Artemis 4 Released: Offline Signal Identification Database

Back in 2019 we posted about the release of Artemis 3, an open-source multi-platform program that makes searching through the Signal Identification Wiki offline possible and easy to do.

Recently Artemis 4 has been released which is an entire rewrite of the code, resulting in some substantial improvements, and paving the way for future features like machine learning based identification. Author Marco Dalla Tiezza writes:

  • Artemis was initially designed to provide an offline solution for consulting the library of signals provided by the community on sigidwiki, but the database was formerly a simple .csv with all its limitations. Now the database is a proper relational sqlite which is much easier handled and offers many other possibilities like: additional fields (for example, each frequency of a signal can contain a description and this is true for every single parameter), faster db operations (for example, filtering signals is done by a simple query), increased extensibility due to the fact that new fields/parameters can be introduced in the future or by the user itself.
  • The only searchable database with Artemis 3 was the Sigid wiki database.Now, with Artemis 4, users can create their own custom databases, enter an arbitrary number of signals and parameters, attach documents or any useful information, and export it by sharing it with their friends.
  • The documentation has been completely revised to be as clear as possible and to be able to take the user from installation to advanced use of the program by giving instructions on how they can contribute to the project. DOCUMENTATION
  • As usual, the program provides a real-time interface to be able to track space weather in near real-time, but now this module is more focused on RF propagation such as meteor scatter, EME, sporadic E, aurora spots, DRAP, aurora forecasts and many more (we are actively adding useful descriptors).
  • Artemis 4 now relies on the PySide 6 graphics framework, which not only allows for a modern and newer, user-customizable GUI but also allows for less use of third-party libraries to run the program.
  • Given the flexibility and especially the modularity of the new software, it is very likely that signal analysis functions will be introduced in the future (such as automatic recognition of signals via machine learning/neural network or simpler ones like FFT for obtaining ACF from an audio file, etc.)
  • The homepage of the project (https://www.aresvalley.com) as been updated as well and there you can see some screenshots or directly download the software to give it a try.

If you weren't aware, the Signal Identification Wiki (sigidwiki) is our sister site, which we started a few years ago to collect and catalog various types of signals that an SDR user might see and hear on the airwaves. The idea is that a user could search the database to learn about and identify unknown signals. Over time it has grown significantly, now over 500 known signals with both waterfall images and sound samples available in the database. We have since handed over the operation of the Wiki to the community, with Carl Colena taking on the lead.

Artemis 4 Screenshot

xMASS SDR – 8×8 MIMO Transceiver for 4G/5G Applications to be Crowd Funded

Thank you to creators Sergey and Andrew who have submitted news about their upcoming software defined radio called 'xMASS SDR'. xMASS will be a SDR with 8 RX and 8 TX channels, with a max sample rate of 60 MSPS per 8 channels, or 100 MSPS per 4 channels, and a frequency range of 30 - 3800 MHz.

The board comes in a modular PCIe form factor, with 4x FPGAs, and GPS/PPS clock sync input. The system is designed in mind for 4G/5G applications but should be useful for other applications too.

xMASS SDR will be crowd-funded on CrowdSupply, and they note that they expect to launch the campaign soon. So if you are interested, sign up for email updates on their CrowdSupply page.

Sergey and Andrew write:

We’re creators (Sergey Kostanbaev and Anrew Avtushenko) of the M.2 uSDR board that we successfully crowdsourced a year ago. Now we want to share our new invention called xMASS SDR, a modular, high-performance MIMO transceiver. It has 8 RX and 8 TX channels that can be synchronized for directional finding, beamforming and more applications. Each SDR module, called xSDR, is based on the LMS7002M chip and can deliver 2 RX and 2 TX channels. Like uSDR, xSDR shares the same form factor and M.2 pinout and both use the same open-source software and gateware stack.

xMASS SDR is ideal for 4G/5G but can be interesting among academic, industrial and advanced hobbyists. 

The xMASS SDR board connected via PCIe on a motherboard.
The xMASS SDR board connected via PCIe on a motherboard.
The xMASS SDR board with 4x uSDR modules by itself.
The xMASS SDR board with 4x modules by itself.

SignalsEverywhere: Build an RTL-SDR Based OP25 Radio Scanner with a Mobile Control Head Android App

Welcome back to Sarah from the SignalsEverywhere YouTube channel who has recently returned to producing videos from a hiatus. In her latest video, Sarah shows off her new OP25 Mobile Control Head Android App which allows you to implement a full P25 digital radio scanner at a fraction of the cost of a commercial digital scanner. In the past, Sarah had released a similar application written for the Raspberry Pi but has decided to shift her focus to writing an equivalent Android app that is less clunky and can be deployed for a lower cost. 

The app controls and displays information from the OP25 software that runs on a Raspberry Pi with RTL-SDR connected. It works by using a server application on the Raspberry Pi that manipulates the OP25 instance and its configuration files.

Sarah writes:

The application is a wrapper for OP25 that uses a raspberry pi and an android device to provide users with a mobile control head for their OP25 P25 scanner setup. Currently it's just a basic application but I'll be adding features like automatic site switching, etc.

