Software-defined radio has always been powerful, but getting started with SDR hardware has traditionally required a long setup process: driver installation, host libraries, platform-specific dependencies, device discovery, GNU Radio configuration, and manual troubleshooting before the first signal appears on screen.
Wavelet Lab is building a different workflow.
With WebSDR, available through wsdr.io, SDR applications can run directly in a modern browser. The platform is designed to make SDR hardware easier to access, easier to configure, and faster to integrate into real RF applications — from spectrum monitoring and signal analysis to cellular experimentation and custom DSP development.
The goal is simple: connect an SDR device, open the browser, and start working with live RF signals.
| Aspect | Traditional SDR | WebSDR |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | Drivers, libraries, GNU Radio install | Open the browser, connect the device |
| App development | Native flowgraphs, recompile to iterate | Visual block builder, JavaScript DSP |
| Reproducibility | OS- and driver-dependent | Portable, browser-native environment |
| Remote access | Custom tooling required | Built-in real-time I/Q streaming |
SDR control directly from the browser
WebSDR gives users a browser-based interface for controlling SDR hardware and running real-time signal processing workflows. Instead of setting up a local toolchain before testing a device, users can start from a web interface and move quickly into application-level work.
The platform supports browser-based operation, prebuilt SDR applications, a visual app builder, JavaScript-based DSP blocks, real-time I/Q streaming, and developer documentation.
WebSDR is useful for RF education, spectrum monitoring, signal analysis, receiver prototyping, cellular network experimentation, remote SDR workflows, and custom browser-based DSP applications.
Prebuilt SDR applications
WebSDR includes ready-to-use applications that help users begin working with SDR hardware immediately. These include tools such as an FM receiver, signal monitor, signal analyzer, and cellular network application.
For users who want to explore the RF spectrum, these prebuilt applications provide a faster starting point than building a flowgraph from scratch. For developers and researchers, they also provide reusable building blocks that can be modified, extended, or integrated into larger workflows.
Visual SDR application builder
One of the core features of WebSDR is the ability to build SDR applications visually.
The platform includes a block-based editor for creating custom SDR workflows, similar in concept to GNU Radio flowgraphs but designed for the browser. Users can configure functional blocks, edit application behavior, and create custom signal-processing chains without leaving the web interface.
This approach makes SDR workflows easier to reproduce and share across teams, classrooms, research labs, and product demonstrations.
JavaScript DSP blocks and real-time I/Q streaming
WebSDR supports custom DSP blocks written in JavaScript, allowing users to implement signal-processing logic directly in the browser environment.
This opens the door to fast experimentation. Developers can prototype algorithms, modify processing behavior, and test signal chains without compiling a native application each time.
The platform also supports real-time I/Q data streaming over the network, enabling remote processing, distributed workflows, and collaboration.
Browser-based cellular network experimentation
Beyond general SDR workflows, WebSDR also supports more advanced cellular network experimentation.
Wavelet Lab has demonstrated browser-based cellular network workflows where SDR control and base-station processing can be moved closer to the browser environment while backend network components operate locally or in the cloud.
This matters because cellular systems are usually difficult to experiment with. They require multiple software components, strict timing behavior, RF configuration, subscriber management, and network-side capabilities. Moving parts of this workflow into a browser-based SDR environment lowers the barrier for education, prototyping, emergency communications research, and private network experimentation.
Why this matters for SDR users
Traditional SDR workflows are powerful but often difficult to reproduce. Two users may have the same hardware but different operating systems, driver versions, library dependencies, permissions, and build environments.
A browser-based approach makes SDR workflows more portable and repeatable.
With WebSDR, users can open the same application interface across supported systems, connect compatible SDR hardware, and begin working from a known software environment.
A platform direction for Wavelet Lab hardware
WebSDR is more than a convenience layer for uSDR. It represents Wavelet Lab's broader direction: combining compact SDR hardware, browser-native tools, real-time DSP, and cloud-connected workflows into a unified development platform.
For users, this means less time spent setting up software and more time spent building RF applications.
For developers, it creates a flexible environment for testing DSP blocks, visual workflows, streaming I/Q data, and building application-specific tools.
For organizations, it provides a path toward repeatable SDR deployments that can support training, research, prototyping, monitoring, and networked RF systems.