Software-Defined Radio for Engineers
Based on the popular Artech House classic, Digital Communication Systems Engineering with Software-Defined Radio, this book provides a practical approach to quickly learning the software-defined radio (SDR) concepts needed for work in the field. This up-to-date volume guides readers on how to quickly prototype wireless designs using SDR for real-world testing and experimentation. This book explores advanced wireless communication techniques such as OFDM, LTE, WLA, and hardware targeting. Readers will gain an understanding of the core concepts behind wireless hardware, such as the radio frequency front-end, analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converters, as well as various processing technologies.
Why Read This Book
You will learn how to go from DSP and communications theory to working, real-world radio prototypes quickly — using common SDR hardware and toolchains. The book emphasizes practical, hands-on workflows (MATLAB/Simulink, GNU Radio, USRP/RTL-SDR) and covers advanced waveforms such as OFDM, LTE and WLAN along with RF front-end, ADC/DAC, and hardware-targeting considerations.
Who Will Benefit
Practicing engineers and graduate students with basic DSP and communications background who need to prototype and test wireless systems using software-defined radio.
Level: Intermediate — Prerequisites: Basic signals & systems and digital signal processing concepts, introductory probability/statistics, and familiarity with a programming environment such as MATLAB or Python.
Key Takeaways
- Implement end-to-end SDR prototypes of common wireless waveforms (OFDM, LTE, WLAN) on platforms like USRP and RTL-SDR
- Design and apply digital filters, FFT-based spectral analysis, and wavelet techniques to real signals for analysis and preprocessing
- Apply adaptive filtering and statistical signal-processing methods for channel estimation, interference mitigation, and detection
- Understand RF front-end, ADC/DAC, sampling, and hardware constraints to move algorithms from simulation to real hardware
- Use practical toolchains (GNU Radio, MATLAB/Simulink, UHD/Soapy drivers) to build, test, and debug SDR systems in the field
Topics Covered
- 1. Introduction to Software-Defined Radio and Prototyping Workflows
- 2. SDR Hardware: RF Front-Ends, ADC/DAC, and Clocking
- 3. DSP Fundamentals Refresher: Sampling, Aliasing, and Quantization
- 4. Digital Filter Design and Implementation
- 5. FFT, Spectral Analysis, and Practical Windowing
- 6. Wavelets and Time–Frequency Signal Analysis
- 7. Adaptive Filtering and Statistical Signal Processing
- 8. Communications Waveforms: Modulation, OFDM, and Channel Estimation
- 9. Standards-Focused Examples: LTE, WLAN, and Other Modern Waveforms
- 10. Radar and Pulsed Signal Processing with SDR
- 11. Audio and Speech Processing Use Cases on SDR
- 12. Implementation with GNU Radio, MATLAB/Simulink, and Real Hardware
- 13. Performance, Debugging, and RF Testing Techniques
- 14. Hardware Targeting, Acceleration, and Production Considerations
- 15. Case Studies and End-to-End Projects
Languages, Platforms & Tools
How It Compares
More hands-on and prototyping-focused than the theory-rich Artech House classic "Digital Communication Systems Engineering with Software-Defined Radio" (Wyglinski et al.), and broader in hardware coverage than tool-specific guides like GNU Radio tutorials.
