COGNITIVE RADIO TECHNOLOGY : An Analysis of Potential BenefitsGroup 4

MT5009 ANALYZING HI-TECHNOLOGY OPPORTUNITIES

1

cog·ni·tive/ˈkɒgnɪtɪv [kog-ni-tiv] –adjective

1. of or pertaining to cognition.

2. of or pertaining to the mental processes of

perception, memory, judgment, and reasoning, as

contrasted with emotional and volitional processes.

ra·di·o/ˈreɪdiˌoʊ/ [rey-dee-oh] - noun

1. wireless telegraphy or telephony: speeches

broadcast by radio.

2. an apparatus for receiving or transmitting radio

broadcasts.

Group Members

Albert SalimA0026151W

Ho Kai Hong A0076866L

Wong SeongYin

A0076890R

StefanusYudanto

A0076858J

Tan How Boon, Jason A0077139X

COGNITIVE RADIO TECHNOLOGY 2

CONTENT

Radio-communication 101 and spectrum usage

Cognitive Radio – What‟s the big deal?

Cognitive Radio – Where are we today?

Cognitive Radio – So what‟s next? 3

1 Radio-communication 101 and

spectrum usage

4

CURRENT PARADIGM - SPECTRUM

Radio waves can travel quite a distance and, are able to disturb other

communications services resulting in interference

This makes the radio spectrum a scarce natural resource

Assign licenses to users.

Gives an exclusive right to operate on a specific

frequency in a specific location or geographic area

Compliance of spectrum users with the license

obligations is monitored and enforced.

Provides us with technical standards,

Recommendations and procedures to

solve the above mentioned problem.

Thus, avoiding interference seems to be a question of proper

planning and coordination, and using the right equipment.

5

EVOLUTION OF RADIO

1.Hardware driven radios:

Transmit frequencies, modulation type and

other radio frequency (RF) parameters are

determined by hardware and cannot be

changed without hardware changes.

2. Digital radios:

A digital radio performs part of the signal

processing or transmission digitally, but is not

programmable in the field

3. Software Defined Radios:

All functions, modes and applications can

be configured and reconfigured by

software

6

RADIO SPECTRUM: THE UNSEEN GOLD

Common Frequency Band

AM radio - 535 kHz to 1.7 kHz

Short wave radio - bands from 5.9 to 26.1 MHz

Television stations - 54 to 88 MHz for channels 2 - 6

FM radio - 88 to 108 MHz

Television stations - 174 to 220 MHz for channels 7 - 13

Other Frequency Uses• Garage door openers - Around 40 MHz

• Standard cordless phones: Bands from 40 to 50 MHz

• Baby monitors: 49 MHz

• Radio controlled airplanes: Around 72 MHz

• Radio controlled cars: Around 75 MHz

• Wildlife tracking collars: 215 to 220 MHz

• Cell phones: 800 to 900 MHz

• Air traffic control radar: 960 to 1,215 MHz

• GPS: 1.227 & 1.575 GHz

• Deep space radio communications: 2.290 to 2.3 GHz 7

RADIO SPECTRUM PLAN

“Radio Spectrum Master Plan”, Annex 1, Page 14, IDA RSMP v2.1 April 2008, IDA Website

Mobile Services

•Public Cellular Mobile

•Public Radio Paging

•Mobile Data

•Trunked Radio

•Wireless Broadband

Fixed Services

•Point to point fixed links

•Fixed wireless access

•High Altitude Platform Stations

•Other fixed services

Broadcasting Services

•Digital Broadcast

•Analog Broadcast

Short Range Devices

•Radio Local Area Networks

•Ultra wideband8

EXISTING SPECTRUM UTILISATION

“Spectrum-Sharing Research and Policy Formulation in Asia-Pacific”, Presentation by IDA CTO Dr Tan

Geok Leng

Your Operator pays

SGD 20 million for 10 MHz of

3G Spectrum!

BUT

9

I’m an

M1 user...

Ooopss...

SO WHAT IF….

11No

Scarcity

Lower cost

for operators

Lower phone

bills for you??

All Available!

2 Cognitive Radio – So what‟s the big deal?

12

VALUE PROPOSITION

Efficient Spectrum Utilization

Higher Accessibility

Greater Ease of Use

Better Adaptability

Improved Interconnectivity

Increased Scalability

Improved Reliability

User uses single device to access various networks and services. User

indicates his needs and CR scans for the services available and presents

the options to the user.

