---------- Forwarded message --------- From: rahul pillai <rahulpilla...@gmail.com> Date: Fri, Mar 7, 2025 at 5:24 PM Subject: Re: Potential GSoC contributor introduction and new project idea To: Andrej Rode <ar...@gnuradio.org>
Hey Andrej, Thanks for replying. On Fri, Mar 7, 2025 at 2:04 PM Andrej Rode <ar...@gnuradio.org> wrote: > Hi Rahul, > > welcome to the GNU Radio mailing list! You are definitely at the right > place here since you are an avid user of GNU Radio already. > > > On 5. Mar 2025, at 16:51, rahul pillai <rahulpilla...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > Hi, > > > > I am rahul pillai, and I work as a Jr. Design Engineer in the DSP/Comms > field. I completed my undergrad a little over eight months ago and have > been extensively using GNU Radio to simulate array processing algorithms in > my current role. > > I’ve alway wanted to contribute to large open-source projects, but I > haven’t had the opportunity or the know-how on where to begin. That's why I > like to use GSoC to begin my open-source journey. > > If the organization is interested, I’d like to propose developing an > Out-Of-Tree (OOT) module or, even better, a GUI for array processing in GNU > Radio. This tool would support various array configurations (ULA, URA, > circular, hexagonal, etc. and possibly custom config??) and implement > popular beamforming and DoA estimation algorithms. My vision is to create > something similar to MATLAB's Phased Array System Toolbox, but fully > open-source and tightly integrated with GNU Radio. > > If interested, I’d love to discuss the feasibility and scope of what I > can realistically achieve during the GSoC period. > > A project like you are proposing is definitely something in the scope of > the GNU Radio project and more specifically the GNU Radio GSoC. Right now > it is not immediately clear to me, where GNU Radio comes in for the GUI for > array processing. But figuring out what your project is about is also the > goal of developing your proposal with the community. > A good example for the GUI would be the GNU Radio Filter Design Tool. A tool where you can select your desired filter type, set sample rate, gain, passband, stopband etc and you can visualise the response and get the filter taps instantly and all in one place. I am expecting something similar to this but for array processing. What I am trying to achieve is to create an open-source counterpart of MATLAB's sensor array analyzer <https://in.mathworks.com/help/phased/ref/sensorarrayanalyzer-app.html>. A tool where it’s possible to design and analyze various sensor array configurations. By defining the array parameters like number of elements, their distance, frequency, propagation speed, array shape etc. It should be also capable of giving performance metrics like HPBW, NNBW, SLL etc and visualize the pattern through cartesian, polar, 3-D. After all this is done, the tool should be capable of generating a flow graph with settings that matches the user's config. The user can then connect the generated modules to the appropriate sources/sinks. The GUI tool allows users to play around with array parameters and configurations, visualize the results, and verify it. Meanwhile, GRC enables users to implement and test their desired array processing algorithms in practice. In general for DoA and array processing there have been some other > publications & open source works [0],[1], maybe you are able to leverage > those and combine them into one library. Would the GUI tool be to visually > set nulls & peaks in a antenna diagram and the tool will then provide the > parameters for the array processing algorithm? > Visually setting nulls and peaks using various null steering and beamforming algorithms is definitely something I want to work on. However, I'm not sure if I’ll have enough time to implement everything within the GSoC period, especially since I am participating part-time. My plan is to do whatever I mentioned above, about the GUI, array parameters, metric, plots and generating the flow graph. And later I'll work on things I couldn't do during GSoC at a leisurely pace. If you have any ideas, plans or expectations, please let me know. Regards, Rahul
