Software defined radios: a technical challenge and a migration strategy

Modern technology has reached a point where it is feasible to produce a radio which changes personality depending on the software loaded into it. There may be baseband processing options, modulation options, RF options, and antenna control options in a physical package configured for handheld, mobile, or base station applications. This paper discusses the need for a software radio architecture, what that architecture should be, the migration strategy issues that have to be addressed, and the technology that makes such a radio possible