LOW-COST SDR SOLUTION WITH SWEEPING FOR ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM MONITORING

Mirela ȘORECĂU, Emil ȘORECĂU, Paul BECHET

Abstract


The following article presents the design, implementation, and evaluation of a compact, inexpensive, and portable SDR-based sensor for monitoring the electromagnetic spectrum. Using SDR technology and a sweep-based measurement approach, the system enables configurable broadband scanning and optional IQ data acquisition for detailed signal analysis. The Raspberry Pi board serves as the processing unit, creating a lightweight platform suitable for integration with drones and remote operations. The study proposes an enhanced scanning algorithm that optimizes the balance between scanning speed, resolution, and the hardware constraints of affordable SDR devices. The experimental testing conducted in the laboratory and in real environments quantified the accuracy of frequency estimation, resolution, sensitivity, and scanning performance by demonstrating the usability and efficiency of the system in spectrum management, interference detection, and SIGINT-related applications.

Full Text:

PDF

References


Helbet, R., Bechet, P., Monda, V., Miclaus, S.G., Bouleanu, I. Low-Cost Sensor Based on SDR Platforms for TETRA Signals Monitoring, Sensors, 2021.

Pfammatter, D., Giustiniano, D., Lenders, V. A software-defined sensor architecture for large-scale wideband spectrum monitoring, Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Information Processing in Sensor Networks, 2015.

Mazuro, M., Skokowski, P., Kelner, J.M. Coordinated Radio Emitter Detection Process Using Group of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Sensors, 2025.

Joosens, D., Bnilam, N., Berkvens, R., Weyn, M. Software-Defined Radio-Based Internet of Things Communication Systems: An Application for the DASH7 Alliance Protocol, Applied Sciences, 2024.

Oncu, S., Karakaya, M., Dalveren, Y., Kara, A., Derawi, M. Real-time radar classification based on Software-Defined Radio platforms: enhancing processing speed and accuracy with graphics processing unit acceleration, Sensors, 2024.

Zhang, Z., Hussein, R. Optimizing FPGA resource allocation in SDR remote laboratories via partial reconfiguration, Electronics, 2025.

Oliveira de Souza, E., Terêncio Dias, J., Nunes Gonçalves, D. Implementation and performance analysis of a low resolution OFDM system prototype with low-cost hardware, Journal of Communication and Information Systems, 2023.

García Luis, U., Fernández Fernández, P.F., Diz-Folgar, M., Ivorra-Sineiro, A., Camanzo-Mariño, A., Fortes-Martinez, B., Ulloa, C., Arias-Acuña, M., Orgeira-Crespo, P. From Ground Up: Incorporating a Low-Cost Ground Station to Master Satellite Subsystems Design Through Data Harvesting, IAF Space Education and Outreach Symposium, 2024.

Șorecău, E., Sorecău, M., Bechet, P. Advanced SDR-Based Custom OFDM Protocol for Improved Data Rates in HF-NVIS Links, Applied Sciences, 2024.

Lin, M., Zhang, X., Tian, Y., Huang, Y. Multi-Signal Detection Framework: A Deep Learning Based Carrier Frequency and Bandwidth Estimation, Sensors, 2022.

Davies, N., Dogan, H., Ki-Aries, D. Application of Systems-of-Systems Theory to Electromagnetic Warfare Intentional Electromagnetic Interference Risk Assessment, Syst., 2025.

Bello, N., Ogbeide, K.O. Designing a Real-time Swept Spectrum Analyser with USRP B210, Nigerian Journal of Environmental Sciences and Technology, 2021.

Ivanov, I., Spassov, S.I. Electronic attack using SDR, Environment. Technology. Resources. Proceedings of the International Scientific and Practical Conference, 2025.

Ge, C., Li, Z., Gong, H., Sun, M., Li, K., Pan, M. Software Defined Radio-Based Electromagnetic Environment Interference Detection, International Conference on Electronic Information and Communication Technology (ICEICT), 2024.

Saarelainen, M.T. Towards Tactical Military Software Defined Radio, SENSORCOMM, 2014.

Xu, H., Cui, X., Lu, M. An SDR-Based Real-Time Testbed for GNSS Adaptive Array Anti-Jamming Algorithms Accelerated by GPU, Sensors, 2016.

Flak, P. Hardware-Accelerated Real-Time Spectrum Analyzer with a Broadband Fast Sweep Feature Based on the Cost-Effective SDR Platform, IEEE Access, 2022.


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


JOURNAL INDEXED IN :