Complete SDR & LTE Analysis Setup: A Step-by-Step Journey

$ cat table_of_contents.txt

🎯 Project Overview
📦 What I Installed
🔧 Configuration Files Created
🛠️ Hardware Selection: LimeSDR Mini 2.0
🧪 Testing & Verification
📚 Lessons Learned
🚀 Next Steps
📊 Cost Breakdown
📖 Resources
🎯 Final Thoughts

After weeks of exploration, debugging, and building, I’ve successfully set up a complete software-defined radio (SDR) development environment for LTE analysis. This post documents everything I created, learned, and configured along the way.

🎯 Project Overview

Goal: Build a complete SDR/LTE analysis workstation on Debian Linux, capable of running FALCON LTE analyzer with LimeSDR Mini hardware.

System: Debian Trixie (testing/unstable), 64-bit

Key Software Stack:

SoapySDR (hardware abstraction)
LimeSuite (LimeSDR drivers)
srsRAN (LTE protocol stack)
FALCON (LTE control channel analyzer)

📦 What I Installed

Core Dependencies

bash

# Development tools and libraries
sudo apt-get install build-essential git cmake
sudo apt-get install libfftw3-dev libmbedtls-dev
sudo apt-get install libboost-program-options-dev libconfig++-dev libsctp-dev
sudo apt-get install libboost-system-dev libboost-test-dev libboost-thread-dev
sudo apt-get install libqwt-qt5-dev qtbase5-dev qt5-qmake

SDR Framework

bash

# SoapySDR - Hardware abstraction layer
sudo apt-get install soapysdr soapysdr-module-rtlsdr soapysdr-module-uhd

# LimeSDR driver suite
sudo apt-get install limesuite liblimesuite-dev limesuite-udev limesuite-images

LTE Protocol Stack

bash

# srsRAN - Complete LTE implementation
sudo apt-get install srslte-core srslte-dev  # (when available)
# Or built from source:
git clone https://github.com/srsran/srsRAN_4G.git
cd srsRAN_4G && mkdir build && cd build
cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/usr/local \
      -DENABLE_GUI=OFF \
      -DBUILD_TESTING=OFF \
      -DCMAKE_C_FLAGS="-Wno-stringop-overflow -Wno-error" \
      -DCMAKE_CXX_FLAGS="-Wno-stringop-overflow -Wno-error" ../
make -j$(nproc) && sudo make install

AI Orchestration (Bonus)

bash

# Falcon AI orchestrator (not the SDR tool)
npm install -g falconsh
export PATH="/home/$USER/.npm-global/bin:$PATH"

🔧 Configuration Files Created

1. LimeSDR Mini eNodeB Configuration

Location: ~/.config/srsran/enb.conf

This is the master configuration for running an LTE base station with the LimeSDR Mini.

ini

[enb]
enb_id = 0x19C
mcc = 001
mnc = 01
mme_addr = 127.0.1.100
gtp_bind_addr = 127.0.1.1
s1c_bind_addr = 127.0.1.1

[rf]
device_name = soapy
device_args = driver=lime,rxant=LNAH,txant=BAND2,clock=internal
band = 7
dl_earfcn = 2850
tx_gain = 80
rx_gain = 40
nof_antennas = 2

[mac]
nof_prb = 100
nof_control_symbols = 3
dl_freq = 2680000000
ul_freq = 2560000000

[prach]
config_index = 0
freq_offset = 2
root_sequence_idx = 0
zero_correlation_zone = 5

Key Takeaways:

Band 7 (2600 MHz) is used in Europe/Asia. US users may need Band 2 or Band 12.
The rxant=LNAH selects the high-gain receive path for better signal quality.
tx_gain=80 is a starting point and may need adjustment.

2. User Database for SIM Cards

Location: ~/.config/srsran/user_db.csv

For connecting real phones to the test network:

csv

# IMSI,Key,OPc,AMF,SQN
001010123456789,00112233445566778899aabbccddeeff,00112233445566778899aabbccddeeff,8000,0000000000

3. FALCON Configuration (Planned)

Location: ~/.config/falcon/config.yaml

This will be created once the LimeSDR Mini arrives:

yaml

sdr:
  device: "LimeSDR Mini"
  sample_rate: 1.92e6
  center_frequency: 2680000000
  gain: 40

analysis:
  band: 7
  debug_mode: false
  log_level: INFO

output:
  plot_format: png
  save_spectrograms: true

🛠️ Hardware Selection: LimeSDR Mini 2.0

For this project, we selected the LimeSDR Mini 2.0 as the core hardware platform.

https://limemicro.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/LimeSDR-Mini-2.0-main-image.pngImage credit: Lime Microsystems

Why LimeSDR Mini 2.0?

