Validating RF applications is traditionally time consuming, even for relatively simple systems. We developed the WISCA Software-Defined Radio Network (WISCANet) to accelerate the implementation and validation of radio applications over-the-air (OTA). WISCANet is a hardwareagnostic control software that automatically configures and controls a software-defined radio (SDR) network. By abstracting the hardware controls away from the user, WISCANet allows a non-expert user to deploy an OTA application by simply defining a baseband processing chain in a high level language. This technology reduces transition time between system design and OTA deployment, accelerates debugging and validation processes, and makes OTA experimentation more accessible to users that are not radio hardware experts. WISCANet emulates real-time RF operations, enabling users to perform real-time experiments without the typical restrictions on processing speed and hardware capabilities. WISCANet also supports multiple RF front-ends (RFFEs) per compute node, allowing sub-6 and mmWave systems to coexist on the same node. This coexistence enables simultaneous baseband processing that simplifies and enhances advanced algorithms and beyond-5G applications. In this study, we highlight the capabilities of WISCANet in several sub-6 and mmWave over-the-air demonstrations. The open source release of this software may be found on the WISCA GitHub page.

Spectral congestion and modern consumer applications motivate radio technologies that efficiently cooperate with nearby users and provide several services simultaneously. We designed and implemented a joint positioning-communications system that simultaneously enables network communications, timing synchronization, and localization to a variety of airborne and ground-based platforms. This Communications and High-Precision Positioning (CHP2) system simultaneously performs communications and precise ranging (<10 cm) with a narrow band waveform (10 MHz) at a carrier frequency of 915 MHz (US ISM) or 783 MHz (EU Licensed). The ranging capability may be extended to estimate the relative position and orientation by leveraging the spatial diversity of the multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) platforms. CHP2 also digitally synchronizes distributed platforms with sub-nanosecond precision without support from external systems (GNSS, GPS, etc.). This performance is enabled by leveraging precise time-of-arrival (ToA) estimation techniques, a network synchronization algorithm, and the intrinsic cooperation in the joint processing chain that executes these tasks simultaneously. In this manuscript, we describe the CHP2 system architecture, hardware implementation, and in-lab and over-the-air experimental validation.