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SIGINT / wideband SDR (LimeSDR Mini) — "dragonegg"

The dragonegg laydown is AryaOS + a LimeSDR Mini + GPS: a wideband (10 MHz–3.5 GHz) software-defined radio on the edge for spectrum monitoring and signal-collection tasks, with the box's own position on the map.

AryaOS ships the driver and access layer for the LimeSDR; the collection/analysis application you point at it is deployment-specific.

What's on the image

  • soapysdr-module-lms7 — the SoapySDR driver for LimeSDR / LMS7002M. Any SoapySDR client (readsb, SDR++, SDRangel, GQRX, GNU Radio) can drive the Lime as driver=lime.
  • limesuite — LimeSuite tools: LimeUtil (find/probe/update), LimeQuickTest.
  • soapysdr-module-remote — SoapyRemote, so a remote operator can use the Lime over the network (see Remote access).
  • soapysdr-tools — SoapySDRUtil for enumeration/probing.

First use

Verify the device and update its gateware (a LimeSDR Mini usually needs a one-time update):

LimeUtil --find                       # should list "LimeSDR Mini"
SoapySDRUtil --probe="driver=lime"    # full capability probe
sudo LimeUtil --update                # one-time gateware/firmware update

Power

The LimeSDR Mini is a heavy, bursty USB draw. With GPS and a Pi 5 this is one of the highest-draw laydowns — use a proper 5V/5A (27 W) supply (or a true PoE+ 802.3at source). On a marginal supply the box can brown out; AryaOS will flag under-voltage (power-health) and, if it crash-loops, drop into safe mode.

Using the LimeSDR

As the ADS-B 1090 front-end

The Lime can replace an RTL-SDR for ADS-B:

sudo scripts/readsb-use-lime.sh          # driver=lime, gain 40

This sets readsb to --device-type soapysdr --soapy-device driver=lime and restarts it. CoT then flows through adsbcot → Charontak as usual.

Remote access (SoapyRemote)

Expose the Lime to a remote operator running SDR++, SDRangel or GQRX with the SoapyRemote plugin (they connect to driver=remote,remote=<host>):

SoapySDRServer --bind          # serves the local SDRs over the network

Not enabled by default

SoapySDRServer is not started automatically — it opens the SDR to the network unauthenticated. Start it manually only when needed, and bind it to the Tailscale/VPN interface, not the open LAN (see Firewall and VPN). Stop it when you're done.

Local capture / analysis

Any SoapySDR/LimeSuite-based tool (GNU Radio, SoapySDRUtil, custom collectors) can open the Lime locally as driver=lime. The specific SIGINT collection/analysis application is chosen per deployment and is outside the base image.

See also