Reconfigurable SCA System Development Using Encapsulated Waveform Applications and Components

The Software Communications Architecture (SCA) is a standard for software defined radios (SDR) designed in part to promote code reuse for long-term development. With the emergence of adaptive/cognitive radios, new SDRs that are capable of reconfiguration during runtime must be developed. One advantage of SDR development over conventional radio development can be ease of design if the proper rapid development tools are made available.

This thesis explores tools designed to help realize the construction of reconfigurable systems while promoting code-reuse within the bounds of the SCA. Developing these tools requires an understanding of the SCA as well as the Open Source SCA Implementation Embedded (OSSIE) for which they are developed. The use of CORBA to link together modularized components is also discussed. Finally, several simulations are conducted in order to approximate the amount of overhead resulting from the use of the reconfiguration tool developed (the "Connect Tool").