Thesis (PhD)--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Keywords: software-defined radio, SDR, quadrature mixing, quadrature modulation, quadrature demodulation, digital compensation, software radio, direct-digital synthesis, DDS. An often-stated goal of software-defined transceiver systems is to perform digital signal conversion as close to the antenna as possible by using high-rate converters. In this dissertation, alternative design principles are proposed, and it is shown that the signal processing techniques based on these principles improve on the prior system's accuracy, while maintaining system flexibility. Firstly, it is proposed that digital compensation can be used to reverse the effects of hardware inaccuracies in the RF front-end of a software-defined radio. Novel compensation techniques are introduced that suppress the signal artefacts introduced by typical frontend hardware. The extent to which such artefacts may be suppressed, is only limited by the accuracy by which they may be measured and digitally represented. A general compensation principle is laid down, which formalises the conditions under which optimal compensation may be achieved. Secondly, it is proposed that, in the design of such RF front-ends, a clear distinction should be drawn between signal processing complexity and frequency translation. It is demonstrated that conventional SDR systems often neglect this principle. As an alternative, quadrature mixing is shown to provide a clear separation between the frequency translation and signal processing problems. However, effective use of quadrature mixing as design approach necessitates the use of accurate compensation techniques to circumvent the hardware inaccuracies typically found in such mixers. Quadrature mixers are proposed as general-purpose front-ends for software-defined radios, and quadrature modulation and demodulation techniques are presented as alternatives to existing schemes. The inherent hardware inaccuracies are analysed and simulated, and appropriate compensation techniques are derived and tested. Finally, the theory is verified with a prototype system. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Sleutelwoorde: sagteware-gedefinieerde radio, SDR, haaksfasige menging, haaksfasige modulasie, haaksfasige demodulasie, digitale kompensasie, sagteware-radio, direk-digitale sintese, DDS. 'n Gewilde stelling is dat digitale seinomsetting in sagteware-gedefinieerde kommunikasiestelsels so na as moontlik aan die antenna moet geskied deur gebruik te maak van hoëspoed omsetters. Hierdie verhandeling stel alternatiewe ontwerpsbeginsels voor, en toon aan dat hierdie beginsels die eersgenoemde stelsel se akkuraatheid verbeter, terwyl stelselbuigsaamheid gehandhaaf word. Dit word eerstens voorgestel dat digitale kompensasie gebruik word om die effekte van hardeware-onakkuraathede in die RF-koppelvlak van sagteware-gedefinieerde radio's om te keer. Nuwe kompensasietegnieke, wat seinartefakte weens koppelvlak-onakkuraathede kan onderdruk, word aangebied. Die mate waartoe hierdie artefakte onderdruk kan word, word slegs beperk deur die akkuraatheid waarmee dit gemeet en digitaal voorgestel kan word. 'n Algemene kompensasiebeginsel word neergelê waarin die voorwaardes vir optimale kompensasie vasgelê word. Tweedens word voorgestel dat 'n duidelike onderskeid getref word tussen seinverwerkingskompleksiteit en seinverskuiwing in RF-koppelvlakke. Daar word getoon dat konvensionele SDR-stelsels dikwels nie hierdie beginsel handhaaf nie. 'n Alternatief, naamlik haaksfasige menging, word voorgehou as 'n tegniek wat duidelik onderskei tussen seinverskuiwing en seinverwerking. Akkurate kompensasietegnieke is egter nodig om effektief van sulke mengers gebruik te maak. Haaksfasige mengers word voorgestel as veeldoelige koppelvlakke vir sagteware-gedefinieerde radio's, en haaksfasige modulasie- en demodulasietegnieke word voorgestel as plaasvervangers vir bestaande tegnieke. Die inherente hardeware-onakkuraathede word geanaliseer en gesimuleer, en geskikte kompensasietegnieke word afgelei en getoets. Laastens word die teoretiese resultate met 'n praktiese prototipe bevestig.

