.. _pluto:

PlutoSDR
========

The ADALM-PLUTO (PlutoSDR) is a portable and affordable software-defined radio developed by Analog Devices.
It is designed for learning, experimenting, and prototyping in the field of wireless communication. The PlutoSDR
is popular among students, educators, and hobbyists due to its versatility and ease of use.

The PlutoSDR is based on the AD9363 transceiver chip, which supports both transmission and reception of signals
across a wide frequency range. The device is supported by a robust open-source ecosystem, making it ideal for
hands-on learning and rapid prototyping.

Supported models
----------------

- **ADALM-PLUTO:** The standard model with a frequency range of 325 MHz to 3.8 GHz and a bandwidth of up to 20 MHz.
- **Modified ADALM-PLUTO:** Some users modify their PlutoSDR to extend the frequency range to approximately 70 MHz
  to 6 GHz by applying firmware patches with unqualified RF performance.

Key features
------------

- **Frequency Range:** 325 MHz to 3.8 GHz (standard), expandable with modifications.
- **Bandwidth:** Up to 20 MHz, can be increased to 56 MHz with firmware modifications.
- **Connectivity:** USB 2.0 interface with support for power, data, and firmware updates.
- **Software Support:** Compatible with GNU Radio, MATLAB, Simulink, and other SDR frameworks.
- **Onboard Processing:** Integrated ARM Cortex-A9 processor for custom applications and signal processing.

Hackability
------------

- **Frequency Range and Bandwidth:** The default frequency range of 325 MHz to 3.8 GHz can be expanded to
  approximately 70 MHz to 6 GHz, and the bandwidth can be increased from 20 MHz to 56 MHz by modifying
  the device's firmware.
- **2x2 MIMO:** On Rev C models, users can unlock 2x2 MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) functionality by
  wiring UFL to SMA connectors to the device's PCB, effectively turning the device into a dual-channel SDR.

Limitations
-----------

- Bandwidth is limited to 20 MHz by default, but can be increased to 56 MHz with modifications, which may
  affect stability.
- USB 2.0 connectivity might limit data transfer rates compared to USB 3.0 or Ethernet-based SDRs.

Set up instructions (Linux, Radioconda)
---------------------------

Step 1: Activate your Radioconda environment.

.. code-block:: bash

    conda activate <your-env-name>

Step 2: Install system dependancies.

.. code-block:: bash

    sudo apt-get update
    sudo apt-get install -y \
        build-essential \
        git \
        libxml2-dev \
        bison \
        flex \
        libcdk5-dev \
        cmake \
        libusb-1.0-0-dev \
        libavahi-client-dev \
        libavahi-common-dev \
        libaio-dev


Step 3: Install a udev rule by creating a link into your radioconda installation.

.. code-block:: bash

  sudo ln -s $CONDA_PREFIX/lib/udev/rules.d/90-libiio.rules /etc/udev/rules.d/90-radioconda-libiio.rules
  sudo udevadm control --reload
  sudo udevadm trigger

Once you can talk to the hardware, you may want to perform the post-install steps detailed on the PlutoSDR documentation below.

Step 4 (Optional): Building libiio or libad9361-iio from source.

Only needed if you want the very latest version of the libraries not provided in Radioconda:

.. code-block:: bash

   # Clone and build libiio
   cd ~
   git clone --branch v0.23 https://github.com/analogdevicesinc/libiio.git
   cd libiio
   mkdir -p build
   cd build
   cmake -DPYTHON_BINDINGS=ON ..
   make -j"$(nproc)"
   sudo make install
   sudo ldconfig

   # Clone and build libad9361-iio
   cd ~
   git clone https://github.com/analogdevicesinc/libad9361-iio.git
   cd libad9361-iio
   mkdir -p build
   cd build
   cmake ..
   make -j"$(nproc)"
   sudo make install

Further information
-------------------

- `PlutoSDR Documentation <https://wiki.analog.com/university/tools/pluto>`_
- `Radioconda Github Repository <https://github.com/radioconda/radioconda-installer?tab=readme-ov-file#iio-pluto-sdr>`