Maximising RF Range as per Texas Instruments

Making electronics such as semiconductors and pioneering advances in integrated circuits. Consistently Texas Instruments brings us innovation - in their "about me" they state this mentioning advancements "to make technology smaller, more efficient, more reliable and more affordable" – "Engineering Progress.", that is what Texas Instruments are about.

Wireless/ RF

Texas Instruments  or TI with their many product offerings and solutions, many of which fall into the category of being wireless- that is what our modern world is now- involving many technologies, but today we are talking more in the area of RF or Radio Frequencies. Though these technologies have advanced, and our knowledge has grown in said technologies- still, limitations exist. One of them, when talking about RF is the range that your solution needs, and realistically, the actual range possible with the technologies being utilized.

 How Far Can My RF Signal Transmit? Receive?

Sorry to burst your bubble, but, your goal of transmitting from your business  to Timbuktu- 6,000km away- is... unrealistic/ unachievable... Or, is it?

Texas Instruments Provides us with a Great Resource

Well, Texas Instruments have put together a resource comprised of an extensive PDF- all about wireless... the many technologies and types... perfect companion for the many products they offer... for specifics, I'd read up on whichever data sheet associated to the item, but this document is more a learning on the theory- how these things work- in general... and yeah yeah yeah look at you... you already know all this. Actually, I betcha, even with all your knowledge, you'll discover something new- it is a really well put together source of information on wireless. 

The Abstract of the PDF reads

" This application report addresses the parameters that affect the radio range. For identical radio settings, the range is highly dependent on the surroundings and environment. The link budget and the positioning of the antennas and their distance to the ground surface are major contributors to long range. A general specific range can never be specified or guaranteed for any type of radio communication unless the environment is well defined. Predicting a range is difficult and the excel sheet calculation [1] helps to calculate a realistic range that can be achieved for a known environment."

So, yeah the PDF document is an informative resource on wireless/ RF to further our understanding and foundation on said technologies and then we got a supplementary excel sheet... For crunching the data points. Helping determine the actual figures required for optimal wireless range -

The PDF: https://www.ti.com/lit/an/swra479a/swra479a.pdf?ts=1724598479265&ref_url=https%253A%252F%252Fwww.ti.com%252Ftool%252FRF-RANGE-ESTIMATOR

TI Forum Post with general discussion and some user Q&A incase you, yourself have questions- they may be answerred here- also contains the excel file link in the first post: https://e2e.ti.com/support/wireless-connectivity/sub-1-ghz-group/sub-1-ghz/f/sub-1-ghz-forum/375556/excel-sheet-to-estimate-range-for-indoor-and-outdoor

TI Dedicated Page to  RF-RANGE-ESTIMATOR: https://www.ti.com/tool/RF-RANGE-ESTIMATOR with links to the most unto date version(s) of the Range Estimation for Indoor and Outdoor excel file 

[1] Direct link to excel file Range Estimation for Indoor and Outdoor: https://dr-download.ti.com/software-development/support-software/MD-Z2giRsrpoF/01.00.00.0D/swsc002d.zip

Video discussing the Range Estimation for Indoor and Outdoor resources from Texas Instruments:

https://youtu.be/7nlchB2F-Gc?si=YrP0pEV_oFmdMjA-

Windows Doesn't recognize Your HackRF device? Wrong Drivers? Try ...

 Mostly for me to remember, but Windows at times has a lapse in judgement with certain devices, DIY gadgets, peripherals that you maybe trying to connect to- for me, it was my HackRF(I have since stumbled upon a better way to start for the HackF if having driver woes- which I will cover in another post- but keep reading, since this is still good knowledge to know regarding driver issues)- no matter what, my PC could not recognize the HackRF/ or would recognize it, but as a keyboard. I required Windows to apply the correct drivers to the device so that it could be recognized for what it is... a...SDR. A HackRF. 

Guessing What's Right... Making Assumptions. Getting it Wrong.

So, really what we see here is that when connecting that never connected before thing into your PC, Windows is making an assumption on what that thing is, and then applying the best driver that it thinks suites that thing...

From experience, and a general rule of life... "assumptions" aren't the best way of going about things... you may luck out here and there, but, overall you'll find yourself in the wrong. Needing to back track and to get the actual facts... General rule: Don't make assumptions.

Life lessons out of the way- Same goes here with Windows- it's attempted to apply the best driver, but, it just didn't get it right... it made an assumption, got it wrong, but, we need to get our device connected. We need to fix this...

The Program That'll Make Things Right.

That's where a program called Zadig comes into play. 

A fairly straight forward program to take Windows by the hand and guide it in the right direction- help it along. To get the right drivers for the device you are attempting to use-

From the Zadig site:

Zadig is a Windows application that installs generic USB drivers, such as WinUSB, libusb-win32/libusb0.sys or libusbK, to help you access USB devices.

