USRP Front Ends

Overview

Without a front end, the USRPs are of limited use in a large outdoor testbed like AERPAW. The various elements in the front end chains fulfill several roles (amplifying and filtering the signals) while attempting to not overly limit the flexibility inherent with the USRPs. In AERPAW the fixed nodes and the portable nodes have different front ends (primarily driven by size and weight limitations on the portable nodes).

At this time the main frequency band supported by AERPAW is close to the 3.5GHz band.

USRPs with multiple transmit and receive paths (e.g., B210, X310, etc.) have identical front end chains (within part tolerances)

Fixed Nodes Front Ends

Transmit Path

The fixed node transmit path consists of:

Transmit path band-pass filter (VBFZ-3590-S+) (3GHz - 4.2GHz) - primarily used to avoid transmissions outside of the currently supported bands.
Duplexer (WRC built) allows for the reuse of the antenna for two different frequency bands (namely 2.6GHz and 3.5GHz)
Power Amplifier (ZHL-15W-422-S+) (0.5GHz - 4.2GHz)(15W)
Antenna (RM-WB1-DN-B1K) (0.6GHz - 6GHz)

Receive Path

Antenna (RM-WB1-DN-B1K) (0.6GHz - 6GHz) (same as the transmit path)
Duplexer (WRC built) allows for the reuse of the antenna for two different frequency bands (namely 2.6GHz and 3.5GHz)(same as the transmit path)
Receive path band-pass filter (VBFZ-3590-S+) (3GHz - 4.2GHz) - primarily used to avoid other co-located transmitters (same as the transmit path).
Low Noise Amplifier (ZX60-83LN-S+) - to amplify the signal to a suitable level for the USRP receive path.

Portable Nodes Front Ends

Transmit Path

The fixed node transmit path consists of:

Transmit path band-pass filter (VBFZ-3590-S+) (3GHz - 4.2GHz) - same as for the fixed nodes.
Low Noise Amplifier (ZX60-83LN-S+) - used as a driving amplifier for the power amplifier.
Power Amplifier (ZVE-8G+) 2GHz - 8GHz)(1W)
Antenna (SA 1400-5900) (1.4GHz - 5.9GHz)

Receive Path

Antenna (SA 1400-5900) (1.4GHz - 5.9GHz)(same as the transmit path)
Receive path band-pass filter (VBFZ-3590-S+) (3GHz - 4.2GHz) - (same as the transmit path).
Low Noise Amplifier (ZX60-83LN-S+) - to amplify the signal to a suitable level for the USRP receive path.

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