GRCon20 - The High Striker, or "how strong is my SDR signal?"
0Presented by Martin Braun at GNU Radio Conference 2020
https://gnuradio.org/grcon20
How much power am I receiving/transmitting? This question, or related questions, is something that gets asked a regularly on various SDR forums. The answer is usually "it's complicated".
This talk about SDR fundamentals will try to shed some light on the question on how signal levels in the digital domain map to those in the analog domain. We will learn what makes it difficult to relate analog power levels ("dBm levels") to DSP, and how we can use calibration to solve that particular issue. We will also discuss how to actually measure power, particularly in the digital domain, and how that by itself comes with its own issues. Finally, we will take a look at some recent developments that will allow GNU Radio users to use analog power levels inside their digital SDR applications.