Wavelet Lab’s xSDR is a tiny, single-sided M.2 2230 software-defined radio (SDR) module designed for integration into laptops, embedded systems, and edge computing devices. A successor to the company’s previous uSDR, the “x” in xSDR stands for “extended,” adding 2×2 MIMO support and a wider frequency range to the same tiny footprint.
The module is built around the Lime Microsystems LMS7002M RFIC and an AMD Artix-7 XC7A50T FPGA as found in the LimeNET Micro 2.0 Developer Edition board. This combination allows for a tuning range of 30 MHz to 3.8 GHz and a sample rate of up to 122.88 MSPS, making this SDR suitable for cellular research (LTE/5G), spectrum analysis, satellite tracking, and high-speed data links (with two modules).
Wavelet Lab’s xSDR specifications:
- RFIC – Lime Microsystems LMS7002M programmable RF (FPRF) transceiver IC
- FPGA – AMD Embedded XC7A50T (Artix-7) with 52,160 logic cells
- RF capabilities
- Channels – 2×2 MIMO (2x RX, 2x TX)
- Frequency Range – 30 MHz to 3.8 GHz
- Bandwidth – 0.5 MHz to 90 MHz
- Sample Rate
- SISO – 0.1 MSPS to 122.88 MSPS
- MIMO – 0.1 MSPS to 80 MSPS
- Clock Stability – 0.5 PPM
- Connectors – 4x MHF4 RF connectors
- Storage – EEPROM AT24CSW020 (2 Kbit)
- USB – USB 2.0 PHY (USB3330)
- Host Interface – M.2 2230 A+E key edge connector (supports both USB 2.0 and PCIe 2.0 x2)
- Expansion
- 12+2 pin 1.8V GPIO header (compatible with uSDR pinout)
- External clock synchronization for multi-channel phase-coherent arrays (xMASS)
- Misc
- Crystal oscillator (NT2016SA 26 MHz)
- Temperature sensor (TMP114)
- Power supply range – 2.85 – 5.5 V
- Dimensions – 30 x 22 x 2 mm (M.2 2230 form factor)
The M.2 form factor allows the device to be installed into the WiFi/Bluetooth slot of various modern laptops or SBCs. But for the devices without an M.2 slot, the board is compatible with older uSDR adapters, including USB-C, Mini PCIe, and PCIe breakout boards. However, the company warns that using older uSDR adapters will limit the device to 1x RX/1x TX unless signals are manually routed via the MHF4 connectors.
Software support includes compatibility with GNU Radio, SoapySDR, srsRAN, and other SDR tools, which ensures the xSDR works with existing open-source and commercial RF ecosystems. The platform also works with wsdr.io, a web-based SDR environment for browser-based configuration, monitoring, and RF application development without requiring complex driver installations.
This project is supported by the NLnet Foundation as part of the “WSDR cellular network initiative”. This initiative focuses on lowering the barrier to building and experimenting with LTE and 5G systems by combining open-source software, web-based tools, and compact hardware like the xSDR, uSDR, and sSDR. Furthermore, the project is fully open-source; the host libraries are released under an MIT license, and the FPGA gateware under a CERN-OHL-P-2.0 license. While full hardware schematics will be released after the campaign ends, more information about features and installation can be found on the official website.
The xSDR is available on Crowd Supply for $549. A new M.2-to-PCIe breakout board is also available for $89, which includes four MHF4-to-SMA cables. Shipping is expected to start on July 15, 2026. For those requiring even higher frequencies, Wavelet Lab is also teasing an sSDR model with a range up to 11 GHz. Note: As with all high-power SDRs, users are responsible for complying with local radio regulations regarding transmissions.
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This ultra-dense board is an amazing piece of art, there’s just no free room for another resistor, the pick-and-place machine must suffer to assemble it! And when you think that radio and power have to be kept apart, it’s truly impressive. However the price is much higher than your regular RTL2822 device and definitely reserves it to professionals (or at least serious enthusiasts).
A common mod to the older RTL-SDR is to bypass the RF section, and directly sample with the ADC. This allows coverage of HF bands, below 30MHz.
The web page for the LMS7002 mentions coverage starting at 100KHz, so the 30MHz lower limit is something you might bypass with a software mod.
What you see here is just the next XTRX clone.
The XTRX was available before Corona and all the answers what is possible with such a board, what frequencies you can tune and so on are all answered for many years.
This here is just the m.2 clone of it.
You are right, it mostly resembles XTRX but with some optimizations. Btw I’m the original XTRX creator so no surprise to be influenced by it 🙂
@Sergey
Could you please release the old FPGA code of the XTRX v3 and v4? Its still closed source.
For the v5 XTRX you can use the LimeSDR XTRX open code now with their new driver.
But on the v3 and v4 you are stuck with the old drivers because of the XC7A35T instead of the XC7A50T.
I’m aware of the problem and got a number of requests. Unfortunately that’s not in my reach; however we’re going to extend xSDR software/gateware to be compatible with legacy XTRX. Stay tuned for campaign updates
Yes, i think just making the xSDR driver and FPGA code compatible to any XTRX board that exist would also be beneficial from the marketing point of view. Just making so would pull all over XTRX users and make your project bigger. And because your xSDR card is cheaper and m.2 compared to the LimeSDR XTRX card, the sales would still be more on your side then somewhere else.
Unfortunately ADC has a dedicated pins and there’s no bypass logic in LMS chip. You can use LMS7002 as an ADC but in this case you need to add external analog frontend which was not possible due to board size limitation
Did no one like to talk here about showing XC7A35T in YouTube video and product picture but putting a differrnt XC7A50T in the technical data sheet?
I did miss that one when reviewing the post. But it looks like XC7A35T and XC7A50T are pin compatible, so they may have used the former in prototypes, but plan to ship the card with the latter?
Yes, we used XC7A35T in prototypes but going to use XC7A50T in final version
Yes, they are pin compatible but extremely complicated to replace by hand soldering with heat gun.
The 50T have more memory then the 35T. Its XTRX v3 and v4 that have the 35T vs the v5(and the newer limesdr xtrx that is based on the v5) that have the 50T.
Was unmentioned in the post because it was missed like you say. That is why i mentioned it here.
Because the founder of the project js reading here, probably right place to tell this:
The XTRX mini pcie boards before and the m.2 boards now are great to be advertised to be used as the most nerdy wifi card replacement in laptops that allow plugging in just anything into their slots(or replace their oem-uefi with coreboot). Having wifi4 and partly wifi6 on 2.4Ghz with github.com/open-sdr/openwifi would be awesome. Does not matter if the range and speed are terrible. Just making OpenWIFI work on the FPGA would be awesome!
I totally agree with that vision and love to have OpenWIFI support. I had a chat with OpenWIFI folks 2 years ago about that possibility. Their codebase was heavily relied on ADI libraries and it’s not a simple porting. It’s a significant rework to add general SDR support and it requires proper funding. If you know anyone who can potentially support or fund this work I’d be really interested.
I do not know if nlnet would like to fund such a project because you are not a non-profit NGO company to what i can see online. But you could ask them anyway.
The answer to such ideas by the OpenWIFI founder is clear since some years. He had the idea and core implementation and he is sharing it with others. He is now more or less waiting for other people on the planet to continue.
Maybe you would like to send some of the existing m.2 35T dev boards you have to some known people from the community like Daniel Estévez and others. Maybe those people would have fun creating something nice with them.