Software defined six-port receiver for OFDM modulation

Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) has been identified as a potential method to enhance the performance of wireless communication links degraded by cosite interference, impulsive noise and frequency selective fading. In this paper, an OFDM software defined radio (SDR) receiver based on a wideband substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) six-port circuit is described and analyzed. A six-port direct receive for OFDM modulation is proposed for the first time. The proposed receiver provides a simple means to obtain a low cost module for OFDM modulation. Simulated results of noise performance of the SDR six-port based receiver are shown and discussed. The combination of OFDM and SDR technology provides great system flexibility, significant reduction of system development cost and very high potential for software reuse.