KiwiSDR 2 Second Production Run Devices Now Available

Software-defined radio (SDR) continues to be a hot topic in the engineering community. For good reason as well, they are very interesting devices that allow people to learn about many different areas of electrical engineering, including RF/wireless communications, digital signal processing (DSP), and hardware design. Over the past few years there have been a number of new SDR devices hitting the market. One of these includes the original Kiwi SDR radio. However, like many other products, supply chain issues during the height of the pandemic proved to be trouble for manufacturing and availability of the devices. Now, an upgraded version of the device, the KiwiSDR 2, is available for purchase for a price of around $395.

The KiwiSDR radio is designed to operate over the spectrum from 10KHz to 30MHz. This covers shortwave and longwave radio, AM broadcast stations, and various amateur radio bands. Unlike most SDR radios, the Kiwi hardware architecture is a direct sampling device. This is only possible due to the limited front end bandwidth. The analog to digital converter (ADC) samples the entire spectrum from 10KHz to 30MHz that the antenna sees. As a result, it offers very good RF performance. This includes high linearity, wide dynamic range, and great spurious performance.

The KiwiSDR devices come in the form factor of a “cape” meant to interface with BeagleBone devices. Users can purchase the cape only, or the cape with a BeagleBone Green in an aluminum enclosure. What makes the KiwiSDR unique when compared to other SDRs is that it offers a software-defined GPS receiver and the entire device is meant to be controlled through a web based interface. Users can attach devices to a local network and access them through the internet. Furthermore, if desired, users can also let others access their Kiwi devices over the internet. In fact, there are hundreds of devices right now that are currently live and can be accessed all around the globe.

Although the KiwiSDR can be written off as “yet another SDR,” it does offer numerous features users can find advantageous. First, it is open source hardware and software. Second, it offers excellent RF performance that enables users to work with high quality RF signals. Finally, it offers a great educational tool. Users can review the schematics, inspect the code to learn how things are done or add their own upgrades, and learn about the practical details of the SDR and GPS. For anyone interested in learning about radio communications in the low frequency bands, the KiwiSDR 2 can be a valuable resource.