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MIMO-OFDM system implementation using GNU Radio and USRP

Arjun Balakrishnan (B100303EC), Arjun P (B100155EC), Dhanush Joseph (B100701EC) Jaivendra Singh (B100874EC), Jom Joji George (B100736EC) Project Guide : Dr. A.V Babu, Associate Professor, Dept. of ECE

AbstractIn all communication systems present today, high data rate with low latency at the minimum cost is a constant demand of any user. But this requires many changes in the hardware organization. Multiple transmit and receiver antennas featuring capability for multiple input and output also called MIMO systems are a recent development that has revolutionized the communication industry by its high spectral efciency as well as its robustness against fading and interference. Combining MIMO with orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), it is possible to signicantly reduce receiver complexity as OFDM greatly simplies equalization at the receiver. GNU Radio with the help of Universal Software Peripheral Radio (USRP) provides a exible and the cost effective SDR platform for the purpose of implementing MIMO-OFDM system and performing a rigorous analysis on it. The main objective of this project is to implement a MIMO-OFDM system using GNU Radio software platform and USRP hardware.

I. I NTRODUCTION Albert Einstein, one of the greatest scientist of all times has rightly said The mere formulation of a problem is far more essential than its solution, which may be merely a matter of mathematical or experimental skills. To raise new questions, new possibilities, to regard old problems from a new angle, requires creative imagination and marks real advance in science.[10] With a similar objective, we in our endeavor shall try to unfold the mystery behind Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing, for OFDM is one the most pervasive modulation technique that has found its way in protocols such as IEEE 802.11, 4G LTE, etc and forms the backbone of major communication systems present today. Along with OFDM the other technology that has made the high speed next generation systems possible is Multiple- Input Multiple-Output (MIMO)[1]. MIMO allows one to achieve high throughput and channel capacity with the aid of additional diversity gain. The combined effect of robustness OFDM with high throughput MIMO has laid the foundation of high data rate wireless communication networks commonly known as MIMO- OFDM systems. Not only are these systems capable of providing high data rate services at low latency but also with better spectral efciency even under severe fading environments. The potent nature of MIMO-OFDM is evidence for the complexity involved in its hardware implementation. To overcome this challenge we will use Software Dened Radio, an innovative concept that has changed the structure of numerous communication systems. Initially, developed with the purpose

of emulating many radios at the same time, SDR today has evolved into a indispensable tool for research in the elds of wireless and mobile communication providing a highly exible and cost effective way for researchers to experiment. A SDR emulates real world hardware and allows the user exibity in setting the parameters governing a system without any limitations. In our project we will use the open source GNU radio project as the SDR platform. GNU radio is one of the most advanced and extensively used environment available to develop SDR based application. At rst, we started the project with a rudimentary objective of learning about and gaining a greater insight in the seminal concept of Software Dened radio. As we starting discovering more about SDR, we came to realize the power this novel algorithm holds in itself. Secondly, our penchant towards high data rate technologies present today such as 4G, WiFi, etc. made us aware of the technology that forms the basic structure of all these high data rate systems that is MIMO-OFDM. Moreover, we also learned the challenges involved in realizing these systems in real world environment, but the factors which caught our attention the most were the constant need to expand the bandwidth in such systems, required to accomodate the growing number of users and provide support for bandwith intensive applications like audio and video transmission and the huge cost involved in implementing these systems. This motivated us to try and implement a system which would encompass all the properties of a high speed system and at the same time be cost-effective and highly exible. Thus, we took the task of implementing a MIMO-OFDM system using GNU Radio with USRP. This project is our earnest venture into understanding the nuances involved in designing algorithms and applications based on Software dened radio and realizing them in real world environment. II. L ITERATURE S URVEY It has been over a century since the rst wireless communication was tested. Since then, it has developed into a wide range of techniques. The key factor for successful communication is to transmit and receive the exact information signal. This is made possible with the help of various modulation techniques. Even today, we use not only the traditional ways of modulation like analog modulation but also advanced methods like Wi-Fi and 3G. Each kind of communication has its own importance with respect to complexity, efciency, accessibility and demand. With all these available techniques, we may wonder why there is a necessity for newer methods. The

