Remote Laboratory Exercises and Tutorials for Spectrum-Agile Radio Frequency Systems

In this workshop, communications systems and wireless communications educators will experience and provide feedback on remote laboratory exercises and tutorials that employ an Internet-accessible, software-defined radio (SDR) based testbed. The tutorials introduce and demonstrate concepts relevant to spectrum sharing, cognitive radio, and other radio / wireless communications applications that involve spectrum agility. Students run, modify, and / or configure code for cognitive engines or adaptive controllers that make real-time modifications to radio waveform parameters such as operating frequency, transmitting power, signal bandwidth, modulation, and error correction. The controllers make adaptations to optimize over-the-air operation in challenging signal environments. The resulting radio link performance is measured using an experiment management framework and can be visualized using a web interface that displays performance metrics as well as three-dimensional and two-dimensional waterfall plots. In the process of working through the exercises, students learn to use the above tools, which also enable them to design and perform original experiments. This workshop will be valuable for anyone teaching or studying wireless communications or using interactive remote laboratories and tutorials to teach technical concepts