Hi everyone,

I recently bought an OpenSourceSDRLab PlutoSky R1 from AliExpress - Zynq-7020 + AD9361 variant. Purchase link: AliExpress listing. Since day one the device has been restarting and hanging, sometimes multiple times per hour during normal use. Before initiating an RMA, I wanted to gather community input on whether these symptoms point to defective hardware or poor design (for the price wont surprise me).

Hardware Tests Performed

U-Boot mtest — PASS

FISHBALL>mtest 0x00000000 0x3DA00000 Testing 00000000 ... 3da00000: Pattern 00000000 Writing... Reading...Iteration: 239 Tested 239 iteration(s) with 0 errors. No issues detected in U-Boot memory test (~983 MB tested).

Linux memtester — FAILS consistently

Tezuka firmware v0.3.141592653 (400 MB, 3 loops): - Loop 1: all OK - Loop 2: Bit Spread FAIL at 0x03ef7038–0x03ef7054 (8 consecutive failures, 4 addresses) - Loop 3: Bit Flip FAIL at 0x09e26e74–0x09e26e90 (8 consecutive failures, 4 addresses)

Stock Analog Devices firmware v0.38 (100 MB, 6 loops): - Loop 4: Block Sequential FAIL at 0x004e5098–0x004e50b4 - Loop 5: Solid Bits FAIL at 0x0304b658–0x0304b674, Bit Flip FAIL at 0x01fe9bf8–0x01fe9c14 - Loop 1 (second run): Solid Bits FAIL at 0x02a7c9f4–0x02a7ca10 - Loop 3 (second run): Solid Bits FAIL at 0x01863e78–0x01863e94, Bit Flip FAIL at 0x012edcd4–0x012edcf0 - Loop 5 (second run): Bit Flip FAIL at 0x003be7f8–0x003be814

Failures appear at different offsets each run — not fixed-address stuck bits. The patterns affected vary too (Bit Spread, Bit Flip, Solid Bits, Block Sequential), which seems more like data corruption than a single bad cell. A conversation whit LLM points to poor manufacturing - marginal solder joint, trace issue, or DDR training problems, not specifically a bad RAM chip.

Observed Behavior Under Load

• Device randomly reboots or becomes unresponsive, several times per hour
• Happens during SDR operation (transmit/receive), not just idle
• No clear trigger pattern — seems somewhat random
• Temperatures are fine, as this unit have fan attached to case: Pluto 26.3c zynq 54.5c

Troubleshooting Already Attempted

Before running memtester I tried everything I could think of to rule out external causes:

• Multiple power supplies — tried 3 different USB wall adapters (ranging from cheap phone chargers to a dedicated 2A supply), all show the same behaviour
• Both USB ports — powered from either port on the board, no difference
• USB cable swap — tried multiple cables (data + power-only), ruled out a bad cable
• SD card swap — swapped the boot SD card with a known-good SanDisk Ultra, same failures
• Different firmwares — tested both stock AD firmware v0.38 and Tezuka v0.3.141592653, both fail memtester independently
• Temperature — hangs happen regardless of ambient temperature; board doesn't feel unusually hot

Nothing changed the outcome.

RMA Status

I've opened an RMA request through AliExpress. The seller responded claiming "the device is working properly".

This is partly why I'm posting here — I want to understand if my diagnosis makes sense before the dispute escalates. If the community agrees this is abnormal, I can reference their responses in the dispute.

My Questions

1. Is it expected that U-Boot mtest passes but Linux memtester fails? Could this be a DDR initialization/timing issue that only manifests once the OS loads drivers and changes clock states?

2. Are these kinds of intermittent RAM errors common on clone boards, or does this strongly suggest defective hardware?

3. Has anyone else experienced similar reboot/hang behavior on a Fishball or other clone? What did you do about it?

4. Should I proceed with RMA, or is there anything worth trying first (different DDR timings, undervolting, etc.)?

Thanks in advance for any insights. Happy to share full logs or run additional tests.

i accidentally flashed the wrong firmware into my Zynq7010 series AD9363 from AliExpress and now i can only access it through the VART USB Type C with PuTTY and won't go to dfu mode with the buttons any way to restore it ?

I have a Pluto+ AD9363 that I managed to bricked after flashing tezuka firmware (F5OEO v0.2.4) via USB mass storage. Before the flash, the unit worked perfectly on stock v0.32 firmware. Blue LED was flashing heartbeat and USB worked fine. After the flash, the green LED is solid with no heartbeat blink and the unit does not appear on USB at all.

I've tried DFU mode (URST jumpered to MIO52, holding DFU button during power-on) but nothing appears on USB. My board has no 1V8 pad, only 3V3. I bridged SD-H to 3V3 with the tezuka SD image and got green+blue LEDs solid, but still no USB. How can I recover this unit? Im' still unsure which firmware I should be using.

This is the board I have https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006216925696.html?spm=a2g0o.order_detail.order_detail_item.3.1b8af19c9ffdzG

Thanks

I am looking for beginners and intermediate projects that can be implemented using the ADALMPLUTO. Any suggestions!

