Software Defined Radio (SDR) has the potential to be a revolutionary technology that will dramatically impact the wireless technology industry. SDR involves minimizing the amount of hardware used in a radio system by moving Analog To Digital (A/D) and Digital to Analog (D/A) converters to the RF front end. Typical radio processing will then be done digitally on a software level, as opposed to the conventional method of an analog signal going through individual hardware components each performing a specific function. As a result, hardware costs and power usage will be minimized and a new dimension of flexibility in radio architectures, as well as frequency selection and modulation schemes will be added.
 
Diagram of a basic SDR
               Contact the Webmaster
         Last Updated: March 30, 2004