Integrating Software Defined Radio with USRP

Abstract

The USRP1 is the original Universal Software Radio Peripheral hardware (USRP) that provides entry-level RF processing capability. Its primary purpose is to provide flexible software defined radio development capability at a low price. You can control the frequency you receive and transmit by installing different daughter-boards. The authors' USRP model had been configured to receive a signal from local radio stations in the DC, Maryland metropolitan area with the BasicRX model daughterboard. The programmable USRP was running python block code implemented in the GNU Radio Companion (GRC) on Ubuntu OS. With proper parameters and sinks the authors were able to tune into the radio signal, record the signal and extract the in-phase (I) and quadrature phase (Q) data and plot the phase and magnitude of the signal. Using the terminal along with proper MATLAB and Octave code, they were able to read the I/Q data and look at the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) plot along with the I/Q data. With the proper equations, you could determine not only the direction of arrival, but one would also be able to calculate the distance from the receiver to the exact location where the signal is being transmitted. The purpose of doing this experiment was to gain experience in signal processing and receive hands on experience with the USRP and potentially add a tracking system to the authors' model for further experiments.