CRC has helped develop technology that will allow users of next-generation radios to re-program them within minutes so they can communicate seamlessly with other radio users, regardless of what system the others may be using.

Why is this interoperability important?

Take the case of large-scale emergencies. A major challenge in cases such as September 11th or the 1998 Ice Storm was the co-ordination of rescue teams, which often include all levels of law enforcement, various medical personnel, firefighters, the military and many other emergency management agencies.

All of them converge on the scene of the disaster, each using their own radio systems and thus unable to effectively communicate with other teams. Cell phones offer a poor alternative, as the flood of calls during crisis can easily overload the system. The other alternative - each team having each of the same radio systems as the other groups - is inconvenient, very expensive and frankly, unrealistic.

Enter the Software Defined Radio (SDR): a radio that can quickly be reprogrammed via a computer command so that it becomes compatible with any communication system.

How does it work?

At the center of SDR is an open-system architecture developed by the U.S. Department of Defense called the Software Communications Architecture (SCA). Originally developed for military radios, it has now been accepted by the Software Defined Radio Forum, an international association of more than 100 wireless companies. Common to all SDR's, the SCA allows the proper download of specific waveforms to meet the requirements of the radio system. One can look at it as the system manager responsible for connecting the different signal processing functions of the radio.

While the SCA offers a critical set of specifications needed to make SDR work, it is only one set of specifications and thus subject to many interpretations, which can limit interoperability.

That is why CRC, together with Defence Research and Development Canada-Ottawa and the Software Defined Radio Forum, has produced a Reference Implementation of the SCA specifications. See the news release to find out more about what this means.

And there's more to come!

CRC is currently looking at multi-band, multi-protocol radios based on SDR technology. CRC and Defence Research and Development Canada-Ottawa have begun a project to develop a protocol for military satellite communications that use Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF).

CRC is keen on establishing partnerships with other organizations interested in the development of other waveforms. CRC can offer considerable expertise on the SCA specification and design, as well as signal processing technology for waveform development.

If you are an organization who is interested, please contact CRC's Business Development Office at (613) 998-2357 or write eric.tsang@crc.gc.ca.