Jun. 09, 2025
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When choosing the right USRP device for your application, a good place to start is by asking yourself a few questions related to signal parameters, size, weight, power, cost (SWaP-C), performance, and environmental application requirements. Question one: What center frequency and bandwidth do I require?
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This question is easy enough to answer, but the next one is more involved: How do I plan to move signal data on or off the device?
This brings into focus the importance of data interfaces. For example, the USRP-290x models are connected to the host through USB and are limited by the maximum sustained bandwidth of that interface, whereas the Ettus USRP X440 is equipped with two 100 GbE interfaces capable of moving much more data.
To learn more about USRP interface bandwidth considerations, read about USRP Bandwidths and Sampling Rates on the Ettus Research knowledge base.
Most USRP devices have a maximum frequency up to 6 GHz and some higher; however, the NI Ettus USRP X410 can operate in the 7 GHz band. On the lower frequency end, some radios go down to 75 MHz and some as low as DC depending on the analog chipset used. See Figure 16 for a breakdown of each model.
Figure 3: The Ettus USRP X410, built on an RFSoC, is a high-frequency wideband SDR with a center frequency up to 7.2 GHz
There are trade-offs to consider when choosing a USRP device, specifically cost versus performance. If you require a radio at a great value and you do not have advanced FPGA or wide bandwidth requirements, the NI USRP 290x or Ettus Research B200mini are great options. If you need the widest bandwidth and frequencies up to 7.2 GHz, the NI Ettus USRP X410 may be the best fit. There are many options available in between these two examples. Figure 15 below gives a full break down across all models.
Figure 4: USRP and USRP B200mini Low SWaP-C SDRs
If you need frequencies up to 7.2 GHz, the NI Ettus USRP X410 may be the best fit. If you require the widest possible instantaneous bandwidth, the NI Ettus USRP X440 may meet the need. There are many options available beyond these examples; Figure 16 provides a full breakdown across all models.
Figure 5: The Ettus USRP X440 offers up to 1.6 GHz bandwidth per channel, with a direct sampling transceiver architecture
The USRP was conceived as a computer peripheral to connect software to the electromagnetic spectrum. Applications have evolved since the first USRPs, and many require an embedded processor onboard. You may require this stand-alone configuration if your application has the SDR physically distributed from a centralized control system or deployed on its own. If stand-alone is a key requirement, you will need to decide if a Xilinx Zynq™ Multiprocessor System on Chip (MPSoC) or RF System On Chip (RFSoC) is sufficient or if you require a powerful Intel X86 processor onboard. Table 1 provides a breakdown of various models and their onboard processors; consult USRP specification documents for more details.
Radio ModelOnboard ProcessorUSRP N320, USRP N321, USRP N310Xilinx Zynq MPSOCUSRP E31XXilinx Zynq MPSOCUSRP E320Xilinx Zynq MPSOCNI Ettus USRP X410, USRP X440Xilinx Zynq Ultrascale+ RFSOC ZU28DRUSRP Intel Core i7 EQ (2 GHz Quad Core)Table 1: Stand-Alone Capable USRP Models with Onboard Processors
Figure 6: USRP Stand-Alone SDR with Built-in Intel Core i7
Although many USRPs are used in the lab, some applications require operation in outdoors or in harsher environments. If your application requires extended operating temperatures or can’t rely on air-cooling, you may want to consider the Ettus Research branded Embedded Series for your application. Additionally, under the Ettus Research brand, there are options to configure the USRP B205mini for extended temperature range with the use of the industrial grade aluminum enclosure assembly for low SWaP operation. Alternatively, if you have extreme environmental requirements, we would love to connect you with our experienced ruggedization partners; contact us to explore these options.
Figure 7: Embedded Series, USRP E320
Many applications require multiple input and multiple output (MIMO) configurations with varying levels of synchronization. Some MIMO systems simply require a shared clock for ADCs and DACs, while others require every channel to be locked to a common clock and local oscillator for a full phase coherent operation.
A common MIMO application is for communications with spatial multiplexing. As this only requires clock synchronization, most USRPs with an external 10 MHz reference clock will be sufficient. An example of such a system was built by The University of Bristol and Lund University when they broke the wireless spectral efficiency world record using an SDR-based massive MIMO system. The system used in this application is composed of NI USRP Software Defined Radio Devices with onboard FPGAs.
