Team 303: Software Radio Transmitter

Project Abstract

Radios have been used for many generations to send and receive data over large distances, wirelessly. From the military and large corporations to private owned vehicles, radios are used in a variety of different ways. Oftentimes, companies or the military use many different radios for different tasks. All these different radio transmitters can add up to a larger required investment. However, a new radio on the cutting-edge of technology can be used to decrease these costs - the Software Defined Radio (SDR). An SDR is a radio that uses one single device while allowing software to control the radio. Instead of using different radios, different programs can be written to the same device. This project focuses on developing an SDR with three objectives. The radio is built from commercial parts, the software is reprogrammable, and the SDR must have high fidelity. This means that the signal reproduced will be of high quality. By creating an SDR, it allows businesses to be more cost-efficient and will allow anyone to create a design. The SDR will have only one radio, which will prevent any confusion that multiple radios can lead to. The SDR is useful in many areas because of its flexibility and easily maintained because of its use of commercial parts.