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SDR

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A Software-Defined Radio is a communications device featuring func-tionality via its software. While an SDR is capable of receiving and/or transmitting signals in the Radio Frequency (RF) spec-trum band, the modulation methods used in the transmission are a function of thesoftware currently loaded on the device. By implementing the device functional-ity in software, SDR technology enablesdesigners to build such future-proof sys-tems. Unlike their hardware-centric coun-terparts, SDR systems can exhibit new behavior with dynamic software uploads eliminating the need to upgrade the under-lying hardware platform, lengthening thehardware life cycle. [1]



News
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Additional Articles
  

01

White Paper: Software Defined Radio Handbook, 7th Edition

By Roger Hosking (Pentek, Inc.)
SDR (Software Defined Radio) has revolutionized electronic systems for a variety of applications including communications, data acquisition and ... (continues)

E-cast: Secure Operating Systems and Tools for Next-Generation Software Defined Radios

By IBM (E-cast), LynuxWorks () and Objective Interface Systems ()
Although the U.S. DoD did more to popularize the term “software defined radio” than any other entity, America’s military is only now starting to deploy SDRs. Instead, the civilian world of cellular base stations and fire/police/federal radios are gaining more momentum in SDRs – but they don’t have to worry about the same challenges as the DoD.

White Paper: QuiXilica V5 Architecture: The High Performance Sensor I/O Processing Solution for the Latest Generation and Beyond

By Andrew Reddig (TEK Microsystems, Inc.)
Military sensor data processing applications for communications, radar, and electronic warfare have an insatiable demand for increased signal performance. Sensors continually require more channels, increased processing capabilities, higher memory performance and greater communications bandwidth.

Tightly coupling FPGAs with x86 processors

By Peter Carlston (Intel, Inc.) and Geno Valente (XtremeData, Inc.)
This article highlights the benefits of Acceleration Abstraction Layers and discusses how military systems designers can now leverage a new class of COTS board and accelerator modules to solve some of their most demanding tasks.

01

White Paper: Putting FPGAs to Work in Software Radio Systems (Third Edition)

By Rodger Hosking (Pentek, Inc.)
FPGAs are becoming an increasingly important resource for software radio systems.

02

Designing the RF test instruments of tomorrow

By Mark Elo (Keithley Instruments)
Test and measurement suppliers need to think ahead and design RF test instruments suitable for emerging and future wireless technologies.

White Paper: Digital Receiver Handbook: Basics of Software Radio

By Rodger H. Hosking (Pentek, Inc.)
The inner workings of the digital receiver are explored and actual digital receiver systems and commercially available products are described.

White Paper: Primer on FPGA-based DSP Applications

By Rowland Demko (Acromag, Inc.)
Are you still using DSPs for DSP? Re-configurable FPGAs on PMC modules offer so many advantages with high-speed parallel processing and great support tools.

VITA 49 enhances capabilities and interoperability for transporting SDR data

By Robert Normoyle (DRS-Signal Solutions)
SDR receiver manufacturers' custom and proprietary digitized data formats can make interoperability quite a challenge. However, now the VITA 49 Radio Transport (VRT) standard is aiming to solve the problem.

The next great electronics program

By Don Dingee (Group Editorial Director)
In the past century, countless electronics technologies have shaped defense capabilities: Radar. Inertial guidance. Proximity fusing. Electronic jamming and countermeasures. Phased-array radar. Software-Defined Radio. But what will drive the next great electronics program? The long- and short-term opportunities include technologies to manage, gather, present, and secure it. In the long-term, a new wave of breakthroughs is necessary.

01

White Paper: High-speed Switched Serial Fabrics Improve System Design

By Rodger H. Hosking (Pentek, Inc.)
This handbook reviews the development of gigabit switched serial fabrics to enhance the VMEbus and PMC mezzanines; the role of FPGAs to implement this technology; and finally, how some of the latest VXS and XMC products can be used in high-speed data acquisition, recording and software radio systems.

Got any Gumstix? A look at shrinking SDR

By Steve Jennis (PrismTech) and Gordon Kruberg (Gumstix)
As SDR makes its way into cellular and consumer communications, moving into smaller form factors that can be battery powered is a significant breakthrough.

SDR applications: One size does not fit all

By Andrew Reddig (TEK Microsystems)
In the choice of PMC/XMC or VXS, VITA's VXS is beating out the competition by providing more board and front-panel space, higher densities, improved analog performance, and more IP and I/O choices than XMCs or PMCs.

