Lime Microsystems launched its open source Lime SDR Mini - a smaller, less expensive version of the hugely-popular LimeSDR software defined radio prototyping boards.
The LimeSDR Mini is available for pre-order immediately through Crowd Supply at $139 (£100, €115).
It launched with an early bird price of $99 (£75, €83) and sold all 500 of these in the first 24 hours, making it one of the fastest-selling software defined radio products. It has also already reached more than 75 percent of its funding target.
The original 2016 LimeSDR campaign raised over $1.25 million and had the backing of over 5,000 developers, including BT/EE.
Ubuntu store and price make wireless design accessible to all
The price of LimeSDR Mini has been set to make it affordable for virtually anyone to develop applications using a cutting edge hardware.
To simplify the process further, Lime has partnered with Ubuntu, launching an app store for LimeSDR systems. Using these, developers can download apps and get a mobile, IoT or other wireless network running in minutes.
Lime hopes that by simplifying wireless system development and cutting the cost it can attract a new generation of talented minds to wireless system design, and with it speed innovation.
Ubuntu has stated “over 3,600 developers are currently involved in efforts to create apps... for LimeSDR.”
Mobile network backing
Lime’s previous LimeSDR campaigns received over 5,000 backers - from SDR hobbyists to multinational corporations. And Lime’s software defined radio platforms have received the backing of major mobile carriers, including BT/EE and Vodafone.
Given the open source nature of Lime’s radio technology, coupled with the numerous applications that can run on the platform, Lime is changing the way mobile and wireless systems are developed.
BT/EE has announced it will use the hardware to increase coverage in remote regions; and has also run hackathons to encourage innovation. Vodafone has announced it will use the hardware as part of its OPEN RAN vision.
Technical specifications and open source
The boards support virtually any type of wireless between 10 MHz and 3.5 GHz - such as UMS, LTE, SDM, LoRa, Bluetooth, zigbee, RFID, Zigbee and digital broadcasting.
The platform offers the freedom of an intelligent and inherently flexible device for manipulating wireless signals. LimeSDR solutions are programmable and based on open source technologies with an extensive community of developers, offering the potential to democratise wireless communications and enable global wireless connectivity.
To register for details of the new campaign, or receive technical specifications, please visit the Crowd Supply LimeSDR Mini page: www.crowdsupply.com/lime-micro/limesdr-mini.