Login or Register

Mastering Software Defined Radio

Course Duration: 13h 40m
Categories Software Defined Radio

Description

Discover the world of wireless communication with our comprehensive SDR Mastery Course, designed for beginners and enthusiasts alike. This program combines clear theoretical foundations with hands-on projects using GNU Radio and SDR++, enabling you to build, analyze, and experiment with real-world radio systems.

Why Enroll?
Software Defined Radio is transforming telecommunications, cybersecurity, and IoT by replacing traditional hardware with flexible software-based solutions. Our course provides a structured approach to mastering SDR fundamentals — from signal basics and modulation techniques to advanced frequency analysis and SDR hardware.

What I will learn?

  • Understand the fundamentals of radio waves, signal propagation, and modulation techniques.
  • Build and analyze flowgraphs using GNU Radio and SDR++ for real-world applications.
  • Design and configure an AM receiver with practical, hands-on projects.
  • Perform frequency analysis and apply FFT for advanced signal processing.
  • Explore SDR hardware options (RTL-SDR, HackRF) and learn configuration techniques.
  • Gain practical experience with filters, gains, and frequency shifting.

Requirements

  • A PC or laptop running Windows, Linux, or macOS.
  • Internet connection to download GNU Radio and SDR++ software.
  • No prior experience in radio or electronics required.
  • Optional SDR hardware (RTL-SDR or HackRF) for enhanced practice.

🎓 Your Certificate

You can download your official certificate after completing all lessons and quizzes in this course. If your course progress is incomplete, finish the remaining lessons to unlock your certificate.

Get Certificate

Having issues? Contact us at support@ocsaly.com.

Course Curriculum

Introduction to Software Defined Radio
This foundational section sets the stage for mastering SDR by breaking down the essential concepts behind radio communication and signal processing. Whether you're a complete beginner or brushing up on the basics, these lessons will ensure you have the core knowledge needed to move forward confidently.

Getting Started with GNU Radio
This section is your hands-on gateway into the world of GNU Radio—one of the most powerful open-source tools for building and experimenting with radio signal processing systems. You don’t need any physical SDR hardware yet. Everything you’ll do here will run on your computer using built-in signal generators, visual tools, and simulation blocks. Whether you're on Windows, Linux, or macOS, this section will guide you step-by-step from installation to building your very first flowgraph using only software. The goal is to help you become confident with the GNU Radio environment before connecting it to real SDR hardware like HackRF or RTL-SDR.

Creating Project with GNU Radio
Now that you're comfortable navigating GNU Radio and working with basic blocks, this section takes you one step further into building functional, simulated SDR systems. You’ll create a full, small-scale signal processing project entirely in software—no SDR hardware required. This section is project-oriented and hands-on. You’ll start designing your own flowgraphs, apply real-world logic, and learn how to manipulate signal parameters like frequency and amplitude. It’s the perfect bridge between foundational knowledge and more advanced, hardware-driven scenarios.

Building our own AM Receiver
In this section, you will put your GNU Radio skills to the test by building a fully functional AM (Amplitude Modulation) receiver—using only a pre-recorded radio signal file. No SDR hardware is required. This hands-on simulation will give you experience decoding real-world signals using signal processing blocks and GUI elements. You’ll also learn how to build a user-friendly interface using QT GUI elements and simulate a full listening experience. This project bridges the gap between theoretical flowgraph design and actual radio system implementation.

Understanding Signal Processing
This section takes you deep into the core of signal processing, helping you understand how signals are represented, manipulated, and analyzed within Software Defined Radio environments—all without using real-world radio hardware. Whether you’re working with mathematical signals, recorded audio, or real-world sound clips, this section equips you with the essential DSP (Digital Signal Processing) knowledge to move from beginner to practitioner. Through a mix of theoretical breakdowns and practical examples, you’ll learn how to interpret frequencies, apply transformations, work with complex signals, and process actual sound samples. Every lecture is paired with downloadable resources so you can follow along interactively.

Filters and Gain
In this section, you’ll learn how to amplify, shape, and isolate signals using gain controls and digital filters. These are critical concepts in both audio processing and RF communications—used to clean signals, prevent distortion, and extract meaningful information. You’ll explore how gain works at a signal level (not just “volume”), how to measure it using decibels, and how to build various filters (low-pass, band-pass, notch, and more) in GNU Radio. You’ll even create your own real-time audio equalizer. All of this is done without SDR hardware, using virtual signals and real-world audio files.

Understanding AM Receivers
This section provides a complete software-only simulation of an AM radio receiver chain, taking you step-by-step through how analog AM signals are tuned, shifted, filtered, demodulated, and downsampled—all within GNU Radio. You’ll work with pre-recorded IQ data (no SDR hardware required) to explore how computers interpret and process real-world radio signals. Each topic is reinforced with practical demonstrations and downloadable flowgraph files, giving you hands-on experience in digital signal reception and decoding workflows. By the end, you’ll have a full grasp of how AM receivers function internally—and you’ll have built one entirely in software.

Getting Started with Real SDR (RTL-SDR / SDR++ Setup)
This section marks your transition from simulation to real-world Software Defined Radio. You’ll start working with actual SDR hardware—specifically the popular and affordable RTL-SDR dongle. This section is ideal for beginners who want to receive and analyze real radio signals using their computer and an RTL-SDR device. We’ll cover the fundamentals of RTL-SDR, compare it with more advanced hardware like HackRF, install the user-friendly SDR++ application, and walk through your first signal reception experience. Whether you're using Windows, Linux, or macOS, this section equips you with the knowledge to confidently start listening to the airwaves.

Software Defined Radio

Free
Free access this course
  • Level
    All Levels
  • Total Enrolled
    5
  • Duration
    13 hours 40 minutes
  • Last Updated
    July 31, 2025
  • Certificate
    Certificate of completion
Try FREE

Certified Ethical Hacking

Skills you'll gain: Ethical Hacking Techniques, Penetration Testing, Vulnerability Analysis, Network Security, Web Application Security

⭐ 4.7 (1.3K reviews)
Certification • Training • 50 Hours of Lecture + Labs
start now

Digital Forensics

Skills you'll gain: Digital Evidence Collection, Incident Response Procedures, Disk and Memory Forensics, Malware Analysis, Network Forensics

⭐ 4.9 (1.1K reviews)
Certification • Training • 35 Hours • Labs • Lifetime Access
Bachelor's Degree

Computer Science Degree

Skills you'll gain: Programming Fundamentals, Data Structures, Algorithms, Object-Oriented Programming, Software Development Practices

22,500+ Student
University • Training • Bachelor's Degree • Diploma
Start now

Software Defined Radio

Skills you'll gain: SDR Architecture, RF Signal Processing, HackRF & RTL-SDR, Wireless Communication Analysis, Practical Radio Experiments

⭐ 4.7 (592 reviews)
Certification • Training • 12 Hours • Labs • Lifetime Access
start now

Certified Ethical Hacking

Skills you'll gain: Android App Development, Kotlin Programming, UI/UX Design for Mobile, REST API Integration, Debugging and Performance Optimization

⭐ 4.9 (1.6K reviews)
Certification • Training • 34 Hours • Labs • Lifetime Access

Our programs are built by professionals to deliver practical skills, career-ready knowledge, and high-quality learning — all designed to help you grow with confidence.

  • contact@ocsaly.com

Certifications

Training

legal

Want to receive push notifications for all major on-site activities?

✕