Product Introduction
The Ettus USRP N321 is a high-performance networked software defined radio (SDR) platform designed for advanced wireless communications research, RF prototyping, distributed radio systems, radar development, spectrum monitoring, beamforming, and FPGA-based real-time signal processing.
The USRP N321 combines a flexible wideband RF architecture, dual transmit and receive channels, powerful FPGA processing, embedded computing resources, and high-speed Ethernet connectivity into a compact standalone SDR platform.
Supporting RF operation from 1 MHz to 6 GHz, 2 TX / 2 RX channels, up to 200 MHz instantaneous bandwidth, and high-throughput 10 Gigabit Ethernet connectivity, the N321 provides a reliable platform for demanding SDR applications, wireless testbeds, and distributed RF systems.
Product Overview
The Ettus USRP N321 belongs to the Ettus Research Networked Series SDR family and is designed for applications requiring high-performance RF processing, precise synchronization, and flexible network deployment.
The N321 provides a standalone SDR architecture integrating RF capability, FPGA processing, and network interfaces without requiring external PXI chassis or RF daughterboards. This makes it suitable for remote deployment, multi-device synchronization, and distributed wireless research.
Compared with the USRP N320, the N321 provides enhanced clocking and synchronization capabilities, making it particularly suitable for applications requiring phase-coherent multi-device operation, distributed MIMO systems, and precision RF measurements.
Key Features
1 MHz to 6 GHz RF Frequency Coverage
The USRP N321 provides broad RF coverage for modern wireless communication and RF research applications.
- 1 MHz to 6 GHz RF frequency range
- Wideband RF transceiver architecture
- Software-defined frequency operation
- Support for sub-6 GHz wireless systems
- Flexible RF experimentation
Advantage: The wide frequency coverage supports cellular communications, IoT, WLAN, ISM, radar, and advanced RF research applications.
2 TX / 2 RX RF Channels
The USRP N321 provides two transmit channels and two receive channels for multi-channel SDR applications.
- 2 transmit channels
- 2 receive channels
- 2×2 MIMO capability
- Multi-antenna research
- Beamforming experiments
- RF channel measurements
Advantage: Dual RF channels provide an efficient solution for MIMO, diversity, and synchronized RF experiments.
Up to 200 MHz Instantaneous Bandwidth
The N321 supports wideband RF operation with up to 200 MHz instantaneous bandwidth.
- Up to 200 MHz bandwidth
- Wideband I/Q streaming
- High-speed signal acquisition
- Wideband waveform generation
- Advanced wireless testing
Advantage: Wide bandwidth enables high-data-rate communications, spectrum analysis, channel sounding, and experimental RF systems.
High-Performance FPGA Processing
The USRP N321 includes programmable FPGA resources for real-time digital signal processing.
- FPGA-based DSP processing
- Digital filtering
- Digital upconversion
- Digital downconversion
- RFNoC processing support
- Custom FPGA algorithms
Advantage: FPGA acceleration enables low-latency processing and hardware-based signal optimization.
Enhanced Synchronization Capability
The N321 is designed for applications requiring precise timing and phase synchronization.
- High-precision reference clock support
- 10 MHz reference input
- PPS timing support
- Multi-device synchronization
- Phase-coherent RF operation
Advantage: Advanced synchronization enables coherent MIMO, distributed antenna systems, beamforming, and precision RF measurements.
10 Gigabit Ethernet Connectivity
The USRP N321 provides high-speed Ethernet connectivity for network-based SDR applications.
- 10 Gigabit Ethernet interface
- High-throughput I/Q streaming
- Remote SDR deployment
- Distributed wireless systems
- Large-scale RF testbeds
Advantage: High-speed networking allows flexible SDR placement and scalable multi-node wireless systems.
Integrated Network SDR Architecture
The N321 integrates RF, FPGA, processing, and networking resources into a standalone SDR platform.
- No external PXI chassis required
- Standalone operation
- Remote deployment capability
- Compact system integration
- Flexible network architecture
Optional GPSDO Support
The USRP N321 supports GPS-disciplined oscillator options for applications requiring accurate frequency and timing references.
- GPSDO option
- GPS-referenced frequency accuracy
- Timing synchronization
- Distributed radio networks
- Precision RF experiments
RFNoC Support
The N321 supports Ettus RF Network-on-Chip architecture for FPGA-based signal processing.
- Custom FPGA processing blocks
- Hardware acceleration
- Real-time DSP pipelines
- Low-latency processing
- Advanced SDR development
Technical Specifications
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Product Type | High-Performance Networked Software Defined Radio |
| Model | Ettus USRP N321 |
| RF Frequency Range | 1 MHz to 6 GHz |
| RF Channels | 2 TX / 2 RX |
| MIMO Capability | 2×2 MIMO |
| Instantaneous Bandwidth | Up to 200 MHz |
| FPGA | High-Performance FPGA Architecture |
| RF Architecture | Integrated RF Transceiver Architecture |
| Network Interface | 10 Gigabit Ethernet |
| Synchronization | 10 MHz Reference, PPS and Advanced Clock Synchronization |
| GPSDO | Optional |
| Software Support | UHD, GNU Radio, RFNoC |
| Primary Applications | MIMO, Wireless Testbeds, Distributed SDR, Radar and Spectrum Monitoring |
Software Ecosystem
The Ettus USRP N321 is supported by the UHD software ecosystem and professional SDR development environments.
