GNU Radio MCP server

GNURadio MCP Server is a modern interface that enables programmatic, automated, and AI-driven creation of GNURadio flowgraphs. It allows you to generate .grc files and control SDR workflows at scale, making it perfect for integration with Large Language Models (LLMs), automation frameworks, and custom clients.

Getting Started

Requirements

Before installing the GNURadio MCP Server, ensure you have the following prerequisites:

• Python >= 3.13
• GNURadio (Tested with GNURadio Companion v3.10.12.0)
• UV package manager

Installation

Follow these steps to set up the GNURadio MCP Server:

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/yoelbassin/gr-mcp

2. Install GNURadio if you haven't already. Follow the installation guide at GNURadio Installation Wiki.

3. Set up a UV environment (with system site packages to access GNURadio):

cd gr-mcp
uv venv --system-site-packages

Usage

Configuration

To use the GNURadio MCP Server with compatible clients like Claude Desktop or Cursor, you need to add the server configuration to your client settings.

Add the following configuration to your client's settings:

"mcpServers": {
    "gr-mcp": {
      "command": "uv",
      "args": [
        "--directory",
        "/path/to/gr-mcp",
        "run",
        "main.py"
      ]
    }
  }

Make sure to replace /path/to/gr-mcp with the actual path where you cloned the repository.

Key Features

The GNURadio MCP Server provides several powerful capabilities:

• Programmatic Flowgraph Creation: Build, edit, and save .grc files from code or automation
• LLM & Automation Integration: Seamlessly work with AI tools and automation systems
• Extensible Architecture: Easily extend functionality with the modular design

Example Flowgraphs

The server includes ready-to-use .grc examples in the misc/ directory. These can serve as templates or starting points for your own workflows.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues with the GNURadio MCP Server:

• Ensure GNURadio is properly installed and functioning
• Verify you're using Python 3.13 or higher
• Check that the UV environment was created with the --system-site-packages flag
• Confirm the path in your client configuration is correct

The server is in active development, so some features may be evolving. If you encounter persistent issues, consider checking the repository for updates.

How to install this MCP server

For Claude Code

To add this MCP server to Claude Code, run this command in your terminal:

claude mcp add-json "gr-mcp" '{"command":"uv","args":["--directory","/path/to/gr-mcp","run","main.py"]}'

See the official Claude Code MCP documentation for more details.

For Cursor

There are two ways to add an MCP server to Cursor. The most common way is to add the server globally in the ~/.cursor/mcp.json file so that it is available in all of your projects.

If you only need the server in a single project, you can add it to the project instead by creating or adding it to the .cursor/mcp.json file.

Adding an MCP server to Cursor globally

To add a global MCP server go to Cursor Settings > Tools & Integrations and click "New MCP Server".

When you click that button the ~/.cursor/mcp.json file will be opened and you can add your server like this:

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "gr-mcp": {
            "command": "uv",
            "args": [
                "--directory",
                "/path/to/gr-mcp",
                "run",
                "main.py"
            ]
        }
    }
}

Adding an MCP server to a project

To add an MCP server to a project you can create a new .cursor/mcp.json file or add it to the existing one. This will look exactly the same as the global MCP server example above.

How to use the MCP server

Once the server is installed, you might need to head back to Settings > MCP and click the refresh button.

The Cursor agent will then be able to see the available tools the added MCP server has available and will call them when it needs to.

You can also explicitly ask the agent to use the tool by mentioning the tool name and describing what the function does.

For Claude Desktop

To add this MCP server to Claude Desktop:

1. Find your configuration file:

• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
• Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
• Linux: ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

2. Add this to your configuration file:

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "gr-mcp": {
            "command": "uv",
            "args": [
                "--directory",
                "/path/to/gr-mcp",
                "run",
                "main.py"
            ]
        }
    }
}

3. Restart Claude Desktop for the changes to take effect