Introduction to

Software Defined Radio (SDR)

Lior Elazary (KK6BWA)
CVARC !"#!"$

%&an'( for all t&e &el)*
Ste+e Sed,wic'- WB#.RS

W&at i( Software Defined Radio
(SDR)
%&e ,oal of SDR i( to re/o+e all t&e analo, )art(
of t&e radio and do it all in (oftware0

W&at can SDR do for /e1

2erfor/ t&e /odulation!de/odulation for ALL t&e /ode(

345- W45- A5- SSB- 6SB- LSB- CW- etc0

Wor' (atellite( wit& ea(e (auto ad7u(t/ent for t&e Do))ler effect)

Recei+e I/a,e( fro/ weat&er (atellite(

W&at can SDR do for /e1

Vi(ually (ee a lar,e )ortion of an R4

()ectru/0

See w&o8( tal'in,

Scan t&e 9and(

:el) wit& conte(tin,1

W&at can SDR do for /e1

2erfor/ +ariou( R4 /ea(ure/ent(0

5ea(ure (i,nal (tren,t&- interference )attern(-

e+aluate antenna(- and /any /ore0

W&at can SDR do for /e1

S/all foot)rint (would fit on t&e )al/ of you &and) and

low co(t for all of t&e(e feature(0

W&at can SDR do for /e1
2lot Air)lane fli,&t )at&( alon, wit& weat&er and
ot&er (en(or data u(in, ADSB

W&at can SDR do for /e1

Su))ort any future /od!de/od wit& 7u(t a (oftware

u)date0

Can &el) wit& +ariou( e;)eri/ent(!ad+ance( wit&out

&a+in, to )&y(ically 9uild circuit(0

Radio A(trono/y
(&tt)<!!rf()ace0co/!R4S2ACE!A(trono/y0&t/l)

:ow doe( SDR wor'1

:ow doe( SDR wor'1
(in t&eory)
ADC
DS2
Con+ert t&e analo,
(i,nal( on t&e antenna
to di,ital (i,nal(
(=8( and "8()
6(e (i,nal )roce((in,
tec&ni>ue( to )erfor/
filterin, and de/odulation(0

:ow doe( SDR wor'1
(in t&eory)
ADC
Con+ert t&e analo,
(i,nal( on t&e antenna
to di,ital (i,nal(
(=8( and "8()

:ow doe( SDR wor'1
(in )ractice)
B24
?
@=
A
D
C
A
D
C
L24
L24
I
A
Analo, filter to
a+oid
o+erloadin,
DS2
I4 (ta,e (o
t&at t&e ADC
could (a/)le
&i,&
fre>uencie(
IA out)ut (o we can
(a/)le B!C
fre>uencie( fro/ t&e
DCD (/ea(ure
fre>-)&a(e-a/)litude)
Di,ital controlled
o(cillator (DCD)

SDR :ardware

SDR :ardware
W&at you need to ,et (tarted
Antenna
S/all )iece of &ardware
to con+ert t&e (i,nal(
fro/ t&e antenna to t&e
co/)uter (?E"#)
Co/)uter

SDR :ardware
SoftRoc'
6(e( t&e Sound card
for ADC
SDRCR%L
Low Co(t
6(e t&e (oundcard to for ADC
5ediu/ Co(t
6SR2 ?E6==
Blade R4 ?E==
:i,& End
4le;Radio
Sy(te/(
4LEFCG===A
6:4SDR
%F!RF
RF
R&odeBSc&warz
EG-===

SDR :ardware
W&ic& to c&oo(e
Dr
R&odeBSc&warz
EG-===
R%LCSDR
E"#
&tt)<!!www0e9ay0co/!it/!3ew('yC%VH#%C+HC
6SBCDVBC%CR%LCSDRCRecei+erCR%LH#$H6C
R#H=%C%unerC5CFCIn)utC!"6=#@6=@H""#1
)tIL:JDefaultDo/ainJ=K&a(&Iite/HGL6HL#Ld
6

SDR :ardware
Mou can alway( 9uild
your own000

SDR Software

SDR Software
2owerSDR
%&e &eart of SDR0
2erfor/( t&e co/)utation( for t&e radio )art0
&tt)<!!www0fle;Cradio0co/
SDR S&ell
&tt)<!!ew)ereira0info!(drC(&ell
Linrad
&tt)<!!www0nite&aw'0co/!(/G9(z!linu;d()!linrad0&t/
:DSDR
&tt)<!!www0&d(dr0de!(creen(&ot(0&t/l
.36 Radio
&tt)<!!,nuradio0or,
SDR S&ar)
&tt)<!!(dr(&ar)0co/!

