CorteXforge: Scenario-Based RF Dataset Generation on Real Testbeds

Overview & Synopsis

Deep learning for radio frequency (RF) signal analysis relies on large annotated datasets, yet synthetic datasets trade physical realism for controllability, while uncontrolled over-theair measurements offer realism but limited reproducibility. We present CorteXforge, a scenario-based framework for generating realistic and reproducible RF datasets on programmable software defined radio (SDR) testbeds. High-level RF scenarios are automatically translated into synchronized experiments executed on the SLICES-RI/CorteXlab platform, producing fully annotated Signal Metadata Format (SIGMF) datasets that capture hardware impairments and propagation effects. We validate CorteXforge through automatic modulation classification using ModForge, an over-the-air (OTA) dataset generated with the framework. Cross-domain experiments reveal a synthetic-to-real performance gap and show that synthetic pretraining remains beneficial for adaptation to OTA data. CorteXforge provides a practical foundation for reproducible RF dataset generation and future research on domain generalization.