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Software-Defined Radio (SDR)
Build software-defined radios (SDRs) with MATLAB
What is an SDR?
A software-defined radio (SDR) is a wireless communication system whose functionality can be configured
using software or programmable hardware. Traditional radio transmitters and receivers can usually send and
receive a single type of signal. Software-defined radios are more versatile. Using different software
configurations, SDR hardware can communicate at different frequencies using multiple wireless standards such
as Bluetooth, FM radio, Wi-Fi, GPS, and LTE technology.
A software-defined radio has a significant portion of the system defined in software. This has several
advantages: ease of development, flexibility in reconfiguration, and cost effectiveness. SDRs typically consist of
an RF front end (transmitter or receiver) with an analog-to-digital or digital-to-analog converter. A general-
purpose computer or reconfigurable hardware (e.g., FPGA) is used with the SDR for baseband signal
processing.
Development Workflow
An optimal workflow for developing SDRs involves designing and verifying the system in a single development
environment. SDR hardware can be incorporated into your design in two ways:
Input and Output (I/O) Connect and configure your
SDR hardware to send and receive live radio signals
using the transmitter and receiver terminals of the
radio. Process these signals on the host, for rapid
prototyping of the transmitter and receiver algorithms.
1.
Target Deploy the code onto the FPGA or SDR
hardware platform. You can either program the FPGA
with the precompiled bitstream file or generate HDL
code from your design, compile the code, and program
the FPGA.
2.
For more information, see Communications System Toolbox (with hardware support packages that connect
wireless communication algorithms with supported SDR platforms) and HDL Coder (which generates HDL
code for FPGAs), both for use with MATLAB

and Simulink

.
Supported Hardware
USRP

software-defined radios (SDR) from Ettus Research LLC: 1.

USRP Support from MATLAB
Simulink
BAE Systems
BAE Systems Achieves 80% R
Defined Radio Development Ti
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Accelerating the pace of engineering and science
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USRP

Radio N210
USRP2

FPGA development boards from Xilinx:

Virtex-6 ML605
Spartan-6 SP605
2.
RTL-SDR
NooElec TV28T DVB-T USB Stick (R820T)
Terratec T-Stick DVB-T USB Stick (E4000)
3.
Request additional hardware support
Examples and How To
Frequency Offset Calibration Receiver with USRP

Hardware (Example)
FRS/GMRS Walkie-Talkie Receiver with USRP

Hardware (Example)
QPSK Transmitter with USRP

Hardware (Example)
IEEE 802.11 WLAN - Beacon Frame Receiver with SDR Hardware (Example)
Targeting HDL Optimized QPSK Receiver with SDR Platform (Example)
Spectral Analysis with RTL-SDR Radio (Example)
Digital Communication Systems Engineering with Software-Defined Radio (Book)
Software Reference
Communications System Toolbox (Documentation)
DSP System Toolbox (Documentation)
Signal Processing Toolbox (Documentation)
MATLAB Coder (Documentation)
Parallel Computing Toolbox (Documentation)
HDL Coder (Documentation)
Sponsored Contest
Nutaq Software-Defined Radio Academic Contest Deadline April 28
See also: Signal Processing Toolbox, DSP System Toolbox, Phased Array System Toolbox, MATLAB GPU
computing, LTE System Toolbox
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