OL-MASTER
A totally new experience in Software Defined Radio control
Introduction
OL-Master is the result of a long technical journey driven by experimentation, curiosity, and a deep respect for radio engineering.
What began in 2010 as a personal exploration into Software Defined Radio gradually evolved into a mature platform designed to push performance, flexibility, and reliability beyond typical amateur and entry-level SDR solutions. From the very beginning, the project has been shaped by hands-on work: real hardware, real signals, and real-world constraints.
OL-Master was never conceived as a closed product, nor as an unstructured open experiment.
It is an open project with structure.
The platform builds upon the open-source foundations of PowerSDR, fully respecting its licensing and technical heritage, while progressively evolving toward a modern architecture capable of supporting higher bandwidths, multiple receivers, advanced signal processing, and tight integration with professional-grade hardware.
Today, OL-Master represents a balanced ecosystem:
a stable Core, responsible for safety, performance, and hardware integrity;
a flexible extension model, enabling innovation through plugins, integrations, and external tools;
a community-driven approach, where collaboration is encouraged without compromising technical quality, legal clarity, or long-term sustainability.
This page describes how OL-Master is structured, how contributors can participate, and how openness and responsibility coexist within the project.
Modern, Purpose-Built Interface
A clean and responsive interface designed for real-world operation, high-resolution displays, and demanding signal analysis without unnecessary complexity.
Deep Integration with OL-SDR
OL-Master is tightly integrated with OL-SDR radios to fully exploit their dynamic range, linearity, timing accuracy, and multi-receiver architecture.
Open Project, Guided Development
OL-Master is an open-source project, guided by Olliter to ensure stability, quality, and long-term vision while remaining open to meaningful contributions from the community.
OL-Master Core
The Core includes all software components essential to the correct and safe operation of Olliter radio equipment, including:
•hardware control and device management
•core RX/TX DSP processing
•timing, synchronization, and safety logic
•official communication protocols
•public APIs and reference implementations
Characteristics:
•maintained and released by the Olliter core team
•versioned and tested against supported hardware
•distributed under the GNU General Public License (GPL)
•reviewed and validated before inclusion in official releases
The Core represents the stable and supported foundation of the platform.
Plugins and External Components
Plugins and external components include optional or non-essential extensions, such as:
•additional decoders or signal processors
•user-interface extensions or alternative front-ends
•integrations with third-party software or services
•experimental or research-oriented features
Characteristics:
•developed and distributed independently
•interact with the Core only through documented public APIs
•may use different licensing models, provided they remain compatible with the GPL
•may be maintained by individuals, groups, or third parties
This model enables innovation without destabilizing the Core.
OL-Master is open, but it is not unstructured.
The community plays an important role in testing, experimentation, feedback, and the development of extensions. At the same time, the integrity of the Core platform must be preserved to ensure reliability and long-term viability.
Community members are encouraged to:
explore and experiment with the platform
develop plugins and integrations
provide feedback and technical insight
propose improvements through established contribution workflows
Acceptance of contributions into the Core is based on technical quality, architectural consistency, maintainability, and long-term impact.
Olliter provides official support for:
the OL-Master Core distributed through official channels
documented public APIs
Olliter-developed or Olliter-certified plugins
supported hardware configurations using official firmware and software
Forks, experimental builds, and community plugins are permitted under the GPL, but are not considered official and are not covered by Olliter support or compatibility guarantees.
OL-Master is released under the GNU General Public License (GPL).
In accordance with the license, the source code is made available to all users who receive the software as part of Olliter hardware products.
In addition, Olliter supports open collaboration and transparency.
The source code may also be provided, upon request, to members of the Olliter community who wish to study, experiment with, or contribute to the project.
This approach allows meaningful participation while ensuring that access to the code is accompanied by proper technical context and an understanding of the project’s structure and goals.
As the project evolves, public repositories may be made available once documentation, contribution workflows, and long-term maintenance processes are fully established.
The value of OL-Master lies in its ecosystem, not in exclusive control over code.
Openness enables collaboration and learning.
Structure ensures stability, safety, and sustainability.
OL-Master aims to balance both — providing a solid technical foundation while welcoming a community of users and developers who share the same respect for engineering discipline and open-source principles.
FAQ — Frequently Asked Questions
- clear documentation
- defined contribution workflows
- long-term maintainability
However:
- forks are independent projects
- Olliter does not provide support or compatibility guarantees for forks
- Olliter trademarks and branding may not be used in a way that implies endorsement
Plugins should:
- use only documented public APIs
- avoid modifying the Core directly
- clearly state their licensing and compatibility
For commercial arrangements involving Olliter hardware, support, or certification, contact Olliter directly.
Olliter defines what is considered an official release and what is supported, but does not restrict rights granted by the license.
- feedback and testing
- plugin and integration development
- documentation and tooling
Community members interested in a deeper technical and licensing discussion can read the complete text here.