What is radio?

Any device that intentionally transmits or receives signals in the radio frequency Examples:
AM & FM Radios TV Cell phones ( Handsets) Pagers, satellite, radar Cellular base stations

Introduction
2. Motivation of SDR
Commercial wireless communication industry is currently facing problems due to constant evolution of link-layer protocol standards (2.5G, 3G, and 4G) existence of incompatible wireless network technologies in different countries inhibiting deployment of global roaming facilities problems in rolling-out new services/features due to wide-spread presence of legacy subscriber handsets.

Why we need SDR?

Commercial wireless network standards are continuously evolving from 2G,3G & 4G. Users have to buy new handset whenever a new standards is deployed.

The air interface and link-layer protocols differ across various geographies
Hardware replaced by software.Hence cost effective.

The Solution?
Flexible radio systems that allow communication standards to migrate Flexible methods for reconfiguring a radio in software Flexible, intelligent systems that communicate via different protocols at different times

Software-Defined Radio

Software-Defined Radio
Radios that provide software control of a variety of modulation techniques, wide-band or narrow-band operation, communications security functions such as hopping, and waveform requirements of current and evolving standards over a broad frequency range.

 A radio that includes a microprocessor or digital signal processor (DSP) does not necessarily qualify as a software radio.
A radio that defines in software its modulation, error correction, and encryption processes, exhibits some control over the RF hardware, and can be reprogrammed is clearly a software radio.

SDR Architecture

Architectures of SDR
1. SDR Architecture Based on Current-Generation Technology

Notes to Figure 1: DUC: Digital upconverter CFR: Crest factor reduction PA: Power amplifier

DDC: Digital downconverter DPD: Digital predistortion LNA: Low noise amplifier

Block Diagram Software Defined Radio

Antenna

RF

IF

Baseband

Bandpass Filter

ADC/DAC DSP

Variable Frequency Oscillator

Local Oscillator (fixed)

2.

Software Architecture of SDR

1) The system uses a generic hardware platform with programmable modules (DSPs, FPGAs, microprocessors) and analog RF modules. The operating environment performs hardware resource management activities like allocation of hardware resources to different applications, memory management, interrupt servicing and providing a consistent interface to hardware modules for use by applications. 2) In SDR system, the software modules that implement link-layer protocols and modulation/demodulation operations are called radio applications and these applications provide link-layer services to higher layer communication protocols such as WAP and TCP/IP.

ARCHITECTURE OF DIGITAL RADIO

The digital radio system consists of three main functional blocks
RF section IF section Baseband section
Rx RF Front-End

ADC

DDC
Baseband Processing

Tx

DAC

DUC

RF

IF

Baseband

RF section is essentially analog hardware IF and BB are digital

Receiver

Transmitter

RF section

IF section

Baseband section

RF section

IF section

Baseband section

Programmable

DOWNLOAD MECHANISMS
Static download Pseudo static download Dynamic software download

IMPLEMENTATION
Operations can be implemented in ASIC, FPGA, and DSP [1].

Hardware Vs Software
ASICs application specific
IC

FPGA and DSP-Digital Signal

Processors and Field Programmable Gate Array

Little flexibility only for specific purposes

Function can change according to the program

Technologies that will facilitate SDR systems of the future

Antennas Waveforms Analog-to-Digital Converters (ADCs, DACs) Digital Signal Processing Amplifiers Batteries Cognition, behaviors Design tools

Technologies that enable SDR

Antennas
Receive antennas are easier to achieve wide-band performance than transmit ones New fractal & plasma antennas expected in 510 years that will be smaller and wideband

Waveforms
Management and selection of multiple waveforms Cancellation carriers and pulse shaping are relatively new techniques (research papers 5 years)

Technologies that enable SDR

Analog-to-digital converters
ADC sampling speed has tripled every 68 years If ADC development continues then by the year 2010, ~500 MHz of bandwidth could be digitized instantaneously

Digital signal processing/FPGAs

Number of transistors doubles every 18 months When will this pace slow down? Some indicate this pace is only sustainable until 2010 More specific purpose DSPs and FPGAs

Technologies that enable SDR

Batteries
More and more power needed (need to focus on more efficient use of power) Fuel cell development, another 510 years until viable for handhelds

Terrain databases
Interference prediction, environment awareness 5 years away

Cognitive science
A key aspect will be to understand how multiple CRs work with each other

Design tools
Tools facilitate rapid design iterations Systems tools to help evaluate trade-offs

SDR issues
Wideband radio circuits (Rx): high requirements High requirements on A/D converter (16 bits, 300 Ms/s) Wideband PA (Tx): linearity, bandwidth, efficiency Higher initial costs

Key features of SDR technology

Reconfigurability
Allows different standards by selecting the appropriate software module to run

Ubiquitous Connectivity Enables implementation of air interface standards as software modules.

Interoperability Facilitates implementation of open architecture radio systems. Can use third party applications on their handsets.

SDR-RELATED TECHNOLOGIES
ADAPTIVE RADIO COGNITIVE RADIO INTELLIGENT RADIO

Advantages of SDR
Ease of design Ease of manufacture
Reduces design-cycle time, quicker iterations

Multimode operation

Digital hardware reduces costs associated with manufacturing and testing radios
SR can change modes by loading appropriate software into memory Allows implementation of new receiver structures and signal processing techniques Digital processors can implement functions such as synchronization, demodulation, error correction, decryption, etc. Can be modified in the field to correct problems and to upgrade

Use of advanced signal processing techniques

Fewer discrete components

Flexibility to incorporate additional functionality

Benefits of SDR
Flexible/reconfigurable
Reprogrammable units and infrastructure

Reduced obsolescence
Multiband/multimode

Ubiquitous connectivity
Different standards can co-exist

Enhances/facilitates experimentation Brings analog and digital worlds together

Full convergence of digital networks and radio science Networkable Simultaneous voice, data, and video

SDR- A SILENT REVOLUTION

Instrumental in the development of 4g and subsequent technologies. Network operators, including Vodafone Spain, Hong Kong CSL and others are deploying SDR for future upgradeability. Enhancing communications in military and commercial communication systems.

SDR IN FUTURE
Major contribution of sdr technology in future is the spectrum refarming. Sdr will be key to development of 5G,6G Software-defined radio is set to pave the way for the next generation of military communications equipment.

PROBLEMS
High power consumptions Higher processing power requirement Higher initial costs Not suitable for all kinds of radio equipment. eg:pagers

VANU SOFTWARE RADIO

is the first commercially available solution where a single reusable hardware platform can support multiple wireless services and standards entirely in software

CONCLUSION
The technology can be used to implement wireless network infrastructure equipment
wireless handsets,wireless modems etc

Factors that need to be considered

higher power consumption, increased complexity of software and possibly higher initial cost of equipment

A promising technology that facilitates development of

multi-band, multi-service, multi-standard, multi-feature consumer handsets and future-proof network infrastructure equipment.

REFERENCES
1. 2. 3.
4.

Software-Defined Radio: Facets of a Developing Technology, IEEE Personal Communications, Walter H. W. Tuttlebee Software-Defined Radio, White Paper,Wipro Technologies. W. Tuttlebee, Software Defined Radio Enabling Technologies, John Wiley & Sons, 2002
K. Pietikinen, Software defined radio, Communications Laboratory, 2005, [online], Available: www.comlab.hut.fi/opetus/333/2004_2005_slides/Software_Defined_Radio.pdf

5.

Tektronix, Software Defined Radio Testing, 2007, Available: www.sdrforum.org/pages/sandiego_07_workshop/SDR%20Forum%20P resentation.pdf