This project demonstrates real-time RF beamforming using two ADALM-Pluto SDRs. By enabling dual TX channels on one Pluto and using the second Pluto as a receiver, this Python script sweeps the transmit phase and plots received power—allowing you to visualize the beam steering effect in a simple phased array.

• Visual demonstration of beamforming using Python + ADALM-Pluto
• Supports One-Shot and Continuous phase sweep modes
• Real-time plots:
  • FFT of received signal
  • Integrated received power vs. TX phase
• Automatic calculation of:
  • Peak response direction
  • Half-Power Beam Width (HPBW) in phase and angular space

• How beamforming steers radio waves using phase control
• Practical use of dual TX channels on ADALM-Pluto for phased array demos
• Signal visualization techniques using PyQtGraph
• Integration of pyadi-iio with SDR hardware

• 2x ADALM-Pluto SDRs
• Pluto firmware supporting dual TX/RX (see Customizing Guide)
• Python 3.7+
• Python packages:
  • numpy
  • pyqtgraph
  • adi (from pyadi-iio)

Install dependencies:

pip install numpy pyqtgraph adi

1. Pluto #1 (Transmitter):

   • Sends a baseband tone from two TX channels.
   • Channel 1’s phase is swept from -180° to +180°.

2. Pluto #2 (Receiver):

   • Measures the received signal.
   • An FFT is performed to extract power at the tone frequency.

3. GUI Interface:

   • Real-time plots of FFT spectrum and amplitude vs. phase.
   • Calculations of beam direction and HPBW.

Run the script:

python pluto_beamforming.py

Use the "One Shot" button for a single sweep or "Continuous" to loop through all phases.

• Ensure both Plutos are reachable on your network and have static IPs set to 192.168.2.1 and 192.168.2.2.
• You must enable dual TX/RX mode on the transmitter Pluto using:

  fw_setenv attr_name compatible
  fw_setenv attr_val ad9361
  fw_setenv compatible ad9361
  fw_setenv mode 2r2t
  reboot

For more, see the official Analog Devices customization guide.

This project is open-source and licensed under the MIT License.

If you try this project and have feedback or improvements, feel free to open an issue or submit a pull request. Let's make SDR more accessible together!

• YouTube Channel: From Concept To Circuit
• GitHub: https://github.com/fromconcepttocircuit
• More RF & SDR projects coming soon!