Smartphone SDR

Wouldn’t it be convenient if you could use your smartphone for other communication systems than the standard GSM system? What if you for example could have a satellite connection available through an app on your smartphone?

No loss of connectivity

With a satellite connection on your smartphone, you could safely move outside normal GSM coverage and still have the connectivity you look for and with this utilizing the smartphone that you normally use for communication to the surrounding world.

Reduced costs and increased portability

Having a smartphone-based waveform provides benefits such as reduced costs and increased portability.

No expensive end-user terminals

Getting access to satellite data services often requires expensive end-user terminals to be acquired, set up and maintained. However, the solution of implementing a smartphone-based satellite software-defined radio waveform could in principle be used with a generic small and cheap radio module, while all waveform specific functions are delegated to run on the smartphone.

Technical description

Today’s smartphones are rich processing platforms that can easily handle the load of baseband modulation of an M2M satellite waveform that do not support nor require high symbol rates.

The concept is to have a small radio module that connects to a smartphone via Bluetooth. The radio module performs the up/down conversion L-Band transmissions, while an app on the smartphone performs all base-band processing, modulation, receiver synchronization and air interface protocol communications. The app presents a user interface with messaging/chat and status functions or can provide remote control and monitoring for other devices.

The prototype was implemented using the Ettus Research E100 platform. A Bluetooth transport was used for exchange of digital base-band samples. The front-end module performs amplification and duplexing of the L-band RF signals. An off-the-shelf antenna was used for the prototype.

For testing purposes, a network emulator was developed to run on a PC, using a separate USRP platform connected to the prototype. This allows system-level testing of the prototype before on-air trials. Finally, the prototype was tested on-air on a commercial service.

Stay connected

With a satellite solution as an app on your smartphone, you could have the convenience of using your smartphone for other communication systems than the standard 3G/4G system without any loss of connectivity.

You can feel safe knowing that the technology has been developed by an independent supplier, who is experienced in working with some of the most advanced processes within communication protocols.

Access to satellite data services

Get access to satellite data services without acquisition, set up and maintenance of expensive end-user terminals. With the Smartphone SDR prototype, a smartphone-based satellite software-defined radio waveform is developed, and you can use it with a generic small and cheap radio module, while all waveform-specific functions are delegated to run on the smartphone.

Related technology

Interested in related Software Defined Radio Technology? Then you might want to take a look at our BGAN Software Defined Radio Protocol Stack or BGAN Protocol Stack.