Product Introduction
The NI Ettus USRP X300 is a high-performance modular software defined radio (SDR) platform designed for wireless communications research, RF prototyping, MIMO development, radar experimentation, spectrum monitoring, direction finding, and FPGA-based real-time signal processing.
The USRP X300 provides two wide-bandwidth RF daughterboard slots, up to 160 MHz of usable bandwidth per channel, high-speed ADC and DAC resources, multiple host interfaces, and a user-programmable Xilinx Kintex-7 FPGA. Its modular architecture allows engineers to configure the radio according to specific frequency, bandwidth, gain, and application requirements.
Unlike SDR devices with fixed integrated RF front ends, the X300 uses interchangeable daughterboards. The final RF frequency coverage therefore depends on the selected RF daughterboard. With suitable daughterboards, the X300 platform can support RF applications extending to 6 GHz.
Product Overview
The USRP X300 belongs to the Ettus Research X Series and is designed for applications requiring wide RF bandwidth, multi-channel operation, high-speed host connectivity, and customizable FPGA processing.
The platform provides two RF daughterboard slots, allowing engineers to build dual-channel transmit and receive systems using compatible transceiver daughterboards. This architecture supports 2×2 MIMO, beamforming, spatial diversity, direction finding, radar, communications research, and other advanced RF applications.
The X300 and X310 share the same general system architecture, including wideband daughterboard support, ADC/DAC resources, host interfaces, and timing functions. The major difference is FPGA capacity: the X300 uses the Xilinx Kintex-7 XC7K325T, while the X310 uses the larger XC7K410T FPGA.
Key Features
Two Wide-Bandwidth RF Daughterboard Slots
The USRP X300 provides two RF daughterboard slots for flexible radio configuration.
- 2 RF daughterboard slots
- Support for compatible Ettus RF daughterboards
- Configurable RF frequency coverage
- Multi-channel transmit and receive operation
- Application-specific RF front ends
Advantage: Engineers can select daughterboards according to the required frequency range and bandwidth rather than replacing the complete SDR platform.
RF Coverage Determined by Daughterboard
The X300 motherboard does not have one fixed RF frequency range. Its RF performance depends on the installed daughterboard.
- Modular RF architecture
- Support for multiple daughterboard families
- Application-specific frequency coverage
- Coverage extending to 6 GHz with suitable daughterboards
- Flexible RF system configuration
Advantage: The same X300 motherboard can be reused for different RF research applications by changing the daughterboard configuration.
Up to 160 MHz Bandwidth per Channel
The X300 architecture supports up to approximately 160 MHz of usable bandwidth per channel with compatible wideband RF daughterboards and host interfaces.
- Up to 160 MHz usable bandwidth per channel
- Wideband I/Q acquisition
- Wideband waveform generation
- High-throughput SDR applications
- Broadband communications and radar research
Advantage: Wide per-channel bandwidth enables development of broadband communications, spectrum monitoring, channel sounding, radar, and other advanced RF applications.
Up to 200 MS/s Streaming per Channel
The X300/X310 architecture can stream sample rates up to approximately 200 MS/s per channel under suitable high-throughput host configurations.
- Up to 200 MS/s per channel
- Up to 400 MS/s combined streaming
- High-rate complex I/Q processing
- Wideband signal acquisition
- High-speed waveform generation
Advantage: High streaming rates support demanding wideband SDR applications that require substantial real-time data throughput.
Kintex-7 XC7K325T FPGA
The USRP X300 incorporates a Xilinx Kintex-7 XC7K325T FPGA for real-time digital signal processing and radio control.
- Xilinx Kintex-7 XC7K325T
- User-programmable FPGA resources
- Digital downconversion
- Digital upconversion
- Custom DSP processing
- Low-latency RF algorithms
Advantage: Custom FPGA processing can reduce host CPU requirements and execute latency-sensitive signal-processing functions directly inside the radio.
14-Bit 200 MS/s ADC
The X300 motherboard incorporates high-speed analog-to-digital conversion for wideband RF signal acquisition.
- 14-bit ADC resolution
- 200 MS/s converter rate
- Wideband RF acquisition
- Complex I/Q processing
- Multi-channel receiver applications
Advantage: The high-speed ADC subsystem supports wideband receiver architectures and demanding software-defined radio applications.
16-Bit 800 MS/s DAC
The transmit subsystem uses high-speed digital-to-analog conversion for RF waveform generation.
- 16-bit DAC resolution
- 800 MS/s converter rate
- Complex waveform generation
- Digital modulation
- Wideband RF transmission
Advantage: High-speed DAC resources enable generation of complex wideband and digitally modulated signals.
Dual 10 Gigabit Ethernet
The USRP X300 supports dual 10 Gigabit Ethernet interfaces for high-throughput I/Q streaming.