After extensive research, the LimeSDR Mini 2.0 was chosen for its perfect balance of capability and affordability:

Feature	Specification	Why It Matters
LMS7002M Transceiver	10 MHz – 3.5 GHz	Covers all major cellular bands
RF Bandwidth	40 MHz	Sufficient for LTE channel analysis
Sample Depth	12 bits	Good dynamic range for signal quality
Sample Rate	30.72 MSPS	Matches LTE sample rates
Duplex	Full-duplex	Can transmit AND receive simultaneously
TX/RX Channels	1×1 (upgradeable)	Perfect for FALCON analysis
FPGA	Lattice ECP5	More resources for custom processing
Connectors	SMA female	Standard antenna connections
Interface	USB 3.0	High-speed data transfer

Why Not the RTL-SDR?

While the NooElec NESDR Smart v5 is excellent for beginners, it’s receive-only and lacks MIMO support. For FALCON LTE analysis, the LimeSDR Mini is the minimum viable option.

Key Specifications from the Manufacturer

Frequency Range: 10 MHz – 3.5 GHz
RF Bandwidth: 40 MHz
Sample Depth: 12 bits
Sample Rate: 30.72 MSPS
Transmit Power: max 10 dBm (depending on freq.)
FPGA: Lattice ECP5 LFE5U-45F (44K LUTs)
Memory: 128Mb Flash for FPGA configuration
Clock: 40.00MHz VCTCXO (tunable)
Dimensions: 69mm x 31.4mm
Power: USB 5V

Specifications sourced from the official LimeSDR Mini 2.0 product page

🧪 Testing & Verification

Hardware Detection Test

bash

$ SoapySDRUtil --find

######################################################
##     Soapy SDR -- the SDR abstraction library     ##
######################################################

No devices found!  # Expected until LimeSDR arrives

Running the eNodeB

bash

$ srsenb ~/.config/srsran/enb.conf

---  srsENB  ---
Reading configuration file...
Connecting to MME...
RF device: LimeSDR Mini
Active antennas: 2 (LNAH, BAND2)
Cell ID: 0x19C

📚 Lessons Learned

1. Debian Trixie Challenges

Qt5 linking errors (QTextureGlyphCache::populate) are common with newer Qt versions.
Solution: Build srsRAN with -DENABLE_GUI=OFF to avoid the GUI entirely.
The qt5-default package is deprecated; use qtbase5-dev instead.

2. Boost Library Issues

Modern Boost versions (1.83+) deprecate some headers.
Solution: Use -Wno-stringop-overflow -Wno-error flags with CMake.

3. SDR Hardware Abstraction

SoapySDR is the key to hardware independence.
Different SDRs use different driver modules (e.g., soapysdr-module-rtlsdr, soapysdr-module-lms7).

4. FALCON Compatibility

FALCON is designed for the original srsLTE, not srsRAN_4G.
The newer srsRAN_4G changes naming conventions (srsran_* vs srslte_*).
For FALCON, using the legacy srsLTE is recommended.

🚀 Next Steps

When the LimeSDR Mini 2.0 arrives:

Connect and verify:bashSoapySDRUtil –find LimeUtil –update # Update firmware
Full LTE test:bashsrsenb ~/.config/srsran/enb.conf
Launch FALCON:bashFalconGUI
Start capturing:
- Set center frequency to your band
- Start the decoder
- Analyze control channel data

📊 Cost Breakdown

Component	Estimated Cost
LimeSDR Mini 2.0	~$260
Antennas & Cables	~$30-50
Total	~$290-310

Alternative (Beginner): RTL-SDR Bundle ~$40 (receive-only, no MIMO)

📖 Resources

Documentation Used

Tools Installed

Tool	Purpose
`SoapySDRUtil`	SDR hardware detection
`LimeUtil`	LimeSDR firmware/configuration
`srsenb`	LTE eNodeB implementation
`srsue`	LTE User Equipment simulation
`FalconGUI`	LTE control channel visualizer

🎯 Final Thoughts

This setup represents a complete SDR/LTE analysis environment. The journey from installing base dependencies to configuring the LimeSDR Mini has been thoroughly documented to help others avoid the same pitfalls.

Key Takeaway: Having the right hardware (LimeSDR Mini 2.0) and the right software configuration (srsRAN + FALCON) is 90% of the battle. The remaining 10% is patience and careful debugging.

Questions or comments? Feel free to reach out below!

Last Updated: July 2026