Experimental Validation of an SDR Demonstrator for Beamforming Technology
DOI: 10.21293/1818-0442-2026-29-1-27-39
Abstract: Relevance. Beamforming technologies are critical for advanced mobile communication standards. However, despite numerous simulation studies in this field, experimental validation using Software-Defined Radio (SDR) is hindered by the high cost of multi-channel solutions and synchronization complexity. This makes the development of an affordable SDR demonstrator highly relevant. Purpose of the study is to construct and experimentally validate a system based on software-defined radio for investigating beamforming technology. This approach requires both expensive SDR platforms with multiple transmit and receive chains and sufficiently high competencies in organizing such experiments. Novelty. This paper proposes for the first time a method of combining a pair of two-channel USRP B210 boards into a four-element antenna array beamforming demonstrator using domestic Metronome frequency‑time synchronization devices. Methods. The hardware and software implementation of the proposed method is described, including the layout of a four-element linear antenna array and the formalization of software modules based on the UHD driver. These modules provide the necessary frequency and time synchronization accu-racy for two separate SDR devices to enable amplitude-phase processing of radio signals in beamforming. Results. Experimental validation results of the developed SDR demonstrator for beamforming technology in receive mode are presented. As a first approximation, the operability of the developed SDR demonstrator is shown using a particular experiment to estimate the spatial resolving capability for two sources with the MUSIC algorithm. The theoretical significance lies in the scientific substantiation of the possibility of combining several SDR devices with the frequency and time synchronization required for beamforming. Practical significance. The proposed method enables experimental validation of beamforming algorithms without the need to purchase expensive multichannel SDR devices.
Keywords: beamforming, antenna array, 5G, SDR
Funding: This research was funded by the Russian Science Foundation Grant No. 25-29-01263, https://rscf.ru/project/25-29-01263/.
For citation:
Sheremet N. V., Fokin G. A. Experimental Validation of an SDR Demonstrator for Beamforming Technology. Doklady Tomskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta sistem upravleniya i radioelektroniki, 2026, vol. 29, no. 1, pp. 27–39. DOI: 10.21293/1818-0442-2026-29-1-27-39
Authors and copyright holders:
- Sheremet N. V. , Saint Petersburg State University of Telecommunications named after Prof. M.A. Bonch-Bruevich (Saint Petersburg, Russia)
- Fokin G. A. , Saint Petersburg State University of Telecommunications named after Prof. M.A. Bonch-Bruevich (Saint Petersburg, Russia)
- 1. Singh N., Verma A., Patil S. Array Antennas for 5G mm Wave Spectrum: A Comparative Review. 2024 International Conference on Communication, Computing and Energy Effi-cient Technologies (I3CEET), Gautam Buddha Nagar, India, IEEE, 2024, pp. 578–583.
- 2. 3GPP TR 22.261 V15.9.0 (2021-10) Service require-ments for the 5G system (Release 15). Available at: https://portal.3gpp.org/desktopmodules/Specifications/SpecificationDetails.aspx?specificationId=3107 (accessed: 20 January 2026).
- 3. Fokin G.A. Upravlenie samoorganizuyushchimisya paketnymi radiosetyami na osnove radiostantsiy s napravlen-nymi antennami [Control of self-organizing packet radio net-works based on radio stations with directional antennas]. Diss. … kand. tekhn. nauk. Saint Petersburg, 2009, 144 p. (in Russ.).
- 4. Babkov V.Yu., Fokin G.A. Otsenka veroyatnosti uspeshnogo radiopriema v samoorganizuyushchikhsya pa-ketnykh radiosetyakh na osnove radiostantsiy s napravlennymi antennami [Estimation of successful radio reception probability in self-organizing packet radio networks based on directional antenna radios]. Nauchno-tekhnicheskie vedomosti SPbGPU. Informatika. Telekommunikatsii. Upravlenie, 2009, no. 4(82), pp. 77–84 (in Russ.).
- 5. Movchan A.K., Rogozhnikov E.V., Dmitriev E.M., Novichkov S.A. [Simulation model of 5G base station transmit-ting path]. Doklady Tomskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta sistem upravleniya i radioelektroniki, 2020, vol. 23, no. 3, pp. 38–44 (in Russ.).
- 6. Movchan A.K., Rogozhnikov E.V., Dmitriev E.M., Novichkov S.A., Lakontsev D.V. [Calculation of signal attenua-tion of 5G cellular networks for FR1 frequencies]. Doklady Tomskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta sistem upravleniya i radioelektroniki, 2022, vol. 25, no. 1, pp. 17–23 (in Russ.).
