Optically Isolated Multichannel SDR Receiver Interface
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional split-system radio receivers face limitations in bandwidth and power dissipation due to the co-location of receive and transmit components, which restricts their functionality and increases complexity, especially when multiple receivers share a single baseband unit.
Innovation Solution
A high-speed split receiver interface system with remote radio head units that convert analog signals to optical data for transmission over fibre-optic links to a baseband unit, where digital down conversion occurs, reducing the computational load on the remote radio head units and eliminating the need for up conversion circuitry, while maintaining a unidirectional optical link for enhanced security and flexibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If receive and transmit components are co-located within the RRH, then the RRH can perform signal up conversion and transmission functions, but the computational workload increases power consumption and heat dissipation
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the radio receiver into separate functional segments: the RRH performs only ADC conversion and optical transmission, while the BBU performs all digital signal processing including down conversion. This segmentation eliminates unnecessary up conversion circuitry in the RRH, reducing power consumption while maintaining full receive functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the computationally intensive digital signal processing functions from the RRH and relocates them to the BBU. By removing the up conversion and down conversion operations from the distributed RRH units, the system eliminates the power consumption and heat dissipation associated with these operations at the remote location.
2Productivity
If multiple RRHs share a single BBU with limited bandwidth medium, then network resource utilization improves, but bandwidth constraints limit system performance
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the traditional electrical/RF medium connecting RRH and BBU with an optical fiber medium. This substitution provides significantly higher bandwidth capacity, allowing multiple RRHs to share the BBU without bandwidth constraints limiting system performance. The optical interface enables high-speed digital data transmission without the bandwidth limitations of coaxial or wireless media.
3Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If the RRH performs digital down conversion, then signal processing capability is maintained at the remote location, but the computational workload and power requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the digital down conversion function from the RRH and relocates it to the centralized BBU. The RRH is reduced to performing only ADC conversion and optical transmission of raw digital samples. All complex signal processing including down conversion, filtering, and demodulation occurs at the BBU, maintaining signal processing capability while minimizing power consumption at the distributed location.
4Ease of operation
If a bidirectional medium connects RRH and BBU, then control and data transmission is enabled, but security risks increase due to exposure of sensitive parameters
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces an optical interface as an intermediary between the RRH and BBU. The optical conversion process acts as a security barrier that prevents direct electrical connection and exposure of sensitive digital parameters. Control signals can still be transmitted bidirectionally through the optical medium, maintaining operational control while enhancing security by isolating the digital domains of the RRH and BBU.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration simplifies the remote radio head units, reduces power requirements, minimizes installation costs, and enhances network security by isolating sensitive parameters, allowing for more flexible and cost-effective deployment of multichannel software defined radio receivers.
Implementation Method 1
each of the remote radio head units converting their sensed signal to a corresponding digital electrical form and then to a corresponding optical data form
Implementation Method 2
dispatch over an optical data interconnection; at least one optical interconnect interconnecting each remote radio head unit with a baseband unit
Implementation Method 3
a converter for conversion of the received optical signals to corresponding electrical digital form
Data Source
AI summary
A high speed split receiver interface system for sensing a series of external signals, the system including: a series of remote radio head units for receiving a sensed signal in an analog electric form, each of the remote radio head units converting their sensed signal to a corresponding digital electrical form and then to a corresponding optical data form for dispatch over an optical data interconnection; at least one optical interconnect interconnecting each remote radio head unit with a baseband unit; a first baseband unit interconnecting the series of remote head units corresponding optical interconnects, and including a converter for conversion of the received optical signals to corresponding electrical digital form and down sampling the optical signals to corresponding down sampled signals, a memory store for storing the down sampled signals, and an external network interface for transmission of the saved signals to an external device.