Partner und Internationale Organisationen
(Englisch)
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STMicroelectronics SRL (I), STMicroelectronics N.V (CH), Alcatel Business Systems (F), Thales Communications (F), Agilent Technologies (B), Tilab (I), Groupe Silicomp (F), France Telecom R&D (F), Alcatel space Industries (F)
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Abstract
(Englisch)
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The PASTORAL project will provide a re-configurable, real-time platform for third generation (3G) mobile terminal base band development. The platform will include re-configurable FPGA devices designed within the project, according to an ASIC design flow. Re-configurability will be shown for the GSM (Phase II, WB-CDMA (FDD) and TD-CDMA standards. The project will use co-simulation, co-design methodology to obtain silicon parts in an accelerated design-cycle time. The partners will input their existing technology IPR for the communications Standards, under a consortium agreement. The main project deliverable will be a validated, working, real-time platform suitable both for optimisation into commercial terminal products and for field trials of new Standards.
Objectives:
The project aims provides a re-configurable, real-time platform for third generation (3G) mobile terminal baseband development. The emphasis is on the UE PHY (L1, baseband), and all development of test harness protocol is simply to validate the L1 and the re-configuration application. Re-configurability will be shown for the GSM (Phase II), WB-CDMA (FDD) and TD-CDMA standards. The partners will input their existing technology IPR for the communications Standards, under a consortium agreement. The main project deliverable will be a validated, working, real-time platform suitable both for optimisation into commercial terminal products and or field trials of new Standards.
Objectives, in priority order:
define an SDR architecture for the User Equipment (UE), implement it using firstly a co-simulation methodology and secondly physical hardware, and validate it by downloading application and protocol (e.g. new L1, basic L2/3 and user applications) over the air and re-configuring;
functionally partition the terminal to allow viable re-configurability even with commercial product constraints;
show re-configuration by the emulator while attempting attachment to a BTS simulator;
emulate basic mobile terminal baseband functionality (to set up and maintain a connection) of the GSM Phase II, WB-CDMA (FDD) & TD-CDMA, in real time;
optimise the algorithms used, towards production (to balance the real costs of power, complexity and size with the benefits of performance and availability);
identify and address new services not implementable without the SDR Platform
Work description:
The platform will include re-configurable FPGA devices designed within the project, using a new co-simulation, co-design methodology. While the project will not produce diffused silicon parts (due to cost and timescale limitations of the Commission's programme), the methodology will follow the true design flow up to the point where re-configurable ASICs would have been created. Then the project will generate the same logic, but in FPGA form.
Key Issues
Terminal re-configuration
Terminal complexity, cost, power consumption
Co-simulation & co-design methodologies
Addressing network service heterogeneity
Clustering
The areas of interest of the partners correspond to the key actions stated above: 're-configurable radio systems and networks' and 'advanced tools and technologies for wireless communications'.
The partners recognise that clustering with other interested parties can add value and critical mass. The PASTORAL project will disseminate its public deliverables to all identified parties who express an interest, and hopes that this action will stimulate like responses. The partners intend to send representatives to European Commission clustering activities to attempt to broaden the network of interested parties.
Main consortium interest are:
Software Defined Radio (SDR) techniques in 2G-3G-4G User Equipment (UE);
SDR architecture for UE;
Reconfigurable hardware in UE;
SDR download issues for network and user;
Handling multiple protocol stacks;
Virtual Machines (VMs) for UE;
Co-simulation, co-design methodologies
Expected Impact
The principal impacts will be:
contributions to standards-making and product-planning in terms of verifiable re-configuration performance;
provision of a flexible, re-configurable platform for future developments of standards aimed at either allowing or mandating re-configurability;
provision of a reference point for use by service providers and operators to scope the viability of their future plans for flexible services provision.
Achievements: The project outcomes are covering feasibility evaluations of enabling technologies for future development of SDR terminal architectures. These outcomes can be classified in two main areas:
1/ Optimisation of Innovative SDR concept implementation for future SDR Wireless terminals:
PASTORAL has defined the SDR-CU concept applied to wireless terminals.
This allows transparent re-configurability for the end user at all layers of the system. The Innovative aspect within PASTORAL project has been the verification of re-configurability concept at physical layer.
2/ Analyse of re-configurable signal processing and computation hardware:
Within PASTORAL it has been tested advanced co-simulation tools for virtual prototyping of a SDR baseband modem, based on new modelling standard such as SystemC.
Then system on chip technologies design methodology has been specified in order to include IP blocks within SDR baseband design.
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