Research Platform Enables Students To Link Theory to Practical Application

A new pair of universal software radio peripheral (USRP) instruments, NI USRP-2920 and NI USRP-2921, from National Instruments has opened the doors for students to test abstract mathematical theory within a real-world environment. Released Wednesday, the devices are part of National Instruments' NI USRP educational platform that also includes NI LabVIEW software and course-specific lab material.

NI USRP technology enables students to explore complex RF and communications theory through hands-on experimentation. The platform has found its place in recent years at institutions conducting research in software-defined and cognitive radio fields. Educators at Stanford University implemented the platform in a lab as part of a pilot course for electrical engineering students. Undergraduates got hands-on experience with engineering concepts as they worked together to design a complete communications system.

"We want to expose students to real-world signals early in their academic careers," said Sachin Katti, assistant professor of electrical engineering and computer science at Stanford, in a statement. "With the NI USRP and LabVIEW, we can now provide this exposure in RF and communications courses for the first time, which adds depth to both teaching and learning theoretical concepts."

The NI USRP devices feature a software-tunable front end ranging from 50 MHz to 2.2 GHz or the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz ISM bands. The hardware also integrates a software reconfigurable RF transceiver with high-speed A/D and D/A converters, which makes it possible to stream baseband I and Q signals to a host PC over gigibit Ethernet at up to 20 million samples per second for real-time access to the spectrum.

Institutions can implement the NI USRP platform for teaching and research in digital communications, communication system design, antenna theory, digital modulation, wireless communication, software-defined radio, digital signal processing and information theory. The software reconfigurable platform can also scale for communications experimentation, research, and rapid prototyping.

For pricing details or to learn more about the NI USRP platform, visit National Instruments Web site.

About the Author

Kanoe Namahoe is online editor for 1105 Media's Education Group. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • person signing a bill at a desk with a faint glow around the document. A tablet and laptop are subtly visible in the background, with soft colors and minimal digital elements

    California Governor Signs AI Content Safeguards into Law

    California Governor Gavin Newsom has officially signed off on a series of landmark artificial intelligence bills, signaling the state’s latest efforts to regulate the burgeoning technology, particularly in response to the misuse of sexually explicit deepfakes. The legislation is aimed at mitigating the risks posed by AI-generated content, as concerns grow over the technology's potential to manipulate images, videos, and voices in ways that could cause significant harm.

  • glowing AI brain composed of geometric lines and nodes, encased within a protective shield of circuit patterns

    NIST's U.S. AI Safety Institute Announces Research Collaboration with Anthropic and OpenAI

    The U.S. AI Safety Institute, part of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), has formalized agreements with AI companies Anthropic and OpenAI to collaborate on AI safety research, testing, and evaluation.

  • a glowing gaming controller, a digital tree structure, and an open book

    Report: Use of Game Engines Expands Beyond Gaming

    Game development technology is increasingly being utilized beyond its traditional gaming roots, according to the recently released annual "State of Game Development" report from development and DevOps solutions provider Perforce Software.

  • translucent lock composed of interconnected nodes and circuits at the center

    Cloud Security Alliance: Best Practices for Securing AI Systems

    The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), a not-for-profit organization whose mission statement is defining and raising awareness of best practices to help ensure a secure cloud computing environment, has released a new report offering guidance on securing systems that leverage large language models (LLMs) to address business challenges.