Software Engineering & Web Applications
GNU radio-based teaching system MALCOLM VELLA VIDAL | SUPERVISOR: Prof. Victor Buttigieg COURSE: B.Sc. (Hons.) Computer Engineering Software-defined radio (SDR) is a growing field that is leading the innovation in communications technology. Reconciling the abstract nature of communications theory to an effective method of teaching it has often been a major challenge for universities. The traditional approach has relied on the use of books, notes, lectures and simulationbased laboratory sessions. This dissertation proposes SDR as an alternative to the traditional teaching techniques and explores the extent to which it could be a pivotal tool if introduced into undergraduate communications courses. SDR receives real-world signals using an antenna and sends them to the device to which they would be connected, allowing the use of software to process and manipulate these signals in real time. This work environment is portrayed in Figure 1. GNU Radio Companion (GRC) was the software tool used to process the input signal. It is a free-to-use software that evolved significantly since its inception. GRC contains a library of inbuilt blocks which could be strung together to form a system in the form of a flowgraph (see Figure 2). This dissertation uses a combination of SDR and GRC to build a sequence of these flowgraphs, presenting them in the form of a laboratory sheet that explains certain communications concepts, such as sampling theory and frequency modulation (FM) reception. A questionnaire was prepared and presented to past and current Computer Engineering students. The goal of this questionnaire was to reach subjective results regarding the students’ view on the possible introduction of SDR and GRC into the syllabus. The results of the questionnaire
consolidated the idea that students would value the use of hardware in laboratories, as it tends to provide a more personalised feel to the work they are doing, and in turn motivates them to continue their work at home.
Figure 1. The work environment used throughout this dissertation comprising an antenna, SDR and a laptop.
Figure 2. A simple flowgraph outlining how GRC receives the input signal from the SDR, and displays its waveform through the frequency sink.
28 | Faculty of Information and Communication Technology Final Year Projects 2021
