Low Power SDR Architecture Using Programmable Crossbars
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current software-defined radio (SDR) designs prioritize flexibility and performance but often neglect low power consumption, which is essential for evolving wireless communication protocols like Bluetooth low energy and low power sensor networks.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a low power SDR architecture that separates data and control paths, utilizing programmable crossbars and state machines to interconnect signal processing units, allowing for efficient processing and routing of high-rate data while reducing energy consumption by operating at lower clock rates and minimizing data accesses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional software-defined radio designs are used to achieve flexibility and performance, then adaptability and processing capability are improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into multiple processing clusters, each handling specific signal processing functions. This segmentation allows the radio to activate only the necessary clusters for a given protocol, reducing overall power consumption while maintaining protocol flexibility through selective cluster activation.
Solution Approach 2:
The processing clusters are dynamically configured and activated based on the specific communication protocol requirements. The system can adaptively enable or disable clusters as needed, providing protocol flexibility while minimizing power consumption by operating with a minimal active subset of processing resources.
2Productivity
If high clock rates are used to process high-rate data, then processing speed is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The data processing function is segmented across multiple processing clusters that can operate in parallel at lower clock rates. By distributing the processing load across multiple units working simultaneously at reduced frequencies, the system achieves high overall data processing rates while consuming less power than a single high-frequency processor.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple signal processing units are interconnected to implement various protocols, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Each processing cluster is designed with universal functionality to handle multiple signal processing operations. The clusters can be configured through software to perform different functions depending on the required communication protocol, reducing the need for dedicated hardware for each protocol and thereby reducing overall system complexity while maintaining multi-protocol support.
Data Source
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AI summary
In described examples, a communication apparatus includes signal processing units (210, 220) configured to perform a set of predetermined signal processing functions according to a set of parameters. Programmable crossbars (230) are coupled to the signal processing units (210, 220). Control processors (240) are coupled to the programmable crossbars (230) and configured to adjust the programmable crossbars (230) to interconnect the signal processing units (210, 220) to implement a selected communication protocol. At least one of the programmable crossbars (230) routes data from a first of the signal processing units (210, 220) to a second of the signal processing units (210, 220), forming a data path (250) without interception from the control processors (240).