Automatic Modulation Recognition Based on Hybrid Neural Network

Recognizing signals is critical for understanding the increasingly crowded wireless spectrum space in noncooperative communications. Traditional threshold or pattern recognition-based solutions are labor-intensive and error-prone. Therefore, practitioners start to apply deep learning to automatic modulation classification (AMC). However, the recognition accuracy and robustness of recently presented neural network-based proposals are still unsatisfactory, especially when the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is low. In this backdrop, this paper presents a hybrid neural network model, called MCBL, which combines convolutional neural network, bidirectional long-short time memory, and attention mechanism to exploit their respective capability to extract the spatial, temporal, and salient features embedded in the signal samples. After formulating the AMC problem, the three modules of our hybrid dynamic neural network are detailed. To evaluate the performance of our proposal, 10 state-of-the-art neural networks (including two latest models) are chosen as benchmarks for the comparison experiments conducted on an open radio frequency (RF) dataset. Results have shown that the recognition accuracy of MCBL can reach 93% which is the highest among the tested DNN models. At the same time, the computation efficiency and robustness of MCBL are better than existing proposals.

An Ensemble Deep Learning Model for Automatic Modulation Classification in 5G and Beyond IoT Networks

With rapid advancement in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), automatic modulation classification (AMC) using deep learning (DL) techniques has become very popular. This is even more relevant for Internet of things (IoT)-assisted wireless systems. This paper presents a lightweight, ensemble model with convolution, long short term memory (LSTM), and gated recurrent unit (GRU) layers. The proposed model is termed as deep recurrent convoluted network with additional gated layer (DRCaG). It has been tested on a dataset derived from the RadioML2016(b) and comprises of 8 different modulation types named as BPSK, QPSK, 8-PSK, 16-QAM, 4-PAM, CPFSK, GFSK, and WBFM. The performance of the proposed model has been presented through extensive simulation in terms of training loss, accuracy, and confusion matrix with variable signal to noise ratio (SNR) ranging from −20 dB to +20 dB and it demonstrates the superiority of DRCaG vis-a-vis existing ones.

Accuracy Analysis of Feature-Based Automatic Modulation Classification via Deep Neural Network

A feature-based automatic modulation classification (FB-AMC) algorithm has been widely investigated because of its better performance and lower complexity. In this study, a deep learning model was designed to analyze the classification performance of FB-AMC among the most commonly used features, including higher-order cumulants (HOC), features-based fuzzy c-means clustering (FCM), grid-like constellation diagram (GCD), cumulative distribution function (CDF), and raw IQ data. A novel end-to-end modulation classifier based on deep learning, named CCT classifier, which can automatically identify unknown modulation schemes from extracted features using a general architecture, was proposed. Features except GCD are first converted into two-dimensional representations. Then, each feature is fed into the CCT classifier for modulation classification. In addition, Gaussian channel, phase offset, frequency offset, non-Gaussian channel, and flat-fading channel are also introduced to compare the performance of different features. Additionally, transfer learning is introduced to reduce training time. Experimental results showed that the features HOC, raw IQ data, and GCD obtained better classification performance than CDF and FCM under Gaussian channel, while CDF and FCM were less sensitive to the given phase offset and frequency offset. Moreover, CDF was an effective feature for AMC under non-Gaussian and flat-fading channels, and the raw IQ data can be applied to different channels’ conditions. Finally, it showed that compared with the existing CNN and K-S classifiers, the proposed CCT classifier significantly improved the classification performance for MQAM at N = 512, reaching about 3.2% and 2.1% under Gaussian channel, respectively.