This post is a collection of some of the first questions asked by the community about HackRF Pro shortly after we announced it. Questions were asked by folks across our various social media accounts and in our Discord server. The answers given here are expanded versions of how the folks on our team responded to the public question we observed.

Why is it called HackRF Pro and not HackRF Two?

We felt that “Pro” expressed the idea that this is a refinement of the HackRF One design and that “Two” would more likely be interpreted as a revolutionary design. Our goal was to make a better HackRF One, not to make something as revolutionary as HackRF One was when it was new. We did consider “10”, “360”, and “Tau”.

What is the baseband bandwidth of HackRF Pro?

In normal operation, HackRF Pro supports up to 20 Msps with 8-bit I and Q samples over USB, just like HackRF One. Internally, HackRF Pro uses a sample rate of up to 40 Msps with decimation and interpolation performed in an FPGA. At lower USB sample rates HackRF Pro supports an extended-precision mode with 16-bit samples and an effective number of bits (ENOB) of 9 to 11, depending on the sample rate. We’re also developing a half-precision mode that uses 4-bit samples at up to 40 Msps over USB.

Some tools allow tuning up to 7.25 GHz with HackRF One. Is the limit of 7.1 GHz on HackRF Pro correct or just “suggested”?

7.1 GHz is the highest tuning frequency that should work reliably with HackRF Pro. You can try tuning up to 7.25 GHz, but it may fail (as may HackRF One). Unlike HackRF One, the performance of HackRF Pro up to 7 GHz is pretty good. HackRF One is quite lossy above 6.1 or 6.2 GHz.

Will there be different host tools and libraries for interacting with HackRF One vs. HackRF Pro?

We’re adding features to libhackrf and hackrf-tools. In the future, there may be some software specially written for HackRF Pro, but we anticipate that most software will continue to support any HackRF (including Pro, One, Jawbreaker, and rad1o). Backward compatibility was our primary goal for HackRF Pro. We tried hard to find ways to enhance the HackRF One design without radical changes to the architecture that would make compatibility difficult.

Will the hardware design be published online before this starts shipping?

Yes, like all of our electronic designs, we will publish the entire hardware design under an open source license online before shipping HackRF Pro. Our mission at Great Scott Gadgets is to put open source tools into the hands of innovative people.

Does that mean no more cracking the case open to set up triggers?

That’s right! Both CLKIN and CLKOUT can be configured to connect internally to either the trigger input or trigger output signal.

Is HackRF Pro compatible with Portapack H4M ?

Yes, we’ve tested with H4M and a few other PortaPacks, including the original PortaPack H1 from ShareBrained Technology. To the best of our knowledge, HackRF Pro is compatible with all PortaPacks; however, we can’t guarantee this.

Will Opera Cake be improved so that it can take full advantage of HackRF Pro’s frequency range?

A new revision of Opera Cake is likely, but we are not working on it yet.

How is RF port protection enhanced on HackRF Pro?

HackRF Pro has the same reverse current protection diode on the RF port bias tee that is present on newer revisions of HackRF One. This has been quite effective in improving amplifier robustness in HackRF One r9 and r10. In addition to over-voltage protection provided by the diode, the bias tee on HackRF Pro features over-current protection. HackRF Pro has new amplifiers, replacing the obsolete part on HackRF One. ESD protection has been enhanced on HackRF Pro, and the RF port is also protected from high RF power by a PIN-Schottky limiter.

Will HackRF Pro be suitable for classroom use?

Yes. We even added a little feature with classroom use in mind: It is possible to hardware-disable transmit mode by cutting one trace on the PCB.

Do you have any projects in mind for the extended frequency range of HackRF Pro?

We’re excited to try HackRF Pro with new very low power (VLP) devices that operate in the 6 GHz band. We’ve already had success receiving WWVB at 60 kHz.

We’re thrilled to announce HackRF Pro, the newest addition to the Great Scott Gadgets family of Software Defined Radio (SDR) platforms!

