Ettus Research

What Ettus Research does

Ettus Research is a wholly-owned brand of National Instruments (acquired in 2010 and transitioned to a brand name in 2018) that designs and sells the USRP (Universal Software Radio Peripheral) family of software-defined radio platforms, self-described as the world's leading supplier of SDR products. The company sells hardware spanning four series: Bus Series (B200/B200mini/B205mini-i/B206mini-i/B210) for portable/entry-level use from approximately $1,462–$2,387; Embedded Series (E320) at $9,189–$10,210; Networked Series (N300/N310/N320/N321) at $13,702–$26,679; and the high-performance X Series (X300/X310/X410/X440/X420) priced up to $52,920. The portfolio covers DC to 20 GHz with instantaneous bandwidths up to 1.6 GHz and is built primarily on Xilinx/AMD FPGAs (Kintex-7, Zynq-7000, Zynq UltraScale+ RFSoC).

Underlying technology centers on two open-source frameworks: UHD (USRP Hardware Driver), the cross-platform C++/Python API that ensures code portability across all USRP devices, dual-licensed under GPLv3 or an alternative proprietary license for volume OEM customers; and RFNoC (RF Network on Chip), an LGPL FPGA development framework that integrates with GNU Radio and allows FPGA acceleration without writing VHDL/Verilog. Both frameworks, together with support for LabVIEW and MATLAB/Simulink, form a software ecosystem that drives adoption across research, defense, telecom, and academic segments. Partnerships with Curtiss-Wright (SOSA/VPX ruggedization), Pixus (rugged enclosures), MathWorks, OpenAirInterface, Safran, NAVSYS, and others extend the platform into GNSS testing, EW/SIGINT, satellite ground stations, and counter-drone applications.

The business model is hardware sales on a one-time/perpetual basis, complemented by an alternative-software-licensing pathway for proprietary use. Distribution runs through ettus.com direct e-commerce, National Instruments' enterprise sales force, and a network of authorized distributors covering 40+ countries with NI acting as importer of record in most jurisdictions. Primary customers are research engineers and scientists (academic, corporate R&D, government labs), defense and government agencies (EW, SIGINT, radar, SATCOM), and commercial wireless/telecom firms developing 5G/6G systems; a long tail of academic institutions, hobbyists, and individual buyers provides additional volume. Headquarters are in Austin, Texas with a secondary office in Mountain View, California, and the company is subject to U.S. EAR export controls.

Name

Ettus Research

Legal name

Ettus Research

Website

https://ettus.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ettus Research, an NI brand since 2010, designs and sells the USRP family of software-defined radio platforms — covering DC to 20 GHz with bandwidths up to 1.6 GHz — to research, defense, telecom, and academic customers across 40+ countries via NI's distribution network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Mountain View

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Hardware Sales - USRP SDR Devices: Primary revenue from selling software-defined radio hardware. Product lines include Bus Series (B200/B210, B200mini), Networked Series (N300/N310/N320/N321), Embedded Series (E310/E320), X Series (X300/X310/X410/X420/X440), and NI USRP (USRP-2974). Prices range from ~$1,500 for entry-level to $52,920 for high-performance X420.
2. RF Daughterboards: Modular RF front-end boards including UBX (10-6000 MHz), TwinRX (dual-channel), OBX160 (10-8400 MHz), LFRX, LFTX, BasicRX, BasicTX. Prices from $185 to $5,800.
3. Accessories: Enclosures, power supplies, cables, GPS antennas, MIMO cables, GPSDO modules, rack mount kits, GPIO expansion kits. Prices range from $18 (USB cable) to $4,155 (OctoClock-G).
4. Alternative Software Licensing: UHD/RFNoC available under alternative proprietary license from National Instruments for customers who cannot use GPLv3. Allows creation of proprietary applications without GPL obligations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Ettus Research designs, manufactures, and sells the USRP (Universal Software Radio Peripheral) family of software-defined radio hardware platforms, paired with open-source driver and FPGA frameworks (UHD and RFNoC). The platforms are used by researchers, defense organizations, and commercial wireless engineers for wireless research, prototyping, and deployment in 5G/6G, SIGINT, electronic warfare, radar, and satellite communication applications.

