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How Modular SDRs Help Achieve Environmental Sustainability

SDR in a radar system

These before and after images show how a single SDR can take the place of several discrete hardware components.

and other DSP functions. In these types of single SDR can literally become an RF station, ular SDRs, only the specific circuit board or
systems, SDRs can replace hundreds or even simultaneously performing signal generation, electromechanical component that is causing
thousands of discrete components, resulting spectrum monitoring, power metering and the problem needs to be replaced, which
in a significant reduction in overall complex- other functions. reduces not only the downtime and costs but
ity, cost, component count and size/footprint. the overall waste generated.
For example, in a radar system, incor- ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS OF SDRs are designed to be energy-efficient,
porating modular SDRs to replace discrete MODULAR SDRs using much less power than traditional
components has been demonstrated to result The use of modular SDRs in RF industries not systems and thus optimizing the carbon foot-
in a system that occupies less than 10% of the only brings performance benefits to critical print. Finally, because of their compact size,
space of the original. This is because the flex- equipment but provides huge environmental they require fewer resources for transport and
ibility and programmability of SDRs enable benefits. SDRs can help reduce the overall can be deployed in remote areas where tradi-
the system to perform arbitrary functions number of components in a system, which in tional systems would not be viable. ■
without any hardware modification, so a sin- turn reduces the overall waste generated by a
gle device can emulate virtually any piece of great margin. Kaue Morcelles is an independent technical
RF equipment. Furthermore, multiple-input When a problem occurs with a writer for Per Vices. He is an electrical
multiple-output (MIMO) SDRs can perform hardware-based system, the entire system engineer, with a focus on electronics design
multiple functions at the same time, so a often must be discarded. However, with mod- and instrumentation.

www.eetimes.eu | MARCH 2023