ria-toolkit-oss/docs/source/sdr_guides/hackrf.rst

.. _hackrf:

HackRF
======

The HackRF One is a portable and affordable software-defined radio developed by Great Scott Gadgets. It is an
open source hardware platform that is designed to enable test and development of modern and next generation 
radio technologies.

The HackRF is based on the Analog Devices MAX2839 transceiver chip, which supports both transmission and 
reception of signals across a wide frequency range, combined with a MAX5864 RF front-end chip and a 
RFFC5072 wideband synthesizer/VCO.

Supported models
----------------
    
- **HackRF One:** The standard model with a frequency range of 1 MHz to 6 GHz and a bandwidth of up to 20 MHz.
- **Opera Cake for HackRF:** An antenna switching add-on board for HackRF One that is configured with command-line software.

Key features
------------

- **Frequency Range:** 1 MHz to 6 GHz.
- **Bandwidth:** 2 MHz to 20 MHz.
- **Connectivity:** USB 2.0 interface with support for power, data, and firmware updates.
- **Software Support:** Compatible with GNU Radio, SDR#, and other SDR frameworks.
- **Onboard Processing:** ARM-based LPC4320 processor for digital signal processing and interfacing over USB.

Hackability
-----------

.. todo::

   Add information regarding HackRF hackability

Limitations
-----------
    
- Bandwidth is limited to 20 MHz.
- USB 2.0 connectivity might limit data transfer rates compared to USB 3.0 or Ethernet-based SDRs.

Set up instructions (Linux, Radioconda)
---------------------------------------

1. Activate your Radioconda environment:

  .. code-block:: bash

     conda activate <your-env-name>

2. Install the System Package (Ubuntu / Debian):

  .. code-block:: bash

     sudo apt-get update
     sudo apt-get install hackrf

3. Install a ``udev`` rule by creating a link into your Radioconda installation:

  .. code-block:: bash

     sudo ln -s $CONDA_PREFIX/lib/udev/rules.d/53-hackrf.rules /etc/udev/rules.d/53-radioconda-hackrf.rules
     sudo udevadm control --reload
     sudo udevadm trigger

  Make sure your user account belongs to the plugdev group in order to access your device:

  .. code-block:: bash

     sudo usermod -a -G plugdev <user>

.. note::

   You may have to restart your system for changes to take effect.

Further information
-------------------

- `Official HackRF Website <https://greatscottgadgets.com/hackrf/>`_
- `HackRF Project Documentation <https://hackrf.readthedocs.io/en/latest/>`_
- `HackRF Software Installation Guide <https://hackrf.readthedocs.io/en/latest/installing_hackrf_software.html>`_
- `HackRF GitHub Repository <https://github.com/greatscottgadgets/hackrf>`_
- `HackRF Setup with Radioconda <https://github.com/radioconda/radioconda-installer?tab=readme-ov-file#hackrf>`_