DIGITALLY PROGRAMMABLE MULTIFUNCTION RADIO SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE

A system that partitions or divides the functions of a radio into channels and d ivides the functions of each channel into two major functions: 1) antenna interface and power amplification; and 2) hardwired mixing , modulation/demodulation and signal processing and further partitions the mixing through signal processing functions into the funct ions of a) programmable analog mixing and b) programmable digital modulation/demodulation and signal processing. Control and user interfac e functions, if needed for a particular application can also be functionally partitioned. A typical received signal pathway will encount er an antenna module, an antenna interface and power amplification module, a receiver module partitioned into an analog submodule tha t performs mixing and down conversion to produce a common intermediate frequency signal and a digital submodule that further down c onverts the intermediate frequency signal, demodulates the signal and performs the other signal processing necessary to provide a usefu l information signal. A typical transmitter pathway includes a transmitter module partitioned into a digital submodule that performs signal p rocessing and modulation and an analog submodule that performs upconversion and mixing, followed by a power amplification and interfac e module and an antenna module. Control and user interface modules can also be provided along with modules that perform additiona l processing and information security functions.