diff --git a/docs/images/dc_spike_example_plot.png b/docs/images/dc_spike_example_plot.png new file mode 100644 index 00000000..05aceec0 Binary files /dev/null and b/docs/images/dc_spike_example_plot.png differ diff --git a/docs/images/dc_spike_example_spectrum.png b/docs/images/dc_spike_example_spectrum.png new file mode 100644 index 00000000..f132730d Binary files /dev/null and b/docs/images/dc_spike_example_spectrum.png differ diff --git a/docs/images/dc_spike_grc.png b/docs/images/dc_spike_grc.png new file mode 100644 index 00000000..8d5320fd Binary files /dev/null and b/docs/images/dc_spike_grc.png differ diff --git a/docs/source/troubleshooting.rst b/docs/source/troubleshooting.rst index ef7dff86..9ac0a33d 100644 --- a/docs/source/troubleshooting.rst +++ b/docs/source/troubleshooting.rst @@ -9,13 +9,34 @@ Troubleshooting There is a big spike in the center of the received spectrum ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -If you see a large spike in the center of your FFT display regardless of the frequenecy you are tuned to, you are seeing a DC offset (or component or bias). The term "DC" comes from "Direct Current" in electronics. It is the unchanging aspect of a signal as opposed to the "alternating" part of the signal (AC) that changes over time. Take, for example, the signal represented by the digital sequence: +If you see a large spike in the center of your FFT display regardless of the frequenecy you are tuned to, you are seeing a DC offset (or component or bias). The term "DC" comes from "Direct Current" in electronics. It is the unchanging aspect of a signal as opposed to the "alternating" part of the signal (AC) that changes over time. + +.. figure:: ../images/dc_spike_grc.png + :align: center + + DC spike + + +Take, for example, the signal represented by the digital sequence: .. code-block:: sh -2, -1, 1, 6, 8, 9, 8, 6, 1, -1, -2, -1, 1, 6, 8, 9, 8, 6, 1, -1, -2, -1, 1, 6, 8, 9, 8, 6, 1, -1 -This periodic signal contains a strong sinusoidal component spanning from -2 to 9. If you were to plot the spectrum of this signal, you would see one spike at the frequency of this sinusoid and a second spike at 0 Hz (DC). If the signal spanned from values -2 to 2 (centered around zero), there would be no DC offset. Since it is centered around 3.5 (the number midway between -2 and 9), there is a DC component. +.. figure:: ../images/dc_spike_example_plot.png + :align: center + + Example signal + +This periodic signal contains a strong sinusoidal component spanning from -2 to 9. If we plot the spectrum of this signal, you can see one spike at the frequency of this sinusoid and a second spike at 0 Hz (DC). + + +.. figure:: ../images/dc_spike_example_spectrum.png + :align: center + + Spectrum of example signal + +If the signal spanned from values -2 to 2 (centered around zero), there would be no DC offset. Since it is centered around 3.5 (the number midway between -2 and 9), there is a DC component. Samples produced by HackRF are measurements of radio waveforms, but the measurement method is prone to a DC bias introduced by HackRF. It's an artifact of the measurement system, not an indication of a received radio signal. DC offset is not unique to HackRF; it is common to all quadrature sampling systems.