I wish to

watch a

movie

Satellite services

Cellular services

WiFi services

other servicesBroadcasting services

Would you like

mobileTV ?

Would you like

InternetTV ?

Would you like

SatTV ?

Would you like

BroadcastTV ?

IMPROVEMENT IN ACCESSIBILITY

14

IMPROVEMENT IN EASE OF USE

Device is aware of user‟s goals and priorities, and capable of

autonomously adjusting its operation to simplify the tasks and relieve

user from burden of manual intervention.

A home Wifi network is now

available, I‟d switch over since this

is „lower cost / higher user

preference‟

Cellular services

WiFi services

15

IMPROVEMENT IN ADAPTABILITY

Device adapts automatically to local environment. When user

roams across borders, the device performs self-adjustment to stay

in compliance with local radio operations and emissions

regulations.

16

IMPROVEMENT IN INTERCONNECTIVITY

Cognitive radio enables ease of communications among multi-

terminal / multi-frequency communication devices.

17

IMPROVEMENT IN SCALABILITY

Devices communicate in the form of collaboration among neighbor

devices via a series of hops. The network can potentially scale to

large numbers of users.

18

Hello

HiCR enables users to communicate

with each other directly without

transmitting over infrastructure

HiCR enables users to communicate with each

other in the form of collaboration among

neighbor devices via a series of hops

IMPROVEMENT IN RELIABILITY

CR‟s self-configuring mesh wireless networks avoid disruption or

failure by re-routing around node failures or congestion areas,

thereby enabling more robust and reliable communications.

19

Spectrum Utilization

Accessibility Ease of Use Adaptability Interconnectivity Scalability Reliability

VALUE PROPOSITION

20

Low

High

Improvement in

key components

(Integrated Circuit

& Antenna) Diffusion

• Declining Price• Increasing Performance• Reducing Size

Valu

e

Price, Performance, Size

Sources:

S.Wang, L.Xie, H.Liu, B.Zhang, H.Zhao. ACRA: An Autonomic and Expandable Architecture for Cognitive Radio Nodes 978-1-4244-7555-1/10 2010 IEEE

I.Filippini, E.Ekici, M.Cesana - Minimum Maintenance Cost Routing in Cognitive Radio Networks 978-1-4244-5113-5/09 2009 IEEE

P.Carbonne, T.Hain, Market Assessment Report On selected Cognitive Radio Systems value propositions ICT-2007-216248 2009 End-to-End Efficiency

Cognitive Radio Definitions and Nomenclature Approved Document SDRF-06-P-0009-V1.0.0 2008 SDR Forum

Cognitive

Radio

Traditional

Radio

3 Cognitive Radio – Where are we today?

21

THE RADIO ARCHITECTURE TODAY

22

Impedance

SynthesizerCoupler DAC

Tunable Antenna

Power

Amplifier

Antenna

Control Unit

(ACU)

0

1

Antenna Control Signal

Impedance Synthesizer Control Signal

ADC

Key

Component

Key

Component

0

1

COGNITIVE RADIO SOFTWARE

CR Software Functions

Wideband Frequency Sensing

Security

Policy and configuration databases

Self-configuration

Mission-oriented configuration

Adaptive algorithms

Distributed collaboration

23

Source “Future Directions for Cognitive Radio”, P Pawełczak, Cognitive radio defying Spectrum Management, 2008 W. Lemstra & V. Hayes

TECHNOLOGY ENABLER

24

CR Software Functions

Security

Wideband Frequency Sensing

Policy and configuration databases

Self-configuration

Mission-oriented configuration

Adaptive algorithms

Distributed collaboration

Source “Future Directions for Cognitive Radio”, P Pawełczak, Cognitive radio defying Spectrum Management, 2008 W. Lemstra & V. Hayes

CouplerUp

Con.Power

Amplifi

er

Antenna

Control

Unit

(ACU)

0

1

AD

C Feedback Information

IC Chip

Development

Improvement criteria

• Performance

• Price

• Size

CURRENT COGNITIVE RADIO PROTOTYPE

25

XILINX®

VIRTEX®

- 6XC6VLX240T

TM

DTX01975842837

57628485789

25

Souce: Harnessing FPGAs for Beamforming Software Radio Systems. Rodger Hosking (February 2011).

