Software Defined Radio

Michael Ossmann | July 27-28

Overview

An introduction to digital signal processing, software radio, and the powerful tools that enable the growing array of SDR projects within the hacker community, this course takes a unique "software radio for hackers" approach, building on the participants' knowledge of computer programming and introducing them to the forefront of digital radio technology. Participants will learn how to transmit, receive, and analyze radio signals and will be prepared to use this knowledge in the research of wireless communication security.

Day 1

• Introduction to Software Defined Radio
• Exercise: Finding a Signal
• Complex vs. Real Signals
• Exercise: Working with Complex Signals (part 1)
• Exercise: Working with Complex Signals (part 2)
• Aliasing and Sampling Theory
• Exercise: Transmission and Simulation
• Exercise: Digital Filters
• Bandwidth

Day 2

• Exercise: Replay
• Modulation
• Exercise: Modulation Identification
• Reverse Engineering
• Exercise: Reverse Engineering
• Decoding Digital Signals
• Exercise: Decoding

Requirements

A background in software development and an interest in security are helpful but not required.

What Will Be Provided

rtl-sdr peripheral, exercise workbook, USB flash drive

What Students Need To Bring

• Laptop computer: There are no minimum processing power or memory requirements but signal processing is an intensive application, so more of both is always useful. The laptop must have two High-Speed USB 2.0 (or 3.0) ports available.
• Software: A native Linux installation on the laptop is required. The most recent stable release of GNU Radio and Baudline must be installed.
• Students are also encouraged to bring additional SDR hardware or target devices for show and tell.

Trainers

Michael Ossmann is a wireless security researcher with more than a decade of experience teaching information security, network management, and software radio courses. A frequent speaker at hacker conferences such as Black Hat, ShmooCon, DEF CON, and ToorCon, he founded Great Scott Gadgets in an effort to put exciting, new tools into the hands of innovative people. Michael is best known for his work on Bluetooth security and for development of Ubertooth One, the world's first low cost, open source Bluetooth sniffer. This year he is introducing HackRF, an open source Software Defined Radio platform.