Re: [Discuss-gnuradio] PC for gnuradio

[Marcus Müller]

Hi Andrew,


On 08/18/2017 04:35 PM, Andrew Rich wrote:
> Does gnuradio work on a raspberry Pi or beagle bone ?
Sure! Basically: if it runs modern Linux, it runs GNU Radio.
With embedded devices, the problem usually is "how hard is it to 
cross-compile the software for the embedded platform", but because 
you're probably running Debian or something of the like on your Pi or 
BB, no problem, just install through apt-get
> Once you develop a gnuradio flow graph is it possible to say turn that into a 
> software program that runs ?
You typically design Python flow graphs (or, even more typically, you 
design flow graphs in GRC, which "compiles" them to python). That Python 
runs just as well on your PC as it does on the Pi/BB.
Of course, the target platform needs to have all the blocks you use in 
your flow graph, so if you, for example use some C++ block that is not 
part of "main" GNU Radio, then you'll have to compile that for the target.
> For example you develop a satellite ground station for gnuradio can u then 
> compile the application ?
Exactly! Unless you use any non-standard GNU Radio blocks, you don't 
even have to compile anything - just copy over the Python file to your 
Pi/BB and run it there.

If you do need to compile special blocks, there's different ways of 
doing that, and for small modules, compiling on the target itself is 
possible. The "more mature" method of course is compiling on your PC 
(but for the Pi/BB as target, not the PC as target machine type), and 
copying over the ready-to-use software. There's a lot of tools that help 
you with that, so it's not as scary as it sounds.
> Are there any sdr that are actually usable on gps ?
I don't understand what that means. GPS receivers typically *are* 
specialized SDRs. So yes. Also, there's mature GNU Radio-based GPS 
receivers. If your Pi/BB has enough CPU power to run them: I don't know.
> Enjoying gnuradio and learning little bits at a time on a MacBook Pro
Ha! Enjoy!

Best regards,
Marcus