We have seen ESP32s used for everything from simple IoT devices to AI, audio, and vision projects. But while looking for a new project, I found out about ESP-SDR firmware, which turns the ESP32 into a native Software-Defined Radio (SDR) without additional hardware. This open-source firmware bypasses the ESP32’s fixed-function Wi-Fi and Bluetooth modems and taps directly into the internal ADC signal chain to capture raw I/Q baseband samples. It then sends these samples to a computer over USB or UART, where they can be processed and viewed as a radio spectrum or waterfall display, turning supported ESP32 chips into low-cost software-defined radio receivers without requiring additional SDR hardware. Key features and supported hardware: Supported chips – ESP32, ESP32-C3, ESP32-C5 (dual-band 2.4/5 GHz), ESP32-C6, ESP32-C61, ESP32-S2, ESP32-S3, and the preview ESP32-S31 Tuning range – Nominally 2.4 GHz ISM (2.2–2.7 GHz on some chips) and 5 GHz (4.8–6.0 GHz on ESP32-C5); The […]
The post ESP-SDR firmware turns ESP32 into a 2.4/5 GHz Software-Defined Radio (SDR) appeared first on CNX Software – Embedded Systems News.
Read more here: https://www.cnx-software.com/2026/10/04/esp-sdr-firmware-turns-esp32-into-a-2-4-5-ghz-software-defined-radio-sdr/
