Future plans for LMS8001 Companion

Dear Lime Team,

I wanted to ask about future plans for LMS8001 Companion board, since the updates on LimeSDR and LimeSDR mini campaigns, like the ones cited below, may raise some questions:

Does it means that some next board revisions, other than “initial versions” are actually planned? If so, what will be the difference between them? Is the “packaging” or matching networks going to be changed in order to increase frequency range or improve performance? Or maybe U.FL connectors are going to be replaced with SMA ones?

I got mixed feelings wheter there will be another run or not… Can you clarify this?

Also, I would like to know, if you are planning to add any protection case for this board to the campaign?

Thank you in advance for answers!

1 Like

1+

I’m fairly sure that more LMS8001 Companion boards will be made and I’d think of this more as this is early access. Lime are committed to providing general access to silicon — not just to volume customers — and detailed documentation without NDAs, plus development boards and support software etc.

I can’t comment on the performance of future variants of LMS8001, because I just don’t know. However, I do know that as you go up in frequency the packaging used can have a big effect on performance.

Good point on the case and I will look into this!

Is there a chance to ask somebody inside Lime who has access to more accurate information about this? The thing is that I would like to purchase two companion boards, and actually I have already sent the funds to CrowdSupply. But I am not in a hurry, and I don’t mind waiting few months longer, if there is some possibility to get a better product. But if there won’t be next run or improvements are not planned, there is no point to wait.

I will ask the question, but I doubt there will be a higher performance LMS8001 variant available within months.

Okay, I appreciate your help :slight_smile:

Confirmed no ETA at present for other variants of the chip or board. More boards will certainly be made at some point, but the priority is to first support strategic customers using LMS8001, plus also members of the community who purchase the initial batch of LMS8001 Companion boards.

1 Like

Got it. Thanks for quick answer!

Is there going to be a second batch any time soon …

Is there any Rx data … will it be advised to use a Satallite LNA etc …

Still no date.

Just checking on the latest for the LMS8001 companion board? Is there any updates on its availability? I am planning a project for the utilization of the LMS7002 and the LMS8001 for higher frequency LTE utilization and was wondering what is the latest on its availability and technical documentation?
Thanks in advance.

For documentation, please see:


No update on ETA for the next batch just yet, but you can register your interest with Crowd Supply.

I have just received my LMS8001 Companion boards and found that they are too big to fit inside Luftek’s enclosure, which I was hoping for. Are you going to make some case available for that board? If not, do you happen to know about some general purpose aluminium case which will fit it nicely?

Don’t know about any off-the-shelf aluminium case. We did do a prototype laser cut acrylic one and I’ll see about getting the design published to GitHub.

That would be great, especially if it will be published in a file format ready to print it on 3D printer (guys at my old work have just ordered such machine ;])

It’s 2D — Inkscape SVG files, designed for laser cutting from 3mm acrylic. I’m sure you could extrude the shapes in 3D CAD, but there really is not much to the design and if you want to 3D print something you might as well start with a new design.

Hey @andrewback
Are you aware of any plans for making another batch of LMS8001 board by Lime?

Thanks in advance

No ETA at present I’m afraid.

I would also like to buy one or two of the LMS8001! Since the 5GHz and 10GHz band are quite useful.

My understanding is that there was only a run of 150 units, made available in the last 3 days of the crowdfunding campaign. And there haven’t been any produced since? Is there a similar product from another vendor that I can use?

I’d buy one if another run of the board is done.