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Linux Powers First Handheld Software Radio

Posted by timothy on from the please-productize dept.

An anonymous reader writes "According to this article at LinuxDevices.com, Vanu Technology is demonstrating what it claims represents the world's first handheld 'software radio' using an iPAQ PDA running Linux at a conference in Washington DC today. Vanu apparently has implemented the signal processing functions on the iPAQ's XScale processor, and their software uses POSIX APIs to make it platform independent. Software radios implement multiple radio standards and frequency bands in software, rather than hardware. A standard iPAQ expansion pack houses the radio transceiver."

12 of 161 comments (clear)

  1. Call me old fashioned... by craenor · · Score: 2, Insightful

    But I think transistors have been handling that whole portable radio thing just fine without Linux to help them. Sorry.

    1. Re:Call me old fashioned... by swtaarrs · · Score: 2, Insightful

      And transistors/other solid state analog circuits are considerably more stable than Linux, or any operating system for that matter.

    2. Re:Call me old fashioned... by YellowElectricRat · · Score: 5, Insightful

      You're looking at this from the wrong level - this thing still has all the hardware to receive RF, the funky thing is that the radio demodulation/modulation et al is programmable. At the band's this is running at, it's not so interesting, but once you get up to 900MHz (and later at 2.4GHz+), you essentially have a device that can communicate with any RF device on its supported bands.

      What this means (in the future, with 2.4GHz+ capable devices) is that one device (be it your PDA, mobile phone, PCMCIA card) can be a GSM phone, can be a CDMA phone, can be a 3G phone, can be a CB/commercial/police radio receiver, it could even be used for 802.11b or Bluetooth. The possibilities for software radio are mind boggling. Linux is really irrelevant in the scheme of things, it's essentially just used to bolt the stuff together - it's the underlying technology that is impressive.

    3. Re:Call me old fashioned... by trenton · · Score: 3, Insightful
      I'm pinning my hopes on software to revolutionize the entire wireless industry. And by entire, I mean anything with a processing unit and transceiver.

      For example, with software radio, cell phone manufacturers can make the guts of one phone and sell it in every market in the world. Equipment providers can make one cell phone tower, and use it everywhere. Wanna upgrade to a new standard? No problem. Distribute new software to the handsets and base stations and you're done. Imagine being able to roll out a new protocol to take advantage of just-made-available spectrum instantly.

      Your one cell phone could act as a wireless ethernet adaptor, a bluetooth adaptor, an FM radio, an AM radio, a VHF radio, whatever! The promise of this technology is incredible.

      --
      Too big to fail? Does that make me to small to succeed?
  2. irony by SHEENmaster · · Score: 2, Insightful

    We developed compressed audio formats to combat the mindless crap that makes it onto the radio.

    Now we are using a processor with many million transistors to take the place of a single transistor radio. Anyways, this is a cool accomplishment, with or without a practical application.

    --
    You can't judge a book by the way it wears its hair.
    1. Re:irony by ocelotbob · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Ah, but therein lies the rub. this does have useful applications; it's a transceiver, not just a receiver. Thus, you can use this as a packet modem/whatever. Think long range wireless and the like; it'll be a toy for most at first until someone plays with it enough to use everything a good wireless connection can provide.

      --

      Marxism is the opiate of dumbasses

  3. Re:One of the concerns by Zeebs · · Score: 4, Insightful

    ... Anyone else have solutions to this dilemma?

    I sure do, off-shore production and smuggling operation. If I want to wreak havoc and chaos it is my god given consitiutionally protected right to do so.

    Ahem... Excuse me, what I ment to say was that it's only a tool. You know guns don't have special attachments on their sights so you can only shoot in-season game. Hold the user responsible, not the maker or the tool.

    --

    Happy Noodle Boy says "F###ing doughnut! Mock me? You fried cyclops!!"
  4. Yeah - it's call the FCC by rfmobile · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Yeah - it's called the FCC and includes the process of type acceptance for a manufacturer to sell or even advertise radio equipment.


    Anyone can purchase a transmitter or two-way radio and begin transmitting without a license on top of legit communications.

    This is an old problem with an old solution. Do a 'net search for "Riley's Hammer" ...


    For an example of this in action see fcc.gov
  5. The point is... by munter · · Score: 4, Insightful
    Eliminating government control of spectrum.

    You guys are all missing the point. If you have a software radio you have something that is inherently able to adapt to the spectral environment that it currently "sees". Develop logic that deals with interference, and you've eliminated the concept of management bands and spectrum management agencies. You've essentially automated the process that these agencies seek to fufill, and you've eliminated the politics, lobbying mechanisms and the grip that the old world broadcast industry has on the raw resource that should be essentially free for everyone to use.

    Some people may argue that you've taken revenue (licensing) away from central government. That is true. But my belief is that Central Government should be focussing on developing innovative smart technology rather than maintaining archaic processes. Revenue through process rather than red-tape.

    Are radiowaves the electromagnetic equivalent of GNU bandwidth?

    Check here and here for clue.

    somewhere in texas, a village is missing it's idiot

  6. Patent it NOW! by Ja-Ja-Jamin · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Before some LLC patent leach does!

  7. Re:Is it a real "plus" ? by Alsee · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Unless the software solution offers significant improvements/advantages (like super fine tuning, rms, ta, like the stuff on the car audio tuners) and catching international radio stations

    The advantage is that someone can post code on the internet for things like super fine tuning, rms, ta, or catching international stations. Then you just download it and BAM, you have a radio with that feature.

    You can download cellphone code, or beeper code, or video-cellphone code, or SMS, or GPS, or a radio controller for that toy remote-control car you have.

    The REAL advantage is that you'll be able to download stuff that hasn't even been invented yet.

    -

    --
    - - You can't take something off the Internet! That's like trying to take pee out of a swimming pool.
  8. Re:So this doesn't count? by Alsee · · Score: 2, Insightful

    tkcRadio [thekompany.com] doesn't count then?

    Nope.

    This article is about a fully programmable communication device. Listening to the radio is just one program. Load up a different program and you have a cellphone, or a beeper, or a TV, or a wireless access point, or a CB.

    Just doenload a new program off the internet and it becomes a garage door opener if you want.

    -

    --
    - - You can't take something off the Internet! That's like trying to take pee out of a swimming pool.