Design and development of a 5.25 GHz software defined wireless OFDM communication platform

With growing interest in broadband wireless communication systems, a research platform for evaluating various communication schemes becomes essential. Such a system can be used to validate the assumptions and results of various theoretical and simulation-based studies. This article discusses the design and development of a multicarrier multi-antenna software defined radio, operating at 5.25 GHz in a 25 MHz bandwidth. The calibration process is described in detail along with a discussion of all the issues such as I/Q mismatch and phase noise that degrade and limit the performance of the system. Hardware and software solutions to these problems are described. Results of the calibration process and wireless experiments on the system are presented as well.