Smart component selection leads to high-functionality SDR designs

By Robert Nokes (GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms, Inc.)
Trade-offs must inevitably be made in SDR system design, and foreknowledge of their effects at the system level is critical when choosing SDR building blocks. To achieve the highest functionality possible, considerations such as converter components, form factor, and FPGA versus ASIC onboard processing power must be weighed carefully.

Is it time for a new mezzanine card standard?

By Ray Alderman (VITA)
From the 50 mezzanine standards on the market in 1990 to the PMC specs started by the IEEE, to the S-bus from Sun Microsystems, then onto PCIbus and PrPMCs and now XMC ... the industry should start thinking about a new mezzanine standard for embedded applications.

Spearmint- or cinnamon-flavored handsets? An SDR the size of a Gumstix

Q&A with Steve Jennis (PrismTech) and Gordon Kruberg (Gumstix), whom we met at a recent Software Defined Radio Forum meeting in Portland, Oregon, where PrismTech showcased their SCA implementation on a small form factor "motherboard" by Gumstix.

Tune in: MIMO IP for FPGAs benefits military and commercial radios

OpenSystems Media
Q & A with Babak Daneshrad, PhD from Silvus Communication Systems. Silvus has some amazing IP – they've cracked the code on tuning SDR antennas to take advantage of time, frequency, and space.

Software-Defined Radios: The Radios of the future

By Joshua Noseworthy (Mercury Computer Systems)
SDR is an emerging technology that promises immediate upgrades via software, bypassing the need for expensive hardware upgrades. Accordingly, when SDR's benefits are planned for early in the design process, results include improved communications life cycles, increased code portability, and reduced costs.

Serial fabrics boost Software-Defined Radio system performance

By Rodger Hosking (Pentek, Inc.)
Switched fabric standards, FPGAs, and gigabit serial links are proving themselves viable solutions to the challenge of moving data within SDR systems featuring traditional bus- and parallel connection-dependent architectures.

News Snippets

By Sharon Schnakenburg (Assistant Editor)
A round-up of the latest technology news, including: BAE and DARPA “SWaP” in Tadiran’s batteries, PrismTech advises on JTRS waveforms, GE ... (continues)

The “A’s” have it

By Chris A. Ciufo (Editor)
Editor Chris Ciufo explains recent market innovations by “A” vendors: Altera, Aonix, and AMD.

Next-generation embedded processors empower satellite telemetry and command systems

By Dave Stevenson (Aeroflex Colorado Springs)
An embedded processor card may be one key to meeting increasing demands for performance and intelligence on telemetry and command systems.

Next-generation SDR operating environment takes on SWaP challenges in resource-constrained platforms

By Dominick Paniscotti (PrismTech Corporation) and Jerry Bickle (PrismTech Corporation)
Today's resource-constrained SDRs present traditional OEs with a big challenge when it comes to meeting performance and SWaP requirements. The alternative: a next-generation COTS SDR OE that is performance optimized, vertically integrated, and supported by middleware.

Part 2: Design and implementation of an SCA core framework for a DSP platform

By Carlos R. Aguayo Gonzalez (Virginia Tech), Francisco M. Portelinha (Virginia Tech) and Jeffrey H. Reed (Virginia Tech)
Part 2 of a two-part article on SDR, specifically SCA 2.2 Core Framework design and implementation. Part 1 ran in the March/April 2007 edition of Military Embedded Systems and can be read online at www.mil-embedded.com/articles/id/?2065.

Part 1: Design and implementation of an SCA core framework for a DSP platform

By Carlos R. Aguayo Gonzalez (Virginia Tech), Francisco M. Portelinha (Virginia Tech) and Jeffrey H. Reed (Virginia Tech)
The first segment of a two-part article on designing and implementing an SCA core framework for DSP, based on a paper presented at the SDR Forum Technical Conference in Nov. 2006, Orlando, FL.

A new architecture for development platforms targeted to portable radio applications

By Maxime Dumas (Lyrtech) and Louis Bélanger (Lyrtech)
The architecture and functionalities of a development platform targeted to portable radio applications, and how such a platform facilitates the design process, from waveform partitioning to real-time, over-the-air transmission, and how allowing for different design flows enables individuals of a same team to develop using the tools they are the most productive with.

COTS digital radio receiver system is good to go

By Daniel McLane (Innovative Integration), Amit Mane (Innovative Integration) and Billy Kao (Innovative Integration)
The authors demonstrate a HW/SW COTS reference design package for a high-performance SDR DRR system using new design tools and hardware that can dramatically reduce the complexity and development time to bring a product to market on a mission-critical timeline.

