Today, I would like to introduce a very suitable tool for students learning communication technology.

SDR Active Learning Module

Software Defined Radio Active Learning Module

This device is called

ADALM-Pluto

SDR Software Defined Radio Starter Kit

ADALM Pluto SDR is a software-defined radio product based on ADI’s AD9363.

Since it is an SDR radio, its most important performance is the frequency bands it supports. The default frequency range is from 325MHz to 3800MHz, supporting a channel bandwidth of 200KHz to 20MHz. This range covers the 2G/3G/4G bands, as well as all bands in domestic 5G except for the 4.9GHz band used by mobile and broadcasting.

Moreover, the AD9363 can be modified to AD9361 or AD9364 by changing parameters to achieve a wider frequency range, reaching 70MHz to 6GHz, with a channel bandwidth of up to 56MHz. At this point, the 5G frequency bands are perfectly covered.

It can also be used to listen to broadcasts.

The modification method is not complicated; just connect to the serial port and enter three commands in the terminal:

#fw_setenv attr_name compatible#fw_setenv attr_val "ad9364"#pluto_reboot reset

In addition to its excellent frequency support, it also features an onboard

Xilinx (Zynq) Z-7010 SoC

ZYNQ is actually a platform that combines ARM CPU + FPGA.

For instance, the 7010 is equipped with an ARM Cortex-A9 CPU, with a frequency of up to 667MHz, 512MB DDR3L memory, 32MB QSPI Flash, featuring 28,000 logic cells and 80 DSP cells. It also supports 12-bit ADC/DAC conversion.

Software-wise, it supports MATLAB Simulink platform and GNU Radio, which is now also compatible with Windows, making it much more convenient.

GNU Radio is very powerful and can achieve many functions. I have downloaded it and looked into it; if you haven’t encountered it before, the learning curve is relatively steep. However, if you want to delve deeper into SDR, this software is basically essential, as many cases are based on GNU Radio.

It also supports MATLAB and Simulink, which are commonly used in engineering disciplines, making it very convenient during experiments.

The downside of this device is that it only has a USB2.0 interface, with a maximum sampling rate of around 30Mbps. A USB3.0 would be better.

In use, after unboxing, plug it into the USB port, and Pluto will be recognized as a USB drive. Inside the drive, there is an info.html file that provides links to download drivers, version update prompts, etc.

You can also directly enter the system through the terminal for more detailed operations and settings. The operations are not too complicated, but if you want to study deeply, the difficulty is still considerable.

In terms of price, it is currently priced at 1950 (official price is 232.93 USD), which is indeed expensive. However, if you need to use some frequency bands from 70MHz to 6GHz to explore Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 4G/5G networks, and do some signal transmission and reception, this is very suitable for Pluto, especially if you are already in the relevant industry or studying related topics, this will be a significant boost for you.

However, at a price of nearly 2000, to be honest, if you just want to play with SDR, there are many other options available, such as: HackRF

BladeRF

USRP

These are all good options for playing with SDR, and the software is generally supported, with some even featuring USB3.0 interfaces, making the hardware more open.

Moreover, I checked the official website, and to be honest, learning resources are quite limited, especially in China, where resources are even scarcer.

This was previously in collaboration with Seeed, but now the Seeed website no longer has Pluto-related resources.

If you have someone around you who is using this, then buying it is completely fine. But if you want to buy it to play by yourself, you will have to face the reality that there is not much information available online, apart from the official materials. There are many more resources for HackRF and BladeRF in China.

Overall, if you are a student, especially in the communication field, this is quite good and you can learn a lot. However, if you just want to understand SDR or just want to play with SDR, this is not recommended.

Alright, that’s all for today. If you have anything to say, remember to comment. See you next time!

ADI ADALM Pluto

SDR Active Learning Module

https://m.tb.cn/h.5Q6Zcrw?tk=cJh0WdjES65