Cognovo is licensing specialized Vector Signal Processing (VSP) devices, associated software and tools for use in Software Defined Modems (SDM) and Software Defined Radio (SDR). The technology enables the rapid development of advanced communications signal processing for new generations of mobile and cellular devices, without the need to modify the core hardware.
The long sought after technological objective of realizing new communications baseband using common hardware with configurable software has now become a reality as the Cognovo solution has the processing capability with comparable, or even better power consumption than dedicated hardware implementations. At the same time, advanced tools dissociate the hardware and software sufficiently to enable the coding to be undertaken without regard to the underlying hardware and how it performs.
The core of the Cognovo product line is the Ardbeg VSP processor which uses SIMD and VLIW technologies to create parallelism and efficiency in each processor cycle. Ardbeg VSPs can be instantiated in multiple configurations on single semiconductor devices providing extensive flexibility for different application categories. The VSPs are then controlled by a single ARM processor which manages and schedules the processing.
A proprietary hardware sequencer then manages all the real time processing required under the control of the ARM processor.
The Cognovo technology includes a high performance real time operating system to create the environment for the software and to manage the ARM processor and hardware. It also includes powerful tools for programming, profiling an debugging implementations ensuring the software engineers can easily determine and understand the functionality of the system under development.
To further aid the development of appropriate communications technologies, Cognovo provides kernels which implement very efficiently some of the basic core signal processing functions commonly found in communications systems. This further accelerates the development of new baseband implementations.
In due course, all baseband processors will use SDM technologies as the benefits over dedicated hardware become so significant. The cost and time to market improvements will inevitably give the users major competitive advantage. The flexibility afforded by purely software systems enables the final freezing of the software load in new products to be later in the manufacturing cycle and significantly eases the challenges of in-field updates.
Software Defined Modems require an RF interface which is generic across wireless standards and presents a standard interface. This allows a variety of RF systems to be used with SDMs built with Cognovo technology. Cognovo supports the aims of the RF Front End working group and DigiRf.
The Cognovo platform, consisting of general purpose processors and a number of Vector Signal Processors, presents challenges when debugging complex, multi-standard wireless implementations. It is therefore important to use a standard and scalable debug/logging system using a consistent protocol, such as those defied by the Test and Debug Working Group.
MIPI Alliance extends a warm welcome to the companies which have recently joined the organization. See new companies.