Progress In Electromagnetics Research Symposium Proceedings, Marrakesh, Morocco, Mar.

2023, 2011 899

MIMO Implementation with Alamouti Coding Using USRP2

Anna Kaszuba, Radoslaw Checinski, and Jerzy Lopatka
Faculty of Electronics, Military University of Technology, Warsaw 00-908, Poland

Abstract In this paper authors present a novel implementation of 2 2 MIMO system

with Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (OFDM) modulation using GNU Radio with
USRP2. GNU Radio is a library designed for signal processing, which allows users to create
streams of thesignal processing by combining ready components. In addition with software defined
radio it offers testing of theoretical models under real-world conditions. Model of transmitter was
created by using algorithm and methods which are implemented in GNU Radio SISO OFDM
modulator. Authors extended them by Alamouti SFBC coder, because it is very effective and
also simple in implementation. The Alamouti SFBC is a rate-1 code. It takes two time-slots
to transmit two symbols. The receiver decoding is provided by determining channel estimation
matrix and maximum-likelihood detector. Experimental results of MIMO link performance are
also presented.
1. INTRODUCTION

Fast evolution of mobile communication faces growing users demands for throughput, quality of
service and coverage. Basic fault of indoor mobile systems is their low throughput. The most
promising data transmission technology, which is able to fulfill these requirements, is Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO). Currently this technology is a common subject of research. There
is increasing number of standardization documents and recommendations describing MIMO implementation in specific system solutions [35]. MIMO in comparison with SISO allows to increase
radio channel capacity and the quality of service, exploiting the spatial diversity and overcoming
the effects of multipath fading.
GNU Radio is an open-source software development toolkit for building any kind of real-time
signal processing applications [6]. It includes a core runtime library for signal processing and
examples of signal processing blocks. GNU Radio programs are written using Python and C++
programming languages (signal processing blocks are written in C++ and put together in Python
flow-graphs). Users can modify existing or create new signal processing blocks [10]. GNU Radio also
provides a graphical, similar to the Matlab Simulink, user interface called GNU Radio Companion.
It enables user to create signal flow graphs and automatic generates flow-graph Python source code.
Many open-source project is using GNU Radio (openBTS, IEEE802.11 OFDM frame encoder) [8, 9].
Application written in GNU Radio can be implemented on software defined radios (SDR). SDR
technology in connection with GNU Radio enables realization any kind of radio emission without
integration into hardware. Example of SDR module is Universal Software Radio Peripheral 2
(USRP2). This universal platform converts radio signals to digital samples and sends them to host
computer, where signal processing take place. Various plug-on daughterboards allow the USRP2
to be used on different radio frequency bands.
This paper focuses on the implementation of MIMO system with Alamouti coding in GNU
Radio and USRP2. Sections 2 and 3 present hardware and software configuration of MIMO test
bed. Section 4 contains experimental results of MIMO link performance. Conclusion and future
work are described in Section 5.
2. HARDWARE CONFIGURATION OF MIMO TESTBED

The MIMO test bed, described in this section bases on Universal Software Defined Peripheral v2,
which is commonly used for various radio systems demonstrations. Figure 1 presents setup of
the transmitter and receiver part. System design is identical for receiver and transmitter. It is
build from 2 USRP2s, GPS Disciplined Clock and computer with Open Source Software (Linux,
GNU Radio, UHD). This software is used to control hardware and also it is responsible for signal
processing.
Computer used in research was equipped with: Intel Core i7 with four core processor running
at 1.62.8 GHz and 4GB DDR3 RAM working at 1333 MHz. Communication between computer
and USRP2 was provided by 1 Gigabit cable which offers wideband signal transmission and two
network interfaces. First interface was the standard network controller installed on computer main
board, the second one was Gigabit Ethernet ExpressCard adapter. Additionally each USRP2s was

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USRP2

HOST
COMPUTER
eth0

GPS

1 PPS

10 MHz

1 PPS

10 MHz

GPS

eth0

HOST
COMPUTER

eth1

eth1

USRP2

USRP2

USRP2

Figure 1: MIMO test bed setup.

GnuRadio with C++
and Python libraries

Symbol
Modulation

Insert
Preambles

IFFT

Add Cyclic
Prefix

Scale

Insert
Preambles

IFFT

Add Cyclic
Prefix

Scale

Alamouti
Encoder

Figure 2: Structure of MIMO OFDM modulator.

equipped with WBX daughterboard. These type of RF frond-end are capable of working with
frequency from 50 MHz to 2.2 GHz with maximum bandwidth of 25 MHz. The USRP2s provide
transmission through single antenna, therefore each data stream required separate USRP2s unit.
Consequently the main issue was providing synchronization between two units at transmitter section, and independently receiver section. There were also a problem with frequency synchronization
between transmitter and receiver. As a solution were proposed two GPS signals (10 MHz, 1PPS),
connected via SMA connector. Frequency synchronization was provided by locking of USRP2 internal oscillator to external 10 MHz clock. One pulse per second signal provides the same time
reference to all USRP2. It calibrates time stamp of samples.
3. SOFTWARE IMPLEMENTATION

In development process only open-source software was used (GNU Radio version 3.3.1 and UHD).
The UHD is the universal hardware driver for Ettus Research LLC products (including USRP2) [7].
It is used by host computer to communicate with the USRP2 over UDP/IP protocol. Data streams
in UHD API are time stamped to the precision of a clock tick.
Operating system installed on test bed PC was the Ubuntu 10.04 LTE (lucid) 64bit distribution
with Linux 2.6.32-26-generic kernel.
3.1. Transmitter

