Software Defined Radio: Enabling Technologies

Software Defined Radio: Enabling Technologies

Released July 2002
Publisher(s): Wiley
ISBN: 9780470843185

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Book description

Software defined radio (SDR) is one of the most important topics of research, and indeed development, in the area of mobile and personal communications. SDR is viewed as an enabler of global roaming and as a unique platform for the rapid introduction of new services into existing live networks. It therefore promises mobile communication networks a major increase in flexibility and capability.

SDR brings together two key technologies of the last decade - digital radio and downloadable software. It encompasses not only reconfiguration of the air interface parameters of handset and basestation products but also the whole mobile network, to facilitate the dynamic introduction of new functionality and mass-customised applications to the user's terminal, post-purchase.

This edited book, contributed by internationally respected researchers and industry practitioners, describes the current technological status of radio frequency design, data conversion, reconfigurable signal processing hardware, and software issues at all levels of the protocol stack and network.

The book provides a holistic treatment of SDR addressing the full breadth of relevant technologies - radio frequency design, signal processing and software - at all levels. As such it provides a solid grounding for a new generation of wireless engineers for whom radio design in future will assume dynamic flexibility as a given.

In particular it explores

* The unique demands of SDR upon the RF subsystem and their implications for front end design methodologies

* The recent concepts of the 'digital front end' and 'parametrization'

* The role and key influence of data conversion technologies and devices within software radio, essential to robust product design

* The evolution of signal processing technologies, describing new architectural approaches

* Requirements and options for software download

* Advances in 'soft' protocols and 'on-the-fly' software reconfiguration

* Management of terminal reconfiguration and its network implications

* The concepts of the waveform description language

The book also includes coverage of

* Potential breakthrough technologies, such as superconducting RSFQ technology and the possible future role of MEMS in RF circuitry

* Competing approaches, eg all-software radios implemented on commodity computing vs advanced processing architectures that dynamically optimise their configuration to match the algorithm requirements at a point in time

The book opens with an introductory chapter by Stephen Blust, Chair of the ITU-R WP8F Committee and Chair of the SDR Forum presenting a framework for SDR, in terms of definitions, evolutionary perspectives, introductory timescales and regulation.

Suitable for today's engineers, technical staff and researchers within the wireless industry, the book will also appeal to marketing and commercial managers who need to understand the basics and potential of the technology for future product development. Its balance of industrial and academic contributors also makes it suitable as a text for graduate and post-graduate courses aiming to prepare the next generation of wireless engineers.

