Multichannel SDR systems

SDR systems for any task

  The ideology of NI for SDR is to develop a platform that allows you to solve problems from simple experiments to creating large-scale simulators of the interaction of hundreds of devices or precision testing systems for AFAR modules.

Example of NI SDR equipment in different formats: USRP, ATCA, PXI, FlexRIO, mmWave TS

  The NI platform is built on a unique integration of SDR architecture, measurement technology, and rapid development software.

 

Recording and playback of wideband signals

   The ability to record the entire signal, and then process or play it, simplifies many tasks. However, this imposes additional requirements.

   So, already for signals with a bandwidth of 50 MHz over 4 channels, it is required to provide a bandwidth of 1 GB / s.

   The NI platform provides tens of GB / s throughput throughout the signal path - in SDR devices, data bus, file storage, processor.

 

Practicing Massive MIMO Algorithms

   When it comes to hundreds of channels, it is very important to be able to rely not only on the model, but also on real signals in real conditions.

   NI's Massive MIMO Prototyping Systems help advanced researchers validate simulations and conduct field trials.

Southeast University Massive MIMO Demo Booth

 

Phase-coherent channels, digital beamforming AFAR

   Applications such as digital beamforming require phase-locked channels and fast signal processing for both R&D and product testing.

   NI FlexRIO modules enable you to create flexible, compact system prototypes and test benches.

CAR digital antenna arrays improve AFAR performance

 

Imitation of a radio channel, environment, targets. Fast signal processing in real time.

   Simulators of radio systems and their environment, including simulators of a channel for communication systems, targets for radars, and surrounding systems, must have time to receive signals, process them and generate a response in strictly specified time intervals.

   The required processing speed and the amount of delay are implemented in high-speed FPGAs located as close as possible to the input-output of the radio signal

Synchronizing SDR Systems with PXI

  Most NI SDR devices allow unlimited channel expansion without clock degradation:

       • ADC / DAC synchronization based on common Reference Clock and PLL

       • Common LO Sharing signals for phase matching

       • Distributed system synchronization using Ethernet and GPS

 

Onboard PXI lines and timing modules

   PXI Express chassis and dedicated clock and clock modules provide comprehensive ADC / DAC synchronization capabilities for multichannel systems:

       • Common 10 MHz and 100 MHz references

       • Trigger and clock bus for signal exchange

       • Dedicated Star Trigger Bus and D-Star Trigger Bus for strictly simultaneous delivery of signals from a clock module to other modules

       • Clock from GPS signals, IEEE-1588

 

Synchronization with GPS, IEEE-1588

   For distributed systems that cannot be linked by common clock signals, time synchronization technologies using GPS and Ethernet are used.

   PXI uses clock and system clocks such as the PXI-6682H and PXIe-6674T. Some USRP models also support these and other types of time synchronization.

 

 

 

 

 

Software

   NI helps accelerate system development with flexible software in varying degrees of availability — from the LabVIEW graphical programming environment and custom packages to turnkey applications and integration services.

   LabVIEW is a graphical measurement and test system development environment for engineers and scientists. Collection, processing, visualization of data, synchronization, FPGA - all in a single intuitive environment with many ready-made programs and examples that often do not require programming.

 

   Application Frameworks are special packages in LabVIEW for innovations in communication systems based on Massive MIMO, 802.11, LTE. This is a ready-made application software and projects open for changes at any level, up to control of ADC / DAC and signal processing on FPGAs.

   PCAG Toolkit is a solution for managing multichannel systems of vector analyzers and generators as a single multichannel device.

   Integration packages with software products MathWorks, Xilinx Vivado, open source solutions for combining the most suitable tools.