HackRF
7.7 System Requirements
Question: What are the minimum system requirements for using HackRF?
Answer: The most important requirement is that you supply 500 mA at 5 V DC to your HackRF via the USB port. If
your host computer has difficulty meeting this requirement, you may need to use a powered USB hub.
Most users will want to stream data to or from the HackRF at high speeds. This requires that the host computer supports
Hi-Speed USB. Some Hi-Speed USB hosts are better than others, and you may have multiple host controllers on your
computer. If you have difficulty operating your HackRF at high sample rates (10 Msps to 20 Msps), try using a different
USB port on your computer. If possible, arrange things so that the HackRF is the only device on the bus.
There is no specific minimum CPU requirement for the host computer, but SDR is generally a CPU-intensive applica-
tion. If you have a slower CPU, you may be unable to run certain SDR software or you may only be able to operate at
lower sample rates.
Question: Why doesn’t HackRF work properly with a virtual machine (VM)?
Answer: HackRF requires the ability to stream data at very high rates over USB. Unfortunately VM software typically
has problems with continuous high speed USB transfers.
There are some known bugs with the HackRF firmware’s USB implementation. It is possible that fixing these bugs
will improve the ability to operate HackRF with a VM, but there is a very good chance that operation at higher sample
rates will still be limited.
7.8 LEDs
Question: What LEDs should be illuminated?
Answer: When HackRF One is plugged in to a USB host, four LEDs should turn on: 3V3, 1V8, RF, and USB. The
3V3 LED indicates that the primary internal power supply is working properly. The 1V8 and RF LEDs indicate that
firmware is running and has switched on additional internal power supplies. The USB LED indicates that the HackRF
One is communicating with the host over USB.
The RX and TX LEDs indicate that a receive or transmit operation is currently in progress.
Question: Why are the LEDs different colors?
Answer: Each LED is a single color. There are no multi-colored LEDs on HackRF One. Adjacent LEDs are different
colors in order to make them easier to distinguish from one another. The colors do not mean anything.
7.9 Half-Duplex, Full-Duplex
Question: Is HackRF One half-duplex or full-duplex?
Answer: HackRF One is a half-duplex transceiver. This means that it can transmit or receive but not both at the same
time.
Question: Why isn’t HackRF One full-duplex?
Answer: HackRF One is designed to support the widest possible range of SDR applications in a single, low cost,
portable device. Many applications do not require full-duplex operation. Full-duplex support would have made HackRF
larger and more expensive, and it would have required an external power supply. Since full-duplex needs can be met by
7.7. System Requirements 27
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