GNU Radio is a signal-processing runtime and software development toolkit widely used for software-defined radio and digital communications. Processing is organised as reusable blocks connected into flowgraphs, allowing users to combine sources, filters, demodulators, decoders and sinks into complete radio or DSP applications.
It can operate with physical RF hardware or entirely with generated and recorded signals. GNU Radio is used for experimentation, prototyping, education and production systems across radio communications, research and scientific instrumentation.
This is free and open source software.
Key Features
- Builds signal-processing applications from reusable blocks connected in flowgraphs.
- Large collection of DSP, filtering, modulation, demodulation and conversion blocks.
- GNU Radio Companion provides a graphical environment for constructing flowgraphs.
- Supports real-time operation with software-defined radio hardware.
- Can operate without radio hardware for simulation, development and recorded-signal processing.
- Interfaces with a large ecosystem of SDR devices through hardware-specific modules.
- Custom processing blocks can be developed in C++ and Python.
- Provides FFT, filtering, resampling, channel modelling and signal-generation facilities.
- Supports tagged streams and message passing alongside continuous sample streams.
- Can expose processing systems to external applications through network and control interfaces.
- Suitable for out-of-tree modules that add specialised hardware or signal-processing functionality.
- Newer architecture work introduces a modern C++ block model, runtime plugin discovery and more flexible scheduling.
- Companion Studio work provides visual flowgraph design together with live plots, controls and application layouts.
- Used in hobbyist, academic, scientific and commercial radio systems.
Website: www.gnuradio.org
Support:
Developer: GNU Radio
License: GNU General Public License v3.0
GNU Radio is written in C++ and Python. Learn C++ with our recommended free books and free tutorials. Learn Python with our recommended free books and free tutorials.
Related Software
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|---|---|
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| Gqrx | SDR powered by the GNU Radio and the Qt graphical toolkit. |
| sdrtrunk | Java application |
| Qt-DAB | DAB decoder |
| AbracaDABra | DAB and DAB+ Software Defined Radio (SDR) application |
| OpenWebRX | Multi-user SDR receiver |
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| welle.io | DAB and DAB+ software defined radio |
| SDR++ CE | Community-driven fork of SDR++ |
| OpenWebRX+ | Improved version of OpenWebRX |
| multimon-ng | Decoder for a broad range of digital transmission modes |
| GNU Radio | Signal processing runtime and signal processing software |
| DABlin | DAB/DAB+ audio service from a live transmission / stored recording |
| sdr_j_fm | FM receiver |
| AetherSDR | Linux-native client for FlexRadio Systems transceivers |
| Quisk | Designed for low latency CW operation |
| AIS-catcher | Versatile AIS receiver for software-defined radio |
| gr-dab | GNU Radio Digital Audio Broadcasting module |
| rtl-dab | DAB/DAB+ receiver to use with rtl-sdr sticks |
Read our verdict in the software roundup.
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