Implementation of a 3G W-CDMA software radio

The use of a software system to perform wireless radio functions is the subject of much interest and research in industry and academia. In particular, this is timely for new third generation systems that both have a current extensive array of options and rely on continuously evolving standards. In order to address the problem, this paper presents the development and implementation of a software radio designed for a 3G system. It expands upon the notion of the physical layer software radio to encompass upper layer processing capabilities. The system definition and architecture are described along with the operational scenario. In addition, results are presented from initial field tests, including functional issues and preliminary performance measurements.