Building on the legacy of HackRF One, HackRF Pro is an SDR peripheral that enables transmission or reception of radio signals from 100 kHz to 6 GHz. Like its predecessor, HackRF Pro is open source hardware and designed for versatility, whether you’re developing wireless tech, researching the security of wireless devices, tinkering as a hobbyist, learning or teaching about the RF spectrum, or building advanced custom firmware.

What Makes HackRF Pro Different?

HackRF Pro takes everything users love about HackRF One and improves upon it with many new enhancements. Here’s what you can expect:

• Wider frequency range (100 kHz – 6 GHz operating; tunable from 0 Hz to 7.1 GHz)

• Improved RF performance with flatter frequency response

• USB Type-C connector

• Built-in TCXO for superior timing stability

• Upgraded logic from CPLD to a power-efficient FPGA

• DC spike eliminated

• Extended precision mode with 16-bit samples for low sample rates (ENOB 9–11 typical)

• Half-precision mode with 4-bit samples at up to 40 Msps

• More RAM and flash memory for custom firmware

• Installed shielding for better RF isolation

• Trigger input/output via clock connectors

• Future-proofed PCB design with space for add-ons

• Improved power management

• Enhanced RF port protection

• Facility to hardware-disable transmit mode

And yes, it’s still:

• Compatible with GNU Radio, SDR#, and many other tools

• Fully open source

• Designed to work seamlessly with accessories like Opera Cake and most PortaPacks and third-party enclosures

Backward Compatible and Forward Thinking

HackRF Pro maintains backward compatibility with HackRF One—your existing software stack will work right out of the box. But we’re not stopping there. We’ll also be releasing a migration guide for developers who want to unlock HackRF Pro’s enhanced capabilities.

Preorder Now — Shipping This September

The HackRF Pro is now available for pre-order through our authorized resellers. Production begins in July 2025, with initial shipments slated for September 2025.

Please note: HackRF Pro comes in a sleek injection-molded plastic enclosure. USB cable and antenna are not included, but we recommend ANT500 as a great starter antenna.

Learn More

Visit the HackRF Pro product page for full specs and reseller pre-order links. The open source design, migration guide, and user documentation will be published prior to the first shipment. We invite you to join the discussion in the #hackrf channel on our Discord server!

The United States Trade Representative invited comments from the public this past month to assist them in making recommendations about how to address so-called “unfair trade practices by other countries” and “non-reciprocal trade relationships”. This is the public comment I left today on the USTR docket. I have also submitted similar comments to my senators and representative in Congress.

“I am deeply alarmed by the Trump administration’s decision last week to impose tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods, as well as further increase tariffs on imports from China. As the CEO of Great Scott Gadgets, a small Colorado-based business that designs, manufactures, and distributes open-source computer hardware to domestic and international resellers, I am directly impacted by these policies. The total tariff on the goods we import from China has now skyrocketed to 45%, placing an unsustainable burden on our company.

Our business relies on a stable global supply chain, free trade, and strong relationships with resellers and suppliers worldwide—relationships that have taken over a decade to build. The imposition of these tariffs jeopardizes our company as well as countless other US businesses that depend on international trade. Tariffs will not only damage the U.S. economy but have already deeply strained our relationships with our closest allies and trading partners.

The reality is that technology companies like ours depend on China’s well-established supply chain, advanced manufacturing infrastructure, and specialized technical expertise, resources that are in critically short supply in the U.S. The Section 301 tariffs imposed in 2018 have already harmed our business, yet they did nothing to create viable alternatives. Raising these tariffs further will not miraculously generate the resources needed to shift manufacturing away from China; it will only worsen the damage.

The administration attempts to justify more tariffs on Chinese goods by pointing out the U.S.-China trade deficit, but this deficit is not China’s fault—it is the result of decades of inadequate U.S. investment in technical education, supply chain infrastructure, and domestic manufacturing capacity. If the U.S. wants to compete, we are going to have to commit to long-term, strategic investments in these areas, as China’s government has been doing for a generation. The CHIPS Act was a step in the right direction, but its benefits will take many more years to materialize. In the meantime, businesses like ours are being pushed to the brink.”