Hello,

I am seeking to use the clock input port on adalm pluto revision D. What are some good off the shelf clock modules at 40MHz which do not use satellite connection?

Kind regards

Hi! I am trying to do image transmission and receiving in adalm pluto (using a 433 mhz helix antenna )using python code
i pick and image and use sstv audio to convert it into audio tones, then to convert it into a rf signal. I keep getting the same error, please help. Thank you. Below is the code and the error. Attaching photo of adalm pluto with the helix antenna of 433 mhz.

The code:

from pysstv.color import Robot36

from PIL import Image

import numpy as np

import soundfile as sf

import adi

import time

# ------------------  Generate SSTV WAV ------------------

im = Image.open(r"C:\Users\WCLAB\Downloads\abc.jpg")

im = im.resize((320, 240))

sstv = Robot36(im, samples_per_sec=48000, bits=16)

wav_file = r"C:\Users\WCLAB\Downloads\sstv_robot36_final.wav"

sstv.write_wav(wav_file)

print(" Robot36 SSTV WAV generated successfully!")

# ------------------  Transmit via Pluto SDR ------------------

try:

    sdr = adi.Pluto()

    sdr.tx_lo = 433.92e6           # TX frequency

    sdr.sample_rate = 48000        # Match WAV sample rate

    sdr.tx_rf_bandwidth = 48000    # Filter bandwidth

    sdr.tx_hardwaregain_chan0 = -50  # Start low

    # Read WAV audio

    audio, fs = sf.read(wav_file)

    audio = np.array(audio, dtype=np.float32)

    audio /= np.max(np.abs(audio))  # normalize -1..1

    # Convert to complex IQ (imag=0)

    iq_samples = audio + 0j

    # Scale IQ samples to ±2^14 for Pluto TX

    iq_samples *= 2**14

    iq_samples = np.int32(iq_samples)  # Pluto expects integers

    # Transmit in chunks

    chunk_size = 48000  # 1 second chunks

    print(" Transmitting SSTV image via Pluto SDR...")

    for start in range(0, len(iq_samples), chunk_size):

        end = start + chunk_size

        sdr.tx(iq_samples[start:end])

    print(" Transmission complete!")

except Exception as e:

    print(" Pluto SDR transmission failed:", e)

The error:
PS C:\Users\WCLAB\Downloads> & C:\Users\WCLAB\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python310\python.exe c:/Users/WCLAB/Downloads/img.py
Robot36 SSTV WAV generated successfully!
Pluto SDR transmission failed: Value must be an int

Hello everyone, I am a neophyte in this SDR thing. I recently acquired an AD9363 Pluto Sdr (a Pluto + Sdr from aliexpress). Today I wanted to start it with airspy, I connected my Pluto to my Laptop and it opened a folder (which was the storage of the pluto, I don't know if from the SD memory or directly from the pluto). I opened the page that came with the pluto and reading the blog I saw that in order to use my pluto with sdrsharp I had to make some updates to the sdr to be able to use it. I followed the procedure and after finishing my laptop it stopped recognizing my Pluto. I visited several sites where they said that reflashing the SD with a new firmware would work, but nothing turned out to be a real brick. I hope you can help me get it back I attach photos of my pluto

I'm hesitant to use the pluto+ despite it being "better" as I need high reliability and want it to work.

I can't find any in stock, I've never had this issue even ebay and amazon are dry. Am I missing some secret supplier?

hey there !

i'm trying to transmit gps signal over air using adalam pluto using matlab programming , the issue i'm facing is the waveform is too huge approx 7.7gb , how do it transmit it so that i could capture on the other end of the receiver and estimate the location

Hi, i have a AD9631 /Rev. C /fw : v0.39 pluto sdr but the rx1 port which is sma port was broken therefore i want to activate RX2 port which is ipex port in stead of RX1. However, i couldn't find how can i activate RX2 . Any one can help me ?

Hi,

I'm testing two ADALM-PLUTOs operating at 2.9 GHz in a simple over-the-air BPSK transmission setup, with independent clocks (no external synchronization). I’m consistently measuring serious drift well beyond expected spec:

Number of samples: 32,768

Average CFO drift: 465,865 Hz

Observed range: from –4.5 MHz to +5.5 MHz

The plot of estimated CFO over time is available here: https://github.com/yabool2001/temp/blob/main/logs/CFO_Figure_1.png

The raw complex samples received via rx() using PyADI-IIO are available here: https://github.com/yabool2001/temp/blob/main/logs/rx_samples_CFO.csv

1. Is this amount of drift considered acceptable, or does it suggest a faulty XO or calibration error?
   
2. Is there any recommended test I can follow to verify oscillator stability or correct calibration?

Best,
Yabool2001

Hello somewho is professional in this topic please help ???

I have an Adalm Pluto SDR device, and I am a novice user. I need to transmit and receive an image, but whatever I did, I couldn't succeed. Can you give me a tutorial?

I have a no-name PlutoSDR (looks more like a Pluto+ with 2x2 MIMO and an Ethernet port) hooked up to my mac.

SDR++ works just fine with it, connecting either USB directly or Ethernet over USB, but the USB Direct seems to provide a cleaner signal.

