Airspy Mini - troubleshooting 6 MSPS limitation

Did you see that “Up to 6 MHz of panoramic view” ?

I think he’s eluding to these specs @prog

And then only seeing:

Obviously there are a lot of different things in motion, so it can be a bit confusing to those looking at the specs and then seeing their firmware readout…

EDIT: What I’d like to know: Where in the world did that rc10-3 come from? Latest I see posted are from 2016:

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If I look on the R2 specs it says 10MSPS IQ output and 10 MHz panoramic spectrum view.
Seems that something is not jiving with the Mini specs…

Scroll down completely.

Then take a breath and read carefully. It says “6 MHz of panoramic view” for the Mini.
In any case, the 10MSPS rate is available in both devices, but only listed when it is spur free (R2).

I am not understanding that “panoramic view”. I understand the MSPS.

LOL, K. Now I see it. I always looked in the github repo for updates. They throwing curve-balls at me.

Maybe because you are not using these devices are a panoramic spectrum analyzer and don’t mind the spectral purity?
In that case, please don’t ask me to alter the specs to fit your understanding. It only works the other way around.
I’m not sure why we are discussing this here. None of you are hardware/firmware designers.

@SoNic67 - this may help you (and anyone else wondering the same) understand some of the differences in hardware and capabilities:

https://www.rtl-sdr.com/review-airspy-mini/

The “spurs” that Prog has eluded to is also explained a bit better when pushing the Mini since it doesn’t have the clock controller onboard. FWIW anyhow…

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I was also on that page i did notice this line near the bottom

Airspy Mini running in the unofficial 10 MHz mode
WoW

Note that the decoding uses Real samples not IQ samples, which doubles the sample rates of the device:
6 MSPS IQ => 12 MSPS Real
10 MSPS IQ => 20 MSPS Real
and for the R2
12 MSPS IQ => 24 MSPS Real

You brought that up, not me. I don’t care about that, it wasn’t my original question.

I only care that on the website that I bought this device it says it can do 10 MSPS. And you are telling me that I am too stupid to understand and I should be happy with 6 MSPS because… just because.
I didn’t look for an argument, I have just politely asked to enable the 10MSPS in firmware, like it was once.
I don’t understand the reaction… is there something else going on here?

PS: Yes, I know that samples are doubled by the two channels. I am comparing apples to apples. 10 on website, 6 in firmware.

I agree. I have a 3rd Gen I7 Dell 5750. USB 2 and USB 3 Ports. I had to specifically identify the USB chipset in use, and then went directly to Intel’s website and downloaded/installed the drivers that came directly from Intel. Everything has worked fine for years ever since.

mike

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It doesn’t explain why the firmware says something else.

And for your information I have the Intel drivers too…
usb

I don’t know. I have an Airspy mini but have yet to use it. I have two R2s that i use. But I will say that I also have quite a few friends, some with minis and some with R2s, and none of them were ever under any misconception that the Airspy mini had the same specs as the R2. We mainly use our Airspys with SDR# and digital decoding software on VHF/UHF, where both devices really shine. And we always know to expect 2 /10 IQ on the R2 and 3/6 IQ on the mini. None of my buddies, or myself, have ever thought that we should be getting 10 mhz out of the mini as we’ve always known it to be a 3/6 device. If firmware and applications support 10 MHz on the mini, in some or all applications, I don’t know. I have just never seen it / used it on the mini. We use 3/6. So I’m not hear to debate you on that.

I will agree with Prog 100% that any issues that could have been firmware related were likely ironed out years ago. If you have the right hardware and drivers from the manufacturer, the things just “work” without issue. I had to install proper drivers right from intel on my laptop and my Dell Optiplex 3020. Throughput “issues” have to be on your side somewhere.

Mike

FYI, as far as the firmware goes, all firmware versions that supported the mini have always indicated that they support 3/6 MHz according to the github site. The older versions of firmware that say they only support 2/10 MHz are likely firmware that was out the time when there was only the R2. pretty sure the R2 came first and then the mini was released sometime later. So naturally older versions of Firmware (that wouldn’t support the mini because it didn’t exist) would say 2/10 MHz.

It’s easy to take a look at their site. I even posted a pic with circles… What’s so hard to understand what I am talking about?
If you buy a car that has on the sticker the “max speed 100km/h” and then you found out that the manufacturer limited that at 60km/h with the explanation that “you don’t understand”… are you happy?
Especially when it tries to muddy the waters with another spec, like acceleration 0-60. Sure the R2 is faster there (10Mhz VS 6MHz “panoramic” whatever that is), but the truth is they sell both devices as being 10 MSPS capable (BTW that’s not MHz , it’s Million Samples Per Second).

And why do you think is “natural” that a firmware that was doing 10 to be lowered in later version to 6?
PS: The firmware with 10 was specifically for the Mini.

I guess that I and my buddies hav ea different “read” on what is advertised. What we look at are (a) the performance specs – outstanding and (b) the available IQ bandwidths (2.5/10 MSPS on the R2 and 3/6/10 on the mini). But, back when we were purchasing, I was only aware of 3/6 on the mini. 10 is a new thing for the mini (to me). So I see what you are getting at.

but I would recommend that you hash that out in private rather than in public. Just my 2 cents.

Ok, sue me on using the wrong wording (mhz vs megasamples).

Good luck.

Mike

Again, those 10 MSPS are NOT bandwidth. The “Panoramic whatnot” is the analog bandwidth. 6 and 10, correct. That’s the muddy water… Because it’s not what I am talking about and it’s not in firmware.

The MSPS is how fast is “chopped” the wave. If you want the audio analogy, the CD has a sampling frequency of 44.1kHz, but the bandwidth is 2x20kHz analog signal.
I am probably OK with the 6MHz bandwidth (don’t care). But I want to see in firmware the 10 million chops per second.

This didn’t work because you used -t 0 instead of -t 2:

[-t sample_type]: Set sample type, 
 0=FLOAT32_IQ, 1=FLOAT32_REAL, 2=INT16_IQ(default), 3=INT16_REAL, 4=U16_REAL, 5=RAW

With -t 2 it will work if the CPU and USB systems can handle it.

Please try and be a little more appreciative of the device.
This is not a car manufacturer you are talking to.

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