The project is aimed to develop a prototype of pulse compression ionosonde for vertical surveys (coded pulse radar) that, based on SDR (Software Defined Radio) devices, makes it possible to realize a programmable instrument that is therefore versatile and innovative compared to classical ionosondes. The programmable ionosonde (AISP) is an evolution of the AIS (Advanced Ionospheric Sounder) ionosonde completely designed and built at INGV and still functioning at the ionospheric observatory in Rome. The AISP ionosonde is an ionosonde for vertical soundings consisting of an SDR device that acts as a transmitter and receiver of the Radio Frequency (RF) signals and generator of all the control signals of the devices necessary for the operation of the ionosonde as the radio frequency (RF) power amplifier and the antenna. The SDR device transmits and receives the RF signals generated numerically by a Personal Computer (PC) connected through the Ethernet port to the SDR device, allowing a wide choice of configurations and a great versatility to this ionosonde. Vertical surveys to map the ionosphere in a specific region for the verification of theoretical models of the global ionosphere and to study the possibility of using the local variations of the Total Electronic Content (TEC) as possible precursors of earthquakes.