Configure Host Computer for Ethernet-Based USRP N3xx Radio Connection

These sections guide you through the instructions to configure a host computer for an Ethernet-based USRP N3xx radio (N300, N310, N320, N321) connection using the installer. To run the installer, see Install Communications Toolbox Support Package for USRP Radio.

Note

If you are using a USB-based radio connection, see Configure Host Computer for USB-Based USRP Radio Connection.

Host Computer Ethernet Options

The Ethernet connection is often referred to as a network connection. You can use an integrated network interface card (NIC) with a Gigabit Ethernet cable. This connection is necessary for transmitting data, such as an FPGA or firmware image, from the host computer to the radio hardware. It is also necessary for sending and receiving signals to and from the radio hardware.

To have simultaneous internet access in the absence of a wireless connection, the host computer must have two Ethernet connections. If the host computer has only one Ethernet connection available, see Using One Ethernet Port.

Configure Ethernet Connection Using Installer

Unless otherwise noted, the installer instructions for configuring the Ethernet connection between the host and radio is the same for Windows^®, Linux^®, and Macintosh computers.

To have the installer guide you through the setup of the host-to-radio Ethernet connection, select Ethernet-based USRP N3xx radios (N300, N310, USRP2, X300, X310), and then click Next.
Check that the host machine has the correct configuration and required accessories.
1. Administrator privileges — Because the software runs OS commands for configuring the network card, you must have administrator privileges for the guided radio hardware setup. For windows, If you see the User Account Control dialog box, click Yes to continue the setup process.
  - For Linux: If you see the User Login dialog box, enter the administrator password and click login.
  - For Mac: If you see osacript wants to make changes dialog box, enter the password and click OK.
2. Gigabit Ethernet connection — This connection is often referred to as a network connection. You can use the small form-factor pluggable (SFP) network interface with a Gigabit Ethernet cable.
3. SD card reader and writable SD card — If the host machine does not have an integrated card reader, use an external USB SD card reader.
If you have already set up an SD card with the Linux system file image, select Skip to configuring network interfaces. Click Next and continue to step 4. To set up the SD memory card, click Next, and then follow these steps.
1. Download the UHD SDimage and validate it.
2. Insert a 16 GB or larger SD memory card into the selected drive on the host computer. Then, click Next.
  When you click Next, a warning message appears. The warning message indicates that all previous data on the SD memory card will be erased during the firmware write.
3. When you are ready to proceed with the SD card image download, click Write.
Configure the USRP™ N3xx radio as instructed in this figure.
If you do not have an N3xx radio connected to the host computer, see Configure Network Interface Using Installer with No USRP N3xx Radio Connected.
- To have the installer configure the host-to-radio Ethernet connection, click Next. If your computer has only one NIC, see Using One Ethernet Port.
  Confirm that the Detection Result field lists the IP address of the configured N3xx radio.
- To manually configure the network interface of your host computer, select I want to configure my computer's network interface manually. Then, click Next.
  If your radio is not detected, check the Recommended Action section. If you are requested to apply any changes to the host IP address and the subnet mask of the selected network interface, click Assign IP Address.
  Confirm that the Detection Result field lists the IP address of the configured N3xx radio.
If the FPGA image of your N3xx radio is compatible with the software version being installed, Click Next.
If the FPGA image of your N3xx radio is not compatible with the software version being installed, click Update radio SD card to update the SD card image.
This step applies for Windows only.
If FastSendDataGramThreshold is not defined in the Windows registry, the installer prompts you to set it to the value recommended by the USRP hardware driver from Ettus Research™. To set FastSendDataGramThreshold to the recommended value, click Next.
If the Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your device? dialog box appears, click Yes to continue. If the Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your device? dialog box appears from the Registry Editor, click Yes to continue.
This step applies for Linux only.
Ettus Research recommends setting the maximum buffer sizes for net.core.rmem_max, net.core.wmem_max, and real-time scheduling as indicated in this figure. To use these recommended values, click Next.
These changes are not persistent. To retain these settings in your account, see Make Changes Persistent on Linux.
After enabling your Ethernet-based device, confirm the host-to-radio communication link by testing the radio connection. For details, see Test USRP Radio Connection.