Show HN: I built an HTML5 RTL-SDR application

[jtarrio]

There are lots of RTL-SDR applications, but you have to install them. I used the HTML5 USB API that exists in Chrome (did you know about it?) to build one that you can run straight from your browser, on your computer or your Android phone.

[vrighter]

it's a chrome application not an html5 one. It only works on one browser (and its forks) because it uses proprietary, nonstandard apis.

[meiraleal]

> because it uses proprietary, nonstandard apis

What are the other APIs to have USB access?

[someothherguyy]

nit: The WebUSB API isn't really a part of "HTML 5"

https://wicg.github.io/webusb

[ocdtrekkie]

The correct definition for WebUSB is "Chrome API", as no other browser intends to implement it.

[ngc6677]

`<radio-receiver></radio-receiver>` let's get that in html6!

Nice use of web components!

[someothherguyy]

HTML is a living standard. There likely won't ever be a "html6".

https://html.spec.whatwg.org/multipage/introduction.html#his...

[wkat4242]

I wish Firefox would implement this API too, it's been years.

[eqvinox]

Mozilla's position is to not implement this API due to security and privacy concerns, and I agree with them on that even though I'd really like to use this API too.

[dtagames]

Awesome! There's so much you can do with the browser now. Thanks for making an SDR app that's "gone native."

[tgsovlerkhgsel]

I'm unable to get it to work with my receiver (setRegBuffer failed block=0x600 reg=74, Caused By: RadioError.UsbTransferError: USB write failed value=0x74 index=0x610 status=stall), but I love the idea!

Looking forward to a local webusb+rtlsdr based Flightradar.

[jtarrio]

Is your stick an RTL-SDR Blog V4? Because it looks like the failure happens when accessing a R828D tuner, which should be supported.

[wkjagt]

This is awesome, great work! Is there anywhere I can follow development on this? I'm really interested in seeing this evolve.

[jtarrio]

I don't have a dedicated place for announcements and such, but I post on my Bluesky whenever there's a major improvement (@jacobo.tarrio.org).

And you can always star it on GitHub: https://github.com/jtarrio/radioreceiver

[atVelocet]

Do you plan on expanding the functionality?

It is really amazing how flawless it work. You should do a blog post describing how you did it.

[jtarrio]

Yes, next up is frequency/band management. Recording will come later. Later still, who knows :-)

[radicality]

Awesome! On mobile now but intend to try it with my HackRF later. Anything to consider, or should work fine?

[RF_Savage]

That it only supports rtl-sdr sticks, not HackRF. So the HackRF will not work.

[goodpoint]

What's the benefit in using a browser for this?

[RamboRogers]

This is cool!

[wordglyph]

Excellent work!

[JSDevOps]

Wow that’s cool