iqtool

A set of python applications for generating and viewing quadrature IQ binary files. Intended for use with software defined radios and lab test equipment.

Requirements

• Tested with Python 2.7 and 3.6.
• Requires numpy and matplotlib.

iqgen

Generates an binary IQ file of a user specified size.

Usage: python iqgen.py numberOfSamples

Settings

Signal type

iqgen can generate files with three types of signal:

1. Impulse signal [-i] (Default).
2. Tone signal [-t Freq (Hz)].
3. Random signal [-r].

Sample rate

• When generating the tone signal the sample rate can be specified using the [-fs FREQUENCY (Hz)] option.
• By default the sample rate is set to 1 MHz.

Data format

• The output data type can be set to [int8 | int16 | int32 | float16 | float32 | float64] using the [-f DATAFORMAT] option.
• By default the output type is set to int16.

Output amplitude

• The amplitude of each signal can be set using the [-a AMPLITUDE] option.
• By default the amplitude is set to the full scale value to the selected data type.

Endianness

• By default the endian is set to little endian.
• Big endian output can be selected using [-be].

Output order

• By default the I value is saved into the output file first.
• Q can be saved first by using the option [-qi].

Output file name

• A suitable output filename is automatically generated based on the options selected.
• The default filename can be overridden using the [-o FILENAME] option.

iqplot

Plots the I and Q data from a user specified binary file.

Usage: python iqplot.py filename

Settings

Offset

• The offset in bytes from the beginning of the file can be set using the [-o OFFSET (bytes)] option.
• This can be used to skip headers, etc at the beginning of the binary file.
• By default the offset is set to 0.

Plot Start Sample

• The start sample can be set using the [-s STARTSAMPLE] option.
• This can be used in combination with the NUMBEROFSAMPLES option to only plot a specific part of a file.
• By default the start sample is set to 0.

Number of samples to plot

• The number of sample to plot is set using the [-n NUMBEROFSAMPLES] option.
• By default all samples from the STARTSAMPLE to the end of the file will be plotted.

Sample rate

• When the sample rate can be specified using the [-fs FREQUENCY (Hz)] option.
• Setting the sample rate allows the the time and frequency axis labels to be correctly set.

Data format

• The input data type can be set to [int8 | int16 | int32 | uint8 | uint16 | uint32 | float16 | float32 | float 64] using the [-f DATAFORMAT] option.
• By default the data type is set to int16.

Endianness

• By default the endian is set to little endian.
• Big endian output can be selected using [-be].

Output order

• By default the I value is assumed to be the first sample in the input file.
• If Q is the first sample in the input file then use the option [-qi].

Plot Type

• By default a time domain plot of the I and Q data will be displayed.
• A power spectral density plot can be displayed using the option -p psd.
• A spectrogram plot can be displayed using the option -p spec.

FFT Window Type

• The window used for the psd or spectrogram plots can be set to [rectangular | bartlett | blackman | hamming | hanning] using the command [-w WINDOWTYPE].

FFT Width

• When displaying a spectrogram plot the FFT width should be set using the option -fw FFTWIDTH.
• The overlap between each FFT in the spectrogram is set to FFTWIDTH/10.