In January 2013, Nuand announced its bladeRF open-source software defined radio on the crowd funding website KickStarter. In order to take the project to market it needed $100,000.
The Nuand platform, which combines USB 3.0 connectivity with a field programmable RF (FPRF) transceiver, raised double this figure within just one month and over 500 backers pitched an average of $380 each.
At the heart of this success is the boards flexibility and openness, enabling a phenomenally wide range of platforms to be built from it. This flexibility is delivered from Lime’s LMS6002D FPRF transceiver.
The launch followed on the heels of MyriadRF open source RF project and Fairwaves’ open source professional grade transceiver equipment, to become the third open source RF board made available in 2013 and these three highlight the importance of the technology, even for mainstream platforms.
The bladeRF is the first open source RF project to bring USB3.0 onto the board and combines the Lime FPRF chip with an Altera Cyclone IV FPGA. This combination allows it to create exceptionally complex networks on any mobile communications standard or frequency.
The $420 board has been designed for both the hobbyist and the professional developer and is also USB2.0 compatible, allowing it to connect directly to the Raspberry Pi and the Beagleboard too.