 AM, Robert J. McIntyre via USRP-users <usrp-users@lists.ettus.com> wrote:I’ve downloaded the latest drivers off the VIA website (which are newer than the cards’ manufacturers’ drivers), as well as the manufacturers’ drivers. A variety of USB devices will work with that card, and the Device Manager shows the B200 as a “WestBridge” device attached to the controller, and the power light on the B200 is on. When trying to run the benchmark utility (or start SDR Sharp via ExtIO), I get: Creating the usrp device with: ...Error: LookupError: KeyError: No devices found for ----->Empty Device Address Plugging the B200 into the onboard (Intel) controller makes it work as expected. This exact thing happens with both different VIA cards. I’ve reinstalled the drivers for the cards, as well as UHD. If I put the Renesas controller back in, it will work fine from it. Thanks!Robert From: USRP-users [mailto:usrp-users-bounces@lists.ettus.com] On Behalf Of Marcus D. Leech via USRP-users
Sent: Saturday, May 03, 2014 2:49 PM
To: usrp-users@lists.ettus.com
Subject: Re: [USRP-users] Help diagnosing SDR software lockups when using B200? On 05/03/2014 05:37 PM, Robert J. McIntyre via USRP-users wrote: Thanks, Marcus. It definitely seems to be related to sample rate: I dropped down to 2 Msps, and then 4 Msps, and was able to use it fine. Jumping to 8, however, caused almost immediate issues. I switched to the Intel controller, and it seems to be more stable, even having gone as long as 15-20 minutes at 16Msps without issue, but strangely I tend to have better benchmark results with the renesas one. So, one gives better long-term uptime, the other gives less overruns/dropped samples on the benchmarks. K I’ve tried two different VIA controllers (built on VL801 and VL805), but neither one would actually load the firmware to the B200, despite other devices working fine. I do understand the UHD/ExtIO interaction, but I suppose that there could be an issue with the ExtIO code calling into UHD, but since the symptoms happen with or without ExtIO, it points to something further down the stack. J Any tips on getting the VIA controllers to work? I’d like to at least be able to benchmark one. J Thanks!!!!!Robert From: Marcus Müller [mailto:marcus.mueller@ettus.com]
Sent: Saturday, May 03, 2014 2:14 PM
To: Robert J. McIntyre
Cc: usrp-users@lists.ettus.com
Subject: Re: [USRP-users] Help diagnosing SDR software lockups when using B200? Hi Robert, this is strange indeed, although there are several reports of things working out very badly with renesas controllers, so try and stick with the Intel one; Ettus actively does not recommend using any Renesas control, since they have problems implementing the USB3.0 standard.
Access is always done using UHD (ExtIO is just an interface for which Balint wrote an UHD wrapper), just to clear up on that.You could try one of the binaries from the examples supplied with uhd, for example rx_samples_to_udp,or _to_file and see if it runs without a GUI on top for the desired amount of time (warning: 15 minutes of 8Msam/s will be around 29 GB, so make sure you're not filling up your SSD inadvertently).All the best,
Marcus On Sat, May 3, 2014 at 10:49 PM, Robert J. McIntyre via USRP-users <usrp-users@lists.ettus.com> wrote:Hoping that someone can help me, and I can help the group with diagnosing
very frequent "lockups" of SDR software when using the B200.
My system is (roughly):
B200
USB 3 via a Renesas controller (though the same thing happens with an Intel
controller, and another Renesas controller on my laptop)
UHD 003.007.001
Core i7 with 16GB RAM
Regardless of whether I use SDR Sharp, or SDR Console, about every 5-10
minutes of using the SDR as a receiver (clicking around within the
bandwidth, etc.), both software will "lock up", in that they'll continue to
run the waterfall, but there won't be any data displayed. If I stop/restart
the radio (via the SDR software radio selection options) it will almost
always come back to life, for 5-10 minutes, and then die again.
I've set the sample rate to 8Msps, and get zero dropped/lost/overruns using
benchmark_rate.exe.
I'd love to help investigate this, but am looking for some help in where to
start. Based on the fact that it affects multiple programs, which use
different access methods (UHD vs. ExtIO), it seems like it's not the
individual software packages, but rather either my system in general, or
somewhere from UHD down through the firmware/FPGA image.
Thoughts?
Thanks!
Robert
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http://lists.ettus.com/mailman/listinfo/usrp-users_lists.ettus.com _______________________________________________USRP-users mailing listUSRP-users@lists.ettus.comhttp://lists.ettus.com/mailman/listinfo/usrp-users_lists.ettus.comMake sure your Windows drivers for these controllers are up-to-date.
-- Marcus LeechPrincipal Investigator Shirleys Bay Radio Astronomy Consortiumhttp://www.sbrac.org
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