Figure 8: USRP N320 and N321 with Built-In LO Distribution Interfaces
When a full phase coherent operation is required, you have a few options to consider. If you require up to four channels of receive only operation, the Ettus Research USRP X310 with two TwinRx daughterboards can be set up to share the LO and operate in a phase coherent manner. If more than four channels are required, then consider the Ettus Research USRP N320 and N321 (shown in Figure 8) or the NI Ettus USRP X440. Since the USRP X440 is built with a direct-sampling intermediate frequency (IF) architecture, synchronization can be achieved by sharing sample clocks across up to eight transmit and eight receive channels. It is prepared for multidevice synchronization to an externally provided reference clock signal.
The USRP N321 comes equipped with built-in LO distribution hardware allowing for up to 128 x 128 phase coherent operation: a 32 x 32 configuration example is shown in Figure 9.
Figure 9: USRP N320 and N321 Multichannel Phase Coherent System
In some applications, radios require synchronization but are not co-located. In these instances, a full phase coherent operation is a challenge; however, one can use GPS-based synchronization to get frequency and phase stability with a GPS disciplined oscillator (GPSDO). Many USRP models are equipped with a GPSDO from the factory. To learn more, read “Global Synchronization and Clock Disciplining with NI USRP-293x Software Defined Radio.”
Figure 10: USRP X310 with Onboard GPS Disciplined Oscillator
Some applications have processing requirements that are best suited for an onboard FPGA. These applications often have wide signal bandwidths or low/deterministic latency requirements. In these cases, picking a radio with the ability to program the FPGA is important. Many of the USB and lower-cost USRP models, such as the USRP B200mini or the N210, are built with smaller FPGA devices and as such do not have the space to add user code. Many of the higher end radios come equipped with Kintex 7 class devices all the way up to the state-of-the-art Ettus USRP X410 and X440 with the Xilinx Zynq UltraScale+ RFSoC. Devices built on Xilinx Zynq include additional cores such as onboard soft-decision forward error correction (SD-FEC), multi-Arm processors, and built-in ADCs and DACs.
USRP ModelOnboard FPGAUSRP N320, USRP N321, USRP N310Xilinx Zynq MPSOCUSRP E31XXilinx Zynq MPSOCUSRP E320Xilinx Zynq MPSOCEttus USRP X410, USRP X440Xilinx Zynq Ultrascale+ RFSOC ZU28DRUSRP , USRP X310Xilinx Kintex 7 410TTable 2: Comparison of FPGA Enabled USRPs
Figure 11: Comparison of FPGA Resources across NI FPGA Products
Programmability is the key feature of an SDR, enabling one to take a radio peripheral and turn it into an advanced wireless system. The USRP is the most open and versatile SDR on the market, helping engineers to build systems with a wide variety of software development tools on both the host and on the FPGA.
As shown in Figure 2 above, there are a variety of options to program the host of an SDR-based system.
LabVIEW is a graphical dataflow programming environment well-suited for designing and implementing communications algorithms. At the most fundamental level, LabVIEW uses the NI-USRP driver to both specify USRP hardware configuration and send and receive properly formatted baseband I/Q data ready for host-side signal processing.
If LabVIEW is your preferred development environment, it should be noted that although it does have some Linux-based OS support, it’s predominantly a Microsoft Windows-based tool. Additionally, some Ettus Research branded USRP models and configurations may not be supported; see Figure 16.
Figure 12: LabVIEW Block Diagram with the NI-USRP Driver API
Many SDR users prefer to program USRP hardware with text-based and open-source tool flows built on C/C++ and Python. All NI and Ettus Research USRP models support the USRP hardware driver (UHD), allowing for easy integration to open-source community developed tools such as GNU Radio.
GNU Radio is an open-source tool built solely for SDR developers. While the USRP is not the only radio supported with GNU Radio, it’s the most popular and tested. To learn more about GNU Radio, visit gnuradio.org, and to see all the existing community shared IP for GNU Radio, visit cgran.org.
Figure 13: GNU Radio Companion Flow Graph
If MATLAB is your preferred tool for programming, several USRP models are supported with the MathWorks Communications Toolbox™. Supported models include, B200, B200mini, X300, N200, and N300 Series. In addition, engineers can directly embed MATLAB code into LabVIEW using the MATLAB script node.
