Customizing the ADALM-PLUTO

Changing the Network

The RFC 1918 reserves the 192.168.*.* range for private networks. Analog Devices uses 192.168.2.* for PlutoSDR devices, which may conflict with existing networks using the same subnet.

The default network settings are:

[NETWORK]
hostname = pluto
ipaddr = 192.168.2.1
ipaddr_host = 192.168.2.10
netmask = 255.255.255.0

https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/analogdevicesinc/system-level/main/docs/tools/pluto/users/images/customizing/win_config_file.png

You can modify these values to avoid conflicts. Both addresses must remain unique and on the same subnet.

Multiple Devices

For multiple PlutoSDR units on a single host:

USB mode: Works without modifications
Network mode: Requires unique IP address assignments for each device

Each device must have a distinct subnet to prevent address collisions.

Zeroconf/mDNS

The Avahi daemon running on the PlutoSDR enables zero-configuration networking. The hostname can be customized in config.txt and allows connection via hostname.local format.

Linux

Install Avahi support:

analog@analog:~$ sudo apt-get install avahi-daemon avahi-utils

Discovery commands:

analog@analog:~$ avahi-resolve --name pluto.local
analog@analog:~$ avahi-browse -d local _ssh._tcp --resolve -t
analog@analog:~$ avahi-browse -d local _sftp-ssh._tcp --resolve -t

Windows

Windows implements LLMNR (Link-Local Multicast Name Resolution) by default, which Avahi doesn’t support. You may need applications like Skype, iTunes, or Adobe Photoshop that bundle compatible protocols.

Config File Actions

The [ACTIONS] section in config.txt allows you to trigger specific operations:

[ACTIONS]
diagnostic_report = 0
dfu = 0
reset = 0

Available actions:

Action	Function
`diagnostic_report = 1`	Generates status file for troubleshooting
`dfu = 1`	Enters Device Firmware Upgrade mode
`reset = 1`	Reboots the device

Process: Edit config.txt → Save → Eject USB drive (not unplug) → Device processes changes after 2-3 seconds.

Upgrading the RF Transceiver

The ADALM-PLUTO can be configured to emulate different AD936x variants:

Chip	Tuning Range	Bandwidth	Channels
AD9363 (default)	325-3800 MHz	20 MHz	2 Rx, 2 Tx
AD9364	70-6000 MHz	56 MHz	1 Rx, 1 Tx
AD9361	70-6000 MHz	56 MHz	2 Rx, 2 Tx

Warning

This only changes the software configuration. The hardware is still an AD9363, but it will operate with the extended capabilities of the selected variant.

Configuration via U-Boot

Access the device via serial connection or SSH (user: root, password: analog) and use U-Boot fw_printenv and fw_setenv commands.

For AD9364 mode (70-6000 MHz, 1R1T):

root@pluto:~# fw_setenv attr_name compatible
root@pluto:~# fw_setenv attr_val ad9364
root@pluto:~# fw_setenv compatible ad9364
root@pluto:~# reboot

For AD9361 mode with 2R2T:

root@pluto:~# fw_setenv attr_name compatible
root@pluto:~# fw_setenv attr_val ad9361
root@pluto:~# fw_setenv compatible ad9361
root@pluto:~# fw_setenv mode 2r2t
root@pluto:~# reboot

Changing the Root Password (v0.32+)

Initial Setup

First-time users must format the mtd2 partition:

root@pluto:~# device_format_jffs2

This requires confirmation and erases the JFFS2 partition in 64KB increments.

Setting a New Password

root@pluto:~# device_passwd

The system prompts for a new password with validation (minimum length requirements apply).

Password Reset

If you forget the password, add revert_passwd = 1 under [ACTIONS] in config.txt to restore default credentials (root/analog).

Persistent SSH Keys (v0.32+)

Prerequisites

Format the mtd2 partition first using device_format_jffs2.

Setup

root@pluto:~# device_persistent_keys

This generates 256-bit ECDSA keys stored on the mtd2 partition. The system validates the MD5 sum at boot and uses persistent keys instead of generating temporary ones.

The output includes:

Key fingerprint (SHA1)
Public key portion (ECDSA format)

USB Ethernet Compatibility Modes

Supported Protocols

Mode	Windows	Linux	macOS	iPadOS	Android
RNDIS (default)	✔	✔	✘	✘	✘
CDC-NCM	✘ (Win 11 ✔)	✔	✔	✔	✔
CDC-ECM	✘	✔	✘	✘	✔

Note

The default RNDIS mode does not work on macOS. The platform you are testing on needs to support high-power USB 2.0 devices (500mA) – iPad supports this, iPhone does not.

Configuration Methods

Method 1 - Config File:

[SYSTEM]
usb_ethernet_mode = ncm

Method 2 - U-Boot Environment:

root@pluto:~# fw_setenv usb_ethernet_mode ncm
root@pluto:~# reboot

Mode Values:

rndis or blank = RNDIS (default)
ncm = CDC-NCM
ecm = CDC-ECM