linux-drivers/
drivers/media/usb/airspy

Airspy R2 and Mini USB Software-Defined Radio Receivers

A family of USB-attached software-defined radio receivers from Airspy, built around the Rafael Micro R820T2/R860 tuner, that stream wide-bandwidth radio samples to the host PC for demodulation in software. They are popular with amateur radio operators, signal-intelligence hobbyists, and spectrum researchers, and have been on sale since the mid-2010s.

keep-annotate conf=0.82 last_sold=2025 deploy=low replacement=none subsystem=media category=media-other
82%

recommendation

Worth keeping but documenting its niche because Airspy still sells the R2 and Mini SDR receivers new in 2025 and the driver continues to receive routine upstream maintenance, with media-subsystem cleanup patches landing as recently as 2024. Deployments are small compared to mainstream hardware, but there is no replacement driver and the user base of radio hobbyists, spectrum monitoring users, and researchers is still active.

repository signals

3 files
1,110 source lines
11 commits, 5y
+31 / −15 lines added / removed, 5y
8 authors, 5y
monthly commits · 2021-04-21 → 2026-04-21 · 11 total · active in 9/61 months
2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2021-04: 1 commit · +0 −3 2021-05: 0 commits · +0 −0 2021-06: 0 commits · +0 −0 2021-07: 0 commits · +0 −0 2021-08: 1 commit · +4 −1 2021-09: 0 commits · +0 −0 2021-10: 0 commits · +0 −0 2021-11: 0 commits · +0 −0 2021-12: 0 commits · +0 −0 2022-01: 0 commits · +0 −0 2022-02: 0 commits · +0 −0 2022-03: 1 commit · +1 −1 2022-04: 0 commits · +0 −0 2022-05: 1 commit · +15 −2 2022-06: 0 commits · +0 −0 2022-07: 0 commits · +0 −0 2022-08: 2 commits · +5 −1 2022-09: 0 commits · +0 −0 2022-10: 0 commits · +0 −0 2022-11: 0 commits · +0 −0 2022-12: 0 commits · +0 −0 2023-01: 0 commits · +0 −0 2023-02: 0 commits · +0 −0 2023-03: 0 commits · +0 −0 2023-04: 0 commits · +0 −0 2023-05: 0 commits · +0 −0 2023-06: 0 commits · +0 −0 2023-07: 0 commits · +0 −0 2023-08: 0 commits · +0 −0 2023-09: 0 commits · +0 −0 2023-10: 0 commits · +0 −0 2023-11: 1 commit · +3 −2 2023-12: 0 commits · +0 −0 2024-01: 0 commits · +0 −0 2024-02: 0 commits · +0 −0 2024-03: 0 commits · +0 −0 2024-04: 0 commits · +0 −0 2024-05: 0 commits · +0 −0 2024-06: 0 commits · +0 −0 2024-07: 0 commits · +0 −0 2024-08: 0 commits · +0 −0 2024-09: 1 commit · +1 −1 2024-10: 1 commit · +0 −2 2024-11: 0 commits · +0 −0 2024-12: 0 commits · +0 −0 2025-01: 0 commits · +0 −0 2025-02: 0 commits · +0 −0 2025-03: 0 commits · +0 −0 2025-04: 0 commits · +0 −0 2025-05: 0 commits · +0 −0 2025-06: 0 commits · +0 −0 2025-07: 0 commits · +0 −0 2025-08: 0 commits · +0 −0 2025-09: 0 commits · +0 −0 2025-10: 0 commits · +0 −0 2025-11: 0 commits · +0 −0 2025-12: 0 commits · +0 −0 2026-01: 0 commits · +0 −0 2026-02: 2 commits · +2 −2 2026-03: 0 commits · +0 −0 2026-04: 0 commits · +0 −0

sources

  1. lore.kernel.org

    The driver still received direct upstream maintenance in 2024 via an AirSpy-specific fix patch.

  2. lore.kernel.org

    AirSpy was included in a 2024 media-subsystem cleanup touching active USB SDR drivers, with no deprecation/removal framing.

  3. airspy.com

    The vendor still markets Airspy R2 as a current Linux-supported product.

  4. airspy.com

    The vendor maintained an official distributor page in 2025, indicating new retail availability rather than purely used-market legacy status.

  5. cateee.net

    LKDDb shows this as the in-tree AirSpy USB device driver, present through current kernel series.

codex reasoning notes (technical)

Real driver directory: single module driver source with USB/V4L2 SDR entry points. lore_file_timeline showed touches through 2024-2025 and surfaced no removal-series subjects; the cited lore URLs came from the lore_file_timeline MCP output. Hardware availability evidence came from web search results on official Airspy product and purchase pages. LKDDb URL came from web search and supports current in-tree coverage. Conclusion: niche but still-sold SDR hardware with low present-day deployment and no natural upstream replacement driver, so keep the driver but annotate as niche/low-volume rather than deprecate/remove.