See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/314280405

Application of Digital Signal Processing in USRP Satellite Signal

Detection

Article  in  International Journal of Interdisciplinary Telecommunications and Networking · April 2017

DOI: 10.4018/IJITN.2017040102

CITATIONS READS

7 193

2 authors:

Giti Javidi Ehsan Sheybani

University of South Florida Sarasota Manatee University of South Florida
42 PUBLICATIONS   131 CITATIONS    75 PUBLICATIONS   253 CITATIONS   

SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE

Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects:

NASA Project View project

data mining View project

All content following this page was uploaded by Ehsan Sheybani on 27 September 2018.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

International Journal of Interdisciplinary Telecommunications and Networking
Volume 9 • Issue 2 • April-June 2017

Application of Digital Signal Processing

in USRP Satellite Signal Detection
Giti Javidi, University of South Florida, College of Business, Sarasota, FL, USA
Ehsan Sheybani, University of South Florida, College of Business, Sarasota, FL, USA

ABSTRACT

The Universal Software Radio Peripheral development technique is designing and implementing
radio frequency based systems. The distinctiveness originates from the interchangeable daughterboard
within the USRP. The system is designed around the Xilinx Vertex 3 FPGA chip. This means C++,
Python, and VHDL can be used to program this device. The project consists of creating a receiver.
The objective of the project is to research and comprehend the hardware functionalities of the USRP.
The purpose is to create codes in C++ and Python to implement receiving capabilities of the device.
The goal of this project was to design a GPS receiver that is capable of recording the L1 signal from
a DirecTV satellite. The USRP is used a lot for research. This project consisted of more than just
one method. We used GNU Radio Companion and Matlab/Simulink. GNU Radio is open source
for building software defined radios. It is also known as GRC. While using GRC the USRP1 was
the device used. This software has rapid development. It runs in Ubuntu, a Linux operating system.
Within this software there are logic blocks. Each block consists of information to create a flow graph.
The flow graph builds and generates the program. Simulink can be compared to GRC. They both
have logic blocks that have to be connected to run. Simulink can be used to create a transmitter or a
receiver for software radio development and signal processing. Software-defined radio can only be
defined if its baseband operations can be completely defined by software. A SDR converts digital
to analog signals. The USRP can also convert digital signals from a computer to Radio Frequency
Signals (RF). This software is one way to communicate between hardware and software.

Keywords
Detection, DS, GNU, GRC, Satellite Signal, USRP

INTRODUCTION

What follows is a research report detailing the steps taken to apply USRP in detecting satellite
signals. One should be able to follow these steps with the specified set of hardware and software
to get the same configuration on the proper USRP device. These projects were implemented under
the supervision of NASA scientists and faculty advisors in dedicated NASA labs. Following lessons
learned here and authors’ previous experiences in data visualization and signal processing research
and training, (Javidi & Sheybani, 2008; Sheybani & Javidi, 2006; Sheybani, Ehsan; Garcia-Otero,
Adnani, Javidi & Deshpande, 2012; Ouyang et al., 2010; Sheybani, Javidi & Garcia-Otero, 2008; Javidi

DOI: 10.4018/IJITN.2017040102

Copyright © 2017, IGI Global. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited.

16
 International Journal of Interdisciplinary Telecommunications and Networking
Volume 9 • Issue 2 • April-June 2017

& Sheybani, 2010; Varde et al., 2007; Sheybani, Javidi, Hardy, Denton & Campbell, 2007; Sheybani
& Javidi, 2007; Badombena-Wanta & Sheybani, 2010; Sheybani & Sankar, 2002; Sheybani & Arora,
1992, Sheybani, 2011; Garcia-Otero & Sheybani, 2011) relevant labs were designed to enhance the
Computer Engineering program at the Virginia State University (VSU).
The Universal Software Radio Peripheral development technique is designing and implementing
radio frequency based systems. The distinctiveness originates from the interchangeable daughterboard
within the USRP. The system is designed around the Xilinx Vertex 3 FPGA chip. This means C++,
Python, and VHDL can be used to program this device. The project description consists of creating
a receiver. The objective of the project is to research and comprehend the hardware functionalities
of the USRP. The purpose is to create codes in C++ and Python to implement receiving capabilities
of the device. The goal of this project was to design a GPS receiver that is capable of recording the
L1 signal from a DirecTV satellite (Anon, 2014; Ettus, 2014; Mathworks, 2014.
The USRP is used a lot in RF communications research. This project consisted of more than just
one method. We used GNU Radio Companion and Matlab/Simulink. GNU Radio is open source for
building software-defined radios. It is also known as GRC. While using GRC the USRP1 was the
device used. This software has rapid development. It runs in Ubuntu a Linux operating system. We had
to get familiar with this software, GNU Radio Companion, Python, and Linux. Within this software
there are logic blocks. Each block consists of information to create a flow graph. The flow graph
builds and generates whatever is programmed, if programmed correctly. Simulink can be compared
to GRC. They both have logic blocks that have to be connected to run. Simulink can be used to create
a transmitter or a receiver for software radio development and signal processing. Software-defined
radio can only be defined if its basebands operations can be completely defined by software. A SDR
converts digital to analog signals. The USRP can also convert digital signals from a computer to Radio
Frequency Signals (RF). This software is a way to communicate hardware systems with software.

