Simulink-RTL-SDR

The Simulink-RTL-SDR project is an Open Source Software Package that enables owners of DVB-T dongles with an embedded Realtek RTL2832U chip-set to build models in Simulink that interface with the device in real-time. Simulink-RTL-SDR uses the rtl-sdr library and some code fragments from OsmoSDR to receive IQ samples from the DVB-T dongle. It is thus possible to build a wide variety of signal processing and wireless communication applications directly in Simulink while being able to test them on real hardware at the same time.

The Simulink-RTL-SDR project was initiated at the Communication Engineering Lab (CEL) at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany, http://www.cel.kit.edu.

Requirements

• MATLAB/Simulink (R2009b or newer) and MEX compatible compiler

• rtl-sdr library from the OsmoSDR Wiki

• Windows only: POSIX Threads for Win32 from the Project Homepage

The Simulink-RTL-SDR software package doesn't come with precompiled binaries due to license issues, but the compilation is quite simple.

Build/Install instructions for Linux

1. Get, build and install the rtl-sdr library. See the OsmoSDR Wiki for instructions.

2. Plug in your device and run the included test application

    $ rtl_test
    Found 1 device(s):
      0:  Generic RTL2832U (e.g. hama nano)
    Using device 0: Generic RTL2832U (e.g. hama nano)
    Found Elonics E4000 tuner
    Supported gain values (18): -1.0 1.5 4.0 6.5 9.0 11.5 14.0 16.5 19.0 21.5 24.0 29.0 34.0 42.0 43.0 45.0 47.0 49.0 
    Reading samples in async mode...
   

   In case of something like usb_claim_interface error -6, you have to unload the dvb-t module driver which blocks the rtl-sdr dongle

    $ sudo rmmod dvb_usb_rtl28xxu 
   

   Alternatively, add this module to your blacklist.

3. Get the Simulink-RTL-SDR source from the GitHub project page

    $ git clone git://github.com/kit-cel/simulink-rtl-sdr.git
   

   If you aren't using git, you can download a compressed file from the project page directly. Extract the archive to any folder you want.

4. Run MATLAB, switch to your Simulink-RTL-SDR directory and start the build process

    >> make.m
   

5. Add the bin and the blockset directory to the MATLAB path environment.

6. You will now find a new Toolbox named Simulink-RTL-SDR in the Simulink Library Browser. Additionally, a simple spectrum scope model is located in the directory demo.

Build/Install instructions for Microsoft Windows

1. Get and build the rtl-sdr library. See the OsmoSDR Wiki for instructions or get pre-build binaries.

2. Plug in your device, abort the automated search for drivers.

3. Get Zadig and install the WinUSB driver for your device as shown on the SDR# Homepage. If Zadig fails, you can download the WinUSB drivers directly. Change the VID/PID in the inf-file to match your device before installing the driver through the Device Manager.

4. Test the rtl-sdr library with the included test application

    > rtl_test.exe
    Found 1 device(s):
      0:  Generic RTL2832U (e.g. hama nano)
    Using device 0: Generic RTL2832U (e.g. hama nano)
    Found Elonics E4000 tuner
    Supported gain values (18): -1.0 1.5 4.0 6.5 9.0 11.5 14.0 16.5 19.0 21.5 24.0 29.0 34.0 42.0 43.0 45.0 47.0 49.0 
    Reading samples in async mode...
   

5. Get pthreads for Windows from their download page:

    ftp://sourceware.org/pub/pthreads-win32/ 
   

   Version 2.9.1 has been tested successfully

    ftp://sourceware.org/pub/pthreads-win32/pthreads-w32-2-9-1-release.zip
   

6. Get the Simulink-RTL-SDR source from the GitHub project page

    $ git clone git://github.com/kit-cel/simulink-rtl-sdr.git
   

   If you aren't using git, you can download a compressed file from the project page directly. Extract the archive to any folder you want.

7. Run MATLAB and setup the MEX compiler

    >> mex -setup
   

8. Switch to your Simulink-RTL-SDR directory.

9. Modify make.m to point to the rtl-sdr include and lib directory. If you are using a 64-bit MATLAB, make sure to use a 64-bit build of the rtl-sdr library.

    RTL_SDR_INC_DIR = <path to rtl-sdr.h>
    RTL_SDR_LIB_DIR = <path to rtl-sdr.lib>
   

   Also adjust the include and lib paths for the pthreads library. As with the rtl-sdr library, make sure you use the x64 folder if your using the 64-bit version of MATLAB.

    PTHREAD_INC_DIR = <path to pthread.h>
    PTHREAD_LIB_DIR = <path to pthreadVC2.lib>
   

10. Start the build process (in MATLAB)

    >> make.m
    

    In case of something like stdint.h missing, get the appropriate file for example from the msinttypes project and copy it to the RTL_SDR_INC_DIR path.

    Some compilers even have their problems with spaces in the library and include paths (e.g. ..\Firstname Lastname\..). There are two simple solutions: 1) Move all RTL-SDR and Pthread code to a location without spaces, or 2) Replace the folder names by DOS 8.3 naming convention (e.g. ..\Firstn~1\..). Anyway, don't forget to repeat step 9 and adapt the paths.

11. Add the bin and the blockset directory to the MATLAB path environment.

12. Place the required DLLs in the bin directory of Simulink-RTL-SDR. If you downloaded the release versions of the rtl-sdr and pthreads libraries, simply copy all included dlls into the bin directory. Again, make sure you copy the x64 versions if your using 64-bit MATLAB.

13. You will now find a new Toolbox named Simulink-RTL-SDR in the Simulink Library Browser. Additionally, a simple spectrum scope model is located in the directory demo.

Weblinks

The following table lists various weblinks which might be useful to you:

• simulink-rtl-sdr-BPSK-example - An educational BPSK receiver model using simulink-rtl-sdr
• rtl-sdr - Information about the DVB-T dongles with an Realtek RTL2832U chipset and software to interface them.
• Communication Engineering Lab (CEL) - The institute at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany, that initiated the Simulink-RTL-SDR project.
• Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) - Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), University of the State Baden-Württemberg and National Large-scale Research Center of the Helmholtz-Association.

Copyright

The Simulink-RTL-SDR interface consists of software from several authors under different licenses. The following table lists all included software packages:

• Simulink-RTL-SDR
  Authors: Communication Engineering Lab (CEL), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Michael Schwall, Sebastian Koslowski
  License: GNU General Public License
  Source: simulink-rtlsdr/
• rtl-sdr
  Authors: Steve Markgraf, Dimitri Stolnikov, Hoernchen
  License: GNU General Public License
  Source: wherever you saved it

Contact and Support

If you have further questions concerning the Simulink-RTL-SDR interface (e.g. the build-process) or you've found a bug, please feel free to contact us:

• Michael Schwall - [email protected]
• Sebastian Koslowski - [email protected]

Please provide the following information when requesting support:

• Operating System (Linux/Windows, 32-bit/64-bit, Linux-Distribution, ...)
• MATLAB version (R20***, 32-bit/64-bit, ...)
• Compiler and version (GCC x.x.x, MVSC, ...)
• Detailed error report (MATLAB console output or GUI screen-shot)
• ...and all other information you consider as meaningful ;)

Change-log

• v1.2: Moved project information from cel.kit.edu to GitHub

• v1.1: Switched to async mode for sample reading

• v1.0: first release of the Simulink-RTL-SDR software package