SDR Software

All SDR (oftware &a+e (i/ilar .6I /odule(

SDR Software
Control )anel

Control 2anel (t&e tunin, 'no9)

Ad7u(t t&e fre>uency

C&an,e t&e /ode (345- A5- CW-etc0)

C&an,e filter(

Ad7u(t audio le+el(

C&annel 5e/ory

5any ot&er( de)endin, on (oftware

SDR Software
4a(t 4ourier %ran(for/ (44%)

S&ow( t&e fre>uencie( )re(ent in a (i,nal and t&eir (tren,t&

Con+ert( fro/ t&e ti/e do/ain into t&e fre>uency do/ain

6(e( t&e 4ourier t&eory t&at any (i,nal can 9e 9ro'en down into
indi+idual Sine wa+e(

SDR Software
4a(t 4ourier %ran(for/ (44%)

SDR Software
Waterfall (S)ectro,ra/)

Di()lay( t&e fre>uencie( (tren,t&( (44%) o+er ti/e

Allow( you to (ee (i,nal( a/on, noi(e a( well a( identify t&e

(i,nal(

Color coded0 Blac' no (i,nal- (&ade( fro/ 9lue to red indicate

(tron,er (i,nal(

SDR Software
DS2 RF (i/)le e;a/)le
IA
In)ut
Low 2a(( 4ilter De/odulator
Audio
Dut)ut
Audio Dut)ut
Select( only t&e
infor/ation you want
%&e in)ut
fro/ t&e
ADC
Con+ert( fro/
raw data to audio
out)ut

:ow to u(e t&e SDR Software
4ilter( and %unin,
4ilter( allow u( to ,et only t&e
infor/ation we want

.nuRadio %&e Swi(( ar/y 'nife of
SDR


Li(tenin, to :4

3eed an :4 u)con+erter

Ba(ically a /i;er to 9rin, t&e low fre>uencie( of :4 to

&i,&er fre>uencie( t&at t&e SDR can (a/)le0

Build you own<

&tt)<!!www0,eor,eC(/art0co0u'!wi'i!4unCu9eJ6)con+erter

Buy fro/ e9ay< ?E= (&a+e ne+er 9ou,&t one)

&tt)<!!co/)are0e9ay0co/!li'e!"#""HH@"H$=1+arIl+Klty)IAll4i;ed2riceIte/%y)e(K+arI(9ar

:ow to u(e t&e SDR Software
Connectin, for furt&er )roce((in,

Can connect directly to fldi,i- (oundC/ode/- or any ot&er

needed )roce((in,

Se+eral o)tion( a+aila9le on window(

C&oo(e t&e /i;er in)ut or /icro)&one in)ut

C&an,e (ettin,( in SDRN under t&e audio (ection0

In(tall +irtual audio ca9le (EHG)

&tt)<!!(oftware0/uzyc&en'o0net!en,!+ac0&t/

In(tall 7ac' audio (free- 9ut .ood luc')

&tt)<!!7ac'audio0or,!

Connect a ca9le fro/ line out to t&e line in of t&e co/)uter0

6(e t&e /ic a( in)ut

Dn linu; (i/)ly u(e )i)e( or 4I4D

5ac1111

Re/ote ADC
a+oid feedline lo((

2lace t&e ADC ri,&t ne;t to t&e antenna

Ra()9erry )i wit& %C2 connection

&tt)<!!zr6aic09lo,()ot0co/!H="$!=H!(ettin,Cu)C/yC
ra()9erryC)iCa(C(drC(er+er0&t/l

We9 SDR
&tt)<!!we9(dr0ewi0utwente0nl<#@="!