MathWorks also offers Wireless Testbench, a tool that provides capabilities including intelligent signal capture and hardware-based resampling, leveraging the FPGA on the USRP software defined radio device. It allows users to specify waveform-specific characteristics to trigger signal capture and analyze the data of interest.
Many USRPs come equipped with a large FPGA with sufficient free capacity to allow users to embed inline signal processing specific to their application. As described in the hardware section, some USRPs come equipped with Xilinx Zynq SoC devices and some with traditional fabric FPGAs such as the Kintex 7. There are two ways to gain access to the FPGA on USRPs: LabVIEW FPGA and the RF Network on Chip (RFNoC) framework.
Unlike many FPGA development boards or COTS FPGA boards, USRPs are built on a common FPGA framework and provide a higher-level abstraction. This removes some of the complexity encountered when building an FPGA-based system from a bare-bones FPGA board support package.
LabVIEW FPGA is an add-on extension for LabVIEW allowing for graphical programming of the FPGA on NI USRP RIO devices. Although one must be familiar with FPGA concepts such as fixed-point math and clocked logic, LabVIEW abstracts hardware and data interfaces and simplifies register configuration and data movement. An advantage of LabVIEW FPGA is the ability to program both the host and FPGA with a unified development tool chain.
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Do you have legacy IP you’d like to leverage? LabVIEW FPGA can import external VHDL or Verilog through Component Level IP (CLIP) nodes, allowing for non-LabVIEW IP to be imported. Additionally, LabVIEW allows for Xilinx Vivado project export for expert users working within the Vivado tool directly.
If LabVIEW FPGA is your tool of choice for host programming, note that it is limited to Windows-based operating systems. Many Ettus Research devices such as the USRP N300 and USRP E300 series are not supported under LabVIEW or LabVIEW FPGA. See Figure 16 for a complete list.
Figure 14: Simple LabVIEW FPGA Block Diagram
For open-source USRP users, the preferred way to program the FPGA is through the RFNoC Framework. RFNoC, like LabVIEW FPGA, is a data interface and command abstraction framework to simplify adding IP to your USRP without having to rebuild the entire FPGA board support package from scratch. As the name suggests, data flows through the FPGA from the radio as a compressed header network package. At the heart of the RFNoC framework is a crossbar interface allowing the user to simply plug new IP into the crossbar and route data to other IP blocks or to and from the host machine. This network crossbar design removes the complexity of passing data and commands to and from the host.
If working in Vivado and using RFNoC is your preferred path to program the FPGA of your USRP, consider the USRP X300 series, USRP E300 series, USRP N300, and the Ettus USRP X410 or X440 for your application. Learn more about how you can use RFNoC, UHD, and USRP N300 devices to prototype multichannel wireless communication systems.
Figure 15: RFNoC Conceptual Block Diagram Integrated with GNU Radio
Figure 16: NI and Ettus Research USRP Models Matrix
Choosing the right USRP (Universal Software Radio Peripheral) depends on several factors, including your specific application, performance requirements, and budget. The USRP family offers a range of devices, each designed for different use cases—from simple hobbyist projects to advanced research and industrial applications. Here’s a guide to help you decide which USRP might be the best fit for your needs:
- Entry-Level Projects and Education:
If you're new to software-defined radio (SDR) or looking for an affordable platform for educational purposes, an entry-level USRP device is ideal.
- USRP B200/B210: These are popular among hobbyists and educational institutions due to their relatively low cost and ease of use. The B210 offers full duplex MIMO (multiple-input and multiple-output) support and operates over a wide frequency range (70 MHz to 6 GHz), making it suitable for basic communication experiments, prototyping, and learning SDR concepts.
- Research and Prototyping:
If you're involved in more advanced wireless communications research or developing prototypes, you'll need a higher performance model with greater bandwidth and processing power.
- USRP X300/X310: These are high-performance USRP devices often used in research labs and commercial projects. They offer up to 160 MHz of real-time bandwidth and support flexible RF front-ends (daughterboards) with wide frequency coverage (DC to 6 GHz). The X300/X310 also come with options for high-speed connectivity, including 10 Gigabit Ethernet or PCI Express (PCIe), allowing for low-latency applications and real-time signal processing.
