Re-configurable multi-standard terminal for heterogeneous networks

The next generation of mobile communication systems will lead to an integration of existing networks and access technologies, forming a heterogeneous network. New architectures are needed to serve new requirements from these new systems. The paper highlights the requirements of a reconfigurable multi-standard terminal from the physical-layer point of view. A reconfigurable architecture consisting of algorithm domain specific accelerators, allowing autonomous complex digital signal processing without interference from a microprocessor or digital signal processor, is explained. Performance comparison numbers with the latest digital signal processors show the effectiveness of the proposed architecture.