.ettin, (tarted
:ow %o

Buy t&e 6SB don,le<

&tt)<!!www0e9ay0co/!it/!3ew('yC%VH#%C+HC6SBCDVBC%CR%LCSDRCRecei+erCR%LH#$H6CR#H=%C%unerC5CFCIn)utC!"6=#@6=@H""#1)tIL:JDefaultDo/ainJ=K&a(&Iite/HGL6HL#Ld6
Cut t&e antenna and )lace a )lHG@ 6:4 connector

In(tall SDR S&ar)<

&tt)<!!rtl(dr0or,!(oftwarewindow(

In(tall t&e dri+er(< u(e Oadi,

In(tall SDRN (drCin(tall0zi)

%une ))/ (o t&e

fre> will di()lay
correctly

In SDRN clic'
confi,ure
Check ID aginst
http://rtlsdr.org/hardwa
re-usb

2erfor/ance %i)(

Antenna i( e+eryt&in,*

Eli/inate feedline lo((e( 9y /ountin, t&e SDR at t&e antenna

feed)oint- wit& weat&er)roofin, and a lon, 6SB ca9le to t&e co/)uter
or Et&ernet t&ou,& t&e ra()9erry )i0

6(e a 9and)a(( filter to )rotect t&e radio fro/ (tron, outCofC9and

(i,nal(0

Con(ider a >uality )rea/)lifier for t&e R%LCSDR to reduce t&e (y(te/

noi(e fi,ure0

Reduce t&e SDR8( internal ,ain to )re+ent noi(e due to R4 cli))in, and
inter/odulation

Enclo(e t&e de+ice in a ,rounded /etal ca(e0

4ilter t&e BGV (u))ly to t&e radio0 6(e a co/9ination of ferrite 9ead(
and 9y)a(( ca)acitor( to tar,et t&e full ()ectru/ of noi(e0

2ut R4 C&o'e( on t&e 6SB ca9le to filter out co/)uter noi(e0

Software tric'(- (uc& a( o+er(a/)lin, and deci/ation can &el) C watc&

for R%LH#$H fir/ware and dri+er u)date(*

Reference(

&tt)<!!www0a9@il0net!(oftwareCdefinedCradio!rtlH#$HC(dr0&t/l

&tt)<!!www0&a/(dr0co/!Start:ere0&t/

&tt)<!!www0&a/(dr0co/!WAHD4I!:and(JDnJSDRJPH=DaytonJH==#J+=J@0))t

&tt)<!!w9Gr+z0co/!(dr!

&tt)<!!(dr(&ar)0co/!

&tt)<!!www09ayco/0or,!?to/!&a/!(ound/ode/!

&tt)<!!www0in(o/ni&ac'0c&!i/a,e(!in(o/ni&ac'C/ar"$C9'C(dr0)dfN)a,eI"=Kzoo/Iauto-=-G#

&tt)<!!www0)e=(at0+,net0nl!ta,!(dr(&ar)!

&tt)<!!H6==0wre))0co/!H6==!Lin'(!H@!$!(u)er'u&0co/!,nuradio0&t/l

&tt)<!!w96d&w0co/!4orJSale0&t/lN6:4SDR

&tt)<!!www0da+e,ardner0or,!:a/!2D4!Ea(ySDR0)df

&tt)<!!zr6aic09lo,()ot0co/!H="$!=H!(ettin,Cu)C/yCra()9erryC)iCa(C(drC(er+er0&t/l

&tt)<!!www0oz@aec0net!inde;0)&)!,nuCradio!,nuCradioC9lo,!LLCnoaaCa)tCrece)tionCwit&C,>r;CandCrtl(dr

&tt)<!!www0arrl0or,!file(!file!%ec&nolo,y!ti(!info!)df!=H=L=#>e;="$0)df

&tt)<!!+H0(drCradio0co/!Download0a();

Li+e De/o000
And Aue(tion(0