Resolve Issues with Connecting Radio to Host

Issue

NI™ USRP™ radios use an Ethernet connection to communicate between the host computer and the radio hardware. The Ethernet connection is often referred to as a network connection. This connection is necessary for transmitting data, such as the field programmable gate array (FPGA) image or firmware image, from the computer to the radio. It is necessary also for sending and receiving signals to and from the radio. The data rates you can achieve depend on this connection.

The Radio Setup wizard shows you how to connect your radio to your host computer in two steps:

The Select Link Configuration step shows you how to identify what kind of network interface card (NIC) you have.
The Connect Radio step shows you how to make the connection between your radio and your host computer with an Ethernet cable.

If you do not have the correct hardware to make the connection, or you do not make the connection as described in the wizard, you cannot use your radio with Wireless Testbench™.

Possible Solutions

Identify Your Network Interface Card

Your host computer should contain at least one dedicated Gigabit NIC for connecting to the radio. You must select which Ethernet connection is available on your host computer during the Select Link Configuration step in the Radio Setup wizard.

For NI USRP X410 devices, the host computer should contain a 10 Gigabit NIC.
For other supported radio devices, the host computer should contain either a 1 Gigabit or 10 Gigabit NIC.

On Windows^®, you may need to manually configure the Ethernet adapter driver settings on your host computer to achieve an optimal data transfer rate with your network connection. For details, see Set the Gigabit Ethernet Adapter Driver Settings.

If your host computer does not contain a dedicated NIC, see Use a USB3/Ethernet Adapter Dongle.

Use a USB3/Ethernet Adapter Dongle

If you do not have a dedicated NIC available because your host computer does not have one or if you have a single NIC that is required for internet access, you can use a USB3/Ethernet adapter dongle.

Note

Using an adapter can reduce data transfer speed between the computer and the radio.
Some adapters do not provide high enough data transfer speeds, which can result in connection errors.

If you encounter issues with data transfer using a USB3/Ethernet adapter dongle, see Resolve Issues with Data Transfer Rate.

Connect Radio to Host Computer

The Connect Radio step in the Radio Setup wizard tells you which SFP port to use on the radio. To connect your host computer to the radio, use one of the following options:

If you have a 1 Gigabit NIC, you can use an RJ45 cable with an SFP-to-RJ45 adapter.
If you have a 10 Gigabit NIC, you can use an SFP cable.
If you have a single NIC that is required for internet access, you can use a USB3/Ethernet adapter dongle, an RJ45 cable, and an SFP-to-RJ45 adapter.