Converting Data Types

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Revision as of 16:25, 6 January 2022 by Mattcarrick (talk | contribs)
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This tutorial will describe how to convert between data types. The previous tutorial, Signal Data Types, presents an introduction to the Complex Float 32 and Float 32 data types for representing digitized signals.

Char/Byte Data Type

The Char or Byte data type is another useful data type for representing binary data. The Byte data type is represented by the magenta color in GRC:

Types.png

Search for the Random Source block and drag it into the workspace:

SearchRandomSourceBlock.png


The block defaults to the green Integer 32 data type. Double-click the block to open the properties and modify the data type to byte:

SelectByteDataTye.png


The Random Source is now converted to the magenta Char or Byte data type.

RandomSourceByteOutput.png

Converting Byte to Float 32

The default parameters of the Random Source will randomly generate values of 0 and 1. We will want to view them using the QT GUI Time Sink, so add it and the Throttle block into the workspace and connect the blocks:

ConnectionErrorCharToComplex.png


You will notice the red arrow between the Random Source and Throttle block which denotes a data type error that needs to be resolved. Double-click the Throttle block and change the data type to byte:

ChangeThrottleDataType.png


A new red arrow now shows there is a data type connection between the Throttle and the QT GUI Time Sink:

ConnectionErrorThrottleTimeSink.png


However, the QT GUI Time Sink does not have a char data type. Select Float:

TimeSinkDataTypeOptions.png


The GNU Radio block library comes with a variety of data type converters, including Char to Float. Search for the block, drag it into the workspace, and connect it into the flowgraph:

SearchCharToFloatBlock.png


  • use in modulator
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