We’ve recently published the second video in our Cynthion training series, so if you want to go deeper into exploring and experimenting with USB, this is for you. In this video, Martin explains the basics and evolution of Facedancer and demonstrates how to use Cynthion and Facedancer to emulate a PS5 controller. If you haven’t already, check out the first video- Sniffing PS5 Controller Packets with Cynthion.

The belated September 2024 recipient for the Great Scott Gadgets Free Stuff Program is Allen Paschel of Orlando, Florida in the United States. Allen is the president of The Maker Effect Foundation which exists to inspire everyone to create! The Maker Effect Foundation is a non-profit organization that runs a maker space and teaches classes at schools, libraries, and events. The maker space has CNC machines, laser etcher/cutters, 3D Printers, vacuum forming equipment, welding tools, electronic tools, and other arts tools. Soon they will be able to add software-defined radio to that list of tools as we are sending them a HackRF One! Once received, The Maker Effect Foundation will use their HackRF One to develop interest in software-defined radio in their community.

The belated August 2024 recipient for the Great Scott Gadgets Free Stuff Program is Murat Sever! Murat teaches a Communication Systems Laboratory course at TOBB ETU University, Ankara, Turkey. In his labs, Murat uses two HackRFs to transmit signals of interest, which students receive via RTL-SDRs. Murat has requested an Opera Cake so his students can study Pseudo Doppler direction finding and to teach students about antenna switching and spectrum monitoring. For more information about Murat’s course, his and his students’ research projects, and their outreach programs, please check out their website (https://ele361l.github.io/).

This application for the Free Stuff program stood out to the team here at Great Scott Gadgets because Murat demonstrated his knowledge of RF and digital signal processing in his application. We know that he’ll be able to make excellent use of the hardware that we send him. We look forward to getting updates from Murat soon!

The belated July 2024 recipient for the Great Scott Gadgets Free Stuff Program is Scott Carter from Ontario, Canada! Scott operates a SETI station that uses a radio telescope he built using software defined radio. He says the radio telescope has been in operation for six and a half years, and it needs a receiver upgrade to allow scanning of frequencies above 2 GHz. We are sending Scott a HackRF One so he can make his radio telescope upgrade! Scott’s long-term goal is to make his SETI station accessible remotely for educational purposes so more folks can learn about radio astronomy.

One story Scott shares with us about his SETI station is that he helped two young astronomy students in the Philippines do drift scans of the sun using his system, which he had configured for 1420 MHz. At the time, the telescope was remotely accessible via a web page and command line tools, which worked pretty well, although it was limited to changes in elevation only. Since that experience, Scott has begun modifications for azimuth control, and he will be upgrading to a 10-foot dish. We are also happy to see that the software he uses for digital signal processing is being rewritten and will be available as open source.

This application for the Free Stuff program stood out to the team here at Great Scott Gadgets because it focuses on radio astronomy, which we’d like to see HackRF One be used for more often. We also really appreciate the work Scott is doing to support astronomy fans from all over the world. Free Stuff applications like this that describe specific projects in detail really stand out. We look forward to getting updates from Scott soon!

The belated June 2024 recipient for the Great Scott Gadgets Free Stuff Program is Evan Metzinger. Evan is the president of the Cybersecurity club at Mt. San Antonio college in Walnut, California in the US. We will be sending Evan a HackRF One so he and his club can get some hands on experience with signals processing and participate in wireless capture the flag competitions.

The belated May 2024 Free Stuff recipient for the Great Scott Gadgets Free Stuff Program is Anik Mahanta from India! Anik is a student who is part of the CyRaksha Cybersecurity Club of Kolkata. CyRaksha is a free-to-join club that hosts their meetups both in-person and online. They will be using the HackRF One we are sending them to create CTF challenges, host informal meetups about RF technologies, and to create open access materials on how to use HackRF One safely while respecting Indian law.

Like every open source company, Great Scott Gadgets thrives with support from you, our community. The most direct way to support us is to buy our hardware, but for folks who already have our hardware, are more interested in our software, or just want to see us grow, we have a few other options. For example, we appreciate contributions to our GitHub repositories, documentation edits, and hearing your use cases and feedback for our products and projects. If you want to know other ways you can get involved, check out our “Support our Work” page.