What it is
The HackRF One is an SDR (software-defined radio): a small circuit board, connected to a computer by USB, that transmits and receives radio signals between 1 MHz and 6 GHz. The functions that in an ordinary radio depend on specific circuits are performed by software, which makes it possible to use the same device for many bands and types of signal. It is open source and made by Great Scott Gadgets.
The PortaPack is an add-on that fits onto the HackRF and turns it into a portable device, with a screen, buttons, a battery and an audio output, that works without a computer. The software that runs on the PortaPack, called Mayhem, is maintained by a community of volunteers.
In TECER
It was used on the bench and in the field:
- in the UFPA/LASSE laboratory, with the official antennas, to map the TVWS channels and confirm that some were already occupied in the region;
- in Tururi, in audio capture mode, to confirm that the TVWS radios were transmitting. The procedure is in Confirm that a TVWS radio is transmitting.
Source
- Great Scott Gadgets: HackRF One: the manufacturer’s page.
- Mayhem, the PortaPack firmware: the project’s repository.