WIP: Achieving Self-Interference-Free Operation on SDR Platform with Critical TDD Turnaround Time

TL;DR

This paper presents a novel method to significantly reduce turnaround time and self-interference in SDR platforms using ZIF transceivers, enabling TDD protocols like Wi-Fi with improved performance.

Contribution

The authors demonstrate a new approach that achieves ultra-low turnaround time of 640 ns and maintains low self-interference on the AD9361 RF front-end, surpassing conventional TDD performance.

Findings

Turnaround time reduced to 640 ns from 55 μs.

Self-interference levels comparable to conventional TDD.

Receiver noise floor decreased by 13 dB in 2.4 GHz band.

Abstract

Software Defined Radio (SDR) platforms are valuable for research and development activities or high-end systems that demand real-time adaptable wireless protocols. While low latency can be achieved using the dedicated digital processing unit of a state-of-the-art SDR platform, its Radio Frequency (RF) front-end often poses a limitation in terms of turnaround time (TT), the time needed for switching from the receiving to the transmitting mode (or vice versa). Zero Intermediate Frequency (ZIF) transceivers are favorable for SDR, but suffer from self-interference even if the device is not currently transmitting. The strict MAC-layer requirements of Time Division Duplex (TDD) protocols like Wi-Fi cannot be achieved using configurable ZIF transceivers without having to compromise receiver sensitivity. Using a novel approach, we show that the TT using the AD9361 RF front-end can be as low as 640 ns, while the self-interference is at the same level as achieved by the conventional TDD mode, which has a TT of at least 55 {\mu}s. As compared to Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) mode, a decrease of receiver noise floor by about 13 dB in the 2.4 GHz band and by about 4.5 dB in the 5 GHz band is achieved.