SDR Radio Receiver with Dual-Microcontroller I/Q Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing radio receivers face challenges in balancing energy consumption and computing power, particularly in long-term energy-independent environments.
Innovation Solution
A radio receiver design that divides I/Q data processing between two microcontrollers, where a first microcontroller is always active for basic tasks and a second microcontroller is used only when needed, allowing it to be in a sleep mode to conserve energy while providing additional computing power when required.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single microcontroller is used for all I/Q data processing tasks, then the device complexity is reduced, but the energy consumption increases and computing power is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides I/Q data processing tasks between two microcontrollers: a first microcontroller handles continuous basic tasks (acquisition, detection, search), while a second microcontroller handles computationally intensive tasks only when needed. This segmentation allows energy-efficient operation for routine tasks while providing access to higher computing power when required, resolving the contradiction between device simplicity and energy-efficient performance scaling.
2Power
If a more powerful microcontroller is used to handle all processing tasks, then computing power is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts processing power by switching between two microcontrollers based on task requirements. The first microcontroller operates continuously at lower power for basic tasks, while the second, more powerful microcontroller is activated only when additional computing power is needed. This dynamic allocation resolves the contradiction by providing high computing power on-demand without the penalty of continuously operating a high-power processor.
3Productivity
If the second microcontroller is activated frequently to improve processing capability, then computing power is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies partial action by using the second microcontroller only for specific computationally intensive tasks rather than continuously. The first microcontroller handles the majority of routine processing, and the second microcontroller is activated partially only when its additional processing capability is actually needed. This resolves the contradiction by providing enhanced productivity only when necessary, avoiding unnecessary energy consumption.
Data Source
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AI summary
Radio receiver (100) of a data collector or gateway of the SDR type for use in an energy-autonomous, preferably in a long-term energy-autonomous environment, wherein the radio receiver (100) receives data (102) in the form of data packets (300) or partial data packets (300a) and makes it available for further data processing, and wherein the radio receiver (100) comprises: an autonomous energy source in the form of a battery (105), preferably a long-life battery and/or a photovoltaic cell arrangement (119), a radio receiving path (102) in which analog radio signals corresponding to the data packets (300) or partial data packets (300a) are received, converted into I/Q data (108) and made available for subsequent processing, a first microcontroller (101) downstream of the radio receiving path (102) which processes the data received from the radio receiving path (102). provided I/Q data (108) processed into pre-processed I/Q data (113),a second microcontroller (110) connected downstream of the first microcontroller (101), which further processes the pre-processed I/Q data (113).