The Coming of Age of the Software Communications Architecture - Microwave Journal Special Report by PrismTech & Agilent

Use of a specification to standardize the middleware that governs the interoperation of software across all operating layers within software-defined radio.

by S Jennis, PrismTech Boston, MA; F. Ditore and R Cutler, Agilent Technologies Inc., Santa Clara, CA

The July 2010 Issue of the Microwave Journal features a Special Report co-authored by PrismTech's SVP of Corporate Development, Steve Jennis, titled "The Coming of Age of the Software Communications Architecture."

The idea of the "Software-Defined Radio" (SDR) has been circulating in industry and academia for almost 20 years, the term having been coined by Joe Mitola in a 1992 paper. Since that time, many commercial and defense-oriented radio SDR products have been developed and released, most using basic technology. Until recently, however, most SDRs have used proprietary middleware to facilitate communications between their different radio componentsónot only within waveform applications, but also to higher layers in the communications protocol. These proprietary middleware components are often narrowly focused, resulting in rigid, monolithic radios that inhibit IP reuse, platform-independence among applications, or innovations that would significantly reduce cost and time-to-market. The Software Communications Architecture (SCA) is a software specification that tries to improve this situation, and focuses on the "software" part of a software-defined radio.

Read more on the Microwave Journal's website at: http://www.mwjournal.com/Journal/article.asp?HH_ID=AR_9394&tite=The Coming of Age of the Software Communications Architecture