GNU Radio Conference 2025

A GNU Radio-based IEEE 802.11p Transceiver Prototype for V2V Communications: Implementation and Future Low-Cost RF Adaptation

Not scheduled

30m

Edward D. Hansen Conference Center

Paper (with talk) RADAR and Communications Main Track

Speaker

Gamal Zayed (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University)

Description

Abstract-- Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) communications, particularly those based on the IEEE 802.11p amendment for the 5.9 GHz DSRC band (5.850–5.925 GHz), are fundamental for enhancing road safety through time-sensitive message exchange. However, deploying such systems can be hindered by the cost or band limitations of existing RF hardware. This paper presents a preliminary implementation of an IEEE 802.11p PHY transceiver using GNU Radio 3.10.11 and a USRP B210 SDR (70 MHz–6 GHz). Leveraging the GNU Radio IEEE 802.11 module, our current prototype successfully generates and decodes basic V2V messages over a 10 MHz channel, demonstrating bidirectional connectivity in a controlled laboratory environment. Initial link-level simulations, employing precomputed channel impairment profiles, show successful packet exchange under moderate vehicular Doppler and multipath scenarios, indicating the initial promise of this software-defined approach. Looking forward, we discuss a potential pathway to broaden hardware compatibility by proposing a down-frequency translation mixer. This approach aims to shift 5.9 GHz signals to a lower intermediate frequency (e.g., 500–700 MHz), making them accessible to more common and lower-cost RF receivers. Key design considerations for such a mixer, including image-band noise, noise figure preservation, target conversion gain/loss, linearity (IP3), and LO-RF/IF isolation, are outlined based on established low-IF receiver architectural principles. This work documents our initial software-defined V2V prototype and explores a practical direction for future development towards more accessible DSRC-based V2V systems. We also identify the future need to model the impact of real-world ambient environments on link performance. Our efforts represent an initial step towards enabling wider experimentation and deployment of V2V communication systems, particularly in contexts where specialized 5.9 GHz transceivers are not readily available.

Acknowledgement-- Special thanks to the Center of Nanoelectronics and Devices (CND), American University in Cairo (AUC), under the supervision of Prof. Yehea Ismail, for the Research Grant and for providing the necessary labs and tools to conduct this research.