Software Defined Radio (SDR) and Cognitive Radio (CR) for Strategic Applications

The Wireless Innovation Forum defines Software Defined Radio as a collection of hardware and software technologies where some or all of the radio’s operating functions are implemented through modifiable software or firmware operating on programmable processing platforms. The part of software that defines the set of transformations applied to information to be transmitted and the corresponding set of transformations to convert received signals back to their information content is called a “waveform”. The SDR “platform” acquires different radio personalities based on different waveforms.

A Cognitive Radio (CR) is a radio that is aware of its operational electromagnetic environment and is capable of dynamically adjusting its radio operating parameters to meet its communication objective. An SDR platform augmented   with a Sensing receiver forms a CR platform. A CR waveform typically possesses cognitive features like spectrum sensing, spectrum mobility and link adaptation over and above those of other SDR waveforms.

C-DAC has been working on SDR for military communications since 2010 and has gained expertise in design and development of SDR platforms as well as SDR waveforms. C-DAC has developed SDR platforms for both naval and land based applications in collaboration with Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Department of Atomic Energy (DAE). A ship-borne SDR was developed for DRDO,which is currently being manufactured and deployed by Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL), a PSU under Ministry of Defence, Govt. of India. A Manpack form factor was developed for Electronics Corporation of India Ltd (ECIL), a PSU under DAE, and delivered along with  two waveforms. As fallout from these activities, an SDR development platform (PEARS) was also brought out by C-DAC for use by academia and research community. Since 2018, C-DAC has embarked upon research and development activities on Cognitive Radio for Strategic Applications, and has brought out a proof-of-concept CR that showcases the potential of this emerging technology.

Salient Features

Key features of C-DAC SDR/CR Platforms

• Indigenous design
• Supports voice and data communication
• Coverage in HF, VHF, UHF and L-bands
• SCA compliant architecture
• Security features in line with standard red-black separation
• RF front end and signal processing for wideband spectrum sensing (for CR only)

DEAL (DRDO) & BEL and/or ECIL may be contacted for detailed specifications of the ship-borne and Manpack SDRs respectively.

Technology Offerings in SDR/CR domain

• Wideband Transceivers (2 MHz to 2 GHz)
• HF, V/UHF and L-band Power Amplifiers & Harmonic Filters
• Agile frequency synthesisers
• High speed data converter cards
• High speed Digital baseband cards with FPGA
• Platform software for SDR platforms
• SDR Waveform development (Voice & Data)
• Digital pre-distortion technology
• Wideband spectrum sensing technology