Table of contents

  1. Cover Page
  2. Wiley Series in Software Radio
  3. Title Page
  4. Copyright
  5. Contents
  6. List of Contributors
  7. Foreword
  8. Abbreviations
  9. Contributors' Biographies
  10. Introduction
  11. Part I: Perspective
    1. Chapter 1: Software Based Radio
      1. 1.1 A Multidimensional Model Sets the Stage
      2. 1.2 What is Software Based Radio?
      3. 1.3 Architectural Perspectives for a Software Based Radio
      4. 1.4 Software Radio Concepts
      5. 1.5 Adoption Timeframes for Software Based Radio
      6. 1.6 Realization of Software Based Radio Requires New Technology
      7. 1.7 Power/Performance/Price Limitations of Handsets Dictates Inflexible Networks
      8. 1.8 Regulatory Concepts Facilitate SBR Introduction
      9. 1.9 Conclusions
      10. Acknowledgements
      11. References
  12. Part II: Front End Technology
    1. Chapter 2: Radio Frequency Translation for Software Defined Radios
      1. 2.1 Requirements and Specifications
      2. 2.2 Receiver Design Considerations
      3. 2.3 Transmitter Design Considerations
      4. 2.4 Candidate Architectures for SDR
      5. 2.5 Conclusions
      6. Acknowledgements
      7. References
      8. Appendix A. European Mobile Standards
    2. Chapter 3: Radio Frequency Front End Implementations for Multimode SDRs
      1. 3.1 Evolution of Radio Systems
      2. 3.2 Evolution of RF Front Ends – Superheterodyne Architecture
      3. 3.3 The AN2/6 Product Family – Dual Band, Six Mode
      4. 3.4 Alternative RF Front End Architectures
      5. 3.5 Conclusion
      6. Acknowledgements
      7. References
    3. Chapter 4: Data Conversion in Software Defined Radios
      1. 4.1 The Importance of Data Converters in Software Defined Radios
      2. 4.2 Converter Architectures
      3. 4.3 Converter Performance Impact on SDR
      4. 4.4 Conclusions and Future Trends
      5. References
    4. Chapter 5: Superconductor Microelectronics: A Digital RF Technology for Software Radios
      1. 5.1 Introduction
      2. 5.2 Rapid Single Flux Quantum Digital Logic
      3. 5.3 Cryogenic Aspects
      4. 5.4 Superconductor SDR for Commercial Applications
      5. 5.5 Superconductor SDR for Military Applications
      6. 5.6 Conclusions
      7. Acknowledgements
      8. References
    5. Chapter 6: The Digital Front End – Bridge Between RF and Baseband Processing
      1. 6.1 Introduction
      2. 6.2 The Digital Front End
      3. 6.3 Digital Up- and Down-Conversion
      4. 6.4 Channel Filtering
      5. 6.5 Sample Rate Conversion 1
      6. 6.6 Example
      7. 6.7 Conclusion
      8. Acknowledgments
      9. References
  13. Part III: Baseband Technology
    1. Chapter 7: Baseband Processing for SDR
      1. 7.1 The Role of Baseband Architectures
      2. 7.2 Software Radio – From Silicon to Software
      3. 7.3 Baseband Component Technologies
      4. 7.4 Design Tools and Methodologies
      5. 7.5 System Design and Maintenance
      6. 7.6 Conclusion
      7. References and Further Reading
    2. Chapter 8: Parametrization – a Technique for SDR Implementation
      1. 8.1 Definitions
      2. 8.2 Adaptability
      3. 8.3 Parametrization of Standards
      4. 8.4 Parametrization Example
      5. 8.5 Signal Processing Issues
      6. 8.6 Conclusions
      7. References
    3. Chapter 9: Adaptive Computing IC Technology for 3G Software-Defined Mobile Devices
      1. 9.1 Software Defined Radio – A Solution for Mobile Devices
      2. 9.2 The Mobile Application Space and the Need for Processing Power
      3. 9.3 SDR Baseband Processing – The Implementation Dilemma
      4. 9.4 Trade-Offs of Conventional IC Technologies
      5. 9.5 Hardware with Software Programmability
      6. 9.6 The Computational Power Efficiency Required by 3G Algorithms
      7. 9.7 Example Case Studies and Benchmarks
      8. 9.8 Conclusions
      9. 9.9 Looking to 4G and Beyond
      10. References
  14. Part IV: Software Technology
    1. Chapter 10: Software Engineering for Software Radios: Experiences at MIT and Vanu, Inc
      1. 10.1 Overview of Vanu Systems
      2. 10.2 The Importance of Software in Software Radio
      3. 10.3 Software Portability
      4. 10.4 Commodity PC hardware
      5. 10.5 Signal Processing Software
      6. 10.6 Control Software
      7. 10.7 Performance
      8. 10.8 Future Directions
      9. Acknowledgements
      10. References
    2. Chapter 11: Software Download for Mobile Terminals
      1. 11.1 Why Software Download?
      2. 11.2 Downloading Technologies for SDR
      3. 11.3 Standards for Downloading
      4. 11.4 Seamless Upgrading ‘On the Fly’
      5. 11.5 Security of Download
      6. 11.6 Software Architectures for Download
      7. 11.7 Software Download Today – Digital TV
      8. 11.8 ‘Over the Air’, ‘On the Fly’ Reconfiguration: A Practical Example
      9. 11.9 Future Applications of SDR Downloading
      10. Acknowledgements
      11. References
    3. Chapter 12: Protocols and Network Aspects of SDR
      1. 12.1 Protocol Stacks: SAPs vs. Reconfigurability
      2. 12.2 Approaches to Protocol Stack Reconfiguration
      3. 12.3 Reconfiguration Management and Control
      4. 12.4 Network Support for Software Radios
      5. 12.5 Conclusions
      6. References
    4. Chapter 13: The Waveform Description Language
      1. 13.1 The Specification Problem
      2. 13.2 WDL Overview
      3. 13.3 FM3TR Example
      4. 13.4 Refinement to an implementation
      5. 13.5 WDL Details
      6. 13.6 A Practical WDL Support Environment
      7. 13.7 Conclusions
      8. Acknowledgements
      9. References
  15. Index

Product information

  • Title: Software Defined Radio: Enabling Technologies
  • Author(s):
  • Release date: July 2002
  • Publisher(s): Wiley
  • ISBN: 9780470843185