Airspy R2 Receiver

Airspy R2

The Airspy R2 is a modern open-source radio receiver with a corresponding dynamic range, capable of sampling from 10MHz throughout the spectrum of 24MHz to 1.8GHz – and even beyond with expansion.

It sets a new performance level in receiving VHF and UHF bands, thanks to its low IF architecture, high-quality ADC, and excellent DSP.

Coverage can also be extended to the HF band using the accompanying converter SpyVerter.

The Airspy R2, like its predecessor, is 100% compatible with all existing software, including the de facto scanning standard SDR#, as well as with many popular software-defined radio applications such as SDR-Radio, HDSDR, GQRX, and GNU Radio.

A complete list of supported software can be downloaded from this page.

Supported Platforms

• Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, and 10 (for Windows XP please contact the Airspy team)
• Linux
• *BSD
• OSX

Technical Specifications:

• Continuous 24 – 1800 MHz native RX range, down to DC with SpyVerter option
• 3.5 dB NF between 42 and 1002 MHz
• Search RF filters
• 35 dBm IIP3 RF front end
• 12-bit ADC @ 20 MSPS (10.4 ENOB, 70dB SNR, 95dB SFDR)
• 10 MSPS IQ output
• Experimental 2.5 MSPS IQ output for low-power devices (Raspberry Pi, Odroid, etc.)
• Up to 80 MSPS when using custom firmware
• Cortex M4F @ up to 204 MHz with multi-core support (dual M0)
• 0.5 ppm high precision low phase noise clock
• 1 RTC clock (for pocket time marking)
• External clock input (from 10 MHz to 100 MHz via MCX connector) – ideal for phase-coherent radios
• 10 MHz panoramic spectrum up to 9 MHz
• IQ or Real, 16-bit fixed or 32-bit floating output streams
• No IQ imbalance, DC offset or 1/F noise in the center of the spectrum, encompassing all other SDRs
• Expansion ports: 16 x SGPIO
• 1 x RF input (SMA connector, up to 30kV ESD protection)
• 1 x RF output (loop-through, U-FL, 15kV ESD protection)
• 2 x high-speed ADC inputs (up to 80 MSPS, U-FL, dual DC, 15kV ESD protection)
• 4.5V software-switchable bias-T for powering LNA and up/down converters
• 8 x programmable high-speed GPIO up to 100 MHz
• 3 x programmable synchronized clock outputs up to 160 MHz
• 1 x core CPU clock output
• 1 x reset pin
• 2 x regulated +5.0 and +3.3V pins
• 1 x JTAG header
• No drivers needed! Just plug in and use on Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, and 10
• Operating temperature: -10°C to 40°C

Minimum Hardware Requirements

• Intel i3 2.4 GHz 3rd generation CPU or equivalent
• 2 GB RAM (to run your own OS, Airspy needs less than 1MB memory)
• High-speed USB 2.0 driver

Supported Software

• You can download the list from this page

Developer API

• Open source multi-platform tools Libairspy and Airspy on github
• Open source Airspy firmware on github
• Linux kernel SDR API (by Antti Palosaari) on github

Pin and Port Assignments

Airspy R2 pin definition

WARNING: Burning the receiver voids the warranty! The maximum tolerated input power is +10 dBm!

Package Contents

• Airspy R2 *1
• Micro USB*1