
Digital Video Transmission using LimeSDR and GNU Radio - dmmalam
https://myriadrf.org/blog/digital-video-transmission-using-limesdr-gnu-radio/
======
nickpsecurity
Let's put this into perspective. We started with custom analog, RF, and then
digital parts that were a pain to build. Then, reconfigurable logic came along
to help prototype digital easily. FPGA's turned it into a revolution that
keeps making waves with creative applications. I predicted and hoped we'd see
clever engineers come up with FPGA's for analog and RF. Next, we had FPAA's to
easily prototype analog functions. Sure enough, Lime Semiconductor followed
with FPRF: field-programmable, RF tranceivers for software-defined networking.
I figured they'd do all the usual stuff but waited for the surprise.

Now, this use of FPRF qualifies for that. I'd have never thought to put high-
quality video on the ham bands. Just hearing about that gives me ideas now
that I know it's feasible. It's really an amazing demo that shows the power
that this tech puts into people's hands and how such enablers can create
unforseen innovations. I might email it to Lime with a suggestion to showcase
it as a case study.

This is outside my field where I can't directly build on it. Yet, I did
collect a link for anyone interested in building on Lime's stuff. It's below.
Any other really good ones people reply with I'll add to my collection to
share on related threads.

Myriad RF [https://myriadrf.org/](https://myriadrf.org/)

~~~
dbcurtis
> I'd have never thought to put high-quality video on the ham bands. Just
> hearing about that gives me ideas now that I know it's feasible.

Dude, it's been feasible since the 1960's, and cheap since home video
equipment became common in the 1970's. Old fashion NTSC signals are just
simple AM modulators, dirt cheap and dirt simple to build. (OK, I admit that a
VSB transmitter requires an interesting filter, but not out of the question,
and more-or-less optional unless you are running high power.) Also, some hams
have been doing NTSC over FM for quite a few years (SITN used to run over FM).

Modern digital video is also pretty much plug-and-play these days, although
building a transmitter from scratch with a half dozen transistors isn't a
thing.

~~~
nickpsecurity
Yeah, RF is out of my expertise a bit. I've been looking into non-digital
hardware stuff for a few months to a year now. I figured I'd get some useful
feedback.

Let's flip it in a different direction. What have _you_ found to be the most
interesting and noteworthy applications of FPRF for a hobbyist and/or
manufacturer? What examples should I pass along to people wanting to tinker
with them or push the envelope?

~~~
dbcurtis
Well, not quite FPRF, but people have been using rooted Androids to build RYO-
Stingray-Detectors. I'd love to see this become ubiquitous. With a nice API
and some Google map-fu you could crowd-source a real-time nationwide map of
Stingrays in operation. Perhaps an FPRF board like this would simplify the RF
side of that.

------
aw3c2
Direct link instead of aggregation: [https://myriadrf.org/blog/digital-video-
transmission-using-l...](https://myriadrf.org/blog/digital-video-transmission-
using-limesdr-gnu-radio/)

~~~
dang
Thanks. Url changed to that from [http://www.rtl-sdr.com/broadcasting-
dvb-s2-with-the-limesdr/](http://www.rtl-sdr.com/broadcasting-dvb-s2-with-the-
limesdr/).

Submitters: HN prefers original sources. (Please see
[https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html](https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html))

------
gravypod
If you want another cool SDR, check out the RedPitaya [0]. It's not only an
SDR, but it has support for 6 channels. It also comes with some stuff that
lets it operate as a fully decked out 125 MHz scope and other stuff.

Really cool.

[0] - [http://redpitaya.com/](http://redpitaya.com/)

~~~
gh02t
Just a correction... it's only 50 MHz bandwidth (the 125 number is the sample
rate). Just as an oscilloscope that's not really that good of a value, but the
RedPitaya looks like it does lots of other different things, which is pretty
neat.

