Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Wright State University, 2024, Electrical Engineering
In modern wideband receiver standards, efficient frequency spectrum utilization is essential to meet demands for high data rates, reduced latency, and enhanced connectivity. The Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) stands as a pivotal technology, particularly in radar signal processing, where it supports tasks such as target detection, range estimation, and velocity
estimation by analyzing the frequency content of the received radar signals.
This dissertation introduces the design of an advanced digital wideband receiver featuring
a high dynamic range for multiple signals, with a focus on improved performance,
compact size, and reduced power consumption, implemented on an FPGA using custom
hardware. Key optimizations include converting floating-point data to 10-bit integers and
replacing complex multipliers in the FFT module with simplified operations. The design
begins with an FFT implementation using a 12-bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC) operating
at a 2 GHz sampling rate, capturing 512 data points. Improvements such as a
multiple-input selection block enhance weak signal amplification while preserving dynamic
range, and an upgraded square-root approximation using Chebyshev coefficients
reduces FFT output errors. These advancements improve weak signal detection accuracy
even in the presence of strong signals, minimizing hardware requirements. The implementation
utilized the Xilinx UltraScale+ RFSoC 1275 board, which integrates both RF and
digital processing components onto a single chip, offering a compact and efficient solution
for wideband receiver designs. The FFT module processes sampled data every 256 ns,
evaluating frequencies from 64 MHz to 940 MHz. Experimental results demonstrate the
lowest detectable signal strength of 500 uVpp with an approximate dynamic range of 60
dB for a single signal. For two-tone signals, the achievable instantaneous dynamic range
is about 40 dB, with the lowest detectable signal strength in the presence of the s (open full item for complete abstract)
Committee: Chein-In Henry Chen Ph.D. (Advisor); Saiyu Ren Ph.D. (Committee Member); Marian Kazimierczuk Ph.D. (Committee Member); Raymond E. Siferd Ph.D. (Committee Member); Yan Zhuang Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Subjects: Computer Engineering; Electrical Engineering; Engineering