OP25MCH: https://github.com/SarahRoseLives/OP25MCH

There is also a separate application I call the OP25Display which is just a display for a users existing OP25 instance.

OP25Display: https://github.com/SarahRoseLives/op25display

Build Your Own Digital Radio Scanner With OP25 Mobile Control Head App

A 3D Printed Enclosure with USB Hub for RTL-SDR Blog Units

Over on Hackaday, we've seen a post about Jay Doscher's clever 3D printed enclosure that can hold two RTL-SDR Blog V4 units and a USB hub. The enclosure is designed to make it easy to take the two units mobile, and the USB hub inside means that only one USB connection is required to run the two units.

Jay has also thought about cooling, allowing for space between the two dongles, and adding vent holes. He has also ensured that the SMA ports on the dongles are protected while allowing space to hand-tighten the connectors.

Jay writes that he has tested his enclosure with RTL-SDR Blog V4 units, but given that the dimensions of the V3 (and V2) are the same, it will work for those units too.

A 3D Printed RTL-SDR Blog Enclosure with USB Hub
A 3D Printed RTL-SDR Blog Enclosure with USB Hub

uSDR Software Updated to V1.7.0

Thank you to Viol for writing in and letting us know that his uSDR software has recently been updated to V1.7.0. The uSDR software (not to be confused with the unrelated uSDR hardware) is a lightweight general-purpose multimode program for Windows that supports the RTL-SDR, Airspy, BladeRF, HackRF, LimeSDR, and other SDR radios.

Viol highlights the latest features added in the 1.7.0 update below:

  • Fobos SDR frontend native support, the very new SDR from RigExpert
  • bladeRF API v2.5.0 support, oversampling mode up to 122.88 MHz sample rate (do not forget to update FX3 firmware)
  • advanced IQ playback mode, precise timing and streaming
  • improved DSP routines and memory management, minimized CPU load
  • excellent ruler tool for spectrum frequency and amplitude measurements
uSDR Updated to Version 1.7.0. Images shows FobosSDR support.
uSDR Updated to Version 1.7.0. Images shows FobosSDR support.

Airspy HF+ Ranger: A New Airspy Product Teased

Over on Twitter/X @lamdbaprog, creator of Airspy products and the SDRSharp software has teased his next upcoming software-defined radio hardware called the "Airspy HF+ Ranger". The Airspy HF+ Ranger prototype was also seen at the Dayton Hamvention through their local Airspy.us reseller.

The specifications appear to be very impressive, with a wide frequency range of 0.5 kHz to 1750 MHz and excellent sensitivity, linearity, and dynamic range figures. The Ranger is based on the same main RF chips used in the HF+ Discovery, so it will retain the relatively small maximum bandwidth capability of 710 kHz. However, for many use-cases this small bandwidth is more than sufficient.

Currently, there is no word on a release date or pricing but given the prototype status, it must be close. We expect this to be priced higher than the Airspy HF+ Discovery which sells for US$169.

Update: A page for the Airspy Ranger is now on the Airspy website. It shows a block diagram and further details. RTL-SDR.COM reader Ladislav has also sent us a PDF with the specs and a Dynamic Performance graph.

Over on Twitter/X, patrons of the Dayton Hamvention event have posted a few pictures of the display.

@lamdbaprog also demonstrates the incredible dynamic range of the Ranger when up against strong pager signals in Paris.

Scott Manley Explains GPS Jamming & Spoofing and Why & Who is Causing It

In recent years GPS spoofing and jamming have become quite commonplace. Recently popular YouTuber Scott Manley uploaded a video explaining exactly what GPS spoofing and jamming is and explains a bit about who is doing it and why.

In the video Scott explains how aircraft now routinely use GPS as a dominant navigational sensor and how some commercial flights have been suspended due to GPS jamming. Scott explains how ADS-B data can be used to determine the source of GPS jamming (via gpsjam.org) and shows hotspots stemming from Russia. He goes on to show how drone shows have also failed in China either due to GPS jamming by rival companies or due to Chinese military warship jamming. Scott then explains a bit about GPS and how jamming and spoofing work.

GPS Jamming & Spoofing - How Does It Work, And Who's Doing It?

YouTube Video Series on Iridium Satellite Decoding with an Airspy, RTL-SDR Blog Patch Antenna and DragonOS

Over on his YouTube channel, Rob VK8FOES has started a new video series about Iridium Satellite Decoding. Iridium is a constellation of low-earth orbiting satellites that provide voice and data services. Iridium was first decoded with low cost hardware by security researchers back in 2016 as mentioned in this previous post. Being unencrypted it is possible to intercept private text and voice communications.

Rob's video is part of a series, and so far only part one has been uploaded. The first video outlines the hardware and software requirements for Iridium decoding and demonstrates the gr-iridium software. An Airspy and RTL-SDR Blog Patch Antenna are used for the hardware, and the software runs on DragonOS.

Rob writes that in part two he will demonstrate the use of iridium-toolkit, which can be used to extract data and recordings from the Iridium data provided from gr-iridium.

Be sure to subscribe to his YouTube channel so that you are notified when part two is released.

Iridium Satellite Decoding Part 1: The Tutorial That Goes Over Your Head, Literally!