- 7. Lavdas S., Gkonis P.K., Zinonos Z., Trakadas P., Sarakis L., Papadopoulos K. A machine learning adaptive beamforming framework for 5G millimeter wave massive MIMO multicellular networks, Athens, Greece. IEEE Access, 2022, vol. 10, pp. 91597–91609.
- 8. Codau C., Rares B., Palade T., Pastrav A., Dolea P., Simedroni R. Experimental evaluation of a beamforming-capable system using NI USRP software defined radios. 2019 18th RoEduNet Conference: Networking in Education and Research (RoEduNet), Galati, Romania, 2019, pp. 1–6.
- 9. Wachowiak M., Kryszkiewicz P. Angle of arrival esti-mation in a multi-antenna software defined radio system: impact of hardware and radio environment. Wireless Networks, 2022, vol. 28, pp. 3537–3548.
- 10. Verdecia-Peña R., Alonso J.I. Performance evaluation of a proposed two-hop D&F co-operative 5G network using SDR platform. 2022 IEEE 95th Vehicular Technology Con-ference (VTC2022-Spring), Helsinki, Finland, 2022, pp. 1–5.
- 11. Izydorczyk T., Tavares F.M.L., Berardinelli G., Mo-gensen P. A USRP-based multi-antenna testbed for reception of multi-site cellular signals. IEEE Access, 2019, vol. 7, pp. 162723–162734.
- 12. Zhang P., Xu J., Zhong S., Feng H., Huang L., Yuan T. Design of reconfigurable SDR platform for antenna selec-tion aided MIMO communication system, Aalborg, Denmark. IEEE Access, 2019, vol. 7, pp. 169267–169280.
- 13. Schwind A., Berlt P., Lorenz M., Schneider C., Hein M.A. Implementation of a MIMO channel emulator for over-the-air LTE testing using software defined radio. 2018 11th German Microwave Conference (GeMiC), Freiburg, Germa-ny, 2018, pp. 307–310.
- 14. Thameur H.B., Dayoub I. SDR Implementation of a Real-Time Testbed for Spectrum Sensing Under MIMO Time-Selective Channels for Cognitive Radio Applications, Valenciennes, France. IEEE Sensors Letters, 2021, vol. 5, no. 8, Art. no. 7002704.
- 15. Sabra A., Berbineau M., Pajusco P., Amghar J.E., Abdelghany A., Maye C. Sub-6ГГц MIMO channel sound-ers for railway environments. Journées d’études Propagation Radioélectrique 2023, Rennes, France, 2023, pp. 1–4. Availa-ble at: https://hal.science/hal-04705606v1 (дата обращения: 20.01.2026).
- 16. Hussein Z., Francois S., Oumaya B., Thierry V. SYLOIN: measuring angle of arrival of LoRa signals using software defined radio. 2021 International Conference on In-door Positioning and Indoor Navigation (IPIN), Lloret de Mar, Spain, 2021, pp. 1–8.
- 17. USRP B210. Ettus Research. Available at: https://www.ettus.com/all-products/ub210-kit/ (accessed: 20 January 2026).
- 18. Rares B., Codau C., Pastrav A., Palade T., Hedesiu H., Balauta B. Experimental evaluation of AoA algorithms us-ing NI USRP software defined radios. 2018 17th RoEduNet Conference: Networking in Education and Research (RoEduNet), Cluj-Napoca, Romania, 2018, pp. 1–6.
- 19. Meaney P., Hartov A., Bulumulla S., Raynolds T., Davis C., Schoenberger F., Richter S., Paulsen K. A 4-channel, vector network analyzer microwave imaging proto-type based on software defined radio technology. Review of Scientific Instruments, 2019, vol. 90, no. 4, pp. 1–14.
- 20. Vishnevskiy V.M., Lyakhov A.I., Portnoy S.L., Shakhnovich I.V. Shirokopolosnye besprovodnye seti peredachi informatsii [Broadband wireless information net-works]. Moscow: Tekhnosfera, 2005, 542 p. (in Russ.).
- 21. Balanis C.A. Antenna theory: analysis and design. 4th ed. Hoboken: Wiley, 2016, pp. 285–318.
- 22. Özyurt S., Simon E.P., Torlak M. A hybrid uplink multiple access method based on NOMA and SDMA, Anka-ra, Turkey. IEEE Access, 2023, vol. 11, pp. 89265–89276.
