BladeRF 2.0 micro xA9 THERMAL

bladeRF 2.0 micro xA9 Thermal is functionally identical to the bladeRF 2.0 micro xA9.
The units feature improved temperate grade components that make them more suitable for operating in thermally challenging environments.
bladeRF 2.0 micro xA9 THERMAL, improved temperature range FPGA, 47MHz to 6GHz frequency range, 61.44MHz sampling rate, 2×2 MIMO channels USB 3.0 SuperSpeed Software Defined Radio

Kit Contents

• bladeRF xA9 THERMAL (301KLE Cyclone V FPGA, extended-temperature-range Altera FPGA 5CEFA9F23I7N)
• USB 3.0 SuperSpeed cable

Optional Accessories

• Micro Enclosure
• BT-100 Bias-Tee Power Amplifier (TX)
• BT-200 Bias-Tee Low Noise Amplifier (RX)

More Information

• Product Datasheet
• Getting Started Guide on the bladeRF Wiki
• bladeRF-wiphy
• EU Declaration
• bladeRF 2.0 micro Brief
• Schematics REV 1.6
• Schematics REV 1.4
• Schematics REV 1.3
• Mechanical DXF File
• Mechanical Estimate STEP File
• Software Support and Additional Resources

Description

The bladeRF 2.0 micro xA9 THERMAL is a next-generation Software Defined Radio (SDR) offering a frequency range from 47 MHz to 6 GHz, a 61.44 MHz sampling rate, and 2×2 MIMO streaming. Packed into a compact form factor, the bladeRF 2.0 micro was designed for both high-performance and mobile applications.

Through libbladeRF, the bladeRF 2.0 micro is compatible with GNU Radio, GQRX, SDR-Radio, SDR#, gr-fosphor, SoapySDR, and other software on Windows, Linux, and macOS.

The RF shield cap protects sensitive RF components from electromagnetic interference (EMI) and provides additional thermal dissipation, allowing the bladeRF 2.0 micro to operate reliably in demanding environments.

All RF SMA ports are capable of supplying power through bias-tee circuitry to wideband amplifiers and preamplifiers. Power to bias-tee peripherals is fully software-controlled, providing maximum operational flexibility.

Official bias-tee peripherals currently include the BT-100, a wideband TX power amplifier, and the BT-200, a wideband RX low-noise amplifier.

At the core of the bladeRF 2.0 micro is a Cyclone V FPGA from Intel, formerly Altera. The xA9 features a 301KLE FPGA, of which approximately 292KLE are available and user-programmable. This large FPGA is ideal for accelerating HDL-based modems and signal-processing applications.

An advanced clocking architecture allows the bladeRF 2.0 micro to receive and provide its 38.4 MHz fundamental clock to and from other devices. In addition, an onboard PLL allows the bladeRF 2.0 micro to lock its VCTCXO to a 10 MHz reference signal.

The xA9 features a highly accurate and stable oscillator. The onboard DAC sets the oscillator\'s frequency trim to a factory-calibrated value.

The Power Distribution Network (PDN) of the bladeRF 2.0 micro combines low-noise, high-efficiency switching regulators and linear power regulators. While the bladeRF 2.0 micro can operate solely from USB bus power, an external power source may be used to ensure maximum linear performance when powering bias-tee peripherals.

The PDN also features automatic source selection and hold-over circuitry to optimize power draw between USB bus power and an external DC source.

The bladeRF 2.0 micro can operate in headless mode without being connected to a PC or SBC. Its onboard flash memory is large enough to store a complete FPGA image for the xA9.

Block Diagram USB 3.0 SuperSpeed

High speed, low latency, and increased power delivery over a single cable make USB 3.0 SuperSpeed an ideal interface for a wide-bandwidth radio front end connected to modern computers. The Cypress FX3 microcontroller combines a powerful ARM9 processor with sufficient bandwidth to utilize the full-duplex 5 Gbps USB 3.0 link.

Fully Programmable FPGA

An Altera Cyclone V FPGA provides the interface between the FX3 and the RF transceiver. This FPGA offers single-cycle access to embedded memory, dedicated 18×18 hardware multipliers for DSP, and a large number of general-purpose logic elements available for custom programming.

Wideband RF Transceiver

The Analog Devices AD9361 is a fully integrated, high-performance RF transceiver designed for next-generation wireless protocols. It can support applications ranging from simple FM audio to advanced broadband wireless communication systems.

Professional Quality

The bladeRF design has been tested and verified to meet high performance standards. Each device is capable of transmitting and receiving high-order modulation schemes with high fidelity.

At peak RF performance, the bladeRF can support 2×2 channels with up to 56 MHz of bandwidth across its operating frequency range, with low distortion and EVM values around 1%.