The Ettus Research USRP X300 is a high-performance, scalable software-defined radio (SDR) platform for designing and deploying next-generation wireless communications systems. The hardware architecture combines two extended-bandwidth daughterboard slots covering DC – 6 GHz with up to 160 MHz of baseband bandwidth, multiple high-speed interface options (PCIe, dual 10 GigE, dual 1 GigE), and a large user-programmable Kintex-7 FPGA in a convenient desktop or rack-mountable half-wide 1U form factor. In addition to providing best-in-class hardware performance, the open source software architecture of X300 provides cross-platform UHD driver support making it compatible with a large number of supported development frameworks, reference architectures, and open source projects.
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Operating Systems |
Linux Windows |
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Development Frameworks |
GNU Radio Xilinx Vivado 2015.2 Design Suite |
Table 1: Operating systems, development frameworks, and reference applications
High-Performance User-Programmable FPGA
At the heart of the USRP X300, the XC7K325T FPGA provides high-speed connectivity between all major components within the device including radio frontends, host interfaces, and DDR3 memory. The default FPGA core provided with UHD provides all of the functional blocks for digital down-conversion and up-conversion, fine-frequency tuning, and other DSP functions allowing it to be interchangeable with other USRP devices using the UHD architecture. The large Kintex-7 FPGA provides additional space for developers to incorporate custom DSP blocks and is compatible with a large number of USRP-supported development frameworks, reference architectures, and open source projects.
| USRP N210 | USRP X300 | USRP X310 | |
| FPGA | Spartan3 XC3SD3400A | Kintex 7-325T | Kintex 7-410T |
| Logic Cells | 53k | 321k | 406k |
| Memory | 2,268 Kb | 16,020 Kb | 28,620 Kb |
| Multipliers | 126 | 840 | 1540 |
| Clock Rate | 100 MHz | 200 MHz | 200 MHz |
| Streaming Bandwidth per Channel (16-bit) | 25 MS/s | 200 MS/s | 200 MS/s |
Table 2: FPGA resource comparison
Multiple High-Speed Interface Options
The USRP X300 provides multiple interface options. Out of the box, 1 GigE provides a convenient way to get started. For extended bandwidth and lower latency applications such as PHY/MAC research, PCIe x4 provides an efficient bus for deterministic operation. Applications using network recorders or multiple processing nodes can be best served by the 10 GigE interface option.
Additional Features- GPSDO, GPIO, 1 GB DDR3, Synchronization
The X300 includes many additional features that facilitate wireless system development. On-board 1GB DDR3 with flexible access through the FPGA reference design supplements the FPGA resources with buffering and data storage memory. An optional internal GPSDO provides a high-accuracy frequency reference, and global timing alignment to within 50 ns when synchronized to the GPS system. The external GPIO connector allows users to control external components such as amplifiers and switches, accept inputs like event triggers, and observe debug signals. The USRP X300 also includes an internal JTAG adapter that allows FPGA developers to easily load and debug new FPGA images.
*USRP X300 RF daughterboards sold separately
Compatible RF Daughterboards: UBX, CBX, WBX, SBX, LFRX, LFTX, Basic TX/RX)