- 23. Sheremet N.V., Fokin G.A. Chetyrekhlementnaya an-tennaya reshyotka na baze SDR platform s nanosekundnoy sinkhronizatsiey [Four-element antenna array based on SDR platforms with nanosecond synchronization]. Nauchno-tekhnicheskaya konferentsiya Sankt-Peterburgskogo NTO RES im. A.S. Popova, posvyashchennaya Dnyu radio [Scientific and technical conference of the St. Petersburg Scientific and Technical Association of the Russian Electronic Networks named after A.S. Popov, dedicated to Radio Day], St. Petersburg, Saint Petersburg Electrotechnical University "LETI", 2025, no. 1(80), pp. 136–140 (in Russ.).
- 24. Metrotek. Server tochnogo vremeni Metronom-PTP-1U [Metrotek. Precision time server Metronom-PTP-1U] (in Russ.). Available at: https://metrotek.ru/?p=4209 (accessed: 20 January 2026).
- 25. Metrotek. Translyatory Radius 50-T. Metronom-T [Metrotek. Radius-50-T, Metronom-T translators] (in Russ.). Available at: https://kbmetrotek.ru/metronom-t/ (accessed: 20 January 2026).
- 26. USRP B200mini. Ettus Research. Available at: https://www.ettus.com/all-products/usrp-b200mini/ (accessed: 20 January 2026).
- 27. USRP X300. Ettus Research. Available at: https://www.ettus.com/all-products/x300-kit/ (accessed: 20 January 2026).
- 28. USRP N320. Ettus Research. Available at: https://www.ettus.com/all-products/usrp-n320/ (accessed: 20 January 2026).
- 29. USRP N321. Ettus Research. Available at: https://www.ettus.com/all-products/usrp-n320/ (accessed: 20 January 2026).
- 30. USRP X410. Ettus Research. Available at: https://www.ettus.com/all-products/usrp-x410/ (accessed: 20 January 2026).
- 31. OctoClock G CDA 2990. Ettus Research. Available at: https://www.ettus.com/all-products/octoclock-g/ (accessed: 20 January 2026).
- 32. UHD Python API. Available at: https://kb.ettus.com/UHD_Python_API (accessed: 20 January 2026).
- 33. MatLab. Available at: https://www.mathworks.com/ products/matlab.html (accessed: 20 January 2026).
- 34. Communications Toolbox Support Package for USRP Radio. Available at: https://www.mathworks.com/help/ comm/usrpradio/ug/install-support-package-for-usrp-radio.html (accessed: 20 January 2026).
- 35. Synchronization and MIMO Capability with USRP Devices. Available at: https://kb.ettus.com/Synchronization_ and_MIMO_Capability_with_USRP_Devices (accessed: 20 January 2026).
- 36. GNU Radio. Available at: https://www.gnuradio.org/ (accessed: 20 January 2026).
- 37. Gross F.B. Smart antennas for wireless communica-tions with Matlab. New York, McGraw-Hill, 2005, 187 p.
- 38. USRP-2932 Specifications. Available at: https://www.farnell.com/datasheets/3752197.pdf (accessed: 20 January 2026).
- 39. Fokin G.A., Sheremet N.V. Postanovka zadachi ek-sperimentalnoy aprobatsii mnogoantennykh sistem na osnove programmno konfiguriruemogo radio [Problem statement for experimental testing of multi-antenna systems based on soft-ware defined radio]. Podgotovka professionalnykh kadrov v magistrature v epokhu tsifrovoy transformatsii (PKM-2024): sbornik luchshikh dokladov V Vserossiyskoy nauchno-tekhnicheskoy i nauchno-metodicheskoy konferentsii magistran-tov i ikh rukovoditeley [Training of master’s degree profession-als in the era of digital transformation: Proceedings of the 5th All Russian scientific-technical and scientific-methodical con-ference of master’s students and their supervisors], in 2 vols, St. Petersburg, 2025, vol. 1, pp. 125–131 (in Russ.).
Last issue
-2026-1_%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BF%D0%B8%D1%8F.jpg)
Editorial office address
Executive Secretary of the Editor’s Office
Editor’s Office: 40 Lenina Prospect, Tomsk, 634050, Russia
Phone / Fax: + 7 (3822) 701-582
Viktor N. Maslennikov
Executive Secretary of the Editor’s Office
Editor’s Office: 40 Lenina Prospect, Tomsk, 634050, Russia
Phone / Fax: + 7 (3822) 51-21-21 / 51-43-02
Subscription for updates