It can be especially useful for cases where:

• you want to access a device using a libusb-based application
• you want to upgrade a generic USB driver
• you want to access a device using WinUSB

A Fast "How To" Use Zadig to Re Install/ Update Drivers in Windows

(This is very high level and I strongly advise on seeking a more thorough tutorial for your specific need.... though, the following can give you a general sense of "how things work")

Long story short... your PC can't recognize your device. 

Download Zadig. Connect device, and in Device Manager locate it. Right click on the device and click on Properties, then navigate to the tab labelled Drivers... delete drivers- Make sure you know what you are doing! 

Have Zadig open and find the device in the drop down menu. You may need to add the device.....but most often, it is auto populated in that drop down. Select the appropriate drivers that you are going to force instal. Click the button that says "Reinstall Drivers". 

As a good measure restart the PC. 

If all went well, then, going forward(at least till the next Windows update where it will think it knows best and overrides this change and you'll not understand why you are having so many issues with the device since Windows did this on the low...and after hours of trying to trouble shoot you realize this fact.... but only after negatively impacting your mental health dramatically....)ehem..... if things went well then your device will be ready for your use. 

Enjoy. 

Oh, that "how to" is incredibly high level...and I require you to seek better information on the How To part of Zadig...because...again....this post was/ is more of a reminder or bookmark incase I've forgotten and having driver woes.....

Double oh... and that "better" way of getting your HackRF recognized.... post to follow shortly- so, check back.

Links: Zadig, Zadig GitHub

Faster Type, Type Faster

 While perusing the vast interwebs, I'd get sucked back into my inbox where in a email garnered my attention- It had been some time since I'd visited this particular sender's site... I believe, I had actually requested the email subscription cancelled... yet.. the emails kept on being sent. Not as aggressively as in the past, I'll give them that.

The sender in question is actually an online web shop, mainly geared to audio files & keyboard enthusiasts-g the site is Drop. Yup. There isn't much that interests me there these days... I find a good potion of the items available on Aliexpress(ok, maybe not so fancy of form factor.....but $100 keycaps?) .

I got sucked in, & hard...found myself doing the endless scrolling through products to possibly find that 1 rare gem.... I didn't find anything... projectwise.... actually, 1 of my intended reasons for having poked onto the site was to see if there was anything related to a defective product I had purchased some time ago... I got a bit side tracked, so, i'll have to go back I guess...Oh, yeah, I had picked up 1 of these "ortholinear" keyboards called the OLKB/ Preonic. This, hands down, had been my favorite "keeb"...and even though defective, i've managed to still have it(it's been through a fair bit). Initially my intention for visiting Drop was to see if they'd possibly put out any "kit" to resolve the defective USB connection- there was a large amount of a certain version of the PVB hat had a weak solder job on the USB- many USB ports busted off... such a shame.... such a small, but annoyingly somewhat more complicated of a fix leaving many a Preonic keyboard left collecting dust. I just need to pull  the shirt sleeves and solder on a breakout board with  a USB on it but i'm holding out with hopes of a pre made, all the details laid out for me, fix...one day- that day not being today.

Want to type faster?​

Following a link to a brand site and just as I'd lost interest- on my way out- I am hit with; "Want to type faster?​" Awe yeh I do....and, drum roll please... why I shared any of that above to make a post. After all the scrolling, I came across another keyboard which I checked out( (you aren't really that interested to know which 1 it was are you?)... Now on the brand site I am challenged with that question. Taunting me- had I navigated away, would have haunted me.

A link to a sweet resource- which I think every 1 should take a moment out of their day to practice, even if it is only a few minutes.  Before you click through, a reminder..." Remember to always place your index finger on the F and J keys". Ok... the link? https://www.keybr.com/

That's it... Keybr...dot...com....a site dedicated to practicing your typing.... So, what are you waiting for? BUT HEY before you go, come back after and let me know how you did..ok? Promise? Right on!

