# Real-Time Statistical Measurement of Wideband Signals Based on Software Defined Radio Technology
## 5 Conclusions  
With the advent of modern communications technologies, the complexity of monitoring the electromagnetic spectrum has increased. The variability of signals in time, space, frequency and amplitude, as well as the evolution of wireless communications, require advanced spectrum measurements to evaluate and optimize the performance of communications networks. Although traditional SAs are commonly used to monitor the electromagnetic spectrum, they are associated with significant cost and reduced scalability. In this context, SDR platforms offer an efficient and cost-effective alternative to implement customized and reconfigurable measurement applications. This paper focuses on practical aspects and aims to provide a cost-effective solution for wideband signal monitoring using SDR platforms. These platforms offer several advantages, including affordable acquisition costs, ease of implementation of a wideband signal acquisition system, flexibility and versatility for developing custom solutions. Users can always adapt and customize applications to meet specific monitoring requirements/scenarios. However, it is important to consider some of the drawbacks that have been identified for SDR platforms. One of these drawbacks is the need for parameterization (adjustment of the measurement system using a reference device) to ensure accurate results. In addition, the  
Figure 17: CP (**a**) and mean and peak signal power (**b**) for 802.11 ax download and upload—boxplot representation. Figure 18: Signal power above mean power for 802.11 ax download (**a**) and upload (**b**) —boxplot represenation. cost of the SDR platform may increase depending on the need to add an RF daughterboard to accommodate the higher bandwidth of the channel being monitored. The novelty of the proposed approach lies in the design of an SDR-based measurement system that performs real-time spectrum monitoring on wide frequency bands (up to 160 MHz) and enables both CP and CCDF measurement functions. The two measurement functions are software implemented in GNU Radio by designing customized blocks and integrated into a graphical user interface. CP measurements play a crucial role in assessing signal quality, interference analysis, system optimization and spectrum management. The use of the CCDF measurement function represents a valuable tool for efficiently capturing fast signal variations and direct retrieval of main statistical parameters. By plotting the CCDF curves, we can observe and analyze the differences in signal power levels across various probability levels. This provides a deeper understanding of signal behavior and helps optimize the performance of communication systems in dynamic and challenging wireless environments. The proposed monitoring system implemented on the USRP X310 platform, was tested under laboratory conditions and its performances were compared to those of a high-performance SA. After validation, the SDR measurement system was used to measure both CP and CCDF of signals present in real electromagnetic environments. The signals specific to LTE-A, 5G and the IEEE 802.11 ax standards emitted for different usage profiles were considered, highlighting the system's potential to capture and analyze a wide range of signals. By performing the measurement campaign, we have demonstrated the capabilities of the measurement system to perform real-time measurements on broadband channels (up to 160 MHz for IEEE 802.11 ax). Moreover, we demonstrated the usability of CP and CCDF measurement functions in highlighting differences in the usage profiles between the three modern communication standards. Implementing CP and CCDF applications on the USRP X310 platform and comparing the results with a high-performance spectrum analyzer (SA) represents a significant achievement. The fact that the results obtained by the SDR system were comparable to those of a state-of-the-art SA highlights the capabilities and potential of SDR platforms for spectrum monitoring and analysis.