Software-Defined Radio

摘要

It is no secret that anticipated technologies are often hyped as being hot, especially in the rapidly evolving and highly dynamic field of wireless communication. These very same technologies about which everybody has talked so enthusiastically then disappear silently, without leaving any impact on the industry, and remaining merely as just another vocabulary entry in the glossary of Newton's Telecom Dictionary. This time, however, it seems really different. The emergence of a promising, versatile technology into the commercial world seems to set the entire communication industry into pure excitement. Not only has it definitely become a major focus of attention, but it is also catalyzing enhancement of new standards as the industry is taking its big steps toward the age of third generation (3G) communication. Software-defined radio (SDR) is receiving enormous recognition as the next evolutionary stage of wireless technology, getting support from governmental agencies as well as civil and commercial entities. The numerous benefits provided by SDR have created widespread interest, and the triumphal procession of software-based radio systems now only remains a question of time. In a comprehensive approach, this paper is going to give a broad overview about SDR in three parts: Part 1 is going to cover the history of SDR in militaristic development projects, identify problems of current digital hardware-based radio systems, and define the concept as well as describe the potentials associated with SDR. Part 2 is going to give an explanation about the architecture and functionality of the SDR technology. Finally, Part 3 will focus on regulatory issues, as well as explore current applications and future potentials of SDR.