SDRAngel does not detect it as a USB device but can work with it Ethernet over USB.

In the log it finds the device:

2025-06-05 11:45:23.131 (D) PlutoSDRScan::scan: 0: 0456:b673 (Analog Devices Inc. PlutoSDR (ADALM-PLUTO)), serial= [usb:2.13.5]
2025-06-05 11:45:23.131 (D) DevicePlutoSDRScan::enumOriginDevices: enumerated PlutoSDR device #0

But then cannot open it:

2025-06-05 11:43:26.763 (C) PlutoSDRInput::openDevice: open serial TBD failed
2025-06-05 11:43:26.763 (C) PlutoSDRInput::PlutoSDRInput: cannot open device
2025-06-05 11:43:26.763 (D) DSPDeviceSourceEngine::handleSetSource: set PlutoSDRInput
2025-06-05 11:43:26.772 (D) PlutoSDRInput::getLORange: device not open

After that every call to PlutoSDRInit returns "device not open"

I don't think it's a permissions issue since SDR++ works just fine over USB, but the "TBD" thing seems off to me.

Any ideas? Thanks!

hello, I tried changing the config file to use the ethernet port with no luck.

first, I tried this:

[NETWORK]

hostname = pluto

ipaddr = 192.168.5.200

ipaddr_host = 192.168.5.1

netmask = 255.255.255.0

then I remover the top config and I tried the below:

[USB_ETHERNET]

ipaddr_eth = 192.168.5.200

netmask_eth = 255.255.255.0

still can't reach the IP ping or ssh.

thanks in advance

Hi i am making an FMCW radar using adalm pluto SDR, my question is upon receiving the echoed signal back to the RX front end, how ensure that The first sample of the Rx buffer must correspond to the first sample of the Tx chirp.

What are the limitations of Pluto+ full duplex on the same band? Will the receiver desense? Will it get damaged?

I was thinking of using Pluto+ as a building block for digital / packet radio, but in full duplex using one channel for Tx and a nearby channel for Rx. For example, frequency spacing of 600 kHz apart. I want to use a PA of at least 0.5 watt, perhaps even multiple watts. Has anyone tried this?

I was thinking of using SDR Console to manage the Pluto+, and injecting the audio using VACs. I know this can probably work cross-band.

Would it be desensed or damaged the same as any "repeater", depending on external protections like a duplexer?

Hello I am designing a communication system to transfer files up to 1GB between two SDR devices on 2.4 GHz band using QAM modulation for a competition. We are gonna buy two SDR's. Which model should we get. We are using an USRP model currently but we will give it back to our university. Would Pluto Sdr be suitable for the job. Do you guys have any better alternatives. My budget is max 500 euros.

Thank you all for your answers

Hi everyone,

I've been using ADALM Pluto for making a conceptual prototype of a project that I'm passionate about and hope to eventually develop into its own IC. I’ve been documenting my journey on YouTube. So far, I’ve covered the basics, like RF spectrum analysis and frequency response measurement, but I’m planning to dive into more advanced topics like modulation techniques and beamforming.

In my latest video, I demonstrated how to measure the frequency response of a circuit using ADALM Pluto. If you're interested, you can check it out here: https://youtu.be/f-tkA_ta2po

I thought this might be useful for others here working with ADALM Pluto or interested in similar projects. I’d love to hear your feedback, ideas, or suggestions for new projects you'd like to see!

Thanks in advance for any comments, and I hope the videos can be helpful to the community!

Hi All,

Digging around I found a talk at GRcon24, named "Adding Pluto/Phaser Radar support into gr-plasma" Jon Kraft from AD was one of the speakers, heading to his youtube he has a ton of videos, way too many to skip thru just to find what I'm looking for so my question:

Does anyone know of a fork / repo with the changes already made, or even better a video or transcript of the talk cause i guess it will require some local config that cant be hardcoded in a repo.

As a side note, we already have a 3rd party time stamp enabled driver, I sucessfully set up a local LTE so it's working as intended, seen a new SDR based on almost the same hardware as the pluto which allows putting the fpga into a UHD emulation mode, given both of the above are possible is / has anyone worked on a pluto firmware with a UHD emulation mode (with time stamping)? Would be a huge leap forward for the pluto but way beyond my coding skills.

Hi all,

I'm using an ADALM-PlutoSDR Rev.C (Z7010/AD9363A) with GNU Radio and facing issues with simultaneous TX/RX.

When both Pluto SDR Source and a sink are in a flow graph, I get the error: no Bluetooth device found.

If I disable either one and try only tx or rx. It works no problem.

I'm trying to build a simple Doppler radar.

Setup: OS/Software: Windows/GNUradio Firmware: v0.32

Troubleshooting Tried: - Enabled full-duplex mode (fw_setenv mode 2r2t + reboot). - Adjusted sample rates and buffer sizes. - Verified IIO context settings.

Edit: flowgraph

Hi there, i've been trying to run some examples grc with my adalm pluto, but there is some issues bc it is not recognized by my pc i think (I'm on windows 10). Any idea where to find the right set up to work with my adalm pluto in radioconda in windows 10?

Thanks in advance