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+--- Thread: SDR pine64 Manjaro (/showthread.php?tid=12810)
SDR pine64 Manjaro - Desodo - 01-17-2021
Hello everyone
!Is there any software and Hardware to make an SDR work for the pine64 phone?
RE: SDR pine64 Manjaro - evilbunny - 01-17-2021
(01-17-2021, 10:36 AM)Desodo Wrote: Hello everyone
!Is there any software and Hardware to make an SDR work for the pine64 phone?
The phone modem is a bit of a black box with it's own firmware, so I don't like your chances...
RE: SDR pine64 Manjaro - KC9UDX - 01-17-2021
Well, two points:
What's the context? The modem all but has to be SDR. So to answer the question, yes, there is. But I don't think that's the answer you are looking for.
The modem became less of a black box lately. It was announced that it can now run mainline linux. Does this mean that all the modem functionality can be accessed? I have no idea. Beyond that, how does anyone do SDR any other way? I don't follow these things at all, but I do see Raspberry Pis being used. If those can, I would assume that the PinePhone can be used the same way. The internal modem would likely not have to be used at all.
RE: SDR pine64 Manjaro - Desodo - 01-17-2021
Thank you for your feedback . I do some research
RE: SDR pine64 Manjaro - evilbunny - 01-18-2021
(01-17-2021, 06:43 PM)KC9UDX Wrote: What's the context? The modem all but has to be SDR.
I was told a while back that the modem likely didn't have a SDR as SDRs need more power. Also if it was a SDR, why do different chips have different bands hard coded into it...
RE: SDR pine64 Manjaro - KC9UDX - 01-18-2021
(01-18-2021, 01:31 AM)evilbunny Wrote:1) I had heard a while back that all modern phone modems were SDR. (?) Is it surrounded by inductors and capacitors, or does it have computing power? (Or both, I don't know in this case.) Traditional (non-SDR) single-band transceivers are huge compared to a single chip that size.(01-17-2021, 06:43 PM)KC9UDX Wrote: What's the context? The modem all but has to be SDR.
I was told a while back that the modem likely didn't have a SDR as SDRs need more power. Also if it was a SDR, why do different chips have different bands hard coded into it...
2) I expect that would be mask ROM for legal(political) reasons. The only alternative that I can think of is component changes that wouldn't fit in a chip.
RE: SDR pine64 Manjaro - evilbunny - 01-18-2021
(01-18-2021, 03:24 AM)KC9UDX Wrote:(01-18-2021, 01:31 AM)evilbunny Wrote:1) I had heard a while back that all modern phone modems were SDR. (?) Is it surrounded by inductors and capacitors, or does it have computing power? (Or both, I don't know in this case.) Traditional (non-SDR) single-band transceivers are huge compared to a single chip that size.(01-17-2021, 06:43 PM)KC9UDX Wrote: What's the context? The modem all but has to be SDR.
I was told a while back that the modem likely didn't have a SDR as SDRs need more power. Also if it was a SDR, why do different chips have different bands hard coded into it...
2) I expect that would be mask ROM for legal(political) reasons. The only alternative that I can think of is component changes that wouldn't fit in a chip.
We're speculating at best and even if the chip does have a SDR it's not accessible for most/all.
RE: SDR pine64 Manjaro - KC9UDX - 01-18-2021
Correct.
It'll be nice to see the details of the recent accomplishments. Running Linux is quite a feat, but it doesn't mean that modem functionality is worked out. But if it isn't, it's only a matter of time, now. At best, Quectel will likely be more protective in the future. At worst, governments will make it criminal to run custom software at this level of hardware.
RE: SDR pine64 Manjaro - dsimic - 01-18-2021
(01-18-2021, 03:24 AM)KC9UDX Wrote: 2) I expect that would be mask ROM for legal(political) reasons. The only alternative that I can think of is component changes that wouldn't fit in a chip.
I'd place my bet on some fuses in the silicon, used to produce multiple SKUs from the same wafers.
By the way, AFAIK the modem in the PinePhone has a built-in DSP that runs proprietary firmware and pretty much does everything that's related to the modem's radio functionality. The modem's built-in ARM core, running some sort of bodged Android out of the factory, acts as a bridge to the outside word, by processing the AT commands, etc.
If there's a DSP, there could be some sort of a user-accessible SDR, at least in theory. However, I highly doubt that we'll ever be able to run something else than the factory firmware on the modem's built-in DSP.