Entrenador de comunicaciones digitales basado en FPGA controlado mediante LabVIEW

Resum

This paper describes the design and implementation on FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) of a training system for learning the basics about digital communications. The developed system is able to generate the main digital modulated signals (ASK, FSK, BPSK, M-PSK, M-QAM) and it also contains an optimum receiver for demodulating these signals when they are corrupted by AWGN (Additive White Gaussian Noise). An AWGN generator is included into the same FPGA in case an external one is not available. Moreover, a software tool developed in LabVIEW is provided to analyze the different signals at the modulator and the demodulator. This work constitutes a tool for helping students to improve their understanding and learning about digital communication. Nevertheless, its design and implementation could also be focused as a Final Graduate Project for a bachelor’s degree in Electronics Engineering. The project covers several topics on communications, signal processing, digital-to-analog conversion and programming in LabVIEW, as well as design and synthesis over logic devices by using hardware description languages. Therefore, it allows the student to go into the previous topics in a greater depth and it prepares him/her for applying the knowledge of them in the achievement of a specific objective. On the other hand, the project constitutes the solution of a non-trivial problem by using digital techniques, then making the student more confident to cope with new challenges in the future. From an educational point of view, this tool has been used in digital communication courses to assess its ability to improve students’ learning. It has been demonstrated an above 30% enhancement on academic students’ marks in digital communication topics since the introduction of practical sessions with this tool as part of subject program.