Overview

 What is a Communications System?

 Traditional hardware radio versus Software Defined
Radio
 What is SDR?
 Advantages and applications of SDR
 Projects
 Schedule for Summer/Fall

June 19, 2010

 What is a Communications System?
3

 A communications system transfers an information

bearing signal from a source to one or more
destinations.
 Examples:
 Radio
 TV
 Telephone (landline or wireless)
 Computer Network (terminal-computer or computer-
computer)
 Radar
 Wireless Microphone

July 16, 2008

 Communications System Diagram
4

Information
Source and Output
Transmitter Channel Receiver
Input Transducer
Transducer

July 16, 2008

Traditional Transceiver (Hardware)
5

•Amplifiers
•Modulators
•Demodulators
•Mixers
•Filters
•Oscillators

June 19, 2010

 Disadvantages of the Traditional Hardware
Receiver
6

 Simple modulation / demodulation only

 Limited implementation of filters
 Alignment
 Aging
 Complexity
 Fixed design: frequency/mode
 Non linearity – unwanted signals
 These are limitations of a hardware based system

June 19, 2010

 What is Software Defined Radio (SDR)?
7

• A new technology for implementing radio

communications systems
• Art and science of building radios using primarily
software
• Eliminating hardware and moving software as close to the
antenna as possible
• Future direction of communications systems
• Encompasses many areas of EE: communications, signal
processing, antennas, RF, digital design, software
June 19, 2010
 Software Defined Radio
8

Analog to
Digital Software
Converter
Radio is modified by
changing the
software. The
hardware remains
the same
June 19, 2010
 Advantages of SDR
9

 Makes communications systems reconfigurable

(adapting to new standards)
 Flexibility (universal platform – not special
purpose) – Hardware stays the same
 Upgradable, modifiable
 Filters/other hardware
 Cognitive/Smart Radio

June 19, 2010

 SDR Applications
10
 Current
 Military
 Radio Astronomy
 Amateur Radio

 Future
 Personal Communications
 Cell phones
 Wi Fi
 Entertainment distribution
 Public Safety
 Broadcasting
 Digital Radio
 Digital Television
June 19, 2010
 Components of a SDR System
11

For development
purposes
Daughterboard (optional) Motherboard

FPGA
USB
(Decimator,
ADC MUX, etc.) Controller PC

Shifts the Samples

frequency of Performs Software for
the
the desired initial signal Transmitter/
analog
signal processing Receiver
signal

June 19, 2010

USRP - Motherboard/Daughterboard
12

June 19, 2010

 GNU Radio Software
13

 Community-based project started in 1998

 GNU Radio application consists of sources (inputs),
sinks (outputs) and transform blocks
 Transform blocks: math, filtering, modulation/
demodulation, coding, etc.
 Sources: USRP, audio, file input, signal generator, …
 Sinks: USRP, audio, file output, FFT, oscilloscope, …
 Blocks written in C++
 Python scripts used to connect blocks and form
application

June 19, 2010

 Previous SDR Projects
14

 Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV) Telemetry Link

 Two way communications link between a ground station and a UAV

 Transfers images, location, temperature, battery information

 Includes Automatic Target Recognition feature

 General Purpose Transceiver

 Multi-mode: AM/FM/ SSB/Digital, Voice/Data/CW

 Wide frequency spectrum: HF, VHF, UHF, +

 Signal processing

 Development of Hardware Platform for SDR

 FPGAs

 Amplifier and associated control and safety features

June 19, 2010

 Future SDR Projects
15

 Continued work on the UAV link and HF transceiver

 Development of Hardware Platform for SDR
 Optical Link from Aircraft Cockpit to
instrumentation on the wing
 Applications of Spread Spectrum in SDR systems
 Cognitive Radio
 Hardware for human/SDR interface
 Implementation of chirp radar system
 Front End for Transceiver

June 19, 2010

 Demonstration
16

 Transceiver demonstration

June 19, 2010

 Schedule
17
 Summer
 Introduction to Communications (for undergrads)
 Learning to use GNU Radio
 Preliminary project planning
 Accessing the lab with card
 Installing Ubuntu and GNU Radio

 Fall Semester
 Regular working meetings

 Sources of Information
 Project web page

June 19, 2010