In this extension project we propose a mixed hardware-software design for millimeter wave (mm-wave) experimentation on software-defined radios (SDR). Specifically, we propose to design the basic blocks required to implement a single carrier receiver for an IEEE 802.11ad system, and to integrate them in the GNU Radio framework for mm-wave experimentation with USRP X310 boards at a scaled-down bandwidth. In addition, the hardware implementation of the packet detection and synchronization blocks will done in a way that ensures they can also be operated at the symbol rates required by the standard, allowing their integration on other SDR boards that can meet the bandwidth requirements without requiring modification of the designed blocks.

The proposed blocks will be integrated in the GNU Radio + RFNoC framework, allowing for a step-by-step translation of blocks from software to hardware implementation in future extensions. The designed blocks (software and hardware) will include fixed-point modelling selectable from the parameters allowing the quantification of the quantization errors in future projects with area/power constraints.

The flexibility of the system design will be demonstrated by (remote) testing the developed blocks on USRP X310 radios, but also integrating the hardware blocks on a more powerful Vadatech AMC599 board running at full IEEE 802.11ad single carrier symbol rate. This allows to extend the basic platform towards a fully IEEE 802.11ad transceiver in the future.

The project will be carried out in three phases: 1) software development and implementation of the receiver blocks in the GNU Radio framework, 2) hardware translation of the packet detection and synchronization blocks and finally 3) integration of the mixed hardware/software design in the GNU Radio + RFNoC framework.

This project will provide the research community with a highly flexible open platform for mm-wave experimentation, ensuring that future extensions to the receiver and transmit model can easily translate more blocks to hardware implementation and add further functionality.