FPGA-Based Signal Processing Library for BeagleBoard to Enhance SDR Applications

Hello,

I’m considering submitting a project for Google Summer of Code (GSoC) to develop an FPGA-based signal processing library for BeagleBoard to enhance software-defined radio (SDR) applications. The goal is to leverage the FPGA on BeagleV-Fire for tasks like filtering, modulation, demodulation, and FFT/IFFT, offloading intensive signal processing from the CPU.

By doing this, we can significantly boost the performance of SDR applications, which are crucial in fields like communications, IoT, and security.

I plan to use Verilog/SystemVerilog for FPGA programming and GNU Radio for integration. I’ll also focus on building a seamless interface between the FPGA and the software stack, ensuring that it’s easy to use and implement with real-world SDR hardware like LimeSDR or HackRF.

Here’s a breakdown of the core tasks:

  • Implement basic DSP functions (e.g., FIR filters)
  • Develop modulation/demodulation techniques (e.g., QPSK, QAM)
  • Integrate FPGA-based DSP with GNU Radio
  • Optimize performance and document the project

Hardware Skills:

FPGA programming (Verilog, RTL design)

Understanding of BeagleV-Fire’s FPGA fabric

Interfacing with SDR hardware (e.g., LimeSDR, HackRF)

Software Skills:

DSP fundamentals (filtering, modulation, demodulation)

GNU Radio integration

Linux device drivers for FPGA acceleration

Possible Mentors:
@jkridner, @vaishnav

Expected Size of Project:
350 hours

Rating:
High

Looking forward to your feedback!