solution could be an upgrade of already existing techniques. With the migration from third generation (3G) to fourth generation (4G) and expanding wireless standards, there is always a demand for newer and more reliable techniques. Some of the currently emerging communication techniques are Multiple Input Multiple Output systems (MIMO), Ultra Wide Band systems (UWB), Cognitive Radio and Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM).[3] With the increase of communications technology, the demand for higher data rate services such as multimedia, voice, and data over both wired and wireless links is also increased. New modulation schemes are required to transfer the large amount of data which existing techniques cannot support. These techniques must be able to provide high data rate, allowable Bit Error Rate (BER), and maximum delay. Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) is one of them. OFDM has been used for Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) and Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) in Europe, and for Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) high data rate wired links. Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) is a digital transmission method developed to meet the increasing demand for higher data rates in communications which can be used in both wired and wireless environments. There have been few OFDM projects implemented using the concept of SDR. Bloessal came up with the rst prototype of a SDR based OFDM receiver for IEEE 802.11a/g/p networks. Marwanto et al[1] conducted an experimental study of OFDM Implementation using USRPSDR wherein they seek to implement an OFDM radio signal transmitter and receiver with various modulation schemes. A comparison is done between communication using OFDM with BPSK modulation and that using QPSK modulation. Marcos Maj et al[2] came up with a design and implementation of an OFDM-based communication system for the GNU platform. The objective in this project was to have a working prototype system for wireless communications using OFDM in its physical layer. III. M OTIVATION

Radio with USRP. This project is our wholehearted attempt at understanding intricacies involved in designing complex applications based on SDR IV. P ROPOSED SOLUTION

At rst, we started the project with a rudimentary objective of learning about and gaining a greater insight in the seminal concept of Software Dened radio. As we starting discovering more about SDR, we came to realize the power this novel algorithm holds in itself. Secondly, our penchant towards high data rate technologies present today such as 4G, WiFi, etc. made us aware of the technology that forms the basic structure of all these high data rate systems that is MIMO-OFDM. Moreover, we also learned the challenges involved in realizing these systems in real world environment, but the factors which caught our attention the most were the constant need to expand the bandwidth in such systems, required to accomodate the growing number of users and provide support for bandwith intensive applications like audio and video transmission and the huge cost involved in implementing these systems. This motivated us to try and implement a system which would encompass all the properties of a high speed system and at the same time be cost-effective and highly exible. Thus, we took the task of implementing a MIMO-OFDM system using GNU

In order to resolve the problems of capacity and high data rate in the challenging radio environment, a novel idea to use the Multiple Element Array (MEA) at both ends of the wireless communication systems was proposed. These wireless systems were referred to as , Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) systems having multiple transmit and multiple receiver antennas.[4] MIMO uses precoding, spatial and diversity multiplexing to achieve reliable and high data rate communication. Precoding refers to all spatial processing that occurs at the transmitter. In (single-stream) beamforming, the same signal is emitted from each of the transmit antennas with appropriate phase and gain weighting such that the signal power is maximized at the receiver input. The benets of beamforming are to increase the received signal gain, by making signals emitted from different antennas add up constructively, and to reduce the multipath fading effect. In spatial multiplexing, a high rate signal is split into multiple lower rate streams and each stream is transmitted from a different transmit antenna in the same frequency channel. If these signals arrive at the receiver antenna array with sufciently different spatial signatures and the receiver has accurate channel state information, it can separate these streams into (almost) parallel channels. Spatial multiplexing is a very powerful technique for increasing channel capacity at higher signal-to-noise ratios (SNR). Diversity multiplexing techniques are used when there is no channel knowledge at the transmitter. In diversity methods, a single stream (unlike multiple streams in spatial multiplexing) is transmitted, but the signal is coded using techniques called space-time coding. The signal is emitted from each of the transmit antennas with full or near orthogonal coding. Diversity coding exploits the independent fading in the multiple antenna links to enhance signal diversity. Because there is no channel knowledge, there is no beamforming or array gain from diversity coding. But, MIMO systems face lack of robustness and are vulnerable to inter symbol interference (ISI). To overcome this challenge there exists another highly innovative technique of Othogonal Frequency division multiplexing. In OFDM a large number of closely spaced orthogonal sub-carrier signals are used to carry data on several parallel data streams or channels. Each sub-carrier is modulated with a conventional modulation scheme (such as quadrature amplitude modulation or phase-shift keying) at a low symbol rate, maintaining total data rates similar to conventional single-carrier modulation schemes in the same bandwidth.[6] The primary advantage of OFDM over single-carrier schemes is its ability to cope with severe channel conditions (for example, attenuation of high frequencies in a long copper wire, narrowband interference and frequency-selective fading due to multipath) without complex equalization lters. Channel equalization is simplied because OFDM may be viewed as using many slowly modulated

