Open Source SDR Frontend and Measurements for 60-GHz Wireless Experimentation

This paper aims to make 60-GHz experimentation possible for a wider range of research groups. We do this by describing a low-cost front-end that can be used in combination with any baseband processing platform. We provide detailed instructions and software for connection with the USRP N200/N210, including general classes for controlling the board and example single-input single-output and 2 × 2 Multiple-Input Multiple Output applications. In addition, we provide measurements to assess the impact of phase noise and other hardware impairments in low-cost millimeter-wave systems for hybrid measurement and simulation studies. Finally, we also perform performance measurements on the hardware. All our materials, such as the hardware design, the software, and the measurements, are freely available.