From http://www.techbriefs.com/component/content/article/9204?start=1

Wideband

Frequency

Sensing

Self

Configuration

Adaptive

Algorithm

2.75 billion

transistors

240,000

reconfigurable

logic cells

MOVING TOWARDS COMMERCIALIZATION

FPGA

• Field Programmable Gate Array

• Designed to be configured by the customer or designer

• Flexibility in complex design

ASIC

• Application Specific Integrated Circuit

• Customized for a specific use

• Cost effective

COST ANALYSIS

27

1

10

100

1000

10000

100000

1000000

10000000

100000000

1E+09

1E+10

1E+11

1E-10

1E-09

1E-08

1E-07

1E-06

1E-05

0.0001

0.001

0.01

0.1

1

1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020

Tra

nsis

tor

Co

un

t

Tra

nsis

tor

Pri

ce (

US

$)

Average transistor price Forecast Average Transistor Price

Transistor Count Forecast Transistor Count

Estimated chip

price (2010):

$ 110

Sources:

• The Singularity is Near. Ray Kurzweil, (2005)

• .http://www.xilinx.com/

• http://www.altera.com/

• http://www.isuppli.com/

Average chip

price in

commercial

wireless device

(2010):

$25

2010 transistor

cost:

$4 x 10^-8

Approx. 2017

transistor:

$9.1 x 10^-9

2017Min. threshold of performance

Max. threshold of price

2.75 billion transistors

SIZE DOES MATTER!

28

2006

Nallatech/Fidelity

Comtech

Microsoft-funded prototype

cognitive radio

2017 and beyond

Future CR Device

Concept

2010

Pentek Model 71620

Xilinx Virtex-6

35 mm

Apple

iPhone 4

Infineon

X-Gold 618

8 mm

Source: http://www.eetasia.com/ART_8800528084_499488_NP_ec0ab0fd.HTM

TRADITIONAL PATCH ANTENNA

29

Microstrip antenna is a printed antenna, consists of a flat "patch" of

metal, mounted over a larger sheet of metal ground plane.

Materials:

Conducting layers:

- Copper foil

Insulating layers for dielectric (coated):

- epoxy resin prepreg

Dielectric material:

- Polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon)

- FR-4 (Woven glass and epoxy)

- CEM-1 (Cotton paper and epoxy)

- CEM-3 (Woven glass and epoxy)

The improvement of microstrip antenna is mainly done by modify the

patch design and use in array

TRADITIONAL ANTENNA OF MOBILE DEVICE

3030

Characteristic – customizable, small size and effective integration with

transceiver chips on circuit boards U shape with different voltage

settings to tune frequency band.

Limitation:

Narrow frequency range,

Limited selectable bands

Principles and Applications of The Folded Inverted Conformal Antenna (FICA) Technology – Marco Maddaleno, Timoteo Galia,

Motorola, Conferge 2005

KEY COMPONENT OF COGNITIVE RADIO -

ANTENNAS

Cognitive radio requires 2 antennas :

“Sensing antenna” – wide-band antenna which continuously monitors the frequency spectrum for activity

“Reconfigurable antenna” – narrow-band antenna which dynamically tune to a specific range within the frequency spectrum to perform data transfer.

Source: Implementation of a Cognitive Radio Front-End Using Optically Reconfigurable Antennas - Y. Tawk,

M. Al-Husseini, S. Hemmady, A. R. Albrecht, G. Balakrishnan, C. G.Christodoulou

Logic Flow Cycle:

1. Sense -> Sensing antenna

2. Analyze

3. Decide

4. Tune in -> Reconfigurable antenna

METHOD OF IMPROVEMENT FOR

COGNITIVE RADIO ANTENNAS

Microstrip antennas with both the sensing and

reconfigurable antenna structure incorporated together

on the same substrate.

32

• Size: Relatively small in size using flat

"patch“.

• Price: Relatively easy and cheap to

fabricate (use etching and

photolithography)

• Performance

• Sensing Antenna – improve the width of

frequency spectrum sensing band

• Reconfigurable Antenna – increase the

number of selectable frequency bands

PatchSubstrate

Grounding

SENSING ANTENNA –

PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT

Sensing Antenna design contributes to improvement in the width of

sensing frequency range.