(II am not affiliated with any of the above, just caught my attention ya know?}

Experiments in Sound

 Audio has a many time sparked my imagination, leading me to discoveries that expand my already set out interests. The sounds of bass and tempo, Detroit House from many years ago to move to- groove to. Learning about physics, math through such ideas as sending, receiving/ listening from far distances(and short) using novel means such as lasers. Physiology/ psychology- how sound effects  the human- the good/ the bad. Humble reminders of how large and diverse the world around us by utilizing Software Defined Radio with the many frequencies that are invisible to us, yet bathe us constantly- sub giga hertz garage door openers, vehicle tire pressure sensors, the many other sensors- transmitting/ receiving constantly/ continuously- the static our devices make- electromagnetic frequencies- infrasound and discovering the rumbling noises the earth makes, the sounds of an eruption, discovering earth quakes and or thunder from distance far and wide- incorporating multiple devices to do time distance of arrival analysis and pin point their location(s)- detecting bats and learning their flight paths- not to mention all the software, technology.. the gadgets(!) the are involved with many if not all the above... but, truly, I've only mentioned a slice of the amazing developments in audio- did you know that it's possible to predict typing from a distance just by listening in on the keyboard/ typing? There's even a site that you can dump in your typing audio or audio to analyze and with a little bit of training the program...teaching it your keyboard...it can predict your typing with great consistency- throw in some AI and.....  with implications of eaves dropping- spy stories of great historical events that could not have come to fruition if it were not for the aspect of sound and audio. Putting on our many different coloured hats, Black, Grey, White, Red...(Red? is there such a thing as Red Hat?")- either for discovering vulnerabilities, closing down loop holes, allowing for your self to push your grocery cart past its previously invisible border where crossing locked the wheels- all you did was play some gargled sounds and the wheels unlocked...Ok. I think the point is made clear- there's  plenty  when it comes to the subject.

 The below will be an index of sorts- links to the info I'd stumbled across/ Information on the subject that caught my attention.

As time progresses, this list will be better grouped. But, in the meantime, as I discover(or remember past discoveries) them is how they will be listed below....

• Audio Capture & Analysis

• Kaleidescope- Sound analysis software for wildlife identification from Wildlife Acoustics. Used primarily with hardware from Wildlife Acoustics which offer numerous recording devices including those that record ultrasound for detecting bats.  The software allows you to quickly sort, label, and identify bird songs, frog calls, and bat identifications from weeks, months, or even years of recordings. It has features like "Cluster Analysis". Cluster Analysis uses complex recognition algorithms to determine patterns within the audiofile. Automatically scanning audio recordings for bird songs, frog calls, bat echolocations, or other animal vocalizations- maybe even other "patterns"?. How about identifying a specific construction worker based on their hammering?  Or a cyclist, based on their cadence and tempo- taking a recording of their riding and analyzing pedal rotation speed along with breathing pattern? Or identifying specific individuals based on ambient recording of typing... recording the audio in a library where numerous individuals are working on their computers... Identifying vehicles by their exhaust along with the other sounds a vehicle makes that we overlook- like the way the tires sound rolling across the road- maybe using that to determine rough speeds of vehicles?... Just throwing out some ideas on other use cases for the software. Let me know if you do use this software- especially if attempting to analyse other audio than wildlife. 
• Wildlife Acoustics- Providing solutions, hardware/ software, to record and/or analyse audio with focus on identifying wildlife such as birds, frogs, and even ultrasound for bats. Also, their vast amounts of informative videos, on Vimeo- Wildlife Acoustics videos on Vimeo
• The TEMPEST standards-  You've taken ever security measure, screened all your procurement channels- background checks and all... every loose end tightened down- afterall you are involved with confidential matters. Security must be at an all time priority with the highest levels of protections implemented. Every quarter, employees are mandated to have background checks completed- even credit checks done as to make sure no one has come into financial troubles that may cause them to dip into the company's coffers... except that 1 executive's computer, though locked down- has been compromised...leaking confidential data to numerous bad actors now for months- the only thing that's changed? That executive had their office moved to a well windowed, beautiful office overlooking the many other facilities/ departments- computer screen with a privacy filter on.. disconnected from any outside servers or connections... no one has accessed the actual computer yet it is still leaking data. How? Through the sound the computer makes processing the specific fonts utilized - the vibrations off the windows of he closely positioned computer- the unique sounds/ frequencies made of each key stroke.... You'd forgotten to implement the Tempest standards.
• RedVox - Now with all features, where previously a paid tier with full features, now all available for free- Record, review, share, analyze... sound, specifically Infrasound-- RedVox Infrasound Recorder is an App that can be downloaded on both IOS and Android devices with plenty of your basic audio application features such as record, save, replay, share... but, also a fantastic spectrogram of the audio- some apps give us this view, but not many provide a save/ record function where a spectrogram can be saved along with the audio. Further, signing up provides more features outside of the mobile environment with more storage and analysis available- collaborate with other RedVox members and utilize data captured in other geological locations and time- pinpoint where an earth quake may have been, or the sounds of an erupting volcano- or accidentally; your stomach rumbling.

• Lasers and Sound
  - Information on the topic of sending, receiving, detecting, snooping on audio utilizing lasers. 

• Here is a schematic to a IR laser receiver - can be used to detect IR devices along with receiving IR signals.
• Infrasound- See: RedVox