- 2 × 10 Gigabit Ethernet interfaces
- Wideband I/Q streaming
- High-throughput host communication
- Network-based SDR operation
- Multi-channel RF applications
Advantage: 10 Gigabit Ethernet provides the bandwidth required for many wideband and multi-channel SDR applications.
Dual Gigabit Ethernet
The X300 also supports dual Gigabit Ethernet interfaces for applications that do not require maximum streaming throughput.
- 2 × 1 Gigabit Ethernet
- Standard network connectivity
- Remote SDR operation
- Flexible laboratory deployment
- UHD-based device communication
Advantage: Gigabit Ethernet provides a convenient and widely supported interface for control and moderate-bandwidth SDR applications.
PCI Express Connectivity
PCI Express connectivity provides another high-performance option for communicating with the USRP X300.
- PCI Express support
- High-throughput host communication
- Low-latency data transfer
- Desktop workstation integration
- Advanced SDR systems
Advantage: PCI Express is particularly useful when low latency and high sample throughput are priorities.
2×2 MIMO Capability
When configured with two compatible transceiver daughterboards, the X300 can provide up to two transmit and two receive RF channels.
- Up to 2 TX / 2 RX
- 2×2 MIMO
- Multi-antenna communications
- Spatial diversity
- Beamforming research
- Direction-finding applications
Advantage: Multi-channel operation supports advanced wireless systems that cannot be implemented efficiently using a single RF channel.
External Clock and PPS Synchronization
The X300 includes timing and reference capabilities for synchronized RF systems.
- 10 MHz reference support
- PPS timing support
- External frequency reference
- Multi-USRP synchronization
- Coordinated RF acquisition
- Coordinated waveform generation
Advantage: Shared clock and timing references are essential for synchronized MIMO, beamforming, direction-finding, and multi-device experiments.
Optional GPSDO
The X300 can be configured with an optional GPS-disciplined oscillator.
- Optional GPSDO
- GPS-referenced timing
- Improved frequency stability
- Distributed SDR synchronization
- Time-referenced RF acquisition
Advantage: GPS-referenced timing is useful for distributed radio networks and geographically separated RF measurement systems.
RFNoC Support
The X300 architecture supports RF Network-on-Chip workflows for custom FPGA signal processing.
- RFNoC architecture
- Custom FPGA blocks
- Real-time filtering
- FFT processing
- Channelization
- Signal detection
- Data reduction
Advantage: RFNoC allows engineers to move processing closer to the RF hardware and reduce the volume of data transferred to the host.
UHD Software Support
The USRP X300 is supported by the USRP Hardware Driver (UHD).
- UHD driver support
- C/C++ APIs
- GNU Radio integration
- Python-compatible SDR development
- RFNoC support
- Custom research applications
Advantage: UHD provides a mature and widely used software ecosystem for developing USRP-based SDR applications.
Technical Specifications
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Product Type | High-Performance Modular Software Defined Radio |
| Model | Ettus Research USRP X300 |
| RF Daughterboard Slots | 2 |
| RF Frequency Range | Depends on Installed Daughterboards |
| Maximum Platform RF Coverage | DC to 6 GHz with Suitable Daughterboard |
| Maximum Usable Bandwidth | Up to 160 MHz per Channel |
| Maximum Streaming Rate | Up to 200 MS/s per Channel / 400 MS/s Total |
| Maximum RF Channels | Up to 2 TX / 2 RX with Compatible Daughterboards |
| ADC | 14-bit, 200 MS/s |
| DAC | 16-bit, 800 MS/s |
| FPGA | Xilinx Kintex-7 XC7K325T |
| Master Clock Rates | 200 MHz / 184.32 MHz |
| 1 Gigabit Ethernet | Dual Interfaces |
| 10 Gigabit Ethernet | Dual Interfaces |
| PCI Express | Supported |
| External Reference | 10 MHz Reference Support |
| Timing | PPS Support |
| GPSDO | Optional |
| Software Driver | USRP Hardware Driver (UHD) |
| FPGA Development | RFNoC / Custom FPGA Processing |
| Form Factor | Desktop / Rack-Mountable Half-Wide 1U |
| Primary Applications | Wireless Communications, MIMO, Radar, Spectrum Monitoring, Direction Finding and FPGA-Based SDR |
Compatible RF Daughterboards
The RF capabilities of the USRP X300 are determined by the installed daughterboards. Ettus lists multiple compatible RF front ends for the X300/X310 platform.
| Daughterboard | Primary Use |
|---|---|
| UBX-160 / UBX-40 | Broad-frequency full-duplex RF applications up to 6 GHz |
| WBX-120 / WBX-40 | Wideband lower-frequency transceiver applications |
| SBX-120 / SBX-40 | RF communication and wideband transceiver applications |
| CBX-120 / CBX-40 | Higher-frequency RF transceiver applications |
| BasicTX / BasicRX | Basic transmit and receive experimentation |
| LFTX / LFRX | Low-frequency transmit and receive applications |
| TwinRX | Dual-receiver applications and advanced RF acquisition |
When purchasing a USRP X300, the motherboard, daughterboards, reference-clock configuration, host interfaces, and required accessories should be verified as part of the complete system configuration.