Fig.1: Software Dened Radio block diagram

narrowband signals rather than one rapidly modulated wideband signal. The low symbol rate makes the use of a guard interval between symbols affordable, making it possible to eliminate intersymbol interference (ISI) and utilize echoes and time-spreading to achieve a diversity gain. The combined effect of robustness OFDM with high throughput MIMO allows high data rate wireless communication networks to exihibit low latency and high bandwidth. Implementation of MIMO-OFDM networks imposes additional capacity to the system, requiring more comprehensive structure to be dealt with this. This entails to advanced hardware and high cost. To cope up with these challenges Software Dened Radio (SDR) is the proposed solution. SDR was devised with the sole objective of reducing the dependence of a communication system on hardware to minimum and emulating these dedicated signal processing devices in software[2]. This translation into software would make all the processing possible on an all-purpose commodity PC. This not only makes SDR a cost effective technique but also a solution which obviates the restrictions in the form of suitable hardware availability. Moreover, SDR allows users to set the system properties according to their needs thus providing very high exibility. Figure 1 shows the standard block diagram for a Software Dened Radio. GNU Radio: In our project we shall use GNU Radio, a powerful open source tool to develop SDR applications.GNU Radio is primarily developed using the GNU/Linux operating system, but, Mac OS and Windows are also supported.GNU radio comprises of two types of modules rst the ones that take care of the signal processing needed in the system and second are the parts of GNU radio that interconnect these signal processing modules and let us congure them according to our needs. [7] In GNU Radio, a radio system is represented as a directed signal ow graph where graph vertices are known as signal processing blocks and edges indicate a connection between the two blocks. Data ows in one direction from a signal source to one or more signal sinks. This construction of software radio is similar to development of hardware radios, but with an additional restriction that the

signal ow in a ow graph cannot form a feedback cycle, so implementation of any feedback mechanisms must be contained within one signal processing block. The signal processing modules are programmed in C++ and are usually in the form signal lters, equalizers, FFT modules, etc. Whereas, the connecting modules are programmed in Python.Using a high level language like Python allows users to quickly create different applications by constructing a signal ow graph simply by making connections between smaller building blocks. GNU Tools 1) GRC GRC is a graphical tool which provides a user interface that lets us create signal ow graphs and activates its source code. This graphical interface, by means of graphical blocks, allows us to set the input parameters which are taken by the source code of each block in order to generate a signal ow.There are mainly four kinds of blocks: Source blocks: Their main functionality is to generate an output signal by means of some input parameters. For this reason, these blocks have no input signal. There are many types of sources, depending on the number of output ports, data type, vector lengths, etc. Sink blocks: In this case, there is no output signal. Sink blocks receive an input signal with a specic data type and length, and, using certain input parameters, the input signal is stored in a vector, le or sent to a binded TCP1or UDP2 socket. Operation blocks: These blocks use a congurable number of input signals with congurable data types, to produce a certain number of output signals with specic data types, using the input parameters to perform a certain operation on the samples at the input. These operations can be modulations or demodulations, coding operations, lters, synchronizations, type or stream conversions, etc. Visualization blocks: These blocks can be classied

as a type of sink block which generates a graphical output from the input signals. In this group of blocks, we can mention scopes to provide a time domain representation, FFT sink for a frequency domain screening, constellation plots, etc. 2) C++ Signal processing blocks process streams of data from their input port to their output port. The input and output ports of a signal process block are variable. So a block can have multiple outputs and multiple inputs. The signal processing blocks are written in C++. 3) Python About Python,it is a script language is used to connect the signal processing blocks together. In Python the necessary signal sources, sinks and processing blocks are selected and congured with the correct parameters. Figure 2 here shows the layered structure of the functional division in GNU Radio platform. Fig.3: USRP Block Diagram Some important parts inside USRP are as ADC Section There are 4 high-speed 12-bit ADC converters. The sampling rate is 64M samples per second. In principle, it could digitize a band as wide as 32MHz. DAC Section At the transmitting path, there are also 4 high-speed 14-bit DA converters. The DAC clock frequency is 128 MS/s, so Nyquist frequency is 64MHz. FPGA Understanding what goes on the USRP/USRP 2 FPGA is the most important part for the GNU Radio users. All the ADCs and DACs are connected to the FPGA. This piece of FPGA plays a key role in the USRP/USRP 2 system. Basically what it does is to perform high bandwidth math, and to reduce the data rates to something you can squirt over USB2.0 /GE ON USRP/USRP 2 respectively Daughter boards On the mother board there are two slots . One of these slots is for TX and the other is for RX . Each daughter board slot has access to ADC/DAC . The daughter boards are used to hold the RF receiver interface or tuner and the RF transmitter.

Fig.2: GNU Radio layered structure GNU Radio modules are able to operate with innite streams of data of a certain type. To test the MIMO-OFDM system in real time environment additional hardware is required for transmiting and receiving signals known as the Universal Software Radio Peripheral (USRP). The USRP is a device designed by Ettus Research with the objective of converting between the digital baseband signal that is processed in the host computer and the analog intermediate frequency (IF) signal when necessary.[8] The USRP has been specically developed for SDR and it is highly compatible with GNU Radio. The USRP has an architecture in which a motherboard provides the following subsystems: clock generation and synchronization, FPGA, ADCs,DACs, host processor interface, and power regulation. These are the basic components that are required for baseband processing of signals. A modular front-end, called a daughterboard, is used for analog operations such as up/downconversion, ltering, and other signal conditioning.This modularity permits it to serve applications that operate between DC and 6 GHz. Figure 3 shows the basic block diagram of any USRP unit.

