University of Toronto
Department of Computer Science Colloquia

A Distinguished Lecture on Computer Science

John Guttag

Software Physical Layers

Professor and Department Head

MIT, Dept Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Abstract

There is a rising demand for signal processing systems that can adapt rapidly to anticipated and unanticipated changes in their functionality and to dynamic channel conditions. The SpectrumWare project has demonstrated that both of these needs can be met by moving the hardware/software and analog/digital boundaries close to the antenna, and then doing all of the digital signal processing in software running on conventional PCs.

This talk will describe several aspects of our research in this area:

1. How the SpectrumWare system supports high-bandwidth, continuous I/O streams on general purpose processors while providing an easy to use programming environment for adaptive real-time signal processing,

2. Novel algorithms that take advantage of the assets available on a general purpose platform such as large amounts of memory, and

3. Several applications of virtual radios, including radioActive wireless networks that allow high level protocols to adapt to changing channel conditions and receivers and transmitters to adapt to changing demands of high level protocols.