33

Improved design with fractal shapes yields wider sensing range of 2–11 GHz

A normal design yields sensing range of 4-9 GHz

RECONFIGURABLE ANTENNA –

PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT

A New Reconfigurable Antenna Design for Cognitive Radio - Y. Tawk, and C. G. Christodoulou, Member, IEEE

2 selectable frequency bands

Number of selectable frequency bands can be increased by having more

rotatable positions

5 selectable frequency bands

Source: Implementation of a Cognitive Radio Front-End Using Rotatable Controlled Reconfigurable Antennas - Y. Tawk, Student Member,

IEEE, J. Costantine, Member, IEEE, K. Avery, Member, IEEE, and C. G. Christodoulou, Fellow Member, IEEE

2 rotatable positions

5 rotatable

positions

34

RECONFIGURABLE ANTENNA –

PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT

Source: Implementation of a Cognitive Radio Front-End Using Optically Reconfigurable Antennas - Y. Tawk1, M. Al-Husseini3, S.

Hemmady1, A. R. Albrecht2, G. Balakrishnan2, C. G. Christodoulou1

2 switches

Number of selectable frequency bands can be increased by having more

control switches

3 selectable frequency bands

3 switches

8 selectable frequency bands

POTENTIAL FOR IMPROVEMENT OF COGNITIVE RADIO

Integrated Circuits

Reduction in scale of transistors increases speed, reduces cost & size of

Cognitive Radio systems.

36

Antennas

Improvements in antennas enable Cognitive Radio systems to monitor and utilise

wider spectrum range.

Sensing Antenna

Width of sensing frequency range can be further improved with better design.

Reconfigurable Antenna

Number of selectable frequency bands can be further increased by having

more rotatable positions or/and control switches.

HOWEVER... HERE ARE SOME POTENTIAL LIMITS

Integrated Circuits processor performance improvement may be unable

to keep up with the algorithmic complexity required for Cognitive Radio

to utilize very high frequency spectrum.

37

Improvements are limited by Shannon‟s Law: C=B*log(1+S/N)

C = information capacity; B = bandwidth; S = signal power; N = noise

To modulate at frequency of 1024 Hz, the Cognitive Radio systems have to sample the

waveform at twice that rate and the ICs to perform this won‟t be available for 100 years.

Source: Silicon Architectures for Wireless Systems Jan M. Rabaey BWRC University of California @ Berkeley Wireless Research Center

Performance of CR driven by

Moore‟s Law (Improvements in

IC)

BUTimpeded by Shannon‟s Law

(error free wireless transmission)

4 Cognitive Radio – So what‟s next?

38

CRITERIA FOR CR OPPORTUNITY GENERATION

Enable New Wireless Applications Opportunities

Develop new

conclusions from these

experiences

Abilities to interpret data

as knowledge

To make decisions

• context; goals; constraints

CR Enabled

Capabilities Meeting the

threshold for

Performance,

Size, & Price

Resolve to all

Challenges for

implementation

Industry

Wide

Support

Worldwide

Regulators

Intervention

39

THE CHALLENGES FOR CR

• Major policy change for Spectrum Management

Regulators

• No defined international standards for interworking and co-existence

Standard

• Larger extent of exposure of spectrum to potential hacking

Security40

• Major revamp in network infrastructure due to change in operating models

Network

• Inertia for adoption

• Network Externalities Effect

Customer

• Size, weight, and cost

Device

Security

Application

Developers

Material

Providers

Material

Science R&D

Firm

Application

Developers Many

More ...

CR STAKEHOLDERS

Equipment

Manufacturers

Wireless

Services

Providers

Electronics

Manufacturer

Software

Application

Developers

Distributors

Software

Testing

Laboratory

Content

Providers

Semi-

conductor

Firm

Chipset

Manufacturer

41

Technology Enabler

TV White Space

Sensor Network

Enabled CR

Ubiquitous Radio Access

Operators and Manufacturers

Nomadic Broadband

Service

Cognitive Pilot

Channel Manager

Consumers

Ambient Technology

Seamless Mobility

Experience

Resilient Emergency

Services

OPPORTUNITIES AT A GLANCE

CPC

Nolan, K. E. and Ambrose, E. and Doyle, L. E. and O'Mahony, D. 'Cognitive radio: value creation and value migration' in Proceedings of the Software-Defined

Radio Technical Conference and Product Exposition (SDR Forum 2006), Orlando, Florida, USA, 13-17 November 2006.

Markku Lähteenoja and Pål Grønsund, “Business case proposal for a Cognitive Radio Network based on Wireless Sensor Network”, Telenor ASA

42

NEW MARKET SEGMENT

Co

nsu

me

r A

pp

lica

tio

ns

CR

En

terp

rise

Ap

plic

atio

ns

43

Smart Home

Rural Agriculture

Peer-to-Peer Gaming

CONCLUSIONS

Today‟s spectrum management is still based on the same principles as set

out at the time of the crystal radio. This results in highly ineffective use

of spectrum.

