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Red Pitaya, a pioneering firm in software-defined instrumentation, has unveiled its latest hardware that is being likened to the “Raspberry Pi of measurement” technology.
Originating in 2013 from Slovenia’s Instrumentation Technologies, Red Pitaya has established itself as an affordable and open-source measurement instrument platform. Its compact design and open hardware have garnered popularity in research institutions, including prestigious organizations like NASA and MIT. The company describes its platform as a versatile tool akin to a “Swiss Army Knife for engineers.”
The new product, STEMlab 125-14 Gen 2, represents a significant enhancement to its widely used test and measurement platform. It has been specifically designed for engineers, researchers, and developers within various industries, amplifying performance, connectivity, and modularity, thereby solidifying Red Pitaya’s influence in the domain of flexible, software-defined instruments.
Utilizing a Xilinx FPGA along with Analog Devices’ ADCs and DACs, this device offers a sampling rate of 125 MSPS with 14-bit resolution. Red Pitaya’s commitment to open-source philosophy has fueled its rapid growth and attracted a diverse user base of 45,000, according to Mateja Lampe Rupnik, the CEO, in a discussion with GamesBeat.
Over a span of four years, the company has successfully doubled its revenue and is on the verge of launching this second-generation model.
STEMlab 125-14 Gen 2 is applicable in both industrial and scientific measurement domains.
Renowned for its technology, Red Pitaya is favored by leading companies such as NASA, Apple, Meta, Neuralink, Toyota, Volvo, and Nokia, and has found its way into over 400 educational institutions globally. With a customer base of 40,000, Red Pitaya has positioned itself as a prime choice for precision engineering. Its high-performance computing solutions are crafted to be adaptable, scalable, and user-friendly, making them beneficial for advanced industrial applications and educational settings alike.
The latest series not only improves performance and reliability but also ensures full backward compatibility, providing existing users with a seamless transition experience. Enhanced features, including superior RF input performance, USB-C connectivity, and a compact design, have been introduced to simplify signal acquisition, generation, and processing across varied applications.
This series is poised to empower users in educational environments for experiential learning, as well as in professional settings for intricate testing and measurement workflows.
“Engineers are in need of flexible, modular platforms that can adapt as technology evolves,” mentioned Lampe Rupnik. “With the launch of STEMlab 125-14 Gen 2, we are providing a more powerful system that meets industrial standards while adhering to our vision for adaptable, software-defined instrumentation.”
Product Line Overview
The Gen 2 product line features three unique models: the STEMlab 125-14 Gen 2, the STEMlab 125-14 Pro Gen 2, and the STEMlab 125-14 Pro Z7020 Gen 2. Each model offers improved RF input performance with less noise, reduced cross-talk, and minimized distortions, as well as an enhanced output voltage range of ±1 V at 50 Ω and ±2 V at high impedance, complemented by contemporary USB-C connectivity.
The STEMlab 125-14 Pro Gen 2 is crafted for challenging applications in industrial settings, featuring an E3 connector for dependable boot options (QSPI, eMMC), an onboard external clock selector for precise timing, and multi-channel synchronization capabilities via USB C connectors.
For the most demanding industrial and scientific tasks, the STEMlab 125-14 Pro Z7020 Gen 2 variant includes double the DDR memory (1 GB) for prolonged capture durations, a significantly larger FPGA (Z7020) for advanced processing tasks, and additional GPIOs on E1 for enhanced functionality, alongside an E3 connector for reliable boot configurations and extra high-speed differential pairs.
This model is ideally suited for cutting-edge applications, including quantum computing experiments, advancements in photonics, innovations in medical imaging, exploratory projects in space, and complex OEM solutions.
Moreover, Red Pitaya is collaborating with Texas Instruments to produce a low-latency board tailored for real-time control systems in radar and LiDAR applications, with further details expected later this year.
“Our Gen 2 series is set to redefine the landscape of modular, software-defined instrumentation,” stated Črt Valentinčič, the CTO of Red Pitaya. “Through close collaboration with industry leaders and active engagement with our expanding user community, we are delivering innovative solutions specifically tailored to industrial requirements, boasting superior performance and enhanced reliability alongside alignment with cutting-edge technological advancements.”
Red Pitaya’s modular framework allows developers to customize, scale, and implement the STEMlab 125-14 Gen 2 across a myriad of sectors, ranging from research laboratories to industrial automation. As the demand intensifies for adaptable, software-defined instrumentation, Red Pitaya continues to extend the horizons of performance and accessibility in precision engineering.
The STEMlab 125-14 Gen 2 series is set to be presented at Embedded World 2025 in Nuremberg, Germany, where Red Pitaya will showcase its capabilities through live engineering demonstrations. Lampe Rupnik draws parallels between Arduino, Raspberry Pi, and Red Pitaya, highlighting their shared roots in European innovation.
Historical Context
According to Lampe Rupnik, the inception of Red Pitaya traces back to 2013, stemming from a Slovenian organization named Instrumentation Technologies, which specialized in measurement tools for particle accelerators. Faced with stagnant growth and a niche market, the owner collaborated with engineers to birth the conceptual framework for Red Pitaya.
The CTO, Valentinčič, conceptualized the name Red Pitaya, drawing inspiration from the exotic dragon fruit while making a playful reference to Raspberry Pi.
“It’s an intriguing name, inspired by a tropical fruit,” Valentinčič expressed.
The Red Pitaya device was designed to be a compact, affordable, open-source platform that allows engineers to utilize various measurement tools, transforming specialized instruments into software-defined hardware. By connecting it with a smartphone or laptop, users can access numerous applications through a web browser.
Its open-source capability allows for extensive programming possibilities, making it an essential tool for research, emphasized Lampe Rupnik, who transitioned to the role of CEO during the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite the difficulties posed by remote management during the lockdowns, the company has expanded from two employees to twelve, with an additional thirty personnel involved through outsourcing logistics. The forum has attracted around 15,000 active members.
“Presently, we are integrated within every major research laboratory, ranging from NASA to MIT to Cal Tech,” stated Lampe Rupnik. “This product has become invaluable, particularly during COVID, allowing labs to conduct remote experiments and enabling students to engage from home. Its portable nature has transformed it into a component of larger systems.”
The product has become a global asset, evidenced by initiatives such as NASA developing an air quality measuring prototype using Red Pitaya and Oklahoma University’s physics department constructing a radiation detector that was launched into space on a SpaceX mission.
“We are an agile organization comprised of a talented team that has served the physics community for over 25 years, accumulating extensive knowledge,” remarked Lampe Rupnik.
Operational Mechanics
At its core, the Red Pitaya board consists of two inputs and two outputs, powered by AMD Xilinx field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs).
With a processing capability of 125 mega samples per second and a 14-bit resolution for the basic edition, the entry-level price for this advanced tool is approximately $400. There is also a variant equipped with four inputs to address specific customer needs, especially those derived from research labs.
“This demand prompted us to introduce that configuration,” said Lampe Rupnik. “Additionally, we have a more compact version designated for industrial use, capable of handling 250 mega samples per second.”
The new device makes its debut at Embedded World in Nuremberg, Germany, representing a 14-bit second-generation enhancement of the original Red Pitaya, built on more advanced chips, while retaining the fundamental architecture.
“This second generation has been crafted in collaboration with our industrial partners,” added Lampe Rupnik.
The products can be applied in a wide array of fields, including quantum photonics, nuclear medical devices, and other emerging sectors, such as a laser-based system designed for real-time gas leak detection.
“The future of open-source is bright as people are increasingly disillusioned with proprietary systems,” Lampe Rupnik concluded.
Source
venturebeat.com