===== Background =====

In the fall of 1997, the Mobile Communications Laboratory (LCM) of EPFL's
[[http://sscwww.epfl.ch|Communication Systems Department]] began the development of a state-of-the-art
third generation (3G) real-time mobile radio communications test bed. A
primary goal behind this initiative is to test research results in the
real environment. Another goal is to build a flexible tool for the classroom.
The test bed is capable of 3G signaling schemes (i.e. 5 MHz bandwidth in
the 2 GHz band, up to 1W transmit power) such as those proposed UMTS or
IMT-2000. We are, however, by no means limited to the design choices of
such systems.

We are committed to research
areas such as:

  * adaptive antenna systems
  * joint detection/decoding of multi-user signals
  * dynamic resource allocation
  * synchronization and channel estimation algorithms
  * radio propagation
  * real-time DSP processing using Pentium MMX
  * joint source-channel coding

The test bed architecture is both flexible and scalable because of the relatively simple (yet state-of-the-art) hardware component. In order to demonstrate the flexibility of our architecture,
we have recently implemented an 8 Mbit/s real-time wireless link between two standard PCs running under the [[http://www.linux.org|LINUX]]
operating system. This is made possible using the advanced DSP capabilities of [[http://www.intel.com|Pentium MMX technology]]. This demonstration will evolve into the development
of advanced mobile terminals using standard computing platforms. In 2002, we plan on extending our platform to handle multi-antennas.\\
The software-radio became part of the [[http://www.terminodes.org|NCCR-MICS]] project in 2002 and as thus is funded by the Swiss government.


===== Partners =====

Almost in parallel to the LCM, the Mobile Communications Department of [[http://www.eurecom.fr|Institut Eurécom]] in Sophia Antipolis, France, launched a five-year project
entitled Open Software Radio Platform. Both groups decided to pool their resources together because our goals were similar. [[http://www.st.com|STMicroelectronics]]
is also involved in some parts of this collaboration, specifically in the development of radio frequency (RF) electronics. The LCM is funded in part by [[http://www.nokia.com|NOKIA]]


===== People =====

Within LCM, the folllowing people have contributed to the development of our software radio testbed.
  * Vivek Agarwal
  * Linus Gasser
  * Ramakrishna Gummadi
  * Thomas Höhne
  * Sherin Ibrahim
  * Tameen Khan
  * Raymond Knopp
  * Bixio Rimoldi
  * Jeyashankher S.R.
  * Kasturi Vasudevan
  * Brunner Stéphane

===== Contacting Us =====

For more information regarding this project, please contact [[mailto:bixio.rimoldi@epfl.ch|Bixio Rimoldi]].