Jawbreaker

HackRF Jawbreaker is the beta test hardware platform for the HackRF project.

Jawbreaker

(Jawbreaker picture provided by fd0 with Creative Commons License CC BY 3.0.)

Features

  • half-duplex transceiver

  • operating freq: 30 MHz to 6 GHz

  • supported sample rates: 8 Msps to 20 Msps (quadrature)

  • resolution: 8 bits

  • interface: High Speed USB (with USB Micro-B connector)

  • power supply: USB bus power

  • portable

  • open source

Hardware Documentation

Schematic diagram, assembly diagram, and bill of materials can be found at https://github.com/greatscottgadgets/hackrf/tree/master/hardware

Transmit Power

The maximum TX power for Jawbreaker varies by operating frequency:

  • 30 MHz to 100 MHz: 5 dBm to 15 dBm, increasing as frequency decreases

  • 100 MHz to 2300 MHz: 0 dBm to 10 dBm, increasing as frequency decreases

  • 2170 MHz to 2740 MHz: 10 dBm to 15 dBm

  • 2700 MHz to 4000 MHz: -5 dBm to 5 dBm, increasing as frequency decreases

  • 4000 MHz to 6000 MHz: -15 dBm to 0 dBm, increasing as frequency decreases

Overall, the output power is enough to perform over-the-air experiments at close range or to drive an external amplifier. If you connect an external amplifier, you should also use an external bandpass filter for your operating frequency.

Before you transmit, know the laws for the region you are transmitting in. Jawbreaker has not been tested for compliance with regulations governing transmission of radio signals. You are responsible for using your Jawbreaker legally.

SMA, not RP-SMA

The connectors on Jawbreaker are SMA, not RP-SMA. SMA connectors and RP-SMA connectors look extremely similar, the difference is that SMA connectors have a center pin. RP-SMA connectors are common on 2.4 GHz antennas and are popular on Wi-Fi equipment. If you connect an RP-SMA antenna to Jawbreaker, it will seem to connect snugly but won’t function at all because neither the male nor female side has a center pin.

Expansion Interface

LPC

Boot config

Default boot configuration is SPIFI. Install headers and jumpers (and optionally resistors) to reconfigure.

Pin

P43

P32

P42

P27

1

VCC

VCC

VCC

VCC

2

P2_9

P2_8

P1_2

P1_1

3

GND

GND

GND

GND

The table below shows which pins to short per header for a given selection.

Selection

P43

P32

P42

P27

USART0

2-3

2-3

2-3

2-3

SPIFI

2-3

2-3

2-3

1-2

USB0

2-3

1-2

2-3

1-2

USSP0

2-3

1-2

1-2

1-2

USART3

1-2

2-3

2-3

2-3

P19 SPIFI Intercept header

Traces may be cut to install header and jumpers or use off-board SPI flash.

Pin

Function

1

Flash DO

2

SPIFI_MISO

3

Flash DI

4

SPIFI_MOSI

5

Flash CLK

6

SPIFI_SCK

7

Flash CS

8

SPIFI_CS

9

Flash Hold

10

SPIFI_SIO3

11

Flash WP

12

SPIFI_SIO2

P20 GPIO

Pin

Function

1

GPIO3_8

2

GPIO3_9

3

GPIO3_10

4

GPIO3_11

5

GPIO3_12

6

GPIO3_13

7

GPIO3_14

8

GPIO3_15

9

GND

10

GND

P21 Analog

Pin

Function

1

GND

2

ADC0_6

3

GND

4

ADC0_2

5

GND

6

ADC0_5

7

GND

8

ADC0_0

P22 I2S

Pin

Function

1

VCC

2

I2S0_TX_SDA

3

I2S0_TX_WS

4

I2S0_TX_SCK

5

I2S0_TX_MCLK

6

GND

P25 LPC_ISP

Pin

Function

1

GND

2

ISP

3

NC

4

U0_RXD

5

U0_TXD

6

RESET

P26 LPC_JTAG

Pin

Function

1

VCC

2

TMS

3

GND

4

TCK

5

GND

6

TDO

7

NC

8

TDI

9

GND

10

RESET

P28 SD

Pin

Function

1

GND

2

VCC

3

SD_CD

4

SD_DAT3

5

SD_DAT2

6

SD_DAT1

7

SD_DAT0

8

SD_VOLT0

9

SD_CMD

10

SD_POW

11

SD_CLK

12

NC

CPLD

P29 CPLD_JTAG

Pin

Function

1

CPLD_TMS

2

CPLD_TDI

3

CPLD_TDO

4

CPLD_TCK

5

GND

6

NCC

P30 BANK2_AUX

Pin

Function

1

B2AUX1

2

B2AUX2

3

B2AUX3

4

B2AUX4

5

B2AUX5

6

B2AUX6

7

B2AUX7

8

B2AUX8

9

B2AUX9

10

B2AUX10

11

B2AUX11

12

B2AUX12

13

B2AUX13

14

B2AUX14

15

B2AUX15

16

B2AUX16

P31 BANK1_AUX

Pin

Function

1

B1AUX9

2

B1AUX10

3

B1AUX11

4

B1AUX12

5

B1AUX13

6

B1AUX14

7

B1AUX15

8

B1AUX16

9

GND

10

GND

External clock

P2 CLKOUT

Install C165 and R92 as necessary to match output. For CMOS output, install 0 ohm resistor in place of C165; do not install R92.

Pin

Function

1

CLKOUT

2

GND

3

GND

4

GND

5

GND

P16 CLKIN

Install C118, C164, R45, R84 and R85 as necessary to match input.

For CMOS input, install 0 ohm resistors in place of C118 and C164; do not install R45, R84, or R85.

Pin

Function

1

CLKIN

2

GND

3

GND

4

GND

5

GND

P17 CLKIN_JMP

Cut P17 short (trace) to enable external clock input. If short is cut, a jumper should be used on P17 at all times when an external clock is not connected to P16.

Pin

Function

1

GND

2

CLKIN

More

Additional headers are available. See the board files for additional details.

Differences between Jawbreaker and HackRF One

Jawbreaker was the beta platform that preceded HackRF One. HackRF One incorporates the following changes and enhancements (at minimum):

  • Antenna port: No modification is necessary to use the SMA antenna port on HackRF One.

  • PCB antenna: Removed.

  • Size: HackRF One is smaller at 120 mm x 75 mm (PCB size).

  • Enclosure: The commercial version of HackRF One from Great Scott Gadgets ships with an injection molded plastic enclosure. HackRF One is also designed to fit other enclosure options.

  • Buttons: HackRF One has a RESET button and a DFU button for easy programming.

  • Clock input and output: Installed and functional without modification.

  • USB connector: HackRF One features a new USB connector and improved USB layout.

  • Expansion interface: More pins are available for expansion, and pin headers are installed on HackRF One.

  • Real-Time Clock: An RTC is installed on HackRF One.

  • LPC4320 microcontroller: Jawbreaker had an LPC4330.

  • RF shield footprint: An optional shield may be installed over HackRF One’s RF section.

  • Antenna port power: HackRF One can supply up to 50 mA at 3.0 to 3.3 V DC on the antenna port for compatibility with powered antennas and other low power amplifiers.

  • Enhanced frequency range: The RF performance of HackRF One is better than Jawbreaker, particularly at the high and low ends of the operating frequency range. HackRF One can operate at 1 MHz or even lower.