Название: Practical SDR: Getting Started with Software-Defined Radio
Автор: David Clark, Paul Clark
Издательство: Manning Publications
Год: 2025
Страниц: 336
Язык: английский
Формат: epub
Размер: 102.2 MB

Discover the exciting world of software-defined radio (SDR) through this hands-on, beginner-friendly introduction.

Whether you’re a hobbyist interested in exploring the airwaves, a student learning about wireless communications, or an engineer looking to prototype RF designs, Practical SDR will help you master the fundamentals of software-defined radio.

You’ll build virtual radio receivers on your computer, then extract audio from real AM and FM signals; learn how amplitude modulation works by building an AM radio; understand signal filtering by crafting clean FM reception; and grasp complex topics like IQ sampling. You’ll use the intuitive GNU Radio Companion interface to create working radio systems piece by piece, then move on to building functional AM and FM receivers, and even design your own radio transmitter.

Along the way, you’ll learn how to:
Manipulate radio frequencies from 1 MHz to 6 GHz
Use filters and gain control to extract clear signals from noise
Maximize your SDR’s performance by choosing the right antennas and RF hardware
Process complex, real-time IQ data to demodulate actual radio signals
Build a flexible, virtual radio testing environment on your computer

This isn’t just another theory book. Practical SDR bridges the gap between basic tutorials and advanced applications, providing a solid foundation for diving into modern wireless systems like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and cellular communications.

The goal of this book is not only that you’ll learn about SDR but also that you’ll have fun doing it. The word fun comes from fundamentals; learning how something works (for instance, a radio) makes that thing not only more useful to you but also more fun to use. Learn the fundamentals of a topic, then leverage them to have fun.

This book is designed for you to learn by doing. There won’t be a ton of pages of dry exposition on electromagnetic theory and the mathematical underpinnings of signal processing. We don’t believe many beginners to SDR are well served by a deep, formalized dive into these topics. To be sure, the book will cover these topics, but in a different way than you would encounter in an academic textbook: we’ll start with the simplest possible concepts, pair them with actual SDR experiments, and then gradually build on what you’ve learned to go progressively deeper. The intent is to provide you with a functional understanding of the terms and concepts required to build practical SDR systems, and we’ll always endeavor to not just tell you those terms and concepts but actually show them to you hands-on.

Some projects require SDR hardware, such as a HackRF One, and a compatible antenna.

This book’s focus is on analog radios only. Building analog radios for receiving broadcast signals or working with amateur radio is what many of you reading this book will want to do, but the concepts covered are also crucial for those of you interested in digital applications, like reverse engineering or information security. Digital radios are built on the same foundational concepts as analog radios, so solidifying those concepts through simple analog applications will help you transition to digital communication.

Contents: