Software defined radio (SDR) replaces traditional radio frequency (RF) hardware with programmable software, giving you dynamic control over modulation, bandwidth, and frequency. This technology allows for wideband, flexible experimentation across many wireless standards and is perfect for evolving applications in education, telecommunications, and defense.
Trusted worldwide by engineers, educators, and researchers, Digilent’s Ettus SDR hardware supports scalable platforms, from entry-level experimentation to advanced wireless innovation.
What Can You Do with SDR?
SDR applications are vast, spanning from classroom labs to military-grade RF testing. Here are just a few examples:
- Academic research and student training
- Signal intelligence and spectrum monitoring
- 5G/6G research and wireless protocol development
- Satellite communications and IoT infrastructure
No matter your application, Digilent offers a comprehensive selection of Ettus Research SDRs and daughterboards to suit your needs.
Ettus USRP Platforms
Ettus Research Universal Software Radio Peripheral (USRP) devices provide a flexible and configurable platform for RF applications, allowing you to transmit and receive signals over a wide range of frequencies and bandwidths.
Explore our range of USRP devices to get started:
USRP-B200: A fully integrated, single-board SDR platform designed for low-cost experimentation, featuring continuous frequency coverage from 70 MHz to 6 GHz and high-speed USB 3.0 connectivity. It’s an ideal entry point for developing with GNU Radio or prototyping a GSM base station with OpenBTS.
The USRP B200mini: A compact, business-card-sized SDR that’s great for hobbyists and OEM applications. It offers a wide frequency range from 70 MHz to 6 GHz, 56 MHz of instantaneous bandwidth, and is powered by a high-speed USB 3.0 connection.
USRP-B205mini-i: A flexible and compact platform ideal for hobbyist and OEM applications, featuring a wide frequency range of 70 MHz to 6 GHz and an industrial-grade Xilinx Spartan-6 FPGA.
USRP B210: A fully integrated, single-board SDR platform that offers continuous frequency coverage from 70 MHz to 6 GHz. Designed for low-cost experimentation, it provides up to 56 MHz of real-time bandwidth and uses a reprogrammable Spartan-6 FPGA with SuperSpeed USB 3.0 connectivity.
All Ettus products sold through Digilent include Ettus’s standard warranty. Find out more on Ettus.com.
Swappable Daughterboards for Custom Frequency Coverage
A daughterboard is an interchangeable RF front-end that attaches to a main SDR device (like a USRP), allowing you to target specific frequency bands or applications. Ettus RF daughterboards let you reconfigure your hardware without investing in separate radios.
See the full range of RF daughterboards available on our website here.
Enclosure Kits
Enclosure kits are an excellent way to protect your board-only SDR devices, making it more robust for use in labs, classrooms, or field applications. The enclosure can also help with thermal management, which is important for maintaining performance.
The Enclosure Kit for Ettus USRP B200/B210 is constructed from durable steel and is specifically designed for the green USRP B200 and B210 models with a USB-B connector. This kit also features K-slots on the front and rear panels.
For the industrial-grade Ettus USRP B205mini-i and B200mini-i boards, Digilent provides enclosure kits with a custom cast-aluminum clamshell case and thermal gap pads. These enclosures significantly increase the operating temperature range from 0-45°C to -40-75°C.
- USRP B205mini-i Enclosure: A purpose-built enclosure for the compact and affordable USRP B205mini-i, ensuring its protection during transport and use.
- B200/B210 Enclosure: This kit is designed to fit both the USRP B200 and USRP B210, which are single-board SDR platforms with continuous frequency coverage from 70 MHz to 6 GHz. It only supports the green devices with a USB-B connector.
- USRP B200mini Enclosure: Tailored specifically for the USRP B200mini, this enclosure provides a secure, protective case for this smaller, USB-powered SDR module.
- Eclypse Z7 Enclosure: This kit is for the Eclypse Z7, which is a host board used with Digilent’s Zmod peripheral boards for creating a complete SDR platform. The enclosure protects the board and its Zmod connections.
Whether you’re prototyping next-gen wireless systems, diving into spectrum analysis, or developing in real-time RF environments, Ettus Research’s tools offer unmatched flexibility and precision. Explore our full range of software defined radio solutions, including high-performance USRP devices and modular RF daughterboards to find the right tool for your next project.
Ready to get started? Visit the Digilent website to discover the possibilities of software defined radio.
