Software Radio Technology By Vanu incorparation

Software Radio Technology

1. 1
Software Radio Technology
Dr. John Chapin
CTO
Vanu, Inc.
One Porter Square, Suite 18
Cambridge, MA 02474
http://www.vanu.com
Presentation to NSMA conference
Rosslyn, VA
May 21, 2002

2. May 2002 2© 2002
Vanu, Inc.
•Overview
–Founded September 1998
–Spin-off from MIT SDR research project 1994–1998
–Software vendor
•Contracts
–MilitaryDARPA, JTRS Joint Program Office
–Public SafetyNational Institute of Justice
–Basic ResearchNational Science Foundation, MDA
–Automotive Telematics device for a Tier 1 Supplier
–SurveillanceMajor defense conglomerate

3. May 2002 3© 2002
•Hardware Radio
–Separate devices for different functions
–Any fix or upgrade needs a hardware change
PCS voice
Analog VHF
APCO P25
WLAN
Software Radio
•Software Radio
–One device for many functions
–Upgrade through software
change

4. May 2002 4© 2002
SDR status in USA
•Military
–Harris Falcon II, Motorola WITS
–Since 1999, all DOD tactical radio procurements must be SDR
–Military SDR standard: Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS)
•Civilian
–SDR devices always certifiable as if they were legacy devices
–FCC task force began in 1998 on SDR-specific rules
–Docket 00-47
•Notice of Inquiry March 2000
•NPRM December 2000
•First R&O September 2001

5. May 2002 5© 2002
Different types of software radios
Dual-mode
cell phone
•Modal SDR
–Software controls and configures the radio
–ASIC or analog hardware
•Reconfigurable SDR
–All signal processing reconfigurable
–Significant use of FPGA or assembly code
SpeakEasy
AirNet
•Portable SDR (a.k.a. Pure SWR)
–Software costs amortized over many
platforms
–Easily upgrade hardware over time
Vanu
RadioScape

6. May 2002 6© 2002
SDR internals
Radio Front End antenna
RF tuning
Analog-Digital Conversion
Channelization
No waveform-specific processing
Embedded computer
All waveform-specific
functions in software
D
igital sam
ples
Analog at carrier frequency
IF
voicedata
baseband

7. May 2002 7© 2002
Source: Mitola, Joseph. “Software Radio Architecture: A Mathematical Perspective”, IEEE JSAC, April 1999.
A: HF STR-2000
B: COTS Handset
C: SWR Cell Site
D: SPEAKeasy II
V: Vanu, Inc. Software Radio
X: Ideal Software Radio
Software Radio Phase Space

8. May 2002 8© 2002
Vanu status: Radio Front End for
Agility
•Discrete components
–Current TX limited to < 1 GHz, < 1 MHz wide
–Separate front ends for receive and transmit
–Cost $1000s
T
E
C
H
N
O
L
O
G
Y

P
R
O
G
R
E
S
S
•Multiple-IC board
–Prototype quantities this summer
–30-512 MHZ, worldwide cellular & PCS bands
–Low power, full duplex, cost $100s
•Single IC
–Ideal future platform, cost $10s
–Manufacturers waiting for market to develop

9. May 2002 9© 2002
Vanu status: Processing for
Flexibility
2.7
9.6
22
29
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
IS-136
30kHz
GSM
200kHz
FamBand
25kHz
%

o
f

C
P
U Pentium III
800-1000 MHz
StrongARM
200 MHz

10. May 2002 10© 2002
SDR tradeoffs
•Higher power consumption
–Reconfigurable processing vs dedicated circuits
–Primarily an issue for battery-powered devices
•Sensitivity/selectivity of radio front end
–Challenging to achieve if highly agile system
–Primarily an issue for surveillance, military applications
•Lower gain if antenna is multi-band
–Easy solution: attach 2 or 3 antennas
–Primarily an issue for handheld devices
•SDR ready today for many uses

11. May 2002 11© 2002
For more information
•http://www.sdrforum.org
•FCC Docket 00-47
•Two new books from Wiley
–Tuttlebee, W., editor
–Chapters by all the major players in the field
–Software Defined Radio: Origins, Drivers and
International Perspectives
–Software Defined Radio: Enabling Technology
•http://www.vanu.com
–John Chapin
[email protected]