Serial Data Interface for Software-Defined Radio System

Abstract

A radio system comprises a front-end receiver for receiving an RF signal and converting the RF signal into a digital payload signal. The system further comprises a base-band processor for processing the digital payload signal, and a serial data interface over which the front-end communicates the digital payload signal and meta data to the base-band processor. The meta data may comprise information indicating whether a corresponding digital payload signal communicated over the serial data interface is valid and additional information of the front-end status, e.g. gain or state of tuning.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A radio system comprising:
 a front-end receiver for receiving a radio frequency (RF) signal and converting the RF signal into a digital payload signal;   a base-band processor for processing the digital payload signal; and   a serial data interface over which said front-end communicates said digital payload signal and meta data to said base-band processor.   
     
     
         2 . The radio system of  claim 1  wherein said base-band processor comprises a digital signal processor. 
     
     
         3 . The radio system of  claim 1  wherein said front-end receiver is configured to generate a digital data stream containing said digital payload signal and said meta data. 
     
     
         4 . The radio system of  claim 3  wherein said front-end receiver is configured to communicate said digital data stream over said serial data interface to said base-band processor. 
     
     
         5 . The radio system of  claim 4  wherein said front-end receiver is configured to communicate frames over said serial data interface, where said frames each comprises said digital payload signal and said meta data. 
     
     
         6 . The radio system of  claim 5  wherein each of said frames comprises a first number of bits for said digital payload signal and a second number of bits for said meta data, wherein said first number and said second number is each at least one. 
     
     
         7 . The radio system of  claim 6  wherein each of said frames is 32 bits, and wherein said first number of bits is 16 and wherein said second number of bits is 16. 
     
     
         8 . The radio system of  claim 5  wherein said certain meta data comprises at least one of gain information and temperature index of the front-end receiver. 
     
     
         9 . The radio system of  claim 5  wherein said front-end receiver is further configured to generate certain other meta data for corresponding digital payload data and communicate said certain other meta data in each of said plurality of frames. 
     
     
         10 . The radio system of  claim 9  wherein said certain other meta data comprises at least one of information indicating whether phase-locked loop (PLL) was locked and information indicating whether an error occurred in analog-to-digital conversion (ADC). 
     
     
         11 . The radio system of  claim 4  wherein said base-band processor is configured to manage processing of said digital payload signal based at least in part on said meta data. 
     
     
         12 . The radio system of  claim 1  wherein said meta data comprises information indicating whether a corresponding digital payload signal communicated over said serial data interface is valid. 
     
     
         13 . The radio system of  claim 1  wherein said meta data comprises at least one of:
 information indicating whether phase-locked loop (PLL) was locked during sampling by the front-end receiver, information indicating whether analog-to-digital conversion performed by the front-end receiver is error free, information indicating front-end receiver gain, information indicating front-end receiver temperature, and information indicating a state of tuning by the front-end receiver. 
 
     
     
         14 . A method comprising:
 receiving, at a front-end receiver, a radio frequency (RF) signal;   generating, at said front-end receiver, a digital data stream comprising payload data and meta data; and   communicating, via a serial data interface, said digital data stream from said front-end receiver to a base-band processor.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein said communicating comprises:
 communicating frames over said serial data interface, where said frames each comprises said digital payload signal and said meta data. 
 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein each of said frames comprises a first number of bits for said digital payload signal and a second number of bits for said meta data, wherein said first number and said second number is each at least one. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14  wherein said portion of said meta data comprises at least one of gain information and temperature index of the front-end receiver. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14  wherein said generating comprises:
 generating another portion of said meta data fully in each of said plurality of frames. 
 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14  wherein said another portion of said meta data comprises at least one of information indicating whether phase-locked loop (PLL) was locked and information indicating whether an error occurred in analog-to-digital conversion (ADC). 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising:
 managing, by said base-band processor, processing of said payload data based at least in part on said meta data. 
 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 15  wherein said meta data comprises information indicating whether corresponding payload data in the digital data stream is valid. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 14  wherein said meta data comprises at least one of:
 information indicating whether phase-locked loop (PLL) was locked during sampling by the front-end receiver, information indicating whether analog-to-digital conversion performed by the front-end receiver is error free, information indicating front-end receiver gain, information indicating front-end receiver temperature, and information indicating a state of tuning by the front-end receiver. 
 
     
     
         23 . A radio system comprising:
 a front-end receiver, wherein said front-end receiver is configured to receive a radio frequency (RF) signal;   generate a digital data stream comprising payload data and meta data; and   output said digital data stream via a serial data interface.   
     
     
         24 . The radio system of  claim 23  wherein said front-end receiver comprises:
 means for receiving said RF signal; 
 means for generating said digital data stream comprising said payload data and said meta data; and 
 means for outputting said digital data stream via said serial data interface. 
 
     
     
         25 . The radio system of  claim 23  wherein said serial data interface is communicatively coupled from said front-end receiver to a base-band processor. 
     
     
         26 . The radio system of  claim 23  wherein said meta data comprises information indicating whether corresponding payload data in the digital data stream is valid.