A Primer on Software Defined Radios

The commercial success of cellular phone systems during the late 1980s and early 1990 years heralded the wireless revolution that became apparent at the turn of the 21st century and has led the modern society to a highly interconnected world where ubiquitous connectivity and mobility are enabled by powerful wireless terminals. Software defined radio (SDR) technology has played a major role in accelerating the pace at which wireless capabilities have advanced, in particular over the past 15 years, and SDRs are now at the core of modern wireless communication systems. In this paper we give an overview of SDRs that includes a discussion of drivers and technologies that have contributed to their continuous advancement, and presents the theory needed to understand the architecture and operation of current SDRs. We also review the choices for SDR platforms and the programming options that are currently available for SDR research, development, and teaching, and present case studies illustrating SDR use. Our hope is that the paper will be useful as a reference to wireless researchers and developers working in the industry or in academic settings on further advancing and refining the capabilities of wireless systems

A Primer on Software Defined Radios

The commercial success of cellular phone systems during the late 1980s and early 1990 years heralded the wireless revolution that became apparent at the turn of the 21st century and has led the modern society to a highly interconnected world where ubiquitous connectivity and mobility are enabled by powerful wireless terminals. Software defined radio (SDR) technology has played a major role in accelerating the pace at which wireless capabilities have advanced, in particular over the past 15 years, and SDRs are now at the core of modern wireless communication systems. In this paper we give an overview of SDRs that includes a discussion of drivers and technologies that have contributed to their continuous advancement, and presents the theory needed to understand the architecture and operation of current SDRs. We also review the choices for SDR platforms and the programming options that are currently available for SDR research, development, and teaching, and present case studies illustrating SDR use. Our hope is that the paper will be useful as a reference to wireless researchers and developers working in the industry or in academic settings on further advancing and refining the capabilities of wireless systems

Bancada laboratorial para investigação e ensino de sistemas de comunicações digitais definidos por software

Esta dissertação tem como objetivo estudar e implementar um novo módulo laboratorial que permita renovar o ensino de Sistemas de Comunicação e de Sistemas de Informação. Devido à sua flexibilidade, a tecnologia que vai ser utilizada é o Rádio Definido por Software. Depois de analisados os principais equipamentos que usam esta tecnologia e os softwares compatíveis, concluiu-se que, para o propósito desta dissertação, o equipamento mais adequado é o ADALM-PLUTO, da Analog Devices, e software é o MATLAB, da Mathworks. Devido ao ADALM-PLUTO ser relativamente recente, antes de ser implementado o sistema de transmissão-receção final, foi necessário realizar alguns testes, tais como medição da potência de saída do ADALM-PLUTO ou otimização de certos parâmetros do sistema. Implementou-se, então, um sistema de transmissão-receção constituído por 2 ADALM-PLUTO, ligados por um cabo. Finalmente, foi avaliado o desempenho do sistema para vários formatos de modulação, desde o QPSK até ao 512QAM, e para diferentes frequências de portadora, desde 900 MHz até 3.7 GHz. O desempenho do sistema foi avaliado através do cálculo da probabilidade de erro, comparando-o com os valores teóricos obtidos. Os resultados obtidos permitiram concluir que o sistema implementado é uma solução muito interessante para o ensino de Sistemas de Comunicação e de Sistemas de Informação.This dissertation aims at study and implementation of a new laboratory module in order to renew the teaching of Communication Systems and Information Systems. The flexibility of Software Defined Radio allows its helpful implementation. The search for compatible software and main equipment for the purpose was concluded at ADALM-PLUTO, from Analog Devices, and the software is MATLAB, from MathWorks. Being ADALM-PLUTO a recent equipment, some tests, such as measurement of the output power of ADALM-PLUTO or optimization of certain system parameters, was performed before its implementation in final transmission-reception system. Then, a transmission-reception system consisting of 2 ADALM-PLUTO, connected by a cable, was implemented. At last the system performance was evaluated for various modulation formats, from QPSK to 512QAM, and for different carrier frequencies, from 900 MHz to 3.7 GHz. The system performance was evaluated by calculating the error probability, comparing it with the obtained theoretical values. The results allowed to conclude that the implemented system is an interesting solution for the teaching of Communication Systems and Information Systems