Unified image
Bench sensor for 320 MHz and spectrum.
Good for
- 320 MHz capture with a QCNCM865
- Relative spectrum with a WCN7850 (experimental)
- A bench or lab sensor with a touch screen
Hardware
| Part | Detail |
|---|---|
| Processor | Broadcom BCM2712 |
| Wi-Fi card | One PCIe lane through an M.2 HAT. Runs as PCIe 2.0 (5 GT/s) by default, measured with a WCN7850. PCIe 3.0 (8 GT/s) can be forced in the firmware config but is not certified by Raspberry Pi, and the image does not set it |
| USB | Two USB 3.0 ports (5 Gb/s; the same thing as USB 3.1 Gen 1 and USB 3.2 Gen 1) and two USB 2.0 ports (480 Mb/s). |
| Storage | microSD |
| Wired | Gigabit Ethernet; PoE needs an add-on HAT (not tested) |
| Power | USB-C; use an adequate supply and the fan |
| Display | Optional 3.5-inch touch panel for the local touch console |
| Memory | 1, 2, 4, 8 or 16 GB, depending on the model you buy |
What you can buy
- Memory: 1, 2, 4, 8 or 16 GB. Any model runs the image. More memory means longer bursts held once capture buffering ships.
- Storage: microSD. Write speed depends on the card. The M.2 HAT carries the Wi-Fi card, so it is not free for an NVMe drive.
- Wi-Fi card: QCNCM865 on an M.2 HAT, or USB 3 adapters. The PCIe card tuned 320 MHz here. USB adapters top out lower; see the MediaTek note.
- PCIe speed: 2.0 (5 GT/s) as shipped; 3.0 (8 GT/s) by firmware setting. Gen3 is the only board here with room for a busy 320 MHz channel. Raspberry Pi does not certify it, and we have not tested it.
- Power and PoE: USB-C 5 V / 5 A supply; PoE through an add-on HAT. We have not tested a PoE HAT with the image.
Radios
| Card | Measured |
|---|---|
| Qualcomm QCNCM865 (WCN7850) | 320 MHz on 6 GHz measured. Also the source for the experimental relative spectrum view |
| MediaTek MT7925U (USB) | 160 MHz; 320 MHz is rejected by the driver |
Limits
- The processor reached 84.5 °C during a one-hour capture, close to its 85 °C limit. Fit a fan; the image controls one on the FAN socket.
Measured
- One-hour QCNCM865 capture on ambient traffic: no kernel drops.
Install
Write the factory image to microSD and start on Ethernet with adequate power and cooling. The image controls a fan attached to the dedicated FAN socket. Pi 5 with a WCN7850 is the supported setup for the relative spectrum view; STR and FTM are experimental.
Then follow the unified image setup guide: claim the sensor with its one-time code, and connect from the app or the device website.