Reconfigurable platform design for wireless protocol processors

Abstract

Low-energy protocol processing is a crucial issue in next generation wireless systems. In modern wireless system design, this problem is tightly coupled with the signal processing needs. Fierce market competition and inventive wireless applications are imposing stricter design requirements in energy consumption, cost, size, and flexibility. To deal with these unique constraints, we incorporate the platform-based design methodology to deal with these constraints by advocating reusability. This paper presents this methodology, and its application on PicoRadio, a cutting-edge wireless system. In particular, we describe the design of a reconfigurable architecture optimized for protocol processing.