OpenFusion e*ORB SDR provides a software platform designed specifically for low-profile and resource-constrained environments – over-lying GPPs, DSPs and FPGAs – without compromising SCA compliance
Arlington, VA, USA – 13 September, 2004 – At the OMG’s Software-Based Communications Workshop today, PrismTech a leading provider of distributed and wireless software infrastructure, announced OpenFusion e*ORB SDR, the first member of a new middleware product family specifically designed for wireless OEMs.
Wireless OEMs and Software-Defined Radio (SDR)
Wireless OEMs are rapidly embracing SDR – a technology where software running on standard hardware executes signal processing and other radio functions. SDR has a major impact on the wireless value chain. Standard general-purpose processors (GPPs), digital signal processors (DSPs) and field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) replace expensive (and inflexible) custom semiconductors and ASICs. Wireless software infrastructure and signal-processing applications (waveforms) replace hardware functionality. A new boundary is created between (less) hardware and (more) software. This new hardware/software separation and independence facilitates a number of significant advances in radio infrastructure functionality and “agility”. A single device becomes a waveform/application platform capable of hosting multi-mode, multi-band functionality and of adapting as users’ and network requirements change. Furthermore, standardized SDR middleware (implementing industry-standard APIs) supports rapid application development, waveform inter-operability and easier 3rd party ISV product integration.
SDR – from Military R&D to Commercial Applications
As with many emerging technologies, military research and development has been an early driver of SDR innovation, with the US military’s Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) providing the main impetus for SDR technology since the mid-1990s. JTRS is a multi-billion dollar program that has been established to coordinate the deployment of SDR to all the US military services.
To ensure the ability of independently developed waveforms to run, interoperate and evolve on diverse and changing hardware platforms, JTRS has mandated the use of its Software Communications Architecture (SCA) by all its OEM suppliers. SCA is a set of specifications that define a radio’s operating environment: by describing the interaction between software and hardware components and therefore providing the software framework required for waveforms/applications. The standards underpinning the SCA are the interoperability specifications for distributed computing from the Object Management Group (OMG). SCA is a generic specification equally applicable to military and commercial SDR. All supported features of the full SCA specification may not be required in all commercial SDR devices – but SCA’s open nature allows implementations to optimize functionality for different application/device markets.
OpenFusion e*ORB SDR – Unique Middleware Optimized for Wireless OEMs
PrismTech’s OpenFusion e*ORB SDR is a suite of SCA-compliant, high-performance, low-footprint CORBA ORBs (and related Common Object Services) optimized for low-profile and resource-constrained environments. OpenFusion e*ORB SDR is unique in that it offers a fully interoperable solution for GPPs, DSPs and FPGAs (e.g. in a radio’s signal processing subsystem).
OpenFusion e*ORB SDR provides the following benefits to Wireless OEMs:
• Consumes very low amounts of system resources (e.g. memory) thus enabling the development of lower-powered, cooler-running devices with longer battery life. OpenFusion e*ORB SDR achieves this through a minimumCORBA profile for both C++ and C ORBs, in combination with Lightweight Naming, Event and Log Services.
• Enables high-performance devices that can support multiple waveforms and be configured and reconfigured quickly and efficiently. OpenFusion e*ORB SDR achieves this through its high-performance ORB core and marshalling engine, which is common to both the C++ and C variants.
• Provides the SCA-compliant middleware required to develop interoperable military radios for programs such as JTRS. OpenFusion e*ORB SDR achieves this through its minimumCORBA compliant ORBs.
• Allows CORBA to be hosted on both GPPs and DSPs, allowing “on-the-fly task allocation and re-balancing between the GPP and DSP; which also has the benefit of making the functionality of the DSP much more widely available. OpenFusion e*ORB achieves this by having the C ORB ported to the DSP which is fully interoperable with the C++ ORB running on the GPP.
"OpenFusion e*ORB SDR offers: lower footprint and overhead, faster throughput, the most open and configurable architecture, more efficient use of resources (MHz); all of which make it the best ORB for SCA-compliant development," states Keith Steele, CEO PrismTech.
Further information about OpenFusion e*ORB SDR, including white papers, is available from PrismTech’s website at http://www.prismtech.com.
About PrismTech
Founded in 1992, with offices in the USA and Europe, PrismTech is a privately held software products company. PrismTech serves international Fortune 500 customers in the telecommunications, data communications, defense and aerospace sectors. PrismTech is an acknowledged leader in distributed and wireless software infrastructure, with solutions ranging from wide-scale integration to embedded real-time systems, supporting applications from operations support systems (OSS) through to software-defined radio (SDR). For additional information about PrismTech, visit the web site at http://www.prismtech.com.
Press Contact:
PrismTech Limited
Gregg Shenton
E-Mail: gregg.shenton@prismtech.com
OpenFusion and e*ORB SDR are trademarks of PrismTech. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.