Thesis (PhD (Electrical and Electronic Engineering))--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The use of the quadrature mixing topology has been severely limited in the past due to its sensitivity towards mismatches between its signal paths. In recent years, researchers have suggested that digital techniques can be used to compensate for the impairments in the analogue quadrature mixing front-end. Most authors, however, focus on the modelling and compensation of frequency-independent imbalances, reasoning that this approach is sufficient for narrow band signal operation. This common assumption is, however, becoming increasing less applicable as the use of wider bandwidth signals and multi-channel systems becomes more prevalent. In this dissertation, baseband equivalent distortion models are derived, which model frequency-independent, as well as frequency-dependent contributions towards the imbalances of the front-end. Both lowpass and bandpass imbalances are modelled, which extends current modelling approaches found in literature. The resulting baseband models are shown to be capable of explaining the imbalance characteristics observed in practical quadrature mixing front ends, where existing models fail to do so. The developed imbalance models is then used to develop novel frequency-dependent imbalance extraction and compensation techniques, which directly extract the exact quadrature imbalances of the front end, using simple test tones. The imbalance extraction and compensation procedures are implemented in the digital baseband domain of the transceiver and do not require high computational complexity. The performance of these techniques are subsequently verified through simulations and a practical hardware implementation, yielding significant improvement in the image rejection capabilities of the quadrature mixing transceiver. Finally, a novel, blind imbalance compensation technique is developed. This technique is aimed at extracting frequency-independent I/Q imbalances in systems employing digital modulation schemes. No test tones are employed and the imbalances of the modulator and demodulator are extracted from the second order statistics of the received signal. Simulations are presented to investigate the performance of these techniques under various operating conditions. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die gebruik van die haaksfasige mengtopologie word geweldig beperk deur die sensitiwiteit vir wanbalanse wat mag bestaan tussen die twee analoog seinpaaie. In die afgelope paar jaar het navorsers digitale metodes begin voorstel om te kompenseer vir hierdie wanbalanse in die analooggebied. Meeste navorsers fokus egter op frekwensie-onafhanklike wanbalanse. Hulle staaf hierdie aanslag deur te redineer dat dit ’n aanvaarbare aaname is vir ’n nouband stelsel. Hierdie algemene aanvaarding is egter besig om minder akkuraat te raak, namate wyeband- en multikanaalstelses aan die orde van die dag raak. In hierdie tesis word basisband-ekwiwalente wanbelansmodelle afgelei wat poog om die effek van frekwensie-afhanklike en -onafhanklike wanbalanse akkuraat voor te stel. Beide laagdeurlaat- en banddeurlaatwanbalanse word gemodelleer, wat ‘n uitbreiding is op die huididge modellerings benaderings wat in literatuur gevind word. Dit word aangetoon dat die modelle van hierdie tesis daarin slaag om die karakteristieke van ’n werklike haaksfasige mengstelsel akkuraat te vervat – iets waarin huidige modelle in die literatuur nie slaag nie. Die basisband-ekwiwalente modelle word dan gebruik om nuwe digitale kompensasie metodes te ontwikkel, wat daarin slaag om die frekwensie-afhanklike wanbalanse van die haaksfasige mengstelsel af te skat, en daarvoor te kompenseer in die digitale deel van die stelsel. Hierdie kompensasiemetodes gebruik eenvoudige toetsseine om die wanbalanse af te skat. Die werksverrigting van hiedie kompensasiemetodes word dan ondersoek deur middel van simulasies en ’n praktiese hardeware-implementasie. Die resultate wys daarop dat hierdie metodes daarin slaag om ’n aansienlike verbetering in die beeldonderdrukkingsvermo¨ens van die haaksfasige mengers te weeg te bring. Laastens word daar ook ’n blinde kompensasiemetode ontwikkel, wat gemik is op frekwensie- onafhanklike wanbalanse in digital-modulasie-skama stelsels. Vir hierdie metodes is geen toetsseine nodig om die wanbalanse af te skat nie, en word dit gedoen vanuit die tweede-orde statistiek van die ontvangde sein. Die werksverrigting van hierdie tegnieke word verder bevestig deur middel van simulasies.