Table of Contents
Summary of Contents for OUTERNET L-BAND
- Page 1 L-BAND RECEIVER THE DIY PORTABLE OUTERNET RECEIVER MANUAL For rxOS v2.02 NOTE: L-Band is in Beta The latest version of this manual can be found online at https://outernet.is/docs and in the root folder of the Librarian interface.
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Page 2: Table Of Contents
CONTENTS How Outernet Works ............................ 4 Components ..............................4 Hardware Specifications For Outernet Reception ................5 How The Components Work Together ....................6 Outernet Software: rx0S ..........................7 How rxOS Works ............................7 Install rxOS On Your Device ........................7 rxOS Alternatives ............................ - Page 3 Appendix 5: Supporting More Connected Devices ................21 Appendix 6: DIY Kit Component Specifications ..................21...
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Page 4: How Outernet Works
Outernet provides a unique service: filecasting. We send files over Inmarsat satellites, which transmit radio waves in the L-Band frequency range. These waves are received by the radio on the receiver, which turns them back into files, which are then stored on the receiver. In some cases, the receiver emits a WiFi hotspot, allowing access to the saved files through a web browser. -
Page 5: Hardware Specifications For Outernet Reception
RF-suitable voltage regulator custom heatsink SMA female connector SDR frequency range of approximately 25MHz-2200MHz Must have a bias tee enabled for use with the Outernet Amplifier Amplifier: Center Frequency: 1542 MHz Gain: 34 dB ... -
Page 6: How The Components Work Together
HOW THE COMPONENTS WORK TOGETHER Antenna Tuned specifically for the L-band. Amplifier Reduces system noise, boosts gain, and amplifies the signal. The green light indicates the amplifier is receiving power. SDR Tuner Tunes into a particular frequency within the amplified signal and passes the signal to the computer running the demodulation software. -
Page 7: Outernet Software: Rx0S
HOW RXOS WORKS The files that are filecast by Outernet are encoded, modulated, and sent to several Inmarsat satellites. These satellites transmit the radio waves in the L band frequency range. The waves are received by the radio on the receiver and then passed on to the software demodulator. The demodulator turns the analog signal into bits and then passes them onto the decoder, which extracts the file information from the data and reconstructs the files on local storage. -
Page 8: Getting Started
After assembly, use a Wi-Fi enabled device to complete the receiver set up: 1. Open the list of WiFi networks on a Wi-Fi enabled device and connect to the wireless access point named Outernet. 2. Open any browser and type http://outernet.is... -
Page 9: Librarian Setup Wizard
LIBRARIAN SETUP WIZARD The Librarian setup wizard will configure the receiver. Language This is the interface language that will be used by default when users connect to the device. Users can switch to another language later. If you want to contribute to our translations, please post on our forum. Superuser Superuser account is used to administer the receiver. -
Page 10: Satellite Reception Guide
SATELLITE RECEPTION GUIDE To receive files, two things are required: 1. A lock on the satellite signal. A lock is required to receive data packets. 2. Receiving data packets. A weak signal or high error rate can prevent receipt of packets. In Librarian, check the Signal Meter icon in the header bar: Arrow pointing down above the bars. -
Page 11: Tuner Settings
TUNER SETTINGS Go to the Dropdown Menu and Log in as Superuser, using the credentials from the Librarian Setup Wizard. Then go to Settings > Tuner Settings. The page has a list of changing values. Pay attention to: SNR: needs to be over 3.0 dB. Watch this value and make fine adjustments to the increase the value. -
Page 12: Librarian Guide
Once received, the content is displayed in Librarian. HEADER BAR Outernet Logo is like a home button, which will bring the user back to the top level of content. Search Bar allows users to search for folder paths or words in a file name. -
Page 13: Content Section
FTP Settings This setting is for app developers who wish to push data from the receiver to a device application via WiFi. Outernet does not have any apps developed for this use. Software Version Management This will allow users to change specific parts of the software stack in the future. -
Page 14: Librarian How-To Questions
The firmware update file-type will always be .pkg. See page 18 for instructions. Network Interfaces Provides information and settings for the built-in WiFi. Access Point name - rename the Outernet Wi Do not show in scan lists to keep it from appearing in the available WiFi networks on devices. -
Page 15: Troubleshooting
TROUBLESHOOTING No signal or not receiving any data Use a compass or a Satellite Finder application to ensure the antenna is pointed in the correct direction. Try restarting the receiver (disconnect and reconnect power). Check the connectors between the components. ... -
Page 16: Product Support
Our team is active on the forums, and often users have already found resolutions to common questions. If a question has not already been addressed in a previous posting, our developers will quickly respond to new posts: http://forums.outernet.is/c/outernet-hardware/ DOCUMENTATION Documentation of our software is available on our website: https://outernet.is/docs... -
Page 17: Appendix 1: Choosing A Satellite
APPENDIX 1: CHOOSING A SATELLITE Outernet filecasts over three Inmarsat satellites offering coverage on every continent and on open waters. All satellites use L-Band and have a bitrate of 2kbps, or 20MB of content per day. I-4 F3 Americas Position: 98°W Coverage: North, South, and Central America, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans Outernet Frequency: 1539.8725 MHz... -
Page 18: Appendix 2: Updating Firmware Manually
WARNING: Do not update a device with an earlier firmware version (for example, update a v1.2 device with a v1.1 firmware). This could brick a device. 1. Download the latest firmware package for the device from https://archive.outernet.is/images/. 2. Log in as the Superuser. 3. Go to Settings under the Dropdown Menu. -
Page 19: Appendix 3: Storage
APPENDIX 3: STORAGE AVAILABLE STORAGE rxOS uses two types of storage: NAND flash on C.H.I.P. (about 1GB available for received content) SD Card on Raspberry Pi (recommend 8GB or more) Check available storage under Settings > Storage Devices. More about storage is available in our online guide: http://rxos.readthedocs.io/en/develop/how_it_works/storage_layout.html ATTACHING EXTERNAL STORAGE... -
Page 20: Appendix 4: Manually Add Content To Device
APPENDIX 4: MANUALLY ADD CONTENT TO DEVICE load content directly to a device so it is available in Librarian over the WiFi access point. To add content to a device, use external storage (page 19). Any files and folders copied to the external storage device a computer will be available in the Librarian interface. - Page 21 Raspberry Pi, or a USB hub connected to C.H.I.P.. 2. Power on the device. 3. Open the browser list on a WiFi-enabled device. 4. Connect to the Outernet WiFi access point, open a browser, and navigate to Librarian (http://outernet.is/) as usual. 5. Invite more users to connect.
- Page 22 Outernet Elonics RTL-SDR Tuner Specifications: Ultra-low phase noise 0.5PPM TCXO SDR frequency range of approximately RF-suitable voltage regulator custom 25MHz-2200MHz heatsink Bias tee enabled SMA female connector Dimensions: 8.5 x 1.3 x 1.7 cm, Weight: ...
- Page 23 LIMITATION OF LIABILITY: TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT AND UNDER NO LEGAL THEORY SHALL OUTERNET INC OR ANY OTHER PERSON WHO HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE CREATION, PRODUCTION, OR DELIVERY OF OUTERNET HARDWARE AND ITS DOCUMENTATION BE...
- Page 24 2015 - 2016 Outernet Inc. Some rights reserved. www.outernet.is This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
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