An open-source SDR base station platform for TETRA and other digital radio modes.
These steps get a µCell running a TETRA base station on a Raspberry Pi.
- A Raspberry Pi 3, 4, 5, or Zero 2W
- A µCell BB board connected to the Pi
- A microSD card with Raspberry Pi OS Lite (64-bit)
Flash Raspberry Pi OS Lite (64-bit) to your microSD card using the Raspberry Pi Imager. Enable SSH in the imager settings before writing, then boot the Pi and connect via SSH.
bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Jankyneering/mu-cell/main/install-mu-cell-sw.sh)"The script will:
- Install all required system dependencies
- Clone and build the µCell baseband drivers
- Ask which software stack to install: bluestation (stable TETRA), flowstation (more features, less stable). MMDVM-IQ (multi-mode digital radio) will come soon.
- Download the correct binary for your Pi model and place it in your home directory
A reboot is required after the first install to load the DTS overlay. The script will prompt you. Run it again after rebooting to verify the driver.
Use the configuration tool at https://bluestation.russel053.com/ to generate a config.toml for your base station. Copy it to your Pi's home directory.
./bluestation-bs ./config.tomlThe hardware directory contains the open hardware designs for the µCell ecosystem. Each board is a modular building block, so systems can range from a minimal hotspot to a more complete base station.
The platform uses an SDR-based architecture built primarily around the SX1255 transceiver. The µCell driver is supported by Bluestation, Flowstation, and MMDVM-IQ, covering TETRA infrastructure as well as other analog and digital radio modes such as DMR, D-Star, YSF, and P25.
Design files include schematics, PCB layouts, fabrication outputs, and documentation required for assembly and integration.
- Modular architecture that scales from small hotspot deployments to higher power base stations
- SDR-based design supporting multiple digital radio modes
- Compatibility with Bluestation, Flowstation, and MMDVM-IQ software stacks
- Use of readily available components where possible
- Reproducible designs suitable for small-scale manufacturing
Baseband and RF transceiver board based on the SX1255.
- SX1255 transceiver with RF filtering and matching network
- Stable reference clock
- EEPROM for HAT identification
- Operates standalone as a compact hotspot, or as the RF/baseband front-end when paired with a PA board
Measured specifications (v1.0):
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Tx Power (Pi/4 DQPSK) | 3–5 dBm |
| Rx Sensitivity (TETRA T1) | -117 dBm |
Low power RF front-end designed to extend the µCell BB.
- ~1 W RF power amplifier
- Receive path conditioning with LNA
- Preselector filtering
- RF measurement and monitoring points
Higher power RF front-end under investigation.
- ~10 W transmit output
- Improved filtering and thermal design
- Compatible with µCell BB control and RF interfaces
Optional front panel module for integrated deployments.
- Local system status display
- Control interface
- Integration with the BlueStation/µCell software stack
The software directory contains the components required to operate µCell hardware. It primarily aggregates upstream projects as git submodules, along with companion utilities specific to the µCell platform.
SoapySDR driver for the µCell baseband board. Provides the hardware abstraction layer used by Bluestation and other SDR software. Includes the DTS overlay for Raspberry Pi and the SoapyMuCell plugin.
TETRA base station software implementing the TETRA protocol stack and base station behavior.
Alternative TETRA base station software with more features. Less stable than Bluestation but implements many more features.
Multi-mode digital voice modem software supporting FM, DMR, D-Star, YSF, P25, and other modes. Uses the µCell driver via SoapySDR as its radio back-end.
Supporting software for platform integration, including display and OLED drivers, system monitoring, hardware control helpers, and deployment scripts.
Contributions are welcome. For small fixes or documentation updates, feel free to open a pull request directly. For larger changes, open an issue first so the approach can be discussed. Keep pull requests focused and include a clear description of what changed and why.
µCell builds on the work of several open-source projects:
- Tatu Peltola (tejeez) — designer of the SXCeiver, which provided early inspiration for compact SX1255-based SDR hardware.
- Wouter Bokslag (Midnight Blue) and contributors — authors of TETRA-bluestation, which implements an open TETRA base station stack.
We also acknowledge the broader SDR and SoapySDR communities whose work enables hardware experimentation with modern radio systems.
Made with ❤️, lots of ☕️, and lack of 🛌
Hardware & Documentation published under CreativeCommons BY-SA 4.0
Software published under GNU GPLv3
