GRCon20 - Exploring RFNoC with the UHD Python API

Presented by Aaron Rosetto at GNU Radio Conference 2020 https://gnuradio.org/grcon20 The Ettus Research USRP Hardware Driver (UHD) software API supports application development on all Ettus Research USRP SDR products by providing programmers with a comprehensive set of functions for interacting with the capabilities of the USRP, including RFNoC, the RF Network-on-a-Chip processing framework that can be used to implement high throughput DSP within the FPGA. And the great thing is that you even don't need to be a C++ wizard to unleash this power! The UHD 4.0 driver provides a set of Python bindings to these APIs which makes interacting with the USRP and RFNoC quick, efficient, and intuitive. Thus, it is also an excellent venue for demonstrating the key aspects of the architecture. Aimed at the RFNoC novice user and those curious to know more about its capabilities, this talk will explore the concepts of the new RFNoC architecture included with UHD 4.0 through the use of the Python UHD API, including how to configure RFNoC blocks and graphs in an RFNoC image, transferring data to and from an RFNoC graph, and displaying that data.