In stock conguration the FPGA performs several DSP operations, which ultimately provide translation from real signals in the analog domain to lower-rate, complex, baseband signals in the digital domain. In most use-cases, these complex samples are transferred to/from applications running on a host processor, which perform DSP operations. The code for the FPGA is open-source and can be modied to allow high-speed, low-latency operations to occur in the FPGA.

Fig.4: OFDM Modulator in GNU Radio

V.

C URRENT S TATUS

We started with exploring the tools and functions related to GNU Radio. But since, GNU Radio is a very complex software it requires a good grasp on its basic structure and understanding of programming languages like python and C++ to design various signal modules. With our current level of understanding we were able to implement a basic OFDM modulator and analyse the frequency response for the same. The block design that we used to implement an OFDM modulator in GNU Radio is shown in Figure 4. A. Observations Fig.6: Observed frequency response for OFDM modulation Some other observations made were: 1) The system has bandwidth of 15kHz and a noise oor of -50dB. 2) GNU Radio allows one to vary Noise voltage and the multiplication constant while observing the response. 3) When the noise voltage was increased the peak of frequncy response remained constant whereas the amplitude of sidelobes(noise oor) increased. This as can be inferred will result in lossy communication where the demodulator would not be able to function properly due to excessive noise. 4) When the overtones dened for OFDM modulator was decreased from 200 to 50 the bandwidth reduced.

Fig.5: Theoretical Frequency response for OFDM modulation We observed that the simulated frequency response (Figure 6) obtained was similar to theoretical frequency response (Figure 5) of an OFDM modulated system.

1)

2)

3) 4) 5) Fig.7: Frequncy response for increased noise oor for OFDM modulation

VII. W ORK S CHEDULE SemesterVII Literature survey GNU Radio OFDM techniques MIMO systems Understanding GNU radio Learning about the structure and functioning Learning programming specic to GNU Radio that is Python and C++ Implementing OFDM modulator in GNU radio Investigating the error rate performance of OFDM using GNU Radio. Performing channel estimation and testing air to air transmission in a simulated environment.

SemesterVIII 6) Using USRP to perform real time implementation of OFDM system in GNU radio. 7) Designing a MIMO-OFDM system in GNU Radio using USRP. 8) Performing real time implementation of the designed system. 9) Analysing the system and making improvements if possible. R EFERENCES
[1] Arief Marwanto, Mohd Adib Sarijari, Norsheila Fisal, Sharifah Kamilah Syed Yusof, Rozeha A.Rashid, Experimental Study of OFDM Implementation Utilizing GNU Radio and USRP - SDR, IEEE 9th Malaysia International Conference on Communications,Kuala Lumpur , 2009. Marcos Majo, Design and Implementation of an OFDM-based Communication System for the GNU Radio Platform, Master Thesis, Institut Fur Kommunikationsnetze Und Rechnersysteme, Germany, 2009. Yong Soo Cho, Jaekwon Kim, Won Young Yang, Chung-Gu Kang, MIMO-OFDM Wireless Communication with MATLAB, Singapore, John Wiley Sons (Asia), , 2010. Jiang Xuehua, Chen Peijiang, Study and Implementation of MIMOOFDM System Basedon Matlab, International Conference on Information Technology and Computer Sciences, pp. 554-557, 2009. Lee K. Patton, A GNU Radio Based Software-Dened Radio, Master Thesis, Wright State University, United States of America, 2007. Proakis, J. G., Salehi, M. (2007). Fundamentals of communica- tion systems. Pearson Prentice Hall, India. GNU Radio. http://gnuradio.org/redmine/wiki/gnuradio Ettus Research LLC, ed. USRP2: The Next Generation of Software Radio Systems. Mountain View, CA, USA. Josh Knows. http://www.joshknows.com/ Alice Calaprice, The Quotable Einstein, Princeton University Press, 1996 (ISBN 0691 02696-3)

[2]

Fig.8: Frequncy response for decreased overtones for OFDM modulation VI. C ONCLUSION

[3]

[4]

This report gives a brief insight into our project MIMOOFDM implementation using GNU Radio and USRP. Moreover, observations regarding a simulated basic OFDM modulator in GNU Radio have been provided. Within a short span of exposure to GNU Radio we could feel the power involved in such a novel concept but a further comprehensive study of GNU Radio is required at the moment to develop systems of higher complexity.

[5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]