Radio-Control Board For Software-Defined Radio Platform

• US 20110078355A1
• Filed: 09/30/2009
• Published: 03/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Tan, Kun, Zhang, Yongguang, Zhang, Jiansong
• Granted Patent: US 9,753,884 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/305
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/38 Information transfer, e.g. on bus G06F13/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/40 Bus structure for computer networks G06F15/163; for optical bus networks H04B10/25
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4273 using a clocked protocol
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0007 wherein the AD/DA conversion occurs at radiofrequency or intermediate frequency stage

Abstract

A radio control board exchanges data with a radio frequency (RF) front end using a messaging protocol over an interface that includes separate data and control channels. Training data can also be passed over the interface for tuning the clock phase.

Claims

1. A radio control board (RCB) comprising:

an RCB controller coupled to an RCB memory;

a bus interface for operably connecting the RCB for communication with a system bus of a computing device for exchanging data between the RCB and the computing device;

a low voltage differential signaling (LVDS) interface for operably connecting the RCB with a radio frequency (RF) front end for exchanging the data between the RCB and the RF front end,

wherein the LVDS interface includes at least one LVDS connector providing at least one LVDS data channel for transmitting data messages between the RCB and the RF front end and a separate LVDS control channel for transmitting control messages between the RCB and the RF front end.

2. The radio control board according to claim 1, wherein the system bus is a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) bus.

3. The radio control board according to claim 1, wherein the at least one LVDS connector further includes a dedicated LVDS status channel for indicating whether data transmitted over the interface is to be one of training data or working data.

4. The radio control board according to claim 1, further comprising a data frame encoder that is configured to encode the data on the RCB into a payload portion of a data message having a start frame delimiter and length indicator prior to transmitting the data message to the RF front end.

5. The radio control board according to claim 1, further comprising an LVDS sender implemented on the RCB that receives outgoing data messages encoded by the data frame encoder on the RCB and that transfers the outgoing data messages to an LVDS receiver on the RF front end.

6. The radio control board according to claim 4, wherein the LVDS sender is configured to transfer the data messages to the LVDS receiver across multiple data-dedicated LVDS channels using 8 b/10 b encoding.

7. The radio control board according to claim 4, wherein the LVDS sender is further configured to send training data to the LVDS receiver on the RF front end for use in tuning a phase of a clock signal sent by the LVDS sender to the LVDS receiver.

8. The radio control board according to claim 1, further comprising:

an LVDS receiver implemented on the RCB that receives incoming encoded data messages from an LVDS sender on the RF front end; and

a data frame decoder on the RCB that decodes the encoded data messages to derive incoming data, for storing the incoming data in a buffer on the RCB.

9. A method comprising:

connecting a radio control board (RCB) having a processor and memory for operable communication with a radio frequency (RF) front end via a communication interface, wherein the RCB is further connected for operable communication with a system bus of a computing device;

receiving outgoing data into a memory at the RCB from the computing device;

encoding, by the RCB, the outgoing data into a data message;

passing the encoded data message over the communication interface to the RF front end.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

encoding a control parameter as a control message for delivery over the communication interface to the RF front end,

wherein the control message includes a start frame delimiter, the control parameter and a cyclic redundancy check value,

wherein the control message is delivered over the communication interface on a dedicated control channel separate from one or more data channels used for delivering the data message to the RF front end.

11. The method according to claim 9, further comprising receiving a status of the RF front end at the RCB over the communication interface on a dedicated status channel, wherein the status indicates whether data delivered over the dedicated data channels is to be training data or working data.

12. The method according to claim 9, further comprising delivering training data over the communication interface, wherein the training data enables an LVDS receiver to tune a phase of a clock signal for optimizing reading of received data.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein the communication interface is an LVDS (low voltage differential signaling) interface, and further comprising sending the data message to the RF front end by an LVDS sender on the RCB, wherein the LVDS sender delivers the date message to the RF front end using 8 b/10 b encoding.

14. Computer readable storage media containing processor-executable instructions adapted to be executed by a processor for implementing the method according to claim 9.

15. A radio control board (RCB) comprising:

a controller;

a bus interface for operably connecting the RCB for communication with a computing device;

a low voltage differential signaling (LVDS) interface for operably connecting the RCB with an RF front end for exchanging data between the RCB and the RF front end.

16. The radio control board according to claim 15, wherein the LVDS interface includes at least one LVDS connector providing at least one LVDS data channel for transmitting data messages and a separate LVDS control channel for transmitting control messages between the RCB and the RF front end.

17. The radio control board according to claim 16, wherein the LVDS interface further includes an LVDS status channel for delivering a status signal indicating whether an LVDS receiver is able to receive data, wherein the LVDS status channel is separate from the at least one LVDS data channel and the LVDS control channel.

18. The radio control board according to claim 17, wherein the LVDS interface further includes an LVDS clock channel for delivering a clock signal, wherein the LVDS clock channel is separate from the LVDS status channel, the LVDS control channel and the at least one LVDS data channel.

19. The radio control board according to claim 15, further comprising wherein the LVDS interface includes at least one LVDS sender and at least one LVDS receiver, wherein the at least one LVDS sender is configured to send a training pattern to the LVDS receiver for tuning of a clock phase of the LVDS interface.

20. The radio control board according to claim 15, wherein the LVDS interface includes least four 28-pin LVDS connectors arranged on the RCB in two rows and two columns of two LVDS connectors each, wherein a distance between longitudinal centerlines of the LVDS connectors is between 17.78 and 20.00 mm.