Summary of LimeSDR Mini – Software-defined-radio card
The LimeSDR Mini is a compact, cost-effective software-defined radio (SDR) board designed for prototyping high-performance digital and RF designs. It features the LMS7002M RF transceiver and Altera MAX 10 FPGA, offering two SMA channels instead of four found in the original LimeSDR. This device leverages existing supply chains and tools to make SDR development more accessible while maintaining core performance capabilities.
Parts used in the LimeSDR Mini:
- Lime Microsystems LMS7002M RF transceiver
- Altera MAX 10 FPGA (10M16SAU169C8G)
- USB 3.0 Type-A connector with FTDI FT601 controller
- 2 x coaxial RF SMA connectors
- U.FL connector for external clock source
- FPGA GPIO headers
- FPGA JTAG connector
- 30.72 MHz onboard VCTCXO
- Onboard DAC for VCTCXO tuning
- 2 x dual color LEDs
- EEPROM memory chips
- Flash memory chip
The LimeSDR Mini development board is a hardware platform for developing and prototyping high-performance and logic-intensive digital and RF designs that use Altera’s MAX 10 FPGA and Lime Microsystems’ LMS7002M RF transceiver.
LimeSDR vs LimeSDR Mini
The LimeSDR and LimeSDR Mini are members of the same family of software-defined radios. One does not replace the other. Rather, they are complementary.
Simply put, the LimeSDR Mini is a smaller, less expensive version of the original LimeSDR. However, it still packs a punch – at its core, the LimeSDR Mini uses the same LMS7002M radio transceiver as its big sibling. The Mini has two channels instead of four, and, by popular demand, SMA connectors instead of micro U.FL connectors. Check out the comparison table below for more details.
We’ve already shipped thousands of LimeSDR boards and they are now available for purchase from stock. The LimeSDR Mini is built on the LimeSDR supply chain, dev tools, and community in a way that makes software-defined radio more accessible than ever.
Features & Specfications
- RF transceiver: Lime Microsystems LMS7002M
- FPGA: Altera MAX 10 (10M16SAU169C8G)
- 169-pin FBGA package
- 16 K Les
- 549 KB M9K memory
- 2,368 KB user flash memory
- 4 x fractional phase locked loops (PLLs)
- 45 x 18×18-bit multipliers
- 130 x general purpose input/output (GPIO)
- Single supply voltage
- Flash feature
- FPGA configuration via JTAG
- EEPROM memory: 2 x 128 KB for RF transciever MCU firmware and data
- Flash memory: 1 x 4 MB flash memory for data
- General user inputs/outputs:
- 2 x dual color (red + green) LED
- 8 x FPGA GPIO pinheader (3.3 V)
- Connectivity:
- USB 3.0 Type-A (FTDI FT601 controller)
- 2 x coaxial RF (SMA) connectors (each can be switched between high and low frequency bands)
- U.FL connector for external clock source
- FPGA GPIO headers
- FPGA JTAG connector
- Clock system:
- 30.72 MHz onboard VCTCXO
- Possibility to tune VCTCXO with onboard DAC
- External clock input via U.FL connector
- Board dimensions: 69 mm x 31.4 mm
Block Diagram
Read more: LimeSDR Mini – Software-defined-radio card
- What is the primary difference between the LimeSDR and LimeSDR Mini?
The LimeSDR Mini is a smaller, less expensive version with two channels compared to the original's four channels. - Does the LimeSDR Mini use the same RF transceiver as the original LimeSDR?
Yes, it uses the same Lime Microsystems LMS7002M radio transceiver. - How many SMA connectors does the LimeSDR Mini have?
The board features two coaxial RF SMA connectors that can be switched between high and low frequency bands. - Can the onboard clock be tuned on the LimeSDR Mini?
Yes, the 30.72 MHz onboard VCTCXO can be tuned using an onboard DAC. - What type of USB connection does the LimeSDR Mini utilize?
It utilizes a USB 3.0 Type-A connection with an FTDI FT601 controller. - Is the LimeSDR Mini available for purchase from stock?
Yes, thousands of boards have been shipped and they are now available for purchase from stock. - What FPGA is used in the LimeSDR Mini?
The board uses an Altera MAX 10 FPGA with a 169-pin FBGA package. - Does the LimeSDR Mini support external clock input?
Yes, it supports external clock input via a U.FL connector.
