Kit speeds software-defined radio design

A complete software-defined radio developers kit enables rapid design of next-generation wireless communications applications in defence, civilian and commercial market sectors.

Celoxica and Sundance Multiprocessor Technology have created a complete software-defined radio (SDR) developers kit for rapid design of next-generation wireless communications applications in the defence, civilian and commercial market sectors.

The kit provides Celoxica ESL software for C-based design of SDR waveforms and Sundance COTS development boards populated with DSP and FPGA chips.

The solution combines C-based and model-based design methodologies with preconfigured IP and programmable FPGA and DSP modules to enable rapid implementation of the very complex signal processing tasks required by SDR.

Open application programming interface (API) specifications are provided with the kit to support the fundamental open architecture of SDR and enable creation of SDR models and IP to a single set of interfaces, independent of board level detail.

"The inherent SDR value proposition of dynamic reconfiguration and parameter selection is seriously undermined if developers cannot quickly respond to evolving standards, protocols and the need to quickly deploy or upgrade new network equipment and services", said Jeff Jussel, Vice President of Worldwide Marketing for Celoxica.

"Equipment manufacturers want a system that can support different standards with a common platform and we can help them achieve that, more quickly and flexibly than was previously possible".

Driven by the continuing evolution of link-layer protocol standards such as 3G and 4G, air interface standards such as GSM/TDMA and IS94/ CDMA and rising network operator deployment costs, SDR provides a solution based on open architectures, reconfigurability and ubiquitous connectivity.

A wide range of radio applications such as Bluetooth wireless LAN, radar and GPS can be realised using SDR with the radio functions being implemented as software modules, or multiple software modules on programmable hardware platforms.

"Sundance's contribution to the kit provides the optimum mix of high-performance hardware and software technologies that can be reconfigured to perform different tasks and meet different radio standards", said Flemming Christensen, Managing Director of Sundance.

"From the board level to the system level, the focus has been on ease of use, productivity and flexibility".

The SDR kit, supplied with interchangeable modules mounted with Xilinx FPGAs and TI DSPs, is available immediately.

Design software support includes Celoxica's DK Design Suite and system level APIs, the Mathworks Simulink, TI's Code Composer Studio and System Generator from Xilinx.

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