Widely tunable RF transceiver front end for software-defined radio

In this paper, we present the design, implementation, and evaluation of a custom-built wideband RF front-end for enabling dynamic spectrum access communications in software-defined radio platforms. The frontend is designed for wireless operation within the 50 MHz - 2.5 GHz frequency range, and is entirely software-controlled by the platform. Evaluation of the proposed design was conducted using the Universal Software Radio Peripheral (USRP) software defined radio platform and controlled via GNU Radio software. A prototype of the design was successfully demonstrated over a wide range of frequencies. Finally, several remaining design challenges are identified that would further enhance transmission performance.