When EE, a tier-1 network operator, decided to back the LimeSDR crowdfunding campaign, this was a clear indication of the scale of the opportunity at hand. And not simply for operators to reduce costs and extend coverage, but for wireless innovation to be democratised and the marketplace opened up to companies developing ground-breaking technology that will underpin new services.

Lime Micro are now pleased to announce that in partnership with British Telecom (BT) / EE, we are launching a competition to develop compelling prototypes and demonstrations using the LimeSDR kit. The competition is split into three categories:

1. Best implementation of an existing feature/solution
2. Best application of LimeSDR development kits to solve an existing problem (see scenario list)
3. Most imaginative and effective use of the programmable features of the LimeSDR

For the second category, the scenarios are:

• Disaster recovery
• Remote connectivity – “last mile” innovation
• Indoor enhancements
• Enterprise
• Entertainment
• Other

The competition will run throughout June, July, and August, giving you time to develop your entry, and culminating in a ‘hack weekend’ 1st - 3rd September in London. If you are not based in the UK or cannot travel to London, we will enable remote participation.

The outcomes of the competition include:

• BT will write up the event in a white paper, describing how software-definable radio can impact future network and proposition development for mobile operators. This will include examples from notable entrants, as well as a write up of all entries invited to be finalists.
• BT will fast-track one or more finalists in each category through the Facebook TIP Ecosystem Acceleration Centre.
• Where appropriate, BT will introduce participants to the Scottish Innovation Programme.

To register for more information and details on how to enter, please visit the hackathon page. There will be multiple entry deadlines, the first of which is on the 9th June 2017 for those who already have an application in mind.

Next Batch of LimeSDRs on the Way

The next batch of roughly 1,000 LimeSDR boards are currently en route to the UK for final testing. From there, they will be priority shipped to Crowd Supply’s warehouse for distribution to all remaining backers. Acrylic cases and antenna + cable sets are already at Crowd Supply’s warehouse. We anticipate fulfilling nearly all remaining orders in early June. This is about two weeks behind our original schedule due to a brief part shortage. The LimeSDR with Aluminum Kit and LimeSDR PCIe boards will be following shortly. You can see the most up-to-date delivery estimate of your order by logging in to your Crowd Supply account. You can also find out more about checking the status of your shipment in The Crowd Supply Guide.

LimeNET Launch!

We just launched a new crowdfunding campaign for LimeNET, a standardized line of hardware specifically for use with LimeSDR. From the LimeNET project page:

[LimeNET] offers the community a line of pre-qualified hardware with integrated LimeSDR technology. There are three main LimeNET hardware stacks: Mini, Enterprise, and Base Station - all of them are pre-qualified to work with the recently announced Ubuntu App Stores, so you can easily find, share, and publish apps specifically written with LimeSDR technology in mind.

If you already have a LimeSDR, you can pick up some powerful hardware to make it even better. If you don’t have a LimeSDR, there are discounted bundles to get you up and running quickly.

Finally, the LimeNET campaign introduces a new member of the LimeSDR family: LimeSDR QPCIe, a PCIe board with two LMS7002 transceiver chips that allow for 4x4 MIMO operation.

Please checkout the new LimeNET campaign and help open SDR technology evolve to the next level!

Andrew and the LimeSDR Team