The Rational Resampler in GNU Radio is a DSP block used to change a signal’s sample rate by a precise fractional (rational)

Stephen Arbogast has noted an error in the BAA GNU Radio for Amateur Radio Astronomy meeting last Monday and sent me the following information:

A  rational  re-sampler  block does  not  change the  frequency. Instead,  it  allows  one  to resample  the  source  data stream by   a ratio.

The Rational Resampler in GNU Radio is a DSP block used to change a signal’s sample rate by a precise fractional (rational) factor:

It performs two primary operations in a single block:

  • Interpolation = Increases the sample rate by inserting zeros between every sample.
  • Decimation = Decreases the sample rate by keeping only every nth sample. 

Because inserting zeros creates unwanted spectral images, and decimating without filtering causes aliasing, the block uses a custom low-pass anti-aliasing/anti-imaging Finite Impulse Response (FIR) filter. 

Key Parameters

  • Interpolation = The factor by which the input rate is multiplied (upsampling).
  • Decimation = The factor by which the output rate is divided (downsampling).
  • Taps: The coefficients for the internal low-pass filter. If left blank, GNU Radio automatically calculates taps based on the cutoff frequency.
  • Fractional BW: Defines the fractional bandwidth of the prototype filter (usually left at the default of

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