Cognitive Radio systems offer a huge potential to increase

spectrum efficiency.

In our study, we looked at the possible geometric scaling effects and

the threshold of both hardware and software of CR, and also the

opportunities of CR becoming the next disruptive technology in spectrum

management.

A market based approach can be a good addition to reach the goal of more

efficient spectrum usage. This means access to spectrum is based

on actual market demand44

THANK YOU

45

BACKUP SLIDES

46

MOBILE COMMUNICATION 101

Cell size vs Spectrum vs Mobile coverage

47

possible radio coverage of the cell

idealized shape of the cell

cell

use of several carrier

frequencies

not the same frequency in

adjoining cells

cell sizes vary from some 100

m up to 35 km depending on

user density, geography,

transceiver power etc.

hexagonal shape of cells is

idealized (cells overlap,

shapes depend on

geography)

if a mobile user changes cells

handover of the

connection to the neighbor

cell

COGNITIVE RADIO TECHNOLOGY 101

Under the current radio frequency paradigm model, it is very difficult to

make the unused spectrum available.

What is required is a dynamic spectrum management model

Cognitive Radio, as a technology, is a tool to realize this goal

Cognitive radio, a special class of software

defined radio‟s, defies this principle as a

cognitive radio monitors the use of the spectrum

and selects an unused part for its transmission.

This capability provides a new solution in

addressing the issue of spectrum scarcity. 48

MORE INFORMATION ON COGNITIVE RADIO

The Cognitive Radio is reconfigurable and built on the software-

defined radio (SDR).

They are controlled by powerful microprocessors which have been

programmed to analyze a number of the radio channel parameters.

The key feature of a Cognitive Radio is its ability to recognize the

unused parts of spectrum that is licensed to a primary user and

adapt its communication strategy to use these parts while

minimizing the interference that it generates to the primary user.

The term Cognitive Radio was first suggested by Mitola

in 1999.

He defines CR as a radio driven by a large store of a

prior knowledge, searching out by reasoning ways to

deliver the service the users want.

49

COGNITIVE RADIO “SIMPLY”It knows where it is

It knows what services are

available, for example, it can

identify then use empty

spectrum to communicate

more efficiently

It knows what services

interest the user, and knows

how to find them

It knows the current degree

of needs and future

likelihood of needs of its user

Learns and recognizes

usage patterns from the user

50

THEN WHAT ARE SDRS?

Allows the adoption of new communication technologies by means of simple software upgrades, rather than replacing expensive hardware.

Reduces the cost of upgrading and allows immediate compatibility to be achieved among devices used by different agencies and organizations.

This has the possibility of more flexibly managing spectrum by time, frequency, space, power and coding of the transmitted wave form.

Software Defined Radio

Cognitive Radio

Whitespace Technology

Cognitive radio is a subset

of SDRs51

GROWING INTEREST IN COGNITIVE RADIO

Statistics of Google search

engine responses for CR

(Cognitive Radio), DSA

(Dynamic Spectrum Access)

and OSA (Opportunistic

Spectrum Access) phrases

in terms of number of www

pages found

52

COGNITIVE RADIO COMPONENTS

53

Wideband Frequency Sensing

Self-configuration

Policy and configuration databases

Mission-oriented configuration

Adaptive algorithms

Distributed collaboration

Security for dynamic application

Hardware Software

Impedance Synthesizer

RF Power Sensor & Detector

Analog-Digital Converter (ADC)

Antenna Control Unit (ACU)

Software

Modules

Antenna

Tuning Unit

(ATU)

CHALLENGES – HW DEVELOPMENT

Key Components Main Objectives Challenges

Impedance Synthesizer To provide a complex-conjugate matching capability for a wide range of antenna impedances

Analog-to-digital converter (ADC)

To convert the analog signal to a digital signal with high sampling rate and resolution with large dynamic range for use in the ACU

Antenna-Control Unit (ACU)

To reconfigure the antenna and impedance synthesizer such that the matching state is optimum by generating the required switch control signals by using high speed processor

The prominent feature of the ATU is an automatic feedback tuning

system with a digital control circuitry to maintain an optimum antenna

matching condition.

