HackRF One

Explore wideband radio with a USB SDR that can receive or transmit.

RadioSoftware-defined radio

Price: $328at shop.hak5.org
Availability: Listed
Design: Open

Where to buy · 8 shops

Compare with similar devices

Radio equipment needs certification where you live (FCC, CE, UKCA, ISED, Anatel). Some devices are uncertified or restricted in Brazil. Buyers are responsible for their local law.

Bring along: Host software, USB cable and antenna suited to the band.
Keep in mind: Half-duplex: it cannot transmit and receive simultaneously.

Source checked · Sep 16, 2026

HackRF One — Image credit
Maker preliminary hardware photo · Great Scott Gadgets

(02) Blueprint

Build it yourself

Open hardware

HackRF One's full KiCad schematic/PCB, laser-cut acrylic case files, and firmware are published under CERN-OHL-P (hardware) / GPLv2 (firmware).

HackRF One top-level schematic

Read straight from the maker’s repository. Open on GitHub

HackRF One top-level schematic

GitHub

Design files 4

Source 1

greatscottgadgets/hackrfhardwareGPL-2.08.1k

git clone https://github.com/greatscottgadgets/hackrf.git

Key parts 5

NXP LPC4320FBD144 All LPC43xx devicesMCU (dual-core Cortex-M4/M0)Datasheet
Analog Devices/Maxim MAX2837All MAX2837 devices2.3-2.7GHz zero-IF RF transceiver
Analog Devices/Maxim MAX5864All MAX5864 devicesdual 8-bit ADC / dual 10-bit DAC (baseband AFE)
Qorvo RFFC5072All RFFC5072 deviceswideband mixer + fractional-N synthesizer (frequency conversion)
Xilinx (AMD) XC2C64AAll XC2C64A CPLD devicesCPLD (glue logic)

Research notes

Repo confirmed via gh api (GPL-2.0, 8128 stars); hardware/hackrf-one subfolder carries its own CERN-OHL-P-2.0 LICENSE (fetched). Chip part numbers confirmed by grepping raw mcu.kicad_sch/frontend.kicad_sch/baseband.kicad_sch for lib_id references (LPC4320FBD144, RFFC5072, MAX2837, MAX5864, XC2C64A). analog.com and qorvo.com blocked automated fetch (TLS/bot-protection, 000/429) in this environment so no direct manufacturer datasheet URL could be verified for MAX2837/MAX5864/RFFC5072/XC2C64A; NXP page for the MCU verified 200.

Every link checked 2026-09-27.

Hand this device to your agent. Everything on this page, as clean Markdown and JSON: specs, shops, prices, design files, parts.

Markdown JSON

Made the HackRF One? Put the badge on your README; it links here, with every shop that sells it.

Specifications

RF and input limits

Range: 1 MHz–6 GHz; half-duplex transmit or receive.
Samples: 2–20 MS/s; 8-bit I and 8-bit Q.
RF input maximum: −5 dBm; exceeding this can permanently damage the receiver.
Attenuation: Use external attenuation for stronger signals; disabling the RX amplifier is not reliable protection.
Transmit power: Frequency-dependent; no single output-power value covers the whole tuning range.
RF controls: Software-controlled RX/TX gain and baseband filtering.
Low sample rates: Documentation recommends ≥8 MS/s acquisition, then filtered decimation for narrower streams.

Connections and accessories

Antenna port: 50 Ω SMA female.
Connector fit: SMA and RP-SMA may screw together without a working center contact.
Antenna power: Switchable 3.0–3.3 V, 50 mA maximum.
Clock ports: 10 MHz, 3.3 V square wave; CLKIN must remain between 0 and 3.3 V.
Host power: Supply 5 V at 500 mA through USB.
USB port: Micro-B connector with high-speed USB data.
Included: Enclosed HackRF One and micro-USB cable; antenna is separate.
Expansion: Internal headers and programming buttons; custom standalone operation requires appropriate firmware.

Software and revisions

Host throughput: High-speed USB and sufficient CPU; shared USB traffic can restrict higher sample rates.
Install: libhackrf and HackRF Tools; official guide covers Linux, macOS, FreeBSD and Windows.
Windows path: Official guide points to radioconda binaries.
Version matching: Firmware may need updating to match host tools.
Firmware image: Use hackrf_one_usb.bin for SPI flash; model-specific .dfu is for recovery.
Revision identification: PCB silkscreen identifies revision; r6 onward also reports it through hackrf_info.
Revision differences: r9 changed RF/clock components; r10 largely returned to r8 design. Maker states common factory performance specifications.
Design and downloads: Firmware releases, host source and hardware designs are published by Great Scott Gadgets.