LimeSDR: Flexible, Next-generation, Open Source Software Defined Radio

A Software Defined Radio for Everyone

LimeSDR is a low cost, open source, apps-enabled (more on that later) software defined radio (SDR) platform that can be used to support just about any type of wireless communication standard, including UMTS, LTE, GSM, LoRa, Bluetooth, Zigbee, RFID, and Digital Broadcasting, to name but a few.

While most SDRs have remained the domain of RF and protocol experts, LimeSDR is usable by anyone familiar with the idea of an app store – LimeSDR is the first SDR to integrate with Snappy Ubuntu Core. This means you can easily download new LimeSDR apps from developers around the world. If you’re a developer yourself, then you can share and/or sell your LimeSDR apps through Snappy Ubuntu Core as well.

The LimeSDR platform gives students, inventors, and developers an intelligent and flexible device for manipulating wireless signals, so they can learn, experiment, and develop with freedom from limited functionality and proprietary devices.

From Radio Astronomy to Personal Telcos

Here are just some of the applications that are possible with the LimeSDR:

Radio astronomy
RADAR
2G to 4G cellular basestation
Media streaming
IoT gateway
HAM radio
Wireless keyboard and mice emulation and detection
Tire pressure monitoring systems
Aviation transponders
Utility meters
Drone command and control
Test and measurement
Many more…

With state-of-the-art technical specs, a fully open hardware and toolchain, and integration with Snappy Ubuntu Core’s app distribution platform, LimeSDR is limited only by our collective imagination.

VIDEO

Free and Open Source

As with our previous work over the last three years with the numerous open source projects made available through Myriad-RF, open source is central to LimeSDR:

Board schematics: Altium project files available under CC BY 3.0 licence.
Board layout: Altium project files available under CC BY 3.0 licence.
Manufacturing: Gerbers, drill, and pick & place files are also available under CC BY 3.0 licence.
FPGA: Altera Quartus project available under CC BY 3.0 licence.
Host connectivity: Cypress FX3 USB 3.0 controller firmware sources available under Apache 2.0 licence.
Host software: driver and GUI sources available under Apache 2.0 licence.
Programming toolchain packages: GNU Radio, Pothos, SoapySDR, UHD.
Documentation: transceiver datasheets are NDA-free.
Downloadable apps: Snappy Ubuntu Core, licences up to app developers.

Like the move to open source software with general purpose computers, the programmable, fully open source LimeSDR represents a fundamental shift away from the traditionally single-function and heavily proprietary wireless domain….HELP AND SEE MORE HERE