- UHD: Provides device drivers and APIs for RF configuration, streaming, synchronization, and network operation.
- GNU Radio: Enables graphical SDR development for communication systems and signal processing applications.
- RFNoC: Provides FPGA-based processing architecture for real-time SDR applications.
- C/C++ and Python: Support custom SDR software development and automation.
Industries
- Wireless Communications
- 5G Research
- Aerospace and Defense
- Radar Development
- Electronic Warfare
- RF Engineering
- Telecommunications
- Universities and Research Laboratories
Applications
Wireless Communication Testbeds
The N321 provides a flexible platform for developing and testing advanced wireless communication systems.
- Wireless protocol research
- Physical layer development
- Communication experiments
- Channel measurements
- Research testbeds
2×2 MIMO Research
The dual-channel architecture supports synchronized MIMO communication experiments.
- 2×2 MIMO
- Spatial diversity
- Transmit diversity
- Receive diversity
- Multi-antenna systems
Distributed SDR Systems
The network architecture makes the N321 suitable for distributed RF deployments.
- Remote SDR networks
- Multi-node wireless systems
- Distributed spectrum sensing
- Synchronized RF experiments
- Large-scale testbeds
Radar Development
The N321 supports experimental radar systems requiring synchronized RF acquisition and FPGA processing.
- FMCW radar
- Radar waveform generation
- Signal acquisition
- Real-time DSP processing
Beamforming Research
Precise synchronization enables advanced beamforming and spatial processing applications.
- Digital beamforming
- Antenna-array experiments
- Phase-coherent processing
- Adaptive antenna research
Spectrum Monitoring
The N321 provides wideband RF capability for spectrum-related applications.
- Wideband spectrum acquisition
- Signal detection
- Interference monitoring
- RF environment analysis
- Signal classification
Comparison with Similar USRP Devices
| Model | Main Difference | Best Application |
|---|---|---|
| USRP N321 | High-performance network SDR with enhanced synchronization capability, 2 TX/2 RX, 200 MHz bandwidth and 10 GigE. | Phase-coherent distributed SDR systems |
| USRP N320 | Similar 2 TX/2 RX network SDR architecture with strong processing capability. | General high-performance SDR applications |
| USRP N310 | 4 TX/4 RX network SDR designed for massive MIMO and multi-channel systems. | 4×4 MIMO and beamforming |
| USRP X420 | RFSoC-based SDR with higher bandwidth and next-generation architecture. | Advanced 5G/6G research |
Recommended Related Products
| Ettus USRP N320 | High-performance network SDR platform for advanced wireless and RF applications. |
| Ettus USRP N310 | 4-channel network SDR platform for massive MIMO and multi-antenna systems. |
| Ettus USRP X420 | RFSoC-based SDR platform for wideband wireless research. |
Why Choose USRP N321?
- 1 MHz to 6 GHz RF coverage
- 2 TX / 2 RX channels
- Up to 200 MHz bandwidth
- High-performance network SDR architecture
- Advanced synchronization capability
- 10 Gigabit Ethernet connectivity
- FPGA-based real-time processing
- Optional GPSDO support
- RFNoC acceleration
- Ideal for distributed coherent SDR systems
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Ettus USRP N321?
The USRP N321 is a high-performance networked software-defined radio platform designed for synchronized wireless research, distributed SDR systems, MIMO applications, and FPGA-based signal processing.
What frequency range does the USRP N321 support?
The USRP N321 supports RF operation from 1 MHz to 6 GHz.
How many RF channels does the USRP N321 provide?
The N321 provides two transmit channels and two receive channels, supporting 2×2 MIMO applications.
What bandwidth does the USRP N321 support?
The USRP N321 supports up to 200 MHz instantaneous bandwidth.
What is the difference between USRP N320 and N321?
The N320 and N321 share a similar high-performance network SDR architecture. The N321 adds enhanced synchronization and clocking features for applications requiring more precise phase alignment and distributed RF operation.
Does the USRP N321 support 10 Gigabit Ethernet?
Yes. The N321 supports 10 Gigabit Ethernet for high-throughput SDR data streaming and distributed wireless deployments.
Does the USRP N321 support GPSDO?
Yes. Optional GPS-disciplined oscillator support is available for precise frequency and timing synchronization.
What software supports the USRP N321?
The N321 supports UHD, GNU Radio, RFNoC, C/C++, and Python-based SDR development environments.
Conclusion
The Ettus USRP N321 software defined radio is a high-performance network SDR platform designed for advanced wireless communications, synchronized RF systems, MIMO research, radar development, spectrum monitoring, and distributed SDR applications. With 1 MHz to 6 GHz RF coverage, 2 TX/2 RX channels, up to 200 MHz bandwidth, 10 Gigabit Ethernet connectivity, advanced synchronization features, FPGA acceleration, and RFNoC support, the USRP N321 provides a powerful solution for precision SDR research and next-generation wireless system development.
