Radio Streaming Server

Last Active: 2026-02-22 Rust

Concept
Technical Reports
Features
Current Status

Concept

Cross-platform server (targeting Raspberry Pi) that manages multiple SDR devices (RTL-SDR, AirSpy HF+) and streams raw IQ samples over the network using the rtl_tcp protocol. A single binary replaces multiple C-based streaming tools, adding a TUI for live device management, TOML configuration, and safe concurrency across all connected radios.

Existing C implementations (rtl_tcp, hfp_tcp) are single-threaded and require separate processes per device. This server manages all SDRs through one binary with real-time frequency and gain adjustment from the terminal.

Technical Reports

Download Technical Report: rtltcp-rtltcp-techreport.pdf

Features

RTL-SDR and AirSpy HF+ support via librtlsdr/libairspyhf FFI wrappers
Multi-threaded architecture for concurrent SDR streams (Tokio async)
Standard rtl_tcp network protocol — compatible with existing SDR clients
TUI for live status, frequency/gain adjustment, and device management
TOML-based persistent configuration
Cross-compilation pipeline for Raspberry Pi (ARM)

Quick Facts


Status	Recently Updated
Stack	Rust

What This Is

A cross-platform (targeted at Raspberry Pi) server that interfaces with multiple SDR devices (RTL-SDR, AirSpy HF+) and streams raw IQ samples over the network using the industry-standard rtl_tcp protocol. It features a built-in TUI for live configuration and device management.

Why It Exists

Existing C-based implementations (like rtl_tcp and hfp_tcp) are often single-threaded, difficult to manage when running multiple devices, and lack modern observability/control features. This project aims to:

Leverage Rust for safety and high-performance concurrency.
Simplify multi-SDR management through a single binary.
Provide a responsive TUI for real-time adjustments (frequency, gain, etc.).
Enable future network optimizations (compression, error correction).

Core Value

The ability to reliably and efficiently stream high-fidelity IQ data from multiple SDRs over a network with a modern management interface.

Tech Stack

Language: Rust
Hardware Interface: libusb (via FFI wrapping of librtlsdr and libairspyhf)
Networking: TCP (implementing the rtl_tcp protocol)
UI: Terminal User Interface (TUI) via ratatui or similar
Config: TOML file-backed persistence
Target: Raspberry Pi (cross-compiled from macOS/Linux)

Requirements

# Validated

(None yet — ship to validate)

# Active

Support for RTL-SDR hardware via librtlsdr wrapping.
Support for AirSpy HF+ hardware via libairspyhf wrapping.
Implementation of the rtl_tcp network protocol.
Multi-threaded architecture to handle multiple SDR streams concurrently.
TUI for viewing status and updating configuration live.
Persistent configuration stored in a TOML file.
Cross-compilation pipeline for Raspberry Pi (ARM).

# Out of Scope

Pure Rust Drivers: (Initial phase) Using C-library wrapping instead for faster time-to-market.
Advanced Network Coding: (Initial phase) Delta compression and Raptor codes are deferred to later optimizations.

Key Decisions

Decision	Rationale	Outcome
Wrapping C Libs	Faster implementation of hardware logic while focusing on the Rust networking/UI layer.	Pending
Monolithic Binary	Easier to manage and deploy initially via SSH.	Pending
TOML Config	Human-readable and easy to edit or programmatically update.	Pending

Last updated: 2026-02-12 after initialization

Current Status

2026-02-22 - Completed 05-04-PLAN.md