A flexible digital platform for real-time control of RF components with application to MIMO channel emulation

摘要

This paper presents the design, realization and application of a software programmable digital platform for real-time control of radiofrequency (RF) circuits. The platform is based on a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a digital signal processor (DSP) and a reduced instruction-set computer (RISC) processor. It interfaces to the analog domain through four digital to analog converters (DAC) and two analog to digital converters (ADC). The feasibility of a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) channel emulator using RF components and the digital platform is demonstrated. The overall specifications of the platform are also discussed.