A USRP-Based Stepped-Frequency GPR: Phase Correction and System Implementation

doi:10.1109/tim.2026.3731758

A USRP-Based Stepped-Frequency GPR: Phase Correction and System Implementation

2026-01-01

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DOI：10.1109/tim.2026.3731758

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The rapid expansion of urban underground infrastructure has created an urgent demand for the precise mapping of subsurface pipelines, establishing ground-penetrating radar (GPR) as a critical tool for nondestructive hazard detection. However, conventional impulse GPR systems are often constrained by bulky hardware, fixed operational frequencies, and limited detection flexibility. To address these challenges, this article proposes and implements a wideband stepped-frequency GPR (SF-GPR) system based on the universal software radio peripheral (USRP) platform. The system utilizes the USRP B210 as the core processing unit, integrating Vivaldi tapered slot antennas (VTSAs) and low-noise amplifiers (LNAs) to construct the transceiver link. By leveraging custom out-of-tree (OOT) modules within the GNU Radio framework, the system achieves flexible configuration of frequency-stepping parameters and multichannel transmission. Furthermore, to mitigate random phase jitter during frequency hopping, a synchronization mechanism coordinating the transceiver module and frequency controller is introduced. This mechanism ensures phase and amplitude coherence across frequency steps, thereby enabling stable wideband data synthesis. Experimental results demonstrate that the system supports an adjustable sweep bandwidth of approximately 1 GHz and successfully generates high-resolution B-scan images in both free-space and sand-tank environments. Compared to traditional time-domain GPR (TD-GPR), the proposed scheme maintains detection performance while significantly reducing hardware costs and enhancing system reconfigurability, providing an efficient solution for GPR theoretical verification and prototype development.

Keywords:

Frequency

Timing

Ground penetrating radar

Signal detection

Radar

Distance measurement

Joining processes

Grounding

Hardware

Software radio

Antenna

ground-penetrating radar (GPR)

stepped-frequency continuous wave (SFCW)

universal software radio peripheral (USRP)

A USRP-Based Stepped-Frequency GPR: Phase Correction and System Implementation

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