Transmit and Capture Waveforms with Wireless Testbench

Transmit and Capture Waveforms with Wireless Testbench

Generate, transmit, and capture RF waveforms using NI USRP radios in MATLAB.

When to Use

• Transmitting a waveform (test tone, standard-compliant signal, custom IQ) over the air
• Capturing IQ data from a frequency band
• Loopback testing (transmit and capture on the same radio)
• Multi-antenna transmit or capture
• Continuous transmission for prolonged testing
• Background capture for long-duration acquisition

When NOT to Use

• Setting up or connecting a USRP radio for the first time — use the matlab-set-up-usrp-radio skill
• FPGA targeting workflows — see Target NI USRP Radios
• Intelligent capture with preamble/energy detection — see Spectrum Monitoring
• Multi-device synchronization — see Radio Management

Prerequisites

A saved radio configuration must exist before using any transmit/capture object. List available configurations and let the user choose which one to use:

configs = radioConfigurations;
disp(configs)

If multiple configurations exist, ask the user which one they want to work with. If no configuration exists, guide the user to set one up first (see the matlab-set-up-usrp-radio skill).

Before generating code, confirm these parameters with the user if not already specified:

• Center frequency — Accept any numeric value within the radio's supported range. Do not present a constrained list of bands; let the user type a frequency.
• Sample rate — Ask what sample rate they need. Suggest common values (30.72 MHz, 61.44 MHz, 122.88 MHz, 245.76 MHz) but accept any valid rate.

Choosing the Right Object

Default to basebandTransceiver. It supports all workflows — transmit only, capture only, or both simultaneously. Use it unless you have a specific reason not to.

| Object | When to Use |