Build an FM radio using an RTL-SDR dongle

FM radio projects that use chipsets with a low-level Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C) interface, like the RDA5807M and TEA5767, can work, but I found that both solutions have some drawbacks. The RDA5807M chip is poorly documented, with only Arduino C libraries, and the TEA5767 chip has no volume control.

Software-defined radio (SDR) offers a higher level interface that allows access to mixers, filters, amplifiers, modulators/demodulators, and detectors on the hardware. A wide range of hardware supports SDR, and the RTL-SDR [1] USB dongles based on the RTL2832U chipsets are well-priced at $10-$15.

SDRs have a large list of supported applications; some of the cooler projects include tracking airplanes, free-to-air TV, and monitoring satellite data.

[...]

Use Express-Checkout link below to read the full article (PDF).

Buy this article as PDF

Download Article PDF now with Express Checkout
Price $2.95
(incl. VAT)

Buy Linux Magazine

SINGLE ISSUES
Print Issues
Digital Issues
SUBSCRIPTIONS
Print Subscriptions
Digital Subscriptions

Related content

  • Software-Defined Radio

    Armed with a US$ 20 hunk of hardware and a free software-defined radio tool, Konstantin starts the hunt for radio-transmitted data from a weather station.

    more »
  • Tracking Planes

    Curious about the planes that fly over your home? With some simple and affordable equipment, you can receive their ADS-B signals and uncover detailed flight information.

    more »
  • FSFE and FFII to Radio Station Winners: "rOGG on"

    Radio Free Deutschland: For Document Freedom Day, March 31 2010, a couple of European radio stations were granted awards for using open standards.

    more »
  • Meshtastic

    Want to communicate without relying on mobile networks? Meshtastic lets you create your own off-the-grid wireless mesh network with an inexpensive LoRa device and an Android phone.

    more »
  • Pi Pico 2W Web Radio

    A Raspberry Pi Pico 2W has enough power to let you create a very usable web radio when you add a DAC chip and an amplifier.

    more »
comments powered by Disqus
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters

Support Our Work

Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

Learn More

News

Tag Cloud

Administration Community Desktop Events Hardware Linux Mobile Programming Security Software Ubuntu Web Development Windows free software open source