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COMMUNICATIONS
How Modular SDRs Help Achieve Environmental

Sustainability

By Kaue Morcelles, Per Vices

he advancement of RF technology in various industries, including radar, electronic war- highest-performance SDRs can receive 3 GHz
fare (EW) and signal intelligence (SIGINT), has led to the development of complex radio of instantaneous bandwidth using multiple
systems that are often expensive and not environmentally sustainable. These systems independent channels and DACs/ADCs. The
T require a large number of discrete components, increasing not only their size and cost digital back end, which is typically imple-
but also the amount of electronic waste. However, with the advent of modular software-defined mented using a field-programmable gate
radio (SDR), systems integrators can now take advantage of fully integrated systems that can array (FPGA), contains on-board
help reduce the total number of components and size of the systems being deployed while being digital-signal–processing (DSP) capabilities
more environmentally friendly. for modulation, demodulation, upconverting,
down-converting and data packetization over
Modular SDRs can be integrated into large reduce the overall size and footprint of the Ethernet optical links. The data is typically in
production systems across many industries to whole system and make it more convenient to the form of VITA49 IQ data in the Ethernet
reduce the overall number of components and deploy and operate. stack, which enables easy integration with
the size of the systems being deployed. Their In this article, we will discuss the impact of open-source RF software, host networks,
modularity allows for specific boards or elec- modular SDRs on system integration and how workstations and storage solutions. The
tromechanical components to be replaced, they can be leveraged to achieve sustainable highest-bandwidth SDRs have a backhaul/data
thereby reducing the overall waste that solutions. throughput of 4 × 100 Gbps over quad small-
comes from system updates and upgrades. form–factor pluggable (qSFP+) transceivers
Additionally, they can help extend the life of WHAT IS AN SDR? for interfacing to external equipment.
already in-field hardware through their use in An SDR is a type of radio communication sys-
service-life–extension programs (SLEPs). tem in which the functionality is defined by HOW SDRs ARE USED IN RADAR, SIGINT
SDRs can also be easily reconfigured on the software rather than by hardware. Their high AND EW
fly to adapt to changing requirements and flexibility and reconfigurability allow them to SDRs are widely used in industries like radar,
environments, resulting in lower costs and be used in a wide range of applications and SIGINT and EW, as they offer a highly flexible
less downtime. Unlike traditional systems, frequencies. and reconfigurable solution with minimal
they can provide a fully integrated analog An SDR typically contains a radio front footprint. They can act as the analog RF
and digital solution as opposed to requiring end (RFE) and digital back end. The RFE component, the interface between analog and
separate devices and associated equipment contains the receive and transmit function- digital domains and the digital component
to perform those functions, which can help ality over a very wide tuning range. The itself for decimation, interpolation, filtering

Modular SDR diagram

MARCH 2023 | www.eetimes.eu