Transmitter part designed in GNU Radio Companion consists three main blocks: File Source,
MIMO OFDM Modulator and Multi USRP Sink. File Source is a block which main task is reading
data form a file and streaming it to other blocks. MIMO OFDM Modulator block wasnt included
in GNU Radio Companion, therefore it was developed in purpose of MIMO test bed. Its structure
is presented in Figure 2. The MIMO modulator structure is based on SISO modulator structure
implemented in GNU Radio [2]. It contains mappers block dividing input stream into various
number of carriers, which number depends of number of occupied tones. Each of occupied tones
is modulated using chosen modulation scheme (BPSK, QPSK, QAM, etc.). It is worth to put
the emphasis on the fact that four center subcarriers have a zero value, and are not used in data
transmission.
Alamouti encoder realizes Space Frequency Block Codes. This method is very simple to implement. If we have s1 and s2 as a two consecutive subcarriers, in the first symbol the following

Progress In Electromagnetics Research Symposium Proceedings, Marrakesh, Morocco, Mar. 2023, 2011 901

subcarrier will be s1 and s2 and in the second one: s2 and s1 [1]. After every 44 OFDM
symbols two preamble symbols are added. One of them is a known sequence of bits in transmitter and receiver and second one is filled with zero value. Sequence of symbol transmitted in the
first path differs from those in second path. It allows to calculate channel estimation matrix in
receiver. Following blocks make inverse Fast Fourier Transform, add Cyclic Prefix, scaling samples
amplitude, and sending data to USRP2 (Multi USRP Sink).
3.2. Receiver

Receiver part is designed using three blocks: Multi USRP2 Source, MIMO OFDM demodulator and
File Sink. First block reads data that comes from two USRP2s and stream them to demodulator.
Structure of MIMO OFDM demodulator (Figure 3) is very similar to SISO demodulator, already
implemented in GNU Radio [2].
GnuRadio with C++
and Python libraries

FFT

Symbol
Demodulation

Delete
Cyclic
Prefix

Channel
Estimation
&
ML Detector

Channel
Filter
Symbol
Sychronization

FFT

Delete
Cyclic
Prefix

Channel
Filter

Figure 3: Structure of MIMO OFDM demodulator.

The second receiver path is added, algorithm of channel estimation calculation is upgraded and
maximum likelihood detector is implemented. As the inputs there are two channel filters. The
next block is a maximum likelihood OFDM synchronizer. Consecutive blocks delete cyclic prefix
and execute Fast Fourier Transform. Data from two path are acquired in following block, which
calculates a channel estimation for four paths and performs incoming signal detection. In proposed
solution Maximum Likelihood Detector was used, which algorithm can be written as:
sml = arg min kx H si k2

(1)

whereas x are received data, H is a channel estimation matrix. Decision is taken on the basis of
the maximum likelihood vector si of data which might be transmitted and then demapping process
take place. Demodulated data are saved to a file in the File Sink block.
4. EXPERIMENT RESULTS

Figure 4: Frame error rate (FER) versus SNR. FFT length = 256, occupied tones = 192, sample rate =
3.125 MS/s, bit rate = 3.5 Mbit/s, bandwidth = 2.32 MHz.

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PIERS Proceedings, Marrakesh, MOROCCO, March 2023, 2011

Figure 5: Frame error rate (FER) versus antennas angle. FFT length = 256, occupied tones = 192, sample
rate = 3.125 MS/s, bit rate = 3.5 Mbit/s, bandwidth = 2.32 MHz.
5. CONCLUSION AND FUTURE WORK

The results show that USRP2 modules enable real-time implementation of MIMO link, with relatively high throughput. Such a platform is a low cost solution and elaborated waveform is flexible
and easy to modify, because of fully software implementation.
Authors are planning to expand existing implementation of synchronization using pilot symbols.
Additionally they want to compare various method of detection with maximum likelihood detection.
REFERENCES

1. Alamouti, S. M., A simple transmit diversity technique for wireless communications, IEEE
Journal on Select Areas in Communications, Vol. 16, No. 8, 14511458, 1998.
2. Rondeau, T. W., M. Ettus, and R. W. McGwier, Open source transparency for OFDM
experimentation, Proceedings of the SDR 08 Technical Conference and Product Exposition,
Washington, October 2008.
3. Ryu, H.-G., System design and analysis of MIMO SFBC CI-OFDM system against the nonlinear distortion and narrowband interference, IEEE Transactions on Consumer Electronics,
Vol. 54, No. 2, 368378, 2008.
4. Gesbert, D., M. Shafi, D.-S. Shiu, P. J. Smith, and A. Naguib, From theory to practice:
An overview of MIMO space-time coded wireless systems, IEEE Journal on Select Areas in
Communications, Vol. 21, No. 3, 281302, 2003.
5. Oestges, C. and B. Clerckx, MIMO Wireless Communications: From Real-world Propagation
to Space-time Code Design, Academic Press, 2007.
6. GNU Radio, http://gnuradio.org/.
7. UHD, http://code.ettus.com/redmine/ettus/projects/uhd/.
8. OpenBTS, http://openbts.sourceforge.net/.
9. IEEE802.11a/g/p OFDM Frame Encoder, https://www.cgran.org/wiki/ftw80211ofdmtx.
10. Blossom E., How to Write a Signal Processing Block, 2006.