[Discuss-gnuradio] reset streaming vector/block

[Kinal, George V.]

We have an application which uses the uhd.usrp.sink3 block, with 
io_type.COMPLEX_FLOAT32.  The complex vector is converted from a text-based I-Q 
file. It is then sent to the sink with the assignment   self._src = 
gr.vector_source_c(z, True).

As I understand the documentation, the Boolean True parameter means that USRP 
should continually/repeatedly re-transmit the same signal.

Transmission is started using  tb.start(), time.sleep(1), and streaming= True 
statements.

Transmission (called "streaming") is stopped with  tb.stop() , tb.wait(), 
tb.set_vector(), and streaming=False statements.

(Note tb=my_top_block(), which is gr.top.block class).


1. Not sure why the time.sleep(1), or the tb.wait() statements are even 
necessary.

2. But more importantly, it seems that if we change the parameters which affect 
the vector (including the filename used as the source), the tb.set_vector() 
statement seems to have no effect on the signal when transmission is resumed.  
It appears that once the vector has been sent to the USRP (once), it cannot be 
reset except by a complete re-start of the entire program/script. In other 
words, tb.stop is really tb.pause .  

Is there a better way ?   (Note:  changing other parameters, such as preamp and 
gain, does have the proper effect.  I surmise that the stream is buffered in 
USRP memory and cannotsimply be  over-written. Is that true ?


George Kinal
Lead Engineer
MITRE E531 Signal Processing and Communications Analysis
Phone (703) 983-7585

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