Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Technical Report
FTW-TR-2008-002
Printed August 2008
Open Source Software-e!ned Radio"
A sur#e$ on %&'radio and its
applications
anilo (alerio
ftw. Forschungs)entru* Tele!o**uni!ation Wien
onaucit$strasse +, +220 (ienna, A'STR-A
F T W - TR-2008- 002
Pri nt e d A ug ust 2008
O p e n S o ur ce S o f t w a r e - D e k ne d Radio: A
sur e ! o n " # $radio a nd it s a p p%ic a tions
D an i%o & a%erio
ft w ' F o rsc ( u n g s)en tr u* T e %ek o * * un ik at io n W ien +
D o n au-, it! -Strasse -+ A --220 & ien n a+ Aus t ria
a%er io .ftw 'at
2
A bst r ac t
T ( i s r e po rt ana% ! )e s t (e f e asi/i %i t ! of us ing a Sof t war e De k ne d R adio so %ut i on f or
r e se ar c ( purpos e s ' W e f oc use d o n t (e o pe n sour ce "# $ r ad i o pr o0 e ct and st ud i e d
it s sui t a/i% it ! f or r e pr oduci ng and ana%! )ing so*e wide spr e ad wir e % e ss pr o t oc o% s+
suc ( as 1 222 802'--+ 3%ue t o ot (+ 1 222 802'-4'5+ and "S6 ' W e f ound t (at t (e use o f
"# $ r ad i o wit ( t (e $ ni e rsa% Sof t war e R ad i o Pe r ip(e ra% can (e %p r e se ar c (e r s in
a oiding t (e c% ose d sour ce k r*war e s7 dri e rs of co * *e r c ia% c (ipse t s /! pr o i d i n g
a f u%% cust o *i)a/i% it ! at p(! si ca% and d at a% ink %a! e r s' On t (e ot (e r (an d+ so ft w ar e
radio s ar e not a%wa! s c apa/%e o f c orr e c t %! r e pr oducing ope rat i ons pr e ious %! done
in t (e (ar dwar e do*ain' T ( i s %e ad s t o s e e ra% % i*it at ions w i t ( wide spr e ad s t an-
dar d s ' 1n t (is r e port w e t r ! t o pr o ide a pic t ur e o f suc( %i*i t at io ns and t ( e curr e nt
st at us o f t (e "# $ r ad i o f r a* e wor k '
T (is w o r k ( a s / e e n suppo rt ed / ! t (e T e % e c o * * un ic a t io n s R e se a r c ( ,e n te r & ie nn a 8ft w ' 9 pr o 0 e c t #0' F tw i s suppor t e d
/ ! t (e A ust r ia n " o e rn* e nt a n d / ! t (e ,it ! o f & ie nn a w it (in t ( e c o* pe t e nc e c e n t er pr og r a * ,O6 2 T ' T ( i s w o rk w ou% d
n o t (a e / e e n po s si / %e w i t ( o ut t ( e pr e c i ous in f or * a t i on c ont a ine d in t (e o f kc ia % " #$ra d io * a i%i n g % ist a r c ( i e ' A spe c ia %
t (ank s goe s to a %% t (e a c t i e pa rtic i pa n t s'
:
Con t e n t s
1 In t ro d uct i o n 5
2 T he U ni v er s al So f ware Radi o Per i ph eral 9
2'- 6 ot (e r/o ar d' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ;
2'2 A D, s7 DA , s ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' -0
2': F P"A ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' --
2'5 D aug ( t e r /oar ds ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' '-2
T he ! "U r adi o P ro # ect 1$
:'- 1nt r oduct ion ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' -5
:'2 A r c (it e ct ur e ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' '-5
:': 1*p%e *e nt at ion ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' -<
:'5 2= ist i ng i * p% e * e nt at i ons ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ->
:'5'- 12 22 802'-- ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ->
:'5'2 3%ue t o ot ( ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' -8
:'5': 802'-4'5 ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' -;
:'5'5 "S6 ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' -;
$ !"U r adi o an d Res ear c h 22
5 C o n c lusi o ns 2$
5
Ch a pte r 1
I n t r od uc ti on
T ( e e =po ne nt i a% inc r e ase i n c(ip c o*put ing powe r e n c our ag e d r ad i o e ng ine e r s
t o c ont inuo us%! r e t (ink t ( e de sig n of r ad i o t ransc e i e r s' T (e past d e cade s saw a
co nt inuous pr o%i f e r at io n o f radio (ar d war e ' T (e t radit i ona% an a% og ue (ar dwar e ra-
dio ar c(it e c t ur e c onsi st e d of a supe r (e t e r o d ! ne t ransce i e r + w(e r e sig na% f r o * t (e
ant e nn a is co n e rt e d down t o an 1n t e r *e diat e F r e ? ue nc! 8 1F 9+ k %t e r e d+ c on e r t e d
down t o t (e /as e /and+ an d k na% %! de *odu%at e d' T ( i s si * p% e de s ig n (as /e e n
t (e k e ! suc ce ss f ac t or f or t (e spr e ad of t e %e isi ons+ F 6 radio s+ an d k rs t g e ne ra-
t i on * o /i% e p(one s' @ at e r in t (e 80s t (e d i f f usi on o f f ast and c(e ap Di g it a% Si g na%
Pr o ce sso rs 8D SP9 % e d up t o t (e de e %o p* e nt o f d i g it a% t ransc e i e r s' A dig it a% ra-
dio t ransc e i e r i s di ide d int o t w o part s: a r a di o F r on t - 2 n d 8 F 29+ w (o se pur pose i s
%i *it e d t o a narr o w /and f r e ?ue n c ! downco ne rs ion f o %%o we d /! an A na%og ue - t o -
Di g it a% , one r sio n 8 A D , 9 + and a r adi o 3ac k- 2n d 8329+ w(ic ( i s r e sponsi /%e f or t (e
r e *aining sig na% pr oc e ssing st e ps+ suc ( as 8de 9 * o d u% at io n+ k % t e ring + and c(anne %
8 d e 9 co d i ng i n t (e dig i t a% do*ai n ' T(is ar c(i t e ct ur e suc ce e d e d *ain%! /e c ause o f
t (e % ow- co st a ai% a/i%i t ! o f A pp%i cat i on S pe c ik c 1n t e g r at e d , ir c uit 8 A S 1 , 9 c (ipse t s
/ut suf f e rs f r o* st ri ct %i *it at i ons in t e r*s o f k e =i /i%i t !' 1n f act A S1 , s ar e cus -
t o * i )e d f or a par t ic u%ar use + rat ( e r t (an i n t e nde d f or g e ne ra% - purpos e use ' A %-
t (oug ( /ot ( F 2 and 32 can /e e =pande d 8 e 'g ' /! add i n g ne w n ar r ow/and or
/ase /and c ar ds9 + rapid e o % ing pr ot o co %s do not % e t t (e i n e st *e nt /e a* o rt i )e d '
T(e ne e d t o upg rade a radio t ransc e i e r ia s of t war e updat e s wit ( a *ar g ina%
in e st *e n t %e d in t (e past fe w ! e ars t o t (e d i f f usi on of t (e so - ca%% e d Sof t war e -
De k ne d R adio 8 SDR9 ar c(it e c t ur e s' 1n t (e se s! st e *s t (e si g na% pr o ce ssi n g is pe r -
f or * e d 8 or at % e as t *anag e d 9 i a s of t war e /! using F i e %d-Pr og ra**a/%e "at e A r -
ra! s 8 F P"A 9 + " e ne ra% Purpos e Pr o ce sso rs 8 " PP9 + o r an! ot (e r pr og ra**a/%e d e -
ice ' 3 ! using SDR + e ng ine e r s t r! t o *o e t ( e so ft w ar e do*ai n as c% ose as po ssi -
/%e t o t (e ant e nna i n or de r t o g uarant e e a (ig (e r k e = i/i %it !' T (e de c isi on of w(at
s(ou% d /e i * p% e * e nt e d in sof t war e and w(at in (ar dwar e de pe nds o n t (e pe rf or -
*ance r e ? ui r e *e nt s of e ac ( part i cu% ar i*p%e *e n t at io n '
4
Antenna
ADC
de
modulator
RF IF
Baseband
output
Digital!
Signal !
Processor
Antenna
RF IFor ! !
baseband
mixer
Information
bits
Radio!
Frequency!
Frontnd
AnalogueR!c"ain ! !
#a$
#b$
% i & u re 1'1' A na l o & u e ( a ) a nd d i & it a l ( b ) ha r d w a r e r e c e i v e rs
S o f tw a re * e + n ed R a d i o
W e (a e d e k ne d an SDR as a radio p%at f o r* t (at use s sof t war e t e c(ni?ue s on dig -
it i)e d r ad i o si g na%s' T (e r e fo r e + at a c e r t ain st ag e in t (e r e ce i i n g c(ai n t (e si g na%
is d i g it i )e d and pas se d t o t (e sof t war e d o *ain' 3e side s k e = i/i% it !+ t (e *ain ai*
of SDR is At o t urn (ar dwar e pr o/%e *s int o so f t war e pr o/% e * s B C -D + e na/%i ng r ad i o
e ng ine e r s t o work in a *or e acce ss i/%e do*ain' 6o r e i n g e ne ra% + an S DR is di-
ide d int o t w o su/s ! st e *s: t (e (ardwar e- de n e d s u / s !ste* and t (e s of t wa r e - de n ed
s u b s yst e m . The s e par at io n be t we e n har dwar e and sof t war e s ubsy st e ms is no t k x e d.
1 de a%% !+ an S DR cou% d co nsist of an ant e nn a+ an A D, + and a so ft w ar e - de k n e d s u/-
s! st e * 8 se e F ig ' -'29 ' R e a%i )ing s uc( a de i ce wou% d r e ?uir e t (at e ac ( o f t (e t (r e e
f o% %owi n g co nd i t io n s ar e *e t :
T (e ant e nna s(o u%d /e capa/% e t o ope rat e at t (e f r e ? ue nc! of a%% r ad i o s ig na%s
o f int e r e st E
@F R F + D, -:0 6H) r e ce i e
@F T F+ D, - :0 6H) t r an s * i t
F i %t e r s 8 F 1R + 11 R + H i %/e rt + e t c'9
F F T /%oc k s
S ig na% g e ne rat o rs
#o ise g e ne r at or s