SDRplay RSPduo

Apr 3, 2018 - I was giving my radio room a clean out and found a Datong active antenna that I bought years ago and had forgotten about.

Since June 2018 a special SDR is available. The SDRplay RSPduo. This small black box receiver contains two identical receivers equipped with the Mirics MSi2500 tuner module, which offers continuous reception from 1KHz - 2000MHz. The two receivers in the RSPduo are exactly the same as in the predecessor RSP2pro. Only, they are duplicated. This concept opens up new possibilities in signal monitoring and processing. Jon Hudson from SDRplay, provided me the RSPduo for tests and comparisons.

The most important key data of the RSPduo -- two identical receivers in one device -- Frequency range: 1KHz - 2000MHz continuous -- Low pass filter up to 2MHz for LW and MW -- Bandpass filter for short wave: 2-12, 12-30, 30-60MHz -- Bandpass filter for VHF. UHF, SHF: 60-120, 120-250, 250-300, 300-380, 380-420, 420-1000MHz -- High pass filter from 1000-2000MHz -- Addable blocking filters for MW, FM and DAB + -- built-in and switchable remote feed switch with 4.7V / 100mA (tuner 2) -- Sensitivity: 0.16uV at 1.5KHz bandwidth in SSB at 20m band -- Large signal behavior IP3 +: depending on the frequency range and setting of the gain control -- ADC: 14bit max. (depending on the sampling rate) -- Stabilized 24MHz oscillator (TCXO) with 0.5ppm -- SMA antenna connections for all frequency ranges -- Hi-Z antenna input for connecting high-impedance antennas (tuner 1) -- Input and output for frequency reference signal -- USB-B connection -- Operating voltage 5V (via USB socket) -- Operating modes: AM, SAM, LSB, USB, CW, FM, Digital or Software dependent -- Bandwidths of the spectrum with SDRuno: up to max. 10MHz -- Dimensions: 95x80x30mm (WxDxH) -- Weight: 320g -- Scope of delivery: RSPduo, short installation instructions

Functional principle of the RSPduo

The RSPduo is a tuner based receiver, it is not a Direct Sampling SDR such as the Perseus SDR.

There are three antenna inputs in the RSPduo. Two of them are for the tuner 1. At the 'High Z' connection, high-impedance wire antennas or similar are connected for the frequency range 1KHz - 30MHz. The signal passes through a 2MHz and a 30MHz lowpass filter as well as a MW / DAB notch. This notch filter is switchable and suppresses the entire medium wave and the DAB range to avoid unwanted signals in the shortwave.

The 'ANT A' connector is a 50ohm antenna input and offers the entire frequency range from 1KHz to 2GHz. This is equipped with MW, FM, and DAB notch filters to attenuate unwanted signals from these frequency ranges. The signal also passes through various low, high and bandpass filters.

The same with the 'ANT B' antenna input. This is for the tuner 2 and offers the entire frequency range of 1KHz - 2GHz with the above listed filter options. In addition, a remote feed path (BiasT) can be activated in the antenna input. Active antennas can be supplied with an operating voltage of 4.7V.

The IQ switch allows operation of a tuner with 8MHz spectrum bandwidth or with both tuners simultaneously with each 1.536MHz spectrum bandwidth. Subsequently, the signal is digitized in the ADC (MSi2500) and passed on to the PC via the USB port, where it can then be processed with the controlprogram. The ADC has a highly stable oscillator (Ref-Clk) connected. This can be externally e.g. be controlled by a GPS receiver.

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SDRuno control program

SDRuno is the original control program of the RSPduo. It is an advanced Version of the well-known Studio1 program, which is no longer updated. SDRuno was mainly optimized for the SDRplay devices and works well with all RSP models. SDRuno consists of several windows that you can place freely on the screen. This compilation can then be saved. A total of ten compilations can be saved. SDRuno provides a standard window compilation in the Options (OPT) menu. The program offers countless functions; Frequency lists can also be integrated in Eibi-CSV or Perseus-Userlist format. Very good is the scalability of the main spectrum. Working with SDRuno is not that easy! Due to the very many functions, a certain amount of training is required. Once this hurdle has been overcome, many possibilities open up and working with SDRuno is really fun.

Picture below: SDRuno in Single Tuner Modus

Below: SDRuno in dual mode. Both tuners are active and can receive independently on different frequencies. Very interesting for comparisons. Upper receiver on shortwave 6155KHz, lower receiver on FM 102.5MHz in stereo and with RDS output.

SDR Console V3.03

The RSPduo can also be controlled with the well-known SDR console V3. The V3.03 version shown here only supports one tuner. But the full RSPduo support will coming soon.

Working with the RSPduo

The RSPduo is a true broadband receiver that receives up to 2GHz. Since I am mainly concerned with the long, medium and shortwave, I have tested only these frequency ranges in detail. As a comparison device, I primarily used the Winradio G33DDC Excalibur Pro. This is in my opinion the best SDR in the affordable range and is for me the reference receiver. Hobby-usual active antennas were used. The NTi ML200 Loop with 1m diameter, the crossloop also with 2x 1m diameter, the active dipole Datong AD370 and the Stampfl HB9KOC active dipole with a dipol length of 1m.

The RSPduo receives at the lowest frequencies with the same sensitivity as the G33DDC !. Both devices brought almost the same level. The lowest frequency a station could hear was at 16.4KHz. Send here