Product overview

Ettus Research, a National Instruments brand since 2010, offers the USRP (Universal Software Radio Peripheral) family of software-defined radio platforms - the world's leading SDR platform. The product portfolio consists of multiple SDR series: USRP X Series (X420, X440, X410, X310, X300) for high-performance applications with advanced FPGA processing; USRP Networked Series (N320, N321, N310, N300) for large-scale distributed wireless system deployment with remote management; USRP Embedded Series (E320) for field-deployable applications; and USRP Bus Series (B206mini-i, B205mini-i, B200mini-i, B210, B200) for portable, low-cost SDR. Supporting products include RF daughterboards (OBX, TwinRX, UBX, LFRX, LFTX, BasicRX, BasicTX), antennas (VERT and LP series), and accessories (OctoClock-G, OctoClock). The software ecosystem includes UHD (USRP Hardware Driver) API for cross-platform code portability, RFNoC FPGA development framework integrated with GNU Radio, and support for LabVIEW and MATLAB/Simulink. Applications span wireless research, 5G/6G prototyping, radar, satellite communications, electronic warfare, SIGINT, and spectrum monitoring.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• USRP (Universal Software Radio Peripheral): The USRP family of software-defined radio products designed for RF applications from DC to 6 GHz and above, including multiple-antenna (MIMO) systems.
• UHD (USRP Hardware Driver)
• RFNoC (RF Network on Chip)

Products and services

• USRP X420 High-performance, multi-channel software-defined radio platform for advanced wireless research and deployment.
• USRP X440 High-performance SDR platform based on Xilinx Zynq UltraScale+ RFSoC, designed for wideband, multi-channel applications.
• USRP X410 Mid-to-high performance SDR with integrated Xilinx Zynq UltraScale+ RFSoC for 5G, radar, and EW prototyping.
• USRP X310 High-performance modular SDR with Xilinx Kintex-7 FPGA for demanding research and prototyping.
• USRP X300 Modular, high-performance SDR platform offering configurable FPGA processing and wide frequency coverage.
• USRP N320 / N321 Phase-coherent, dual-channel SDRs designed for distributed and multi-channel wireless systems.
• USRP N310 / N300 Networked, mid-performance SDRs with integrated FPGA processing for synchronized multi-unit deployments.
• USRP E320 Embedded, rugged SDR for field-deployed wireless applications with integrated Zynq SoC.
• USRP B206mini-i Compact, low-cost, bus-powered USB SDR for portable wireless experimentation.
• USRP B205mini-i Compact, single-channel, bus-powered USB SDR for entry-level wireless prototyping.
• USRP B200mini-i Small-form-factor, bus-powered USB SDR for low-cost wireless research.
• USRP B210 / B200 Widely adopted, low-cost USB SDRs for general wireless experimentation and education.
• USRP-2974 Stand-alone, processor-equipped SDR with integrated Intel x86 host for deployment without a separate PC.
• RF Daughterboards (e.g., TwinRX, UBX, CBX, WBX, SBX, LFRX, LFTX, BasicRX, BasicTX, DBSRX2) Modular RF front-end boards that slot into USRP motherboards to extend frequency coverage and channel configurations.
• Antennas and Accessories (e.g., VERT2450, LOGI ANT, OctoClock) Off-the-shelf antennas and accessories (including the OctoClock distribution amplifier) to support multi-channel phase-coherent USRP deployments.
• UHD (USRP Hardware Driver) Open-source, cross-platform device driver and API used to control all USRP devices, available under GPL with an alternative commercial license.
• RFNoC (RF Network on Chip) Open-source FPGA processing framework that enables high-throughput, on-FPGA signal processing blocks for USRP platforms.

