SDR Software Defined Radio SDR Tye Winkel KC

SDR Software Defined Radio (SDR) Tye Winkel – KC 8 YEJ John Oynoian – KE 8 CTQ 4/13/2017

Agenda §Software Defined Radio (SDR) §SDR Hardware §SDR Software §Specifications §SDR Radio Applications

What is an SDR? Software-defined radio (SDR) is a radio communication system where components that have been typically implemented in hardware (e. g. mixers, filters, amplifiers, modulators/demodulators, detectors, etc. ) are instead implemented by means of software on a personal computer or embedded system.

Basics of an SDR System § Personal Computer equipped with a Sound Card § RF Front End (the SDR) § Software to configure/operate the SDR (Freeware) Signal processing is managed by the computers processor, unlike a traditional radio where dedicated components perform the same functions. This methodology provides the means to operate using varying frequencies, protocols, and environments extending the life and usefulness of the system over conventional radio hardware.

SDR Hardware Price = $$$$

SDR Hardware RTL-SDR. COM – ROUNDUP OF SOFTWARE DEFINED RADIOS Flex Radio – SDR based Ham Radio Transceivers Perseus – HF SDR receivers RF Space – HF SDR receivers Quicksilver QS 1 R – HF SDR receiver Win. Radio – HF and VHF / UHF SDR receivers Alinco – HF and VHF / UHF receivers with IQ outputs Elecraft – KX 3 HF Transceiver with IQ output (Coming this fall) FUNcube Dongle – Wideband VHF / UHF receiver Apache Labs – HF – 6 meter SDR Transceivers Elad – Wideband VHF / HF Receivers and HF Transceiver Air. Spy – Wideband VHF / UHF Receiver SDRPlay – Wideband VHF / UHF / HF Receiver Noo. Elec – Wideband VHF / UHF / HF Receiver

SDR Radio Kits SDR Cube – HF SDR Transceiver Genesis. Radio – HF SDR Receiver and HF Transceiver kits Soft. Rock – HF SDR Receivers and Transceivers

SDR Software SDRuno Power SDR HDSDR

SDR Software SDR# SDR Console

SDR Software Power. SDR – Works with Soft. Rock and Flex Radio hardware for Windows (custom version available for Apache Labs) Winrad – Supports several SDR radios for Windows – General purpose Linrad – SDR software for Linux and Windows – General purpose Rocky – SDR software for Windows for Softrock kits HDSDR – SDR software for Window supports many SDR Radios Cubic. SDR – SDR software for Macintosh Heterodyne – SDR software for Macintosh supports Apache Labs i. SDR – SDR software for i. Pad and i. Phone SDR-Console -SDR software for Windows supports many SDR Radios SDRuno -SDR software for Windows supports SDRPlay and SDR Radios Cu. SDR – supports Apache Labs SDR-Sharp – supports Air. Spy and others. GNURadio – Linux General Purpose

SDR Radio Applications • Using rtl-sdr as a spectrum analyzer. • Receiving NOAA weather satellite images. • Listening to satellites and the ISS. • Radio astronomy. • Monitoring meteor scatter. • Listening to FM radio, and decoding RDS information. • Listening to DAB broadcast radio. • Use rtl-sdr as a panadapter for your traditional hardware radio. • Decoding taxi mobile data terminal signals. • Use rtl-sdr as a high quality entropy source for random number generation. • Use rtl-sdr as a noise figure indicator. • Reverse engineering unknown protocols. • Triangulating the source of a signal. • Searching for RF noise sources. • Characterizing RF filters and measuring antenna SWR.

SDR Radio Applications • Listening to unencrypted Police/Ambulance/Fire/EMS conversations. • Listening to aircraft traffic control conversations. • Tracking aircraft positions like a radar with ADSB decoding. • Decoding aircraft ACARS short messages. • Scanning trunking radio conversations. • Decoding unencrypted digital voice transmissions. • Tracking maritime boat positions like a radar with AIS decoding. • Decoding POCSAG/FLEX pager traffic. • Scanning for cordless phones and baby monitors. • Tracking and receiving meteorological agency launched weather balloon data. • Tracking your own self launched high altitude balloon for payload recovery. • Receiving wireless temperature sensors and wireless power meter sensors. • Listening to VHF amateur radio. • Decoding ham radio APRS packets. • Watching analogue broadcast TV. • Sniffing GSM signals. • Using rtl-sdr on your Android device as a portable radio scanner. • Receiving GPS signals and decoding them.

SDR Radio Applications With an upconverter or direct sampling mod to receive HF signals the applications are expanded to: • Listening to amateur radio hams on SSB with LSB/USB modulation. • Decoding digital amateur radio ham communications such as CW/PSK/RTTY/SSTV. • Receiving HF weatherfax. • Receiving digital radio monodial shortwave radio (DRM). • Listening to international shortwave radio. • Looking for RADAR signals like over the horizon (OTH) radar, and HAARP signals.

Specifications – (WIKIPEDIA LINK) Name Noo. Elec NESDR SMArt Type Pre-built Frequency range TX capable Sampling rate Panadapters / Receivers Windows Linux USB Yes 0/1 USB Yes 2/2 1394 a Firewire Yes No No 1/1 USB Yes Yes 25 MHz – 1750 MHz Air. Spy Pre-build 24 – 1750 MHz FLEX-5000 A Pre-built 0. 01 – 65 MHz SDRplay: RSP 2[60] Pre-built Max bandwidth 1 k. Hz – 2 GHz 48 -192 k. Hz (x 2) 10 MHz No 20 MSPS MSps ADC sampling, up to 80 MSPS for custom applications Yes 48, 96, 192 k. Hz No 2 X 10 MSPS with 10 built-in preselection filters and 3 antenna ports Host Interface Mac FPGA ? Base price $20. 95 Yes using none ports $199 $2, 800 none $169

Questions?