Here is a list of companies that are prominent in the Software Defined Radio (SDR) industry, offering a range of products from low-cost SDR dongles for hobbyists to high-performance SDR platforms for professional and industrial applications:
Leading Software Defined Radio Companies
1. Ettus Research (A National Instruments Brand)
- Location: Santa Clara, California, USA
- Products: USRP (Universal Software Radio Peripheral) Series, including B200, B210, X310, N320, N310, and E310.
- Description: Ettus Research, a subsidiary of National Instruments, is one of the most well-known companies in the SDR space. They offer a wide range of SDR products for research, academic, commercial, and defense applications. Their USRP series is highly regarded for its flexibility, scalability, and performance.
- Website: ettus.com
2. Analog Devices (ADALM-PLUTO)
- Location: Norwood, Massachusetts, USA
- Products: ADALM-PLUTO (PlutoSDR), a portable, self-contained SDR for teaching and development.
- Description: Analog Devices is a leading semiconductor company that provides a range of SDR solutions. The PlutoSDR is popular in academic and educational settings for its affordability and ease of use in learning about radio communications and signal processing.
- Website: analog.com
3. Nuand
- Location: Rochester, New York, USA
- Products: BladeRF Series (bladeRF x40, bladeRF x115, bladeRF 2.0 micro).
- Description: Nuand is known for its BladeRF series of SDRs, which are compact, USB-powered, and suitable for a wide range of applications, including wireless communication research, security, and protocol analysis.
- Website: nuand.com
4. Great Scott Gadgets
- Location: Colorado, USA
- Products: HackRF One
- Description: Great Scott Gadgets is the company behind the HackRF One, a popular and affordable SDR platform used by hobbyists, researchers, and professionals. The HackRF One is designed to support frequencies from 1 MHz to 6 GHz, making it versatile for many radio applications.
- Website: greatscottgadgets.com
5. Lime Microsystems
- Location: Guildford, United Kingdom
- Products: LimeSDR, LimeSDR Mini, LimeNET
- Description: Lime Microsystems specializes in field-programmable RF transceivers. Their LimeSDR platform, including the LimeSDR and LimeSDR Mini, is known for its wide frequency range and community-driven development, making it a popular choice for both amateur and professional SDR projects.
- Website: limemicro.com
6. Xilinx (Now Part of AMD)
- Location: San Jose, California, USA
- Products: Zynq UltraScale+ RFSoC family
- Description: Xilinx, now part of AMD, offers the Zynq UltraScale+ RFSoC, which integrates SDR capabilities with FPGA technology. This combination is ideal for advanced applications requiring high-speed data processing, such as 5G, radar, and satellite communication.
- Website: xilinx.com
7. Airspy
- Location: France
- Products: Airspy R2, Airspy Mini, Airspy HF+
- Description: Airspy designs and manufactures high-performance SDR receivers, including the Airspy R2 and Airspy Mini, which are popular for their high dynamic range, sensitivity, and affordability. The Airspy HF+ is known for its exceptional performance in HF bands.
- Website: airspy.com
8. FlexRadio Systems
- Location: Austin, Texas, USA
- Products: FLEX-6000 Series, including FLEX-6400, FLEX-6600, FLEX-6700
- Description: FlexRadio Systems is a leader in the SDR market for amateur radio operators. Their FLEX-6000 series offers high-performance SDR transceivers that are popular among amateur radio enthusiasts and professionals alike.
- Website: flexradio.com
9. Epiq Solutions
- Location: Rolling Meadows, Illinois, USA
- Products: Sidekiq Series (Sidekiq, Sidekiq Z2, Sidekiq M2)
- Description: Epiq Solutions specializes in miniature, high-performance SDR modules and systems for government, defense, and commercial applications. Their Sidekiq series is known for its compact size and integration into custom solutions.
- Website: epiqsolutions.com
10. RTL-SDR Blog
- Location: Worldwide (Community-driven)
- Products: RTL-SDR V3
- Description: RTL-SDR Blog is a community-driven initiative that provides affordable RTL-SDR dongles for entry-level SDR enthusiasts. The RTL-SDR V3 is a popular USB dongle that covers frequencies from 500 kHz to 1.75 GHz and is widely used for educational purposes, hobby projects, and general-purpose SDR applications.
- Website: rtl-sdr.com
11. Per Vices Corporation
- Location: Toronto, Canada
- Products: Cyan, Crimson TNG
- Description: Per Vices Corporation offers high-performance SDR platforms like Cyan and Crimson TNG, which are designed for defense, aerospace, telecommunications, and scientific research applications. These devices are known for their wide bandwidth, high dynamic range, and advanced capabilities.
- Website: pervices.com
12. Ettus Research (a National Instruments Company)
- Location: Santa Clara, California, USA
- Products: USRP Series (e.g., USRP B200, B210, X300, N300)
- Description: A leading provider of SDR hardware and software tools used by academic, commercial, and defense customers worldwide. Their Universal Software Radio Peripheral (USRP) product line offers a range of devices for different performance needs.
- Website: ettus.com
Summary
These companies represent a broad spectrum of the SDR industry, offering solutions for a wide range of applications from hobbyist projects to complex professional systems in telecommunications, defense, aerospace, and scientific research. Whether you are looking for entry-level devices like the RTL-SDR, advanced platforms like the USRP series, or specialized solutions like Xilinx’s RFSoC, there’s a company and a product to meet your specific needs in the world of software-defined radio.