Quantifiable outcome

• Frequency coverage from DC to 20 GHz across product portfolio
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Curtiss-Wright Defense SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 November 2021Collaboration to port USRP E320 to SOSA-aligned 3U VPX form factor. Resulted in VPX3-E320 ruggedized SDR for military embedded systems deployment. Development built on USRP E320 can directly run on VPX3-E320. Key for defense services deployment path.
• Geon Technologies, LLCminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerUSRP System Integrator offering custom development for RF signal processing and wireless radio components. Expertise includes spectral characterization, cognitive radio, MIMO, beamforming, DF/geolocation, and wideband signal synthesis.
• Allbesmart Lda (OAIBOX)minorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerEngineering company specialized in software-defined 3GPP implementations. Creators of OAIBOX - world leading open source 5G/6G test network platform that transforms USRP into end-to-end small cell for 3GPP 5G NR training and experimentation.
• Pixus TechnologiesminorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerOffers ruggedized and commercial enclosure solutions for embedded computing. Builds specialized enclosures for USRP devices (X310, X410, X420, X440, B210, E320, N310) with IP67 weatherproofing, MIL-810 for shock/vibration, MIL-461 for EMI.
• DedroneminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAirspace security and counterdrone solution provider. Built rugged USRP X310 into their CUAS (Counter-Unmanned Aerial System) for detecting, classifying, and mitigating drone-based threats.
• Parsons (Formerly Echo Ridge)minorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerOffers RF products including WISP (Wireless Instrumented Streaming Platform) combining USRP with embedded computers and power amplification; DYSE spectrum environment emulator; ER310 rugged USRP E310 form factor.
• NAVSYSminorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerGNSS Signal Architect Test Set - turn-key GNSS simulation and testing system using USRP N210 SDR. Provides bandwidth for P(Y), M, and C/A codes for testing GNSS receivers.
• SafranminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGPS/GNSS simulator built on USRP X-Series and N-Series radios. Features 1000 Hz update rate, RTK support, Python scripting, and integrated jammer simulation. Turnkey solutions and software-only packages.
• Sciens InnovationsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDSP, FPGA, software development, and system integration for SIGINT, EW, and radar communities. Offers helux SDR combining MORA products with NI Ettus USRP X410 as MORA reference platform. Supports SOSA, DIFI, VITA 49.2 standards.
• ANDRO Computational SolutionsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSoftware-based waveform development, AI/ML wireless applications (modulation/signal classification, RF fingerprinting), dynamic spectrum access (DSA), and 5G spectrum planning using Ettus Research SDRs.
• Tenet TechnetronicsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor/reseller serving Ettus Research branded products in India with distribution services.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• FlexRadio Systems: US-based manufacturer of high-performance Software Defined Amateur Radios (e.g., FLEX-6000 series), competing with Ettus in the multi-channel, phase-coherent RF space used by advanced ham radio operators and HF research.
• Per Vices Corporation: Canadian maker of high-performance SDR platforms (e.g., Cyan, Noctar) competing directly with Ettus at the multi-channel, wideband end of the market for wireless research, radar, and EW applications.
• Lime Microsystems: UK-based developer of LimeSDR and associated field-programmable RF transceivers, competing with Ettus's Bus Series in the lower-cost, open-source-friendly SDR segment used by hobbyists, educators, and wireless prototyping.
• Great Scott Gadgets (HackRF): Producer of the HackRF One low-cost SDR, a direct substitute for Ettus's entry-level Bus Series in the hobbyist, security research, and educational markets with a similar open-source community ethos.
• SDRplay: UK-based maker of RSP-series consumer/prosumer SDR receivers, overlapping with Ettus's lower-cost Bus Series and LFRX/LFTX daughterboards for HF through microwave reception use cases.
• Signal Hound: US maker of USB-based spectrum analyzers and SDR test equipment (BB60C, TG124A), comparable to Ettus's lower-tier USRP products for real-time spectrum monitoring, RF test, and SIGINT applications.

Broad incumbents

• Keysight Technologies: Global leader in electronic test and measurement, offering high-end vector signal analyzers, arbitrary waveform generators, and wireless test platforms that overlap with Ettus's high-performance X-Series for commercial wireless and aerospace/defense customers.
• Rohde & Schwarz: German test-and-measurement incumbent offering signal analyzers, generators, and dedicated SDR/waveform solutions for 5G/6G, EW, and spectrum monitoring — overlapping with Ettus's enterprise, defense, and telecom operator customers.
• Tektronix: Major test-and-measurement vendor with real-time spectrum analyzers and RF test equipment that compete with Ettus in commercial wireless R&D, university labs, and regulatory compliance testing.

Others

• AMD (Xilinx): Silicon supplier whose Zynq UltraScale+ RFSoC and Kintex-7 FPGAs are the core processing engines inside Ettus's X410, X420, X440, and N320/N321 products — a critical upstream dependency rather than a competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ettusresearch
• GitHubgithub.com/EttusResearch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ettus-research-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ettus Research