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

Discussions related to embedded firmware, driver, and user mode application software development
Post Reply
6K5EUQ
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Aug 13, 2025 12:07 am

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

Post by 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.
alexseentr
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Jan 19, 2026 9:47 am

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

Post by alexseentr »

I was tired of apps promising too much and failing basic tasks. I searched for honest comparisons in forums. A thread titled what app actually helps with homework caught my eye. Users list tools, features, trial options, accuracy issues, small bonuses, and what works only sometimes, written very casually. That honesty made the forum worth bookmarking.
Post Reply