2. A Review of Hardware Platforms for Whitespace Communication

Designing a hardware platform for white space Technology is a complex task. The IEEE 802.22 standard for white space communications imposes tight specifications that require powerful CPUs and FPGAs as well as compliance with strict RF regulations. In addition, a commercial product needs to be produced at a low cost. In this chapter, we examine the specifications that directly impact the design of white space communications hardware. We then explore the various hardware platforms that are commercially available and identify their strengths and weaknesses. The hardware platforms that will be discussed here are the USRP N210, the Nuand BladeRF, Zepto SDR and the HackRF board. These platforms are costly considering the component cost of the hardware supplied and have been designed with different goals and hence don’t meet the full white space communication requirements. However, these boards can be used as a yardstick for the design of a white space hardware and useful inferences can be drawn by observing their merits and de-merits.