The Register Transfer Logic Software Defined Radio (RTL-SDR) is a low-cost software-defined radio (SDR) built around a television tuner. Group 108 at MIT Lincoln Laboratory has interest in determining the potential capabilities of SDR receivers for air surveillance. Several RTL-SDRs were put through tests to compare their performance characteristics to those of the commercial Ettus Universal Software Radio Peripheral (USRP). Prototypes were built for both a two-channel and three-channel RTL-SDR system; these systems were tested for phase offset between their receiver channels. RTL-SDRs cannot compete directly on performance with more expensive SDRs specifically built for reception, but they show good performance for their price and can be utilized in a multi-channel receiver system.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Michelini, Stephen Dominic
• Mahalingam, Krishna Irivinti

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• E-project-101216-145402

Advisor

• Clancy, Edward A.

Year

• 2016

Center

• MIT Lincoln Laboratory-Lexington, Massachusetts Project Center - MQP

Sponsor

• MIT Lincoln Laboratory

Date created

• 2016-10-12

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Electrical & Computer Engineering

Rights statement

• In Copyright