Lock TX to RX frequency for clients

Central nodes (“base stations”) do no longer do coarse frequency estimation,
but do only use the preamble + PLL for fine offset tracking.

impl/src/layer1/rx.c

@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #include <liquid/liquid.h>
 
 #include <assert.h>
+#include <math.h>
 
 #include "correlator.h"
 #include "preamble.h"
@@ -8,6 +9,7 @@
 #include "whitening.h"
 
 #include "config.h"
+#include "options.h"
 
 #include "rx.h"
 
@@ -48,7 +50,7 @@ static void update_nco_pll(nco_crcf nco, float phase_error, float bw)
 }
 
 
-static bool acquire_preamble(layer1_rx_t *rx, const float complex sample)
+static bool acquire_preamble(layer1_rx_t *rx, const float complex sample, bool do_coarse_freq_est)
 {
 	static float complex freq_est_history[FREQ_EST_L];
 	static unsigned int  freq_est_history_write_idx = 0;
@@ -90,7 +92,7 @@ static bool acquire_preamble(layer1_rx_t *rx, const float complex sample)
 		freq_est_history_write_idx = 0;
 		freq_est_holdoff_samples = FREQ_EST_L;
 		return true; // preamble found!
-	} else {
+	} else if(do_coarse_freq_est) {
 		// preamble not found.
 		//DEBUG_LOG("Preamble not found: %.3f < %.3f\n", cabsf(corr_out), 0.5f * preamble_get_symbol_count());
 
@@ -140,9 +142,9 @@ static bool acquire_preamble(layer1_rx_t *rx, const float complex sample)
 		freq_est_history[freq_est_history_write_idx] = sample;
 		freq_est_history_write_idx++;
 		freq_est_history_write_idx %= FREQ_EST_L;
-
-		return false; // preamble not found
 	}
+
+	return false; // preamble not found
 }
 
 
@@ -172,8 +174,16 @@ result_t layer1_rx_process(layer1_rx_t *rx, const float complex *samples, size_t
 		// Mix the input signal with the carrier NCO, which oscillates at the
 		// frequency coarsly estimated so far.
 		float complex mixed_sample;
-		nco_crcf_step(rx->carrier_coarse_nco);
-		nco_crcf_mix_down(rx->carrier_coarse_nco, agc_out, &mixed_sample);
+
+		if(is_central_node) {
+			// central nodes do not do coarse frequency tracking, as the clients
+			// shall lock onto the central’s carrier frequency and therefore not much
+			// frequency deviation is expected.
+			mixed_sample = agc_out;
+		} else {
+			nco_crcf_step(rx->carrier_coarse_nco);
+			nco_crcf_mix_down(rx->carrier_coarse_nco, agc_out, &mixed_sample);
+		}
 
 		samples2dump[nsamples2dump++] = mixed_sample;
 
@@ -183,7 +193,6 @@ result_t layer1_rx_process(layer1_rx_t *rx, const float complex *samples, size_t
 		symsync_crcf_execute(rx->symsync, &mixed_sample, 1, &symsync_out, &out_len);
 
 		if(out_len != 0) {
-
 			switch(rx->state) {
 				// Try to acquire packets by synchronizing the frequency
 				// (symbol-independent search) and correlating the preamble.
@@ -196,7 +205,7 @@ result_t layer1_rx_process(layer1_rx_t *rx, const float complex *samples, size_t
 						nco_crcf_set_phase(rx->carrier_coarse_nco, 0.0f);
 					}
 
-					if(acquire_preamble(rx, symsync_out)) {
+					if(acquire_preamble(rx, symsync_out, !is_central_node)) {
 						// Preamble found and frequency corrected!
 						rx->callback(RX_EVT_PREAMBLE_FOUND, NULL, 0);
 
@@ -439,3 +448,9 @@ bool layer1_rx_is_busy(const layer1_rx_t *rx)
 {
 	return rx->state != RX_STATE_ACQUISITION;
 }
+
+
+float layer1_rx_get_coarse_carrier_frequency(const layer1_rx_t *rx)
+{
+	return nco_crcf_get_frequency(rx->carrier_coarse_nco);
+}

impl/src/layer1/rx.h

@@ -120,4 +120,15 @@ result_t layer1_rx_process(layer1_rx_t *rx, const float complex *samples, size_t
  */
 bool layer1_rx_is_busy(const layer1_rx_t *rx);
 
