PrismTech Announces the First COTS Implementation of the Software Communications Architecture

MONTEREY, Calif. --(Business Wire)-- Nov. 1, 2004 -- PrismTech:

OpenFusion SCA OE (Operating Environment) Provides a Complete Development and Deployment Solution for Building SCA-Compliant Software-Defined Radios (SDRs)

At MILCOM 2004 today, PrismTech a leading provider of distributed and wireless software infrastructure, announced OpenFusion SCA OE, the first COTS implementation of the SCA specification. This vertically-integrated and commercially-supported suite of middleware and developer tools dramatically simplifies the development of SCA-compliant radios. By providing a pre-integrated and optimized product (addressing the RTOS, ORB and core framework layers of the SCA), PrismTech helps the waveform developer to focus on "application value-add" by greatly reducing middleware complexity.

SDR is an emerging technology which replaces inflexible and expensive radio hardware (e.g. ASICs, custom processors) with software running on general-purpose processors (GPPs) and/or digital signal processors (DSPs) to make wireless communication systems and applications: more flexible, more reusable, hardware independent and, eventually, cognitive. The SCA is clearly the leading specification for the standardization of software interfaces in SDR. The SCA is in the process of being adopted by international standards organizations (e.g. the OMG) and is the reference architecture for SDR in many segments: military radio, satellite communications, commercial wireless infrastructure, public safety, etc.

SDR, JTRS and SCA Background

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. The JTRS JPO (joint program office) is coordinating the replacement of approximately 750,000 US military radios with 250,000 to 320,000 SDRs(1). 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 the SCA by all its suppliers. SCA is a set of specifications that define a radio's operating environment by describing how elements of hardware and software are to operate in harmony within the JTRS. It governs the structure and operation of the JTRS, enabling programmable radios to load waveforms, run applications, and be networked into an integrated system. Design engineers use the SCA definition document just as an architect or planner uses a local building code to design and build homes(2).

SCA Implementations (Custom versus COTS)

Until now developers of SCA-compliant SDRs have had to build their software infrastructure (OS and middleware) from individual components (RTOSs, ORBs, etc.) and without advanced developer tools: leading to higher costs, slower time-to-market and high-levels of integration complexity - even with highly-skilled developers.

PrismTech's OpenFusion SCA OE provides a dramatic step forward by providing a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) infrastructure and toolkit which offers a complete environment and SCA-compliant API for waveform and application developers.

Users of OpenFusion SCA OE will benefit from:

-- Reduced middleware complexity and version control/management.

-- A single SCA-compliant API.

-- A single middleware supplier providing COTS technical support (up to 24x7) and other developer services.

-- A wide range of supported development and deployment platforms (e.g. INTEGRITY, VxWorks, TI DSP).

OpenFusion SCA OE features include:

-- A high-performance waveform-hosting core framework - OpenFusion SCA OE incorporates BAE Systems' CNIR core framework (CF) which has been highly-optimized for efficiency, performance and to maximize waveform portability.

-- Optimized distributed processing environment - OpenFusion SCA OE incorporates PrismTech's own OpenFusion e*ORB SDR distributed processing middleware environment, which maximizes application portability, reusability and scalability.

-- Heterogeneous RTOS/hardware support - OpenFusion SCA OE uniquely supports the range of hardware configuration and processor types required to develop truly portable waveforms. For specialized hardware devices such as DSPs, where POSIX support is not yet provided as standard, OpenFusion SCA OE provides POSIX support in the form of light-weight POSIX wrappers onto the native DSP operating interfaces. This enables SCA-compliant components to be developed and hosted on a wide range of processor types including GPPs, DSPs, and FPGAs.

-- Waveform developer productivity tools - a developer kit (SDK) that provides a powerful set of pattern-based frameworks for waveform and radio platform development, allowing the developer to concentrate on the job-at-hand without worrying about the complexities of the underlying SCA platform.

-- POSIX-compliant operating system support - OpenFusion SCA OE supports a range of leading high-performance POSIX compliant operating systems, such as VxWorks and INTEGRITY, and can be easily ported to any other target operating system.

-- Sample waveforms.

-- SCA-compliant reference hardware.

"OpenFusion SCA OE eliminates a cumbersome and unnecessary burden currently faced by SDR developers", said Keith Steele, CEO PrismTech. "By making the SCA platform easier to use it will help to further increase SCA adoption both within military SDR and beyond into commercial SDR applications."

Further information about OpenFusion SCA OE is available from PrismTech's website at http://www.prismtech.com

Notes for Editors

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 www.prismtech.com.

1. US Military Creating a Multi-billion Dollar Software Defined Radio (SDR) Industry - VDC

http://www.vdc-corp.com/telecom/press/04/pr04-49.html

2. Software Communications Architecture (SCA)

http://jtrs.army.mil/sections/technicalinformation/ fset_technical_sca.html (Due to its length, this URL may need to be copied/pasted into your Internet browser's address field. Remove the extra space if one exists.)

OpenFusion, e*ORB SDR and SCA OE are trademarks of PrismTech. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]

Discussions: