One of the key applications for LimeNET Micro is spectrum scanning — taking power measurements and looking at spectrum utilisation, along with network availability and performance, etc. In support of this we’ve been working on an application called LimeSCAN, which allows spectrum scan data to be uploaded to a central resource and explored via a web interface.

At the present time LimeSCAN upload capability is in closed alpha, but the read-only web interface is publicly available. Although it should be noted that this is still in heavy development, with data and functionality subject to change at any time and without notice. However, in coming months the platform should start to stabilise and as we move into beta, access will be further opened up.

The intention is for LimeSCAN to become a public resource for crowdsourced radio spectrum information, where anyone is free to operate a probe that uploads data, and to make use of the available data — both via the web interface and an open data API. Which raises a number of questions, including, how can we verify data and be certain that it came from a given source?

A popular mechanism for verifying files and data is to create a cryptographic signature or “digest” using a hash function such as SHA256. However, then you need to be sure that the digest you use to validate your data came from a trusted source. One way of doing this in a decentralised manner is to store it on a blockchain, where you can be certain that a given account was responsible for the transaction which recorded that digest, and that it will also be immutable.

In this short video we show an Ethereum node running on a pre-production LimeNET Micro v2 board and participating in a private blockchain network. Spectrum power measurements are made using the SDR hardware, the SHA256 digest is computed, and this is then recorded on the blockchain via a simple smart contract. Thereby demonstrating just one possible way of verifying scan data and its source, and serving as a nice demo of the LimeNET Micro integrated compute.

This is also the first public outing of the LimeNET Micro v2, which as noted in the video benefits from numerous added features. This includes transceiver interfacing via USB and if you pay close attention, you will see that the SDR now uses the same connection method as a LimeSDR Mini.

Andrew and the LimeNET Micro Team