SoapySDR Source Guide

Purpose

Use the soapy source when you want to route supported hardware through SoapySDR instead of the native UHD path or the built-in rtl_tcp client.

Status: - integration exists in the codebase - build-time behavior is exercised without hardware - live-device behavior is Prepared for validation and Pending lab validation

Build Requirements

SoapySDR must be installed before configuring the project. The repository still builds without it.

Typical configure flow:

cmake -S . -B build
cmake --build build

If SoapySDR is found, the backend is compiled in automatically.

CLI Example

./build/sdr-analyzer-cli \
  --source soapy \
  --device-string "driver=rtlsdr" \
  --channel 0 \
  --center-hz 433920000 \
  --sample-rate 2400000 \
  --gain-db 20

GUI Use

In the GUI: - choose SoapySDR - provide the device string - use the shared center-frequency, sample-rate, and gain controls

Current Scope

The backend is focused on RX streaming into the analyzer. It does not currently claim: - device-specific calibration - vendor-specific advanced features - timing-sensitive orchestration - TX workflows

Failure Modes

Common startup failures: - SoapySDR not found at build time - driver missing for the target device - invalid or incomplete device string - unsupported sample rate, frequency, or gain settings

Runtime failures should surface through last_error() and session diagnostics.

Lab Protocol

Use the checklist in ../hardware_validation_plan.md and ../hardware_validation_status.md before changing the backend status to verified.