+
+/*!
+ * \brief Retrieve the coarsely estimated carrier frequency.
+ *
+ * The carrier frequency is measured in radians per sample in the RRC-filtered baseband domain, i.e. the sampling rate is SYMBOL_RATE * RRC_SPS.
+ *
+ * \param rx             Pointer to the receiver context.
+ * \returns              The estimated carrier frequency in the RRC-filtered domain.
+ */
+float layer1_rx_get_coarse_carrier_frequency(const layer1_rx_t *rx);
+
 #endif // LAYER1_RX_H

impl/src/layer1/tx.c

@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+#include <liquid/liquid.h>
+
 #include <stdbool.h>
 #include <malloc.h>
 
@@ -41,6 +43,8 @@ result_t layer1_tx_init(layer1_tx_t *tx)
 	tx->samples_allocated = 0;
 	tx->samples_used = 0;
 
+	tx->carrier_frequency_offset = 0.0f;
+
 	transmission_init(&tx->transmission);
 	packet_mod_init(&tx->pmod);
 	return OK;
@@ -154,6 +158,28 @@ result_t layer1_tx_finalize_burst(layer1_tx_t *tx)
 	}
 
 	tx->samples_used += len;
+
+	// mix the signal up to the carrier offset frequency
+
+	// allocate a temporary buffer
+	float complex *tmp = malloc(sizeof(float complex) * tx->samples_used);
+	if(!tmp) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "Could not allocate buffer for TX frequency correction.\n", len, tx->samples_used);
+		return ERR_NO_MEM;
+	}
+
+	nco_crcf carrier_nco = nco_crcf_create(LIQUID_NCO);
+	nco_crcf_set_frequency(carrier_nco, tx->carrier_frequency_offset);
+
+	nco_crcf_mix_block_up(carrier_nco, tx->samples, tmp, tx->samples_used);
+
+	nco_crcf_destroy(carrier_nco);
+
+	// swap the buffers
+	free(tx->samples);
+	tx->samples = tmp;
+	tx->samples_allocated = tx->samples_used;
+
 	return OK;
 }
 
@@ -168,3 +194,9 @@ const float complex* layer1_tx_get_sample_data(const layer1_tx_t *tx)
 {
 	return tx->samples;
 }
+
+
+void layer1_tx_set_carrier_frequency_offset(layer1_tx_t *tx, float freq)
+{
+	tx->carrier_frequency_offset = freq;
+}

impl/src/layer1/tx.h

@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ typedef struct
 	size_t         samples_allocated;
 	size_t         samples_used;
 
+	float carrier_frequency_offset;
+
 	transmission_ctx_t transmission;
 	packet_mod_ctx_t   pmod;
 } layer1_tx_t;
@@ -100,4 +102,14 @@ size_t layer1_tx_get_sample_count(const layer1_tx_t *tx);
  */
 const float complex* layer1_tx_get_sample_data(const layer1_tx_t *tx);
 
+/*!
+ * \brief Set the carrier frequency correction in the RRC-filtered domain.
+ *
+ * The carrier frequency is measured in radians per sample in the RRC-filtered baseband domain, i.e. the sampling rate is SYMBOL_RATE * RRC_SPS.
+ *
+ * \param tx    Pointer to the transmitter context.
+ * \param freq  The carrier frequency offset to use.
+ */
+void layer1_tx_set_carrier_frequency_offset(layer1_tx_t *tx, float freq);
+
 #endif // LAYER1_TX_H

impl/src/main.c

@@ -315,6 +315,10 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 
 				if(!on_air) {
 					RESULT_CHECK(sdr_stop_rx(&sdr));
+
+					// transmit packets on the frequency where the last packet was received.
+					layer1_tx_set_carrier_frequency_offset(&tx, layer1_rx_get_coarse_carrier_frequency(&rx));
+
 					RESULT_CHECK(sdr_start_tx(&sdr, burst_len * SDR_OVERSAMPLING));
 				}