O-JRC: An open source software platform for mmWave Joint Radar-Communication development and experimentation

Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC) systems unify sensing and communication functionalities on a single platform, opening avenues for innovative solutions in the mmWave spectrum. Joint Radar-Communication (JRC) represents one promising approach to realizing ISAC by integrating radar and communication functionalities on a single platform. The development of ISAC systems demands flexibility in both hardware and software to accommodate diverse experimental needs. However, existing Software-Defined Radio (SDR)-based platforms for ISAC often face limitations stemming from rigid hardware configurations and algorithmic constraints tied to SDR architectures. In this work, we present an open-source ISAC software platform, O-JRC, specifically designed to enable efficient development of experimental ISAC systems and validation of advanced algorithms under complex scenarios. A core feature of O-JRC is its layered and modular architecture, which disaggregates control logic from signal processing, facilitating seamless integration of advanced control algorithms developed in efficient programming languages. This modularity enhances development flexibility, enabling independent testing of various configurations without requiring code modifications, while also simplifying the evaluation of diverse algorithms. To demonstrate O-JRC’s versatility, we implemented and tested two fundamentally different machine learning algorithms on a fully-digital 4x2 MIMO ISAC experimental platform operating at 24 GHz with a 200 MHz bandwidth: a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN)-based control algorithm and a Multi-Armed Bandit (MAB)-based reinforcement learning algorithm. These implementations highlight O-JRC’s capability to support the development and experimentation of a wide range of control strategies. Comprehensive testing validated O-JRC’s performance, underscoring its potential to drive innovation in the ISAC field ¹.