VXSDR-20 is a microwave software defined radio that transmits and receives from 5 to 20 GHz at 160 million samples per second. Its capabilities are similar to other high-end software defined radios: 10 gigabit Ethernet, support for C and C++ interfacing with Python and GnuRadio in progress, ability to synch multiple radios, etc.

Porting applications is straightforward, and the software and firmware are open source. It’s a modular design that can support multiple channels, higher or lower frequencies, and higher or lower sample rates in the future. Simultaneous full-rate transmit and receive over 10 Gb Ethernet is standard, and the radio can accept 10 MHz and 1 PPS frequency and time references.

Wide Frequency Range for the Rest of Us

Experimenters, scientists, and engineers use software defined radios to build systems for communication, sensing, navigation, and a wide range of other uses. They have become an important general-purpose tool, but the ones that you can buy today only cover frequencies of 6 GHz and below (with a few expensive exceptions). We built the VXSDR-20 so we (and others) could do the same things in the 5-20 GHz frequency range.

The VXSDR-20 is designed to be used like any other high performance SDR, but covering a wider 5-20 GHz frequency range. It’s usable for laboratory experiments in communications and sensing, including both transmitting and receiving as required. We’ve designed the host API so that porting from the widely used Ettus UHD API is straightforward.

Features & Specifications

Analog RF and IF

• 5.0 - 20.0 GHz transmit and receive (usable to 22 GHz)
• 5 - 9 dB receive noise figure
• 10 - 15 dBm output power
• low-IF design (160 MHz IF)
• TX output and TX/RX input/output (field replaceable SMA)

Digital

• 14-bit 160 MSPS A/D for receive
• 16-bit 160 MSPS D/A for transmit
• JESD204B interfaces
• Intel Cyclone 10 FPGA (85k - 220k logic elements)

Control and Data Transfer

• 10 gigabit Ethernet interface (SFP+)
• Simultaneous full rate transmit and receive
• PPS and 10 MHz inputs for synchronization

Software

• C++ using boost::asio and boost::lockfree::spsc_queue (for data)
• API similar to UHD, commonly used calls map easily
• Currently supports Linux; Windows and Mac support in progress
• Python bindings planned
• GPL v3 licensing planned with GitHub repo

Power

• 12 V DC power input
• 22 W active, 16 W idle

Physical

• 9.4 inches (23.9 cm) long (including connectors)
• 4.1 inches (10.5 cm) wide
• 1.0 inches (2.4 cm) high

Open Source

We plan to open source this project and will be releasing documentation and files soon. In the meantime, detailed design and performance information are available at www.vesperix.io.

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VXSDR-20 is part of Qorvo RF Accelerator!