GNU Radio Goes Browser-Native: Full SDR Flowgraphs in WebAssembly

GNU Radio World brings the GNU Radio Companion experience to a browser tab, with the DSP engine and Qt GUI sinks compiled to WebAssembly. Users can assemble a software-defined radio flowgraph, hit Run, and view live spectrum, waterfall, and constellation displays without installing Python, native binaries, or any server-side component. Everything executes client-side in the browser.

Compatibility is a core selling point: the tool reads and writes the same .grc project files as desktop GNU Radio, so flowgraphs move between the two without conversion. It ships with example flowgraphs and sample IQ recordings, lowering the barrier for newcomers who want to experiment before touching real hardware.

Crucially, it also drives physical radios. Through WebUSB, the browser app connects directly to RTL-SDR, PlutoSDR, and HackRF devices, meaning live capture and processing happen entirely in-page. This collapses a traditionally install-heavy, platform-specific toolchain into a link you can open anywhere, which has clear implications for teaching, quick experimentation, and portable RF work.