Self-booting software defined radio module

• US 20060015674A1
• Filed: 07/14/2003
• Published: 01/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SCA Technica, Inc.
• Original Assignee: SCA Technica, Inc.
• Inventors: Murotake, David K.
• Granted Patent: US 7,404,074 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/101
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4401 Bootstrapping security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0003 Software-defined radio [SDR] systems, i.e. systems wherein components typically implemented in hardware, e.g. filters or modulators/demodulators, are implented using software, e.g. by involving an AD or DA conversion stage such that at least part of the signal processing is performed in the digital domain digital baseband systems H04L25/00; digital modulation/demodulation H04L27/00; CDMA H04B1/707; TDMA H04B7/2643; image transmission H04N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0028 wherein the AD/DA conversion occurs at baseband stage
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/406 with more than one transmission mode, e.g. analog and digital modes

Abstract

The invention in the simplest form is a self-booting software defined radio (SDR) module which may be embodied as a PCMCIA, Compact Flash, or other plug in form factor module. The performance characteristics of the module, may include the radio frequency (RF) carrier frequency, instantaneous RF bandwidth, carrier modulation and demodulation, symbol coding and decoding, security, and network protocol that can be altered and saved by means of computer software transferred to the module from a host device such as a cellular telephone, personal digital assistant, lap top computer or other programming device

Claims

1. A self-booting software defined radio (SDR) module that interfaces with a host system, said module comprising:

a modulation/demodulation section with a stored run-time kernel, wherein a processing unit of said modulation/demodulation section executes said run time kernel;

an interface mechanism coupling said host system to said module, wherein said host system provides a set of reconfiguration information; and

a front end unit receiving communications signals and processing said communications signals using said reconfiguration information.

2. The self-booting software defined radio (SDR) module according to claim 1, wherein said modem/demodulation section comprises a memory unit.

3. The self-booting software defined radio (SDR) module according to claim 2, wherein said memory unit is selected from the group comprising:

FLASH memory and RAM.

4. The self-booting software defined radio (SDR) module according to claim 1, further comprising a multi-port crossbar coupled to said front end unit.

5. The self-booting software defined radio (SDR) module according to claim 1, modulation/demodulation section further comprises a high speed fabric.

6. The self-booting software defined radio (SDR) module according to claim 1, wherein said communications signals are selected from a plurality of formats selected from the group comprising:

Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Global System for Mobilization (GSM), Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD), DataTac, Mobitex, General Packet Radios Service (GPRS), and Personal Communication Service (PCS).

7. The self-booting software defined radio (SDR) module according to claim 1 wherein said interface mechanism is a plug-and-play selected from the group comprising Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI), Universal Serial Bus (USB), and IEEE 1394 Firewire, TCP/IP.

8. The self-booting software defined radio (SDR) module according to claim 1, wherein said interface mechanism is embedded in said module and communicates with said host on a bus.

9. The self-booting software defined radio (SDR) module according to claim 1, wherein said front end comprises at least one radio frequency port, at least one transceiver coupled to said radio frequency port.

10. The self-booting software defined radio (SDR) module according to claim 1, wherein said host system is a cellular device, a laptop computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), and a mobile transportation processor.

11. The self-booting software defined radio (SDR) module according to claim 1, further comprising at least one antenna switchably coupled to said front end unit.

12. The self-booting software defined radio (SDR) module according to claim 1, wherein said module comprises at least partially reconfigurable logic devices selected from the group comprising:

field programmable gate array (FPGA), programmable logic device (PLD).

14. The software reconfigurable radio/wireless module according to claim, 12 wherein said radio frequency interface comprises at least one switchably coupled antenna.

15. The software reconfigurable radio/wireless module according to claim, 12 wherein said multi-port crossbar switch uses a serial digital interface.

16. The software reconfigurable radio/wireless module according to claim, 12 wherein said reconfigurable elements comprise reconfigurable transceivers,

17. The software reconfigurable radio/wireless module according to claim, 12 wherein said multi-port crossbar switch uses a serial digital interface.

13. A software reconfigurable radio/wireless module employing SCA architecture, comprising:

at least one processor unit;

at least one memory unit coupled to said processor unit by a control bus;

a plurality of reconfigurable elements;

an interface mechanism for transferring reconfiguration information from a host device to said reconfigurable elements;

at least one radio frequency interface block; and

at least one multi-port reconfigurable crossbar switch with bi-directional ports coupling to said radio frequency interface block and to said processor unit.

18. A switched fabric software defined radio module, comprising:

at least two reconfigurable logic device on said module, wherein said reconfigurable logic devices are each comprising;

a front end unit for transmission and reception of information signals;

a processing unit;

a memory section;

a crossbar switch; and

a fabric interface, wherein said processing unit, said memory section, and said crossbar switch are coupled to said fabric interface.

19. The switched fabric software defined radio module according to claim 18, wherein said crossbar switch is configured as a ring.

20. The switched fabric software defined radio module according to claim 18, wherein said devices further comprises an SCA run time kernel.