Mid-Tex Cellular deploys real world SDR: An interview with Toney Prather, visionary and part-time humorist

By Chris Ciufo
While the military’s still talking about SDR, civilian rural cell phone provider Mid-Tex cellular already has them up and running. Their COTS base stations use Vanu’s SDR software and HP servers.

White Paper: Save time, boost performance with COTS reference design: Digital radio receiver system ready to go

By Daniel McLane (Innovative Integration Inc.), Amit Mane (Innovative Integration Inc.) and Billy Kao (Innovative Integration Inc.)
In the competitive world of the quick and the dead, a Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) design solution can give the Software-Defined Radio designer a significant time-to-market advantage. Using a COTS system, the designer can accelerate the development of a new product with a flexible platform that can be configured to meet multiple emerging and future standards.

Using model-driven engineering, domain-specific languages, and software product lines in developing Software-Defined Radio components and applications

By Bruce Trask (PrismTech)
One large benefit to the software development industry is the combination of software product lines and model driven engineering technology applications in the Software-Defined Radio domain.

The next advancements in Software-Defined Radio

By Joseph M. Jacob (Objective Interface Systems)
Software-Defined Radio manufacturers must continue to push forward to meet today's increasing need for security, safety, and a smaller footprint.

Design strategies for an FPGA-based 256-channel digital down converter

By Rodger H. Hosking (Pentek)
Software-Defined Radios with high channel counts can benefit from the effective implementation of FPGAs instead of traditional ASIC-based digital down converters.

SDR and JTRS: Lessons learned An interview with Col. Steven MacLaird, USAF (ret.) and former Program Executive Director of the Joint Tactical Radio System JPO

By Chris Ciufo
Editor Chris Ciufo talks with former manager of the Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) Joint Program Office (JPO) Col. Steven MacLaird about the JTRS – where it's been and where it's headed.

Software-Defined Radio architecture for communications test

By Spencer Stock (National Instruments) and Ron Harrison (National Instruments)
It seems that a new wireless or communications standard is introduced each day. Although this is not true, the list of wireless and communications standards is rapidly growing. In this article, Spencer and Ron explain the advantages of devices that support multiple communications standards, and where these technologies are taking the industry.

Software components enable SDRs

By Francis Bordeleau (Zeligsoft)
Zeligsoft is at the forefront of the growing SDR movement, and the company is positioning itself as a COTS provider of tools and services.

Linear algebra for military SDR applications

By Robert K. Anderson (Xilinx)
Adding GPS to JTRS radios increases user functionality, as position information can supplement communications data. A high-level language, such as MATLAB, can easily describe the linear algebra algorithms used to facilitate GPS – primarily Kalman filters. The trouble is: how can MATLAB recognize FPGA or ASIC silicon implementations? The challenge is: efficient realizations in an FPGA or ASIC from the hardware abstracted modeling provided through a high-level language such as MATLAB.

Interpolating DACs offer high speeds, but are they controllable?

By Scott Hames (ICS)
Current state-of-the-art software defined radio transmit techniques typically involve synthesis of signals at the Intermediate Frequency (IF) or... (continues)

FPGA technology fueling Software Defined Radio

By Deepak Boppana (Altera)
With the proliferation of wireless standards, including wide area 3G, 2.5G, and local area 802.11 networks, future wireless devices will need to... (continues)

We need SDR now

By Chris A. Ciufo (Editor)
... (continues)

Cognitive radios: The future of SDR technology

By Dr. Bruce Fette, Ph.D. (General Dynamics, Inc.)
The future of two-way radio communication lies in the ability to use a single device to network with other types of devices while intuitively ma... (continues)

 

SDR Video

Vendors and Products
 

Spectrum Signal Processing SDR-3000 Software Defined Radio platform
GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms, Inc. Xilinx FPGA Blade
Spectrum Signal Processing SDR-4800
Eonic BV SDR ESM Channelizer
GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms, Inc. TI C64 DSP Blade
GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms, Inc. ICS-8551
Spectrum Signal Processing SDR-3000 Series
GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms, Inc. ICS-8560
GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms, Inc. ICS-8552B
Spectrum Signal Processing SDR-4803
Innovative Integration TX PMC/XMC Module
Pentek, Inc. 7342-428
Pentek, Inc. 7340-420
Pentek, Inc. 7642-428
Pentek, Inc. 7641
GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms, Inc. Memory Blade
Pentek, Inc. 7340-430
Pentek, Inc. 7341-430
MicroBee Systems PCFW-104
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03/10/10 07:51

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This page was last modified on 14 May 2009, at 17:27. - Disclaimers - About Embedded Channels