A software radio approach for the transceiver transition from 2G to 2.5G to 3G

Abstract

This paper illustrates that the software radio (SWR) approach is of great interest in the context of future multi-standard environments that will become prevalent as we move towards and beyond 3G. Software radio can facilitate this transition thanks to the digital approach that is associated with. The time has come for experimentation and concrete demonstrations that will permit to better understand key issues and establish the merits of the technology. A complete software radio case study is presented here. This case study concerns a real-time triple mode implementation of the GSM-EDGE-UMTS modulation and demodulation schemes using a software centric approach and state-of-the art DSP components. Implementation details and performance results are given. This work together with other efforts around the world demonstrates that SWR will be a key technology factor for the transition from 2G to 3G and the evolution of mobile communications in general.