METHODOLOGY

This project consists of plenty of research. We began researching general information on the Universal
Software Radio Peripheral and GRC. The setup to this was simple and did not require much. We
used a USRP1 and also the USRP2, a function generator and a computer. Figure 1 displays the setup
with the USRP2. While doing this research, we came across some simple examples that we could
conduct to get a feel of the USRP and GNU Radio. The first thing we came across was to create a
dial tone. A dial tone (Figure 2 and Figure 3) has two different frequencies, one in which is a high
one and another one that is low. The standardized frequencies for a dial tone are 350 Hz and 440 Hz.
To create a dial tone in GNU Radio we had to use several different blocks. Below you will find
the flow graph and the dial tone signal. To create the dial tone, the blocks you will need are UHD:
USRP source block, WX GUI Scope Sink, two signal source blocks and an audio sink block. The
USRP source block provides the receiver data. The scope block provides a graph like so we can see
the signals. The two signals are for the two different frequencies that make up a dial tone. Of course,
the audio sink block outputs the sound. We were able to hear the dial tone because of the audio sink
block. Changing its frequencies affects the pitch of the sound.
Another example was the FM radio receiver. This is a more intense signal than the dial tone. The
FM radio receiver signal is similar in shape to the GPS signal. To receive a signal, we had to connect
an antenna to the USRP. Once we configured and connected the GNU blocks and generated it we
received the signal. We were able to hear the station clear if the antenna was in the right direction
of arrival. After the receiver started to work we recorded and replayed it back. The purpose of this

17
 8 more pages are available in the full version of this
document, which may be purchased using the "Add to Cart"
button on the product's webpage:
www.igi-global.com/article/application-of-digital-signal-
processing-in-usrp-satellite-signal-
detection/179310?camid=4v1

This title is available in InfoSci-Journals, InfoSci-Select,

InfoSci-Select, InfoSci-Journal Disciplines Communications
and Social Science, InfoSci-Select, InfoSci-Communications,
Online Engagement, and Media eJournal Collection, InfoSci-
Networking, Mobile Applications, and Web Technologies
eJournal Collection, InfoSci-Surveillance, Security, and
Defense eJournal Collection, InfoSci-Journal Disciplines
Computer Science, Security, and Information Technology,
InfoSci-Journal Disciplines Engineering, Natural, and
Physical Science. Recommend this product to your librarian:
www.igi-global.com/e-resources/library-
recommendation/?id=2

Related Content

Radio Planning and Field Trial Measurement of a Deployed 4G WiMAX

Network in an Urban Sub-Saharan African Environment
E.T. Tchao, W.K. Ofosu and K. Diawuo (2013). International Journal of
Interdisciplinary Telecommunications and Networking (pp. 1-10).
www.igi-global.com/article/radio-planning-and-field-trial-measurement-of-a-
deployed-4g-wimax-network-in-an-urban-sub-saharan-african-
environment/93606?camid=4v1a
 Self-Calibrating Source Synchronous Communication for Delay Variation
Tolerant GALS Network-on-Chip Design
Alessandro Strano, Carles Hernández, Federico Silla and Davide Bertozzi (2011).
International Journal of Embedded and Real-Time Communication Systems (pp. 1-
20).
www.igi-global.com/article/self-calibrating-source-synchronous-
communication/60151?camid=4v1a

A Heuristic Search Algorithm for the Cellular Telecommunication Network

Expansion Problem
Joon-Yeoul Oh and John P. Mullen (2007). International Journal of Business Data
Communications and Networking (pp. 36-51).
www.igi-global.com/article/heuristic-search-algorithm-cellular-
telecommunication/1434?camid=4v1a

Comparing China's and India's Evolution of Broadband Internet in the

Developing World
Nir Kshetri and Nikhilesh Dholakia (2008). Handbook of Research on Global Diffusion
of Broadband Data Transmission (pp. 841-852).
www.igi-global.com/chapter/comparing-china-india-evolution-
broadband/20477?camid=4v1a

View publication stats