Single Carrier Communication System on Open Source Embedded Platform

Abstract

Modern open source embedded platforms are very cost effective while providing enormous computing power. Open source embedded platforms with processor clock frequency exceeding 1GHz speed are common and ideal for implementing Digital Communication Transceivers using Software Radio concept. Many of the open source embedded platforms are equipped with an Analog to Digital Converter (ADC) allowing sampling signals exceeding 1MHz rate. This allows implementing Encrypted Digital Data Services using a Software Radio concept. In this work we have modelled in Matlab Simulink environment, major functions of a Single Carrier Baseband Digital Transceiver, including Pulse Shaping, Carrier Modulation, Timing Recovery, Carrier Recovery, Matched Filtering and Data recovery using, BPSK, QPSK and QAM modulation schemes. The equalization function is not implemented as this is intended for Line of Sight Microwave and Satellite applications where the need for equalization is limited. The Pulse shaping is performed using Gaussian Pulse Shaping. Timing recovery is carried out using Gardner’s Algorithm based technique and Carrier Recovery is implemented using a Costas Loop and its variants implemented in software. A prototypes for BPSK, QPSK and QAM modulation schemes were implemented in MATLAB Simulink environment and BPSK modulation scheme is implemented in an Arduino-Due micro controller using Arduino Development Environment. The proof of concept in this work shows the potential of software radio in off the shelf embedded hardware.