Course Detailed Information
Course Listing & Schedule
| Level | Course Number | Course Name | Section Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| Undergrad | 14:332:493 | Topics in ECE | SOFTWARE DEFINED RADIO HANDS-ON APPROACH |
| Graduate | 16:332:559 | Advanced Topics in Communications Engineering | SOFTWARE DEFINED RADIO HANDS-ON APPROACH |
Prerequisites
Students are assumed to have some prior coursework in Basic Probability,
and Digital Signal Processing.
Knowledge of Digital Communications or NI LabVIEW is not assumed, but would be helpful. Training materials and other helpful resources will be provided. Grading will be based on your understanding of the algorithms and techniques, not your LabVIEW expertise.
Programming experience Could also be helpful, but given the characteristics of NI LabVIEW it is not a requirement for the course.
Students that are unfamiliar with any of the prerequisites should contact the instructor prior to registering for the course.
Description
The course teaches Digital Wireless Communications, not only from a theoretical perspective, but also through a hands-on method that is meant to prepare students for real world application. Hands-on learning is done utilizing Software-Defined Radios (SDR). The Digital Communications Lab is equipped with National Instruments USRP SDRs that allow students to freely design, implement, test and verify fundamental RF processes and algorithms and to construct a real working communications system from end to end.
The lab work completed in the course increases in complexity as the theoretical portion of the course advances. Lab work begins with simple single-carrier modulation and ends with multi-carrier OFDM, covering all of the course topics along the way. The team final project focuses on various topics and areas of wireless communication (see the Projects page).
Topics
The following topics are covered during the duration of the course:
- Propagation Channels and Modeling
- Transmit and Receive Chain
- Digital Modulation and Detection
- Pulse Shaping and Matched Filtering
- Synchronization Techniques
- Channel Estimation and Equalization
- Frame Detection and Frequency Offset Estimation
- OFDM Modulation
- Implementation and Verification on SDR Platform
Format and Grading
The course is split each week between Lectures (theory) and Lab Work (hands-on design and implementation). Graded coursework consists of:
- Weekly Lab Assignments: labs are assigned each week prior to the assignment of the Final Project. The labs involve understanding and implementation of algorithms in LabVIEW. Each assignment consists of a pre-lab work and a lab report.
- Midterm Exam
- Final Exam (Cumulative)
- Final Project: performed in teams - see the Projects page for more information and example projects from past years (there will be no weekly assignments once the work on the final project begins).
Textbook and Materials
Primary Textbook: "Software Receiver Design: Build Your Own Digital Communication System in Five Easy Steps" by Richard Johnson Jr., William A. Sethares & Andrew G. Klein.
Additional material is provided during the laboratory classes.
