RE: [Discuss-gnuradio] Help for a novice.

[Ettus, Matt]

> First off , the examples couldnt find the libraries for fftw 
> etc, which were in 
> /usr/local/lib. for a quick fix I copied them  into /usr/lib.
> (whats the correct way to link to these BTW ?)

I think you need to add /usr/local/lib to your /etc/ld.so.conf file.

> 
> This allowed "simple_scope" to run, except the timebase 
> widget was broken.
 
Yes, it is, I believe.

> Examples that talked to the sound card dont run, reporting 
> /dev/audio busy!
> I even tried turning off the sound server.

These days GNOME or KDE can take your sound card.  You might try killing
some other programs which might be using it.

> Any help much appreciated. Once the software is running I 
> intend to connect a 
> VHF  receiver with say a Maxim IQ down converter into the 
> sound card inputs. 

Great idea.  I was looking at the Max2701 EVB.  

> If this works well , I'll then try via ADCs into a parallel port 
> to pull in 500kHz 
> bw. Well Its a hobby and I cant justify 1000s on a nice ADC 
> board, but I do 
> understand the motives for using off-the-shelf hardware to 
> prove the software.

Lots of very interesting stuff can be done with soundcards.  There are
"audiophile" soundcards which go for around $200 which do stereo or
quadrophonic 24 bits/96 kHz.  If you use left and right channels for I/Q,
Then this would allow you to use about 90kHz of bandwidth.  

Matt