•Efficient RF hardware re-configurability

•Efficient control of RF hardware with a short detection time.54

CHALLENGES – SW COMPLEXITY

55

Wideband Frequency

Sensing

Measuring which frequencies are used, estimating the

location of transmitters and receivers, and determining signal

modulation.

Policy and configuration

databases

Determine which frequencies can be used in which locations

and to constrain the operation of the radio to stay within

regulatory or physical limits.

Self-configurationEach module should be self-describing and the radio should

automatically configure itself for operation from the available

modules.

Mission-oriented

configuration

Meet a wide set of operational requirements such as

operation within buildings, operation over long distances, and

operation while moving at high speed.

Adaptive algorithmsAble to sense its environment, adhering to policy and

configuration constraints, and negotiating with peers to best

utilize the radio spectrum.

Distributed collaborationAble to exchange current information on their local

environment between themselves on a regular basis.

SecurityAuthenticate, authorize and protect information flows of

participants.

CHALLENGES – IMPLEMENTATION

COMPLEXITY

Current implementation stage is the designers are able

to address the CR software in FPGA chip:

Future challenge: to improve its level of automation and

produce low cost device is it possible?56

Processor Subsystem:

-Execute software runtime system

-Execute low intensity computations

-Processed on software level

Customizable Processor Subsystem:

-Execute high intensity computations

-Need to be reconfigured at run-time

-Processed on hardware level

OUR FOCUS ON HW ANALYSIS

57

Embedded Device Characteristic

ASIC

Application

Specific

Integrated

Circuit

Customized for a particular use,

rather than intended for

general-purpose use.

Does not versatile

enough, and can only be

used to create single-

purpose devices

ASSP

Application

Specific

Standard

Products

Implements a specific function

(off-the-shelf components)

Does not versatile

enough, and can only be

used to create single-

purpose devices

PLDProgrammable

Logic Device

Electronic component used to

build reconfigurable digital

circuits

Physically big, slow,

power hungry, and

expensive to be

implemented for complex

functions

FGPA

Field

Programmable

Gate Array

Integrated circuit designed to be

configured by the customer or

designer after manufacturing

(field-programmable)

Allow flexibility in

complex design

compares to PLD

KEY CHALLENGE – MAJOR

POLICY CHANGE

Improve overall

available network and

spectrum capacity

Speed of Adoption

Government Policies

58

•Implementation

Complexity

•Mismatch with

existing regulations

•Inertia for adoption

•Control and

management

difficulty

CR: A SOLUTION TO MOBILE CONSUMPTION?

TV WHITE SPACE TECHNOLOGY

TV bands are sparsely used today and arevery suitable for long range, low powerwireless networks

White space uses CR to utilise the scarcespectrum

60

Carlos Cordeiro, “Cognitive Radios: Present and Future Directions”, Wireless Communications and Networking (WiCAN),

Philips Research North America, 2006

NORMADIC BROADBAND SERVICE

Sensor Network aided Cognitive Radio Services

Markku Lähteenoja and Pål Grønsund, “Business case proposal for a Cognitive Radio Network based on Wireless Sensor

Network”, Telenor ASA

3 Components

Sensing architecture

Communication architecture

Fusion centre

Business Model

Rent spectrum usage from existing provider, utilise “available” spectrum

Provide complementary services

AMBIENT TECHNOLOGY

RESILIENT COMMUNICATION INFRASTRUCTURE

During emergencies or when part of communications

infrastructure is damage, CR‟s self-configuring, ad-hoc

mesh wireless networks avoid disruption or failure by re-

routing around node failures or congestion areas, thereby

enabling more robust and reliable communications.

MARKET SEGMENT - RURAL

Use of lower frequency range significantly improves the coverage. This reduces

the cost of communications in the less densely populated, underserved, remote,

and rural areas.

Agri-sensors deploy out in the farm to

measure data (humidity, soil moisture, air &

soil temperature, wind speed, rainfall ) and

then transmit data for diagnose and

alert/advice farmers on action to take.

Telemedicine devices transfer medical info of

rural patients - data, images and live audio

and video feeds to urban doctors to offer

medical and treatment advice.

Telemedicine

Market in Brazil,

Russia, India,

China (BRIC) is

expected to reach

$418.4 million by

2014

Souce: http://www.singularity.com/charts/page64.html

Souce: Virtex-6 FPGAs Push the Performance Envelope (2009).

From http://www.pentek.com/pipeline/18_2/Virtex6.cfm