Man-made Noise Measurement System for HF Band Based on SDR platforms - Design and Implementation

HF radio communications has remained unequivocally a widely debated topic because of its advantages in providing not only communications over distances of up to thousands of kilometers, but also because of its applicability in a wide range of applications. However, for the most reliable communications planning, knowledge of the electromagnetic environment in general and radio noise in particular is essential. Radio noise affects the receiving system either from natural external sources or from unintentional radiation. This paper approaches these unintentional sources, also known as man-made noise, with a focus on one of its dominant components, namely White Gaussian Noise. Accordingly, for the measurement of Gaussian noise we propose a measurement system based on SDR platforms, characterized by its flexibility in configuration. The system also includes a Rohde&Schwarz HFH2-Z6E broadband active rod antenna connected to an R&S®IN600 Bias unit. The purpose of this paper is to design, implement and test this system to measure WGN noise, for the frequency range 2-12MHz using the “20% method”, expressed in standardized dB at a bandwidth of 1 Hz.