The COSMOS testbed sandbox now includes software-defined radios (SDRs) that operate above 6 GHz, supporting FR3 frequency bands in the 7-24 GHz range, otherwise known as the upper mid-band.
The new hardware enables researchers to run full 5G/6G software stacks in FR3 bands and conduct channel sounding and integrated sensing and communications (ISAC) experiments. The FR3 radios tie into COSMOS’s software-defined network (SDN) transport and edge computing, supporting low-latency, closed-loop experiments for potential city-scale deployment.
The SDR technology is enabled by a collaboration between COSMOS and Pi-Radio. Pi-Radio designed the RF frontend for the SDR, providing 2×2 transmit and receive capabilities.
More information and tutorials are available on how to use this platform feature, including documentation for enabling:
Why It Matters
The COSMOS testbed enables experimentation with communications and sensing applications in the 7-24 GHz bands, which is of growing interest to the wireless research community.
The new platform feature also supports wideband signaling and precise gain/LO control, which is ideal for studying coexistence opportunities and potential prototyping in the FR3 frequency bands.
Because these bands are well-suited for 6G development, Wi-Fi expansion, and military and other government applications, the information researchers can glean from COSMOS is crucial for informing next-generation wireless technology strategies and innovation.