macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install libbladerflocal Homebrew formula metadata
brew / rank 3160
Install libbladerf with Homebrew, Nix
USB 3.0 Superspeed Software Defined Radio Source. Version 2025.10 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. Also installable with nix: nix profile install nixpkgs#libbladeRF.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#libbladeRFnixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/li/libbladeRF/package.nix · source: api.github.com
overview
Package summary
USB 3.0 Superspeed Software Defined Radio Source
Project links
Commands and aliases
- bladeRF-cli
- bladeRF-fsk
- bladeRF-power
- bladeRF-update
history
Project history and usage
libbladeRF is the host library and tool suite for Nuand's bladeRF software-defined radio hardware. The upstream repository combines host-side C libraries and utilities, Cypress FX3 firmware, FPGA HDL, drivers, samples, and supporting documentation.
Project history
Nuand built bladeRF as an open source USB 3.0 software-defined radio platform, with the project repository carrying the host software, firmware, FPGA sources, and utilities needed to program and operate the boards. The README's quick start leads users from cloning the repository to installing libbladeRF and running `bladeRF-cli` against attached hardware.
The release history shows the host library evolving with the hardware. The 2016.06 release added clock and synchronization features, the 2018.08 line introduced libbladeRF v2.0 and bladeRF 2.0 Micro support, and later releases added packet mode, Wishbone-related features, 8-bit format mode, and continued FPGA/firmware updates.
Adoption history
libbladeRF is adopted primarily by SDR users who own bladeRF hardware, rather than by general networking software. Its package-manager presence matters because installing the host tools on macOS or Linux gives users `bladeRF-cli`, firmware update commands, and a C API without building the whole hardware support stack by hand.
How it is used
Users run `bladeRF-cli` to probe devices, inspect versions, load FPGA images, update firmware, configure RF parameters, and stream samples. Developers use libbladeRF as the host API for receive/transmit streaming and device control, while the repository also includes MATLAB, Simulink, Python, firmware, and FPGA pieces.
Why package nerds care
This is a hardware package wearing a Unix package's clothes. It has shared-library ABI concerns, command-line tools, firmware images, FPGA bitstreams, USB access, and calibration workflows, so it is exactly the kind of formula where package maintainers must respect both software dependencies and physical-device behavior.
Timeline
- 2016: Release 2016.06 adds SMB clock control, synchronization trigger support, XB-300 support, and related firmware changes.
- 2018: Release 2018.08 introduces libbladeRF v2.0 and bladeRF 2.0 Micro support.
- 2020: Release 2020.12 adds packet mode support across libbladeRF, FX3 firmware, and FPGA logic.
- 2021: Release 2021.10 adds Wishbone master core support and bladeRF 2.0 micro xA5 support.
- 2023: Release 2023.02 adds 8-bit format mode and AD936x overclocking support.
- 2025: Nuand's 2025.10 release post describes throughput, stability, and streaming upgrades for bladeRF 2.0 micro.
Related projects
- bladeRF-cli, bladeRF-fsk, bladeRF-wiphy, GNU Radio-style SDR workflows, FPGA images, FX3 firmware, MATLAB and Python bindings, and out-of-tree radio cores are the closest ecosystem pieces.
Sources
security posture
Risk level: green
library-like package without higher-risk signals.
Risk classifier
green risk · low confidence · appliance
Why
- library-like package without higher-risk signals
Signals
- metadata:library-like
Install behavior
- No Homebrew bottle metadata was recorded.
Recommended review
Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
bladeRF-cli | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
bladeRF-fsk | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
bladeRF-power | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
bladeRF-update | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
freshness
Version and freshness
These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.
page generated2026-08-03
manager version2025.10
manager updated
local dataunknown
upstreamnot available
latest detectednot detected
- okNo freshness warnings were generated.
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:libbladerf |
|---|---|
| Version | 2025.10 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Homepage | https://nuand.com/ |
| Repository | https://github.com/Nuand/bladeRF |
| Bottle | not recorded |
| Service | none declared |
source database matches
Other package-manager records
Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.
Nix95%
libbladeRF
nix profile install nixpkgs#libbladeRF- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libbladerf
source trail
Generated from repository data
This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.
Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub.
Used sources
- Geiger risk classifier
- cross-ecosystem install command graph
- curated package history
- external package-manager database matches
- pkg.so package database
- pkgdb category and tag curation