Using Software Defined Instruments to Address the Mixed-Signal Test Challenges of Today’s Software Defined Radios

Software Defined Radio (SDR) represents an important move forward for mobile and personal communications, promising a major increase in flexibility, capability, and cost efficiency. It utilizes a combination of field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), digital signal processors (DSPs), and analog/RF designs to achieve the radio’s system performance. The SDR’s core functionality can be changed by modifying the software and firmware instead of the hardware. Because of this flexibility, the radio isn’t limited to just one transmission scheme or waveform. Rather, it can be reconfigured to support new waveforms or to operate as a different type of radio altogether. For a true SDR, the waveform stands on its own, and waveforms can even be ported to different hardware platforms.