- High-Performance Industrial Applications:
For industrial applications, defense, or large-scale wireless systems where maximum performance is critical, higher-end USRPs are necessary.
- USRP N300/N310: These devices are designed for networked applications and provide high bandwidth and RF performance, with MIMO support and frequency coverage from 10 MHz to 6 GHz. They are suited for use cases such as 5G development, spectrum monitoring, and large-scale RF systems. The N310 offers four synchronized channels, making it ideal for advanced MIMO experiments.
USRP
Different USRPs cover various frequency ranges, so you need to match the device’s frequency capabilities with your application.
- Low Frequency (DC to 500 MHz): For applications like HF (high frequency) radios, amateur radio, or lower frequency bands, devices such as the USRP B200/B210 or X300/X310 with appropriate daughterboards (e.g., BasicRX/BasicTX) are a good choice.
- Mid Frequency (70 MHz to 6 GHz): If your focus is on popular communication bands like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GSM, or LTE, USRPs such as the USRP B200/B210, N300/N310, or X300/X310 with a wide frequency range (up to 6 GHz) will be suitable.
- Ultra-Wideband (Up to 40 GHz): For research in millimeter-wave (mmWave) technologies, such as 5G mmWave, you'll need USRP devices that support ultra-wideband frequencies, such as the USRP X410, which offers frequency coverage from DC to 7.2 GHz and even higher with external up/down converters.
The amount of real-time bandwidth you need for your project is critical when choosing a USRP. Higher-end models provide more bandwidth for applications like real-time spectrum monitoring, wideband communications, or large MIMO systems.
- Entry-Level Bandwidth (Up to 56 MHz): Devices like the USRP B200/B210 are good for basic communication protocols (Wi-Fi, LTE, etc.) or educational experiments that don't require extremely high bandwidth.
- High Bandwidth (Up to 160 MHz): For more data-intensive applications like real-time 4G/5G testing, wideband radar, or MIMO research, devices like the USRP X300/X310 or USRP N300/N310 are ideal.
- Ultra-High Bandwidth (Up to 400 MHz): If you're working on cutting-edge research in mmWave communications, defense applications, or satellite systems, you’ll need a device like the USRP X410 that can handle large bandwidths.
Consider the connectivity options based on the required latency and data throughput for your project.
- USB 3.0: Devices like the USRP B200/B210 connect via USB 3.0, offering adequate performance for most general-purpose SDR applications.
- Gigabit Ethernet / 10 Gigabit Ethernet: For lower-latency applications or networked systems, the USRP N300/N310 and X300/X310 provide GigE and 10 GigE options, allowing for faster data transfer and processing.
- PCIe: If you need extremely low-latency and high data throughput for real-time signal processing, the X300/X310 offers PCIe connectivity, which can handle larger data streams efficiently.
If your project involves multiple antennas or MIMO experiments, the number of input/output channels (RX/TX) is important.
- 2x2 MIMO: Many USRP models, including the B210, support 2x2 MIMO, which is sufficient for many basic wireless communication and experimentation setups.
- 4x4 MIMO or Greater: For more advanced MIMO experiments or systems requiring multiple antennas, devices like the USRP N310 (4x4 MIMO) or X410 (with up to 8 RX and 8 TX channels) are necessary for more complex configurations like massive MIMO research.
- Entry-Level (Cost-Effective): If you're working on a budget or an educational project, the USRP B200/B210 offers a cost-effective solution, typically ranging from $1,000 to $2,000, depending on configuration.
- Mid-Range (Research and Prototyping): For higher performance, devices like the USRP X300/X310 or N300/N310 range from $3,000 to $8,000, offering better performance and flexibility.
- High-End (Industry and Large-Scale Projects): If you're working on large-scale industrial applications or cutting-edge research, devices like the USRP X410 (priced around $10,000 to $15,000) are suitable for ultra-wideband applications and high-performance requirements.
Choosing the right USRP depends on the specific requirements of your project, including frequency range, bandwidth, MIMO capabilities, connectivity, and budget. For simple SDR experimentation or educational purposes, the USRP B200/B210 is an excellent, cost-effective option. For advanced research and industrial applications requiring higher bandwidth and performance, the USRP X300/X310 or N300/N310 models offer superior flexibility and processing power. Finally, for cutting-edge communication systems or large-scale experiments, the USRP X410 provides the highest level of performance and versatility.
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