Software Ecosystem
The USRP X300 supports a broad software-defined radio development ecosystem for both host-based and FPGA-based signal processing.
- UHD: Provides the primary hardware driver and APIs for device configuration, timing, frequency, gain, sample-rate control, and I/Q streaming.
- GNU Radio: Enables rapid development of communications, spectrum, modulation, demodulation, and signal-processing applications.
- C/C++: UHD APIs support direct development of high-performance custom SDR applications.
- Python: Compatible UHD-based environments can be used for scripting, automation, signal analysis, and SDR research.
- RFNoC: Enables custom FPGA signal-processing blocks and high-performance data-flow architectures.
Industries
- Wireless Communications
- Telecommunications Research
- Aerospace and Defense Research
- Radar Development
- RF Engineering
- Spectrum Monitoring
- Electronic Warfare Research
- Universities and Research Laboratories
- Wireless Product Development
Applications
Wideband Wireless Communications
The X300 provides the bandwidth and FPGA resources required for advanced communications research.
- OFDM development
- Digital modulation
- Physical-layer research
- Channel coding
- Wireless protocol experimentation
2×2 MIMO Research
Two compatible RF daughterboards allow the X300 to support multi-channel MIMO systems.
- 2×2 MIMO
- Spatial multiplexing
- Transmit diversity
- Receive diversity
- Multi-antenna communications
Radar Research
Wide bandwidth and programmable FPGA resources make the X300 suitable for experimental radar development.
- FMCW radar
- Pulse radar
- Radar waveform generation
- Radar signal acquisition
- Real-time FPGA processing
Spectrum Monitoring
When fitted with an appropriate wideband receiver, the X300 can be used for software-based spectrum-monitoring systems.
- Wideband spectrum acquisition
- Signal detection
- Interference analysis
- RF environment monitoring
- Signal classification research
Beamforming
Synchronized channels can support experimental beamforming and antenna-array processing.
- Digital beamforming
- Antenna-array experiments
- Spatial processing
- Transmit beamforming
- Receive beamforming
Direction Finding
Multiple synchronized RF channels can be incorporated into experimental direction-finding systems.
- Direction-of-arrival estimation
- Phase comparison
- RF localization
- Multi-antenna receiver systems
- Spatial spectrum analysis
FPGA-Based Real-Time DSP
The Kintex-7 FPGA provides substantial programmable resources for implementing real-time signal-processing algorithms.
- FFT processing
- Digital filtering
- Channelization
- Signal detection
- Custom triggering
- Modulation and demodulation
- Data reduction
Wireless Research Testbeds
The configurable X300 architecture can serve as the foundation for sophisticated experimental RF networks.
- Multi-radio testbeds
- Experimental base stations
- Wireless network research
- Distributed RF systems
- Custom research infrastructure
Comparison with Similar USRP Devices
| Model | Main Difference | Best Application |
|---|---|---|
| USRP X300 | Configurable X Series SDR with two RF daughterboard slots, up to 160 MHz bandwidth per channel, and a Kintex-7 XC7K325T FPGA. | Advanced modular SDR development |
| USRP X310 | Uses the same general X Series architecture but provides a larger Kintex-7 XC7K410T FPGA for more FPGA-intensive applications. | Large FPGA and complex RFNoC applications |
| NI USRP-2942 | Preconfigured X310-class SDR with defined 400 MHz to 4.4 GHz RF front ends and 2 TX / 2 RX capability. | Preconfigured MIMO RF research |
| NI USRP-2952 | Preconfigured X310-class SDR with 400 MHz to 4.4 GHz RF coverage and integrated GPS-disciplined timing. | Synchronized wideband MIMO research |
Recommended Related Products
| USRP X310 | Higher-FPGA-capacity X Series platform for more demanding FPGA and RFNoC applications. |
| NI USRP-2942 | Preconfigured 2 TX / 2 RX SDR for users requiring defined 400 MHz to 4.4 GHz RF performance. |
| NI USRP-2952 | GPS-disciplined X310-class SDR for synchronized MIMO and distributed RF applications. |
| NI USRP-2940 | Preconfigured 2 TX / 2 RX SDR covering 50 MHz to 2.2 GHz for lower-frequency RF and MIMO research. |
Why Choose USRP X300?
