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Keith keith at rhizomatica.orgOn 11/09/18 05:49, Harald Welte wrote: > Hi Neels, > > On Tue, Sep 11, 2018 at 12:07:23AM +0200, Neels Hofmeyr wrote: >> On Mon, Sep 10, 2018 at 03:36:43PM +0200, Keith wrote: >>> but I am getting great value at the moment from the LimeSDR-mini and >>> osmo-trx-lms running on x86!! >> Interesting how every other dev is reporting completely different results on >> lime. For some it seems to give pure satisfaction, while others seem to be but >> puzzled by the sheer uselessness of it? > I think it may be related to > a) the exact LimeSuite version you're using. I am using this packaged version: root at debian-dev:~# apt-cache policy limesuite limesuite: Installed: 18.06.0-1 Candidate: 18.06.0-1 Version table: *** 18.06.0-1 500 500 http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/network:/osmocom:/nightly/Debian_9.0 ./ Packages The about box on LimeSuiteGui says build date 2018-07-14 > > b) like any SDR, the stability/calibration of the clock you use. For the mini, this > typically means using an external GPS-DO, which means you need to do a hardware > re-work of moving one resistor, as well as using LimeSuite with patch/commit > 9977771c4af14731b5c2b32868b98e29ce7a3ce5 > Operating any BTS without a very good clock reference (GPS-DO, > calibrated OCXO) is like playing lottery. You may get lucky some > times, with some phones, but in most cases it will fail one way or > another, in very subtle ways. I have done no hardware mod. I assume that patch is included in the packge on the osmocom/opensuse repo. Oddly enough, ALL of the phones I have are seeing, camping and (mostly) operating correctly with the LimeSDR-Mini. Even the notoriously cranky K3 that often will not connect to the Ettus N210 unless the GPS-DO is locked. I was also using it to do tests of osmo-pcu on x86 and the Lime seemed to be working fine. > > At sysmocom, it seems we have bricked all three LimeSDR-mini we have by > doing the usual gateware update using "LimeSuite master" last week or > so. And no error at all was reported during the update. The devices > simply are completely useless afterwards. As far as I'm aware, I haven't updated the gateware. I certainly didn't do it manually, so unless something was done automatically by part of LimeSuite, it is as it is when I received it at osmodevcon. root at debian-dev:~# LimeUtil --find * [LimeSDR Mini, media=USB 3.0, module=FT601, addr=24607:1027, serial=1D3A0B0F4756A6] I don't know what else I can say about it. I did do some calibration things following tutorials on some webpage in the LimeSuiteGui at some point, but I really don't know what I'm doing there, and I believe anyway that none of that is permanent? osmo-trx-lms does it's own calibration on start up, at least according to log output. This might be good to know: root at debian-dev:/etc/osmocom# apt-cache policy osmo-trx-lms osmo-trx-lms: Installed: 0.4.0.53.544c Candidate: 0.4.0.53.544c Version table: *** 0.4.0.53.544c 500 500 http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/network:/osmocom:/nightly/Debian_9.0 ./ Packages > >> I also still have that lime mini we got on the OsmoDevCon, still unused. Might >> give it a spin then? Why not? I'd certainly be interested to know how it works for you. giving it a spin as such, well it should be as simple as installing osmo-trx-lms and limesuite from the opensuse repo and go! The only other thing that occurs to me is ambient operating temperature. The temperature here in this top floor (outside walls exposed to direct sun all afternoon) I am working in has been far too hot for the last month, and the Lime has been working fine, although my head has not. I don't have a thermometer here, but I would guess no less than 35 degrees C in here, heading for 40s in the afternoon. I stopped working then, partly because i couldn't even think and partly because even the sysmoBTS 1002 was getting frighteningly hot. as in too hot to hold. Previous to that, I did notice that it appeared to be operating fine, but sometimes "weird" things happened, that "looked" to me like RX was failing when stressed. I mean.. it "looked" like bursts were received, a LUR could be completed for example.. and call setup signalling, but once you got a call going, the audio would fail. pure guesswork, of course. ( Hence my comments at one time on IRC to not use the Lime for debugging audio issues on split setup. It's been cooler last weekend and the Lime is still working although set to get warm again this week. Of course, the lime itself gets quite hot even just plugged in but idle, and extremely hot when running osmo-trx for a few minutes. I tend to try not to run it too long without a break. So really, that's probably all worthless info, all the same, maybe give it two minutes to "warm up"? Of course. maybe somebody who knows more about the hardware can say if that's nonsense. > I also bricked my personal LimeSDR-mini by duing a LimeUtil --update to install > the "latest" gateware (from June 2018!) like the three above-mentioned at sysmocom. > > So whatever you do, I would recommend to be extremely careful with updating the firmware aka gateware. > Good to know! I will avoid it. I hope I have not jinxed mine now with all this praise.! k/