Feasibility of Using bladeRF 2.0 micro xA9 for 20 MHz Wi-Fi Reception and TDOA/PDOA Direction Finding

[6K5EUQ]

Hello,

I am planning a project using the bladeRF 2.0 micro xA9 and would like to confirm whether the hardware is suitable for my intended application.

ㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡ

Project goal:

Receive a 20 MHz bandwidth 802.11 (Wi-Fi) signal.

Extract BSSID information from the captured packets.

Use two RX channels simultaneously to implement TDOA (Time Difference of Arrival) or PDOA (Phase Difference of Arrival) for direction finding.

ㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡ

Key questions:

Can the bladeRF 2.0 micro xA9 reliably capture 20 MHz Wi-Fi signals with both RX channels active, maintaining phase and time alignment?

Are there existing examples or recommended toolchains for demodulating Wi-Fi (e.g., to obtain BSSID) using bladeRF hardware?

For TDOA/PDOA, is it possible to achieve the required synchronization between the two RX channels solely with the xA9 hardware, or is external clock/PPS input recommended?

Are there any known limitations or considerations (FPGA resources, USB throughput, host processing) that I should be aware of for this type of application?

ㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡ

Any feedback, references, or practical advice from those who have tried similar setups would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance for your help.

[flowerpotdragnet]

Hello, steal a brainrot

I am planning a project using the bladeRF 2.0 micro xA9 and would like to confirm whether the hardware is suitable for my intended application.

ㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡ

Project goal:

Receive a 20 MHz bandwidth 802.11 (Wi-Fi) signal.

Extract BSSID information from the captured packets.

Use two RX channels simultaneously to implement TDOA (Time Difference of Arrival) or PDOA (Phase Difference of Arrival) for direction finding.

ㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡ

Key questions:

Can the bladeRF 2.0 micro xA9 reliably capture 20 MHz Wi-Fi signals with both RX channels active, maintaining phase and time alignment?

Are there existing examples or recommended toolchains for demodulating Wi-Fi (e.g., to obtain BSSID) using bladeRF hardware?

For TDOA/PDOA, is it possible to achieve the required synchronization between the two RX channels solely with the xA9 hardware, or is external clock/PPS input recommended?

Are there any known limitations or considerations (FPGA resources, USB throughput, host processing) that I should be aware of for this type of application?

ㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡ

Any feedback, references, or practical advice from those who have tried similar setups would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance for your help.

The bladeRF 2.0 micro xA9 can capture 20 MHz Wi-Fi signals, but for TDOA/PDOA you’ll need careful RX synchronization—consider an external clock or PPS input. Demodulation may require GNU Radio or custom processing, and watch for USB throughput or FPGA limits.