LimeSDR Mini 2.0
An open, full-duplex, USB stick software defined radio
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LimeSDR Mini 2.0 is an upgraded, drop-in replacement for LimeSDR Mini, a hardware platform for developing and prototyping high-performance and logic-intensive digital and RF designs that use an FPGA coupled with Lime Microsystems’ LMS7002M RF transceiver.
Since we first introduced LimeSDR Mini nearly five years ago, we’ve shipped tens of thousands of units to engineers around the world for use in everything from satellite ground stations to digital television. Whether you’re a hobbyist using LimeSDR Mini to learn about software defined radio, or a company integrating hundreds of LimeSDR Minis into your commercial product, we’ve been thrilled at the breadth and depth of LimeSDR Mini applications you’ve come up with. Which is why it’s been especially difficult to watch all of this come to a grinding halt over the last year due to the global electronics and chip shortage.
Rather than wait indefinitely and hope the supply chain rewinds to a time we’re unlikely to see again soon, we went back to the drawing board. The result is LimeSDR Mini 2.0, a software defined radio with the same form factor as the original LimeSDR Mini, the same LMS7002 RF transceiver, but a new FPGA - the Lattice ECP5. Not only is the ECP5 more readily available than the Intel MAX10 FPGA used in the previous design, but it has an extensive set of open source tools and a great community of developers.
| LimeSDR Mini 2.0 | LimeSDR Mini | LimeSDR | HackRF One | Ettus B200 | Ettus B210 | BladeRF x40 | RTL-SDR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frequency Range | 10 MHz - 3.5 GHz | 10 MHz - 3.5 GHz | 100 kHz - 3.8 GHz | 1 MHz - 6 GHz | 70 MHz - 6 GHz | 70 MHz - 6 GHz | 300 MHz - 3.8 GHz | 22 MHz - 2.2 GHz |
| RF Bandwidth | 40 MHz | 40 MHz | 61.44 MHz | 20 MHz | 61.44 MHz | 61.44 MHz | 40 MHz | 3.2 MHz |
| Sample Depth | 12 bits | 12 bits | 12 bits | 8 bits | 12 bits | 12 bits | 12 bits | 8 bits |
| Sample Rate | 30.72 MSPS | 30.72 MSPS | 61.44 MSPS | 20 MSPS | 61.44 MSPS | 61.44 MSPS | 40 MSPS | 3.2 MSPS |
| TX Channels | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| RX Channels | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Duplex | Full | Full | Full | Half | Full | Full | Full | N/A |
| Interface | USB 3.0 | USB 3.0 | USB 3.0 | USB 2.0 | USB 3.0 | USB 3.0 | USB 3.0 | USB 2.0 |
| Programmable Logic Gates | 44K | 16K | 40k | 64 macrocell CPLD | 75k | 100k | 40k (115k avail) | N/A |
| Chipset | LMS7002M | LMS7002M | LMS7002M | MAX5864, MAX2837, RFFC5072 | AD9364 | AD9361 | LMS6002M | RTL2832U |
| Open Source | Full | Full | Full | Full | Schematic, Firmware | Schematic, Firmware | Schematic, Firmware | No |
| Oscillator Precision | ±1 ppm initial, ±4 ppm stable | ±1 ppm initial, ±4 ppm stable | ±1 ppm initial, ±4 ppm stable | ±20 ppm | ±2 ppm | ±2 ppm | ±1 ppm | ? |
| Transmit Power | max 10 dBm (depending on freq.) | max 10 dBm (depending on freq.) | max 10 dBm (depending on freq.) | -10 dBm+ (15 dBm @ 2.4 GHz) | 10 dBm+ | 10 dBm+ | 6 dBm | N/A |
We pride ourselves on the openness of LimeSDR Mini 2.0. Before going to production, we will release the following source files:
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"[Lime SDR Mini 2.0] uses a larger field-programmable gate array (FPGA) for projects looking to perform operations on-device and ease the load on the host processor."
"[Lime] have replaced the Intel MAX 10 FPGA with a Lattice Semiconductor ECP5. This dramatically increases the number of programmable logic gates on-board from 16k to 44k."
"It’s the end of an era: the original LimeSDR Mini is officially being retired. However, there is nothing to mourn as a drop-in replacement is being launched in its wake. "
Guildford, England · LimeMicro · myriadrf · limemicro.com
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