- High-performance modular SDR architecture
- Two RF daughterboard slots
- Configurable RF coverage up to 6 GHz with suitable daughterboards
- Up to 160 MHz usable bandwidth per channel
- Up to 200 MS/s streaming per channel
- Up to 2 TX / 2 RX operation
- 14-bit 200 MS/s ADC
- 16-bit 800 MS/s DAC
- Xilinx Kintex-7 XC7K325T FPGA
- Dual 10 Gigabit Ethernet
- Dual Gigabit Ethernet
- PCI Express connectivity
- Optional GPSDO
- 10 MHz reference and PPS synchronization
- UHD and RFNoC support
- Ideal for MIMO, radar, spectrum, and FPGA development
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Ettus USRP X300?
The USRP X300 is a high-performance modular software-defined radio platform with two RF daughterboard slots, high-speed data converters, a Kintex-7 FPGA, and multiple high-throughput host interfaces.
What frequency range does the USRP X300 support?
The USRP X300 itself does not have one fixed RF frequency range. The actual frequency coverage depends on the installed RF daughterboards. Ettus lists platform support extending from DC to 6 GHz when suitable daughterboards are installed.
What is the maximum bandwidth of the USRP X300?
The X300 supports up to approximately 160 MHz of usable bandwidth per channel when used with compatible wideband RF daughterboards and appropriate high-speed host interfaces.
What is the maximum sample rate of the USRP X300?
The X300/X310 architecture can stream up to approximately 200 MS/s per channel, or 400 MS/s total across two channels, under suitable system and host-interface conditions.
What FPGA does the USRP X300 use?
The USRP X300 uses a Xilinx Kintex-7 XC7K325T FPGA.
What ADC does the USRP X300 use?
The X300 motherboard provides a 14-bit analog-to-digital conversion architecture operating at up to 200 MS/s.
What DAC does the USRP X300 use?
The transmitter architecture uses 16-bit digital-to-analog conversion operating at up to 800 MS/s.
How many RF channels can the USRP X300 support?
With two compatible transceiver daughterboards, the X300 can support up to two transmit channels and two receive channels for 2×2 MIMO and other multi-channel applications.
Does the USRP X300 support 10 Gigabit Ethernet?
Yes. The X300 supports dual 10 Gigabit Ethernet interfaces for high-bandwidth I/Q streaming.
Does the USRP X300 support Gigabit Ethernet?
Yes. The platform also supports dual 1 Gigabit Ethernet interfaces for network-based SDR operation.
Does the USRP X300 support PCI Express?
Yes. PCI Express is supported as a high-performance host interface for applications requiring high throughput and low latency.
Can the USRP X300 be used for MIMO?
Yes. Two compatible RF transceiver daughterboards can provide a 2 TX / 2 RX architecture suitable for 2×2 MIMO, spatial diversity, beamforming, and multi-antenna wireless research.
Does the USRP X300 support GPSDO?
Yes. An optional GPS-disciplined oscillator can be used with the X300 for applications requiring GPS-referenced frequency and timing.
What is the difference between USRP X300 and X310?
The X300 and X310 share the same basic RF daughterboard architecture, ADC/DAC resources, bandwidth capability, high-speed host interfaces, and timing options. The primary difference is FPGA size. The X300 uses the Kintex-7 XC7K325T, while the X310 uses the larger XC7K410T FPGA. The X310 is therefore preferable when additional FPGA logic, DSP, memory, or RFNoC resources are required.
Can the USRP X300 operate up to 6 GHz?
Yes, when a compatible RF daughterboard is installed. The maximum RF frequency is determined by the daughterboard rather than the bare X300 motherboard.
Can the USRP X300 be used for radar?
Yes. Its wide bandwidth, multi-channel RF architecture, high-speed ADC and DAC resources, and programmable FPGA make the X300 suitable for experimental FMCW, pulse-radar, waveform-generation, acquisition, and real-time radar signal-processing applications.
Can the USRP X300 be used for spectrum monitoring?
Yes. With an appropriate receiver daughterboard, the X300 can acquire wideband I/Q data for signal detection, interference analysis, spectrum monitoring, and RF research. A calibrated spectrum analyzer may still be necessary for traceable or regulatory measurements.
What software supports the USRP X300?
The USRP X300 is supported by UHD and can be integrated with GNU Radio, C/C++, Python-based UHD applications, RFNoC, and other compatible SDR development environments.
Conclusion
The NI Ettus USRP X300 software defined radio is a high-performance modular SDR platform designed for advanced wireless communications, MIMO, radar, spectrum monitoring, direction finding, RF prototyping, and FPGA-based processing. With two configurable RF daughterboard slots, up to 160 MHz of usable bandwidth per channel, up to 200 MS/s streaming per channel, a Kintex-7 XC7K325T FPGA, dual 10 Gigabit Ethernet, dual Gigabit Ethernet, PCI Express connectivity, synchronization resources, and optional GPSDO, the USRP X300 provides a highly flexible foundation for demanding software-defined radio systems.
