SCA 4.

0 CORBA:
Maximum Performance
Vincent Kovarik, PhD
Chief Technology Officer
vince.kovarik@prismtech.com
Background 2

The Software Communications

Architecture (SCA) has remained
largely unchanged since 2001
when v2.2 was released and the
Joint Tactical Radio System
(JTRS) program started.
SCA 4.0, approved February
2012, represents a radical shift in
the approach to specifying the
architecture, design and
implementation of a software
defined radio (SDR).

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2
SCA 4.0 Approach 3

The SCA 4.0 specification has been developed following

the Model Driven Architecture (MDA) approach
The base specification has been developed as a
Platform Independent Model (PIM)
Appendices define transfer mechanisms to provide co-
located or distributed client/server operations.
Currently the only transfer mechanism indentified in a
Appendix E is based on the Common Object Request
Broker Architecture (CORBA)
Appendix E-1 defines the CORBA PSM for use with SCA
4.0

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 SCA 2.2.2 OE and AEP 4

Application Resources

CF Interfaces
CORBA APIs
Core Framework Control,
ORB and
Services, Devices, and
CORBA
File access
AEP Services

Operating System

SCA 2.2.2 specifies the use of CORBA as the protocol for data transfer and inter-
process application function calls.

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 SCA 4.0 OE and AEP 5

SCA products can be realized using a variety of transports and technologies (e.g.
CORBA, C++, SOAP, Data Distribution Service (DDS), MHAL Communication
Service, etc.). (excerpt from Appendix E)

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Model Driven Architecture Views 6

SCA 2.2
SCA 2.2.1
SCA 2.2.2
SCA 4.0 SCA 4.0 Appendices

Functional Architecture Design Implementation

View View Model and Deployment

CIM Computationally Independent Model

PIM Platform Independent Model
PSM Platform Specific Model
PSI Platform Specific Implementation
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PSM Appendices 7

E Transports and Technologies

E.1 Common Object Request Broker
Architecture (CORBA)
Full Provides features for general platforms and
applications
Lightweight Provides minimal features for highly
constrained resources
Ultra-Lightweight Essential capabilities supported
by FPGAs
E.2 C++
E.3 OMG Interface Definition Language
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Appendix E-1 CORBA PSM 8

Three CORBA profiles based on CORBA/e with

additional features from RT CORBA
The SCA CORBA profiles are characterized as follows:
1. SCA Full CORBA (Full) Profile is the Full CORBA profile and is
targeted for applications hosted on GPPs
2. SCA Lightweight CORBA (LW) Profile is more constrained than the
SCA Full CORBA Profile and is targeted towards environments with
limited computing support (e.g. DSPs)
3. SCA Ultra-Lightweight CORBA (ULW) Profile is more constrained
than the SCA Lightweight CORBA Profile and is specifically intended
for processing elements with even more limited computing support
(e.g., DSPs & FPGAs)

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Appendix E-1 CORBA PSM 9

Each profile characterizes the IDL features allowed for definition of

interfaces between application components.
The LW Profile narrows the IDL feature set in order to limit the
processing overhead caused by a number of types in the Full
Profile.
The ULW Profile narrows the constructs even further to
accommodate typical limitations of DSP and FPGA environments.
The shared IDL foundation of the profiles facilitates portability not
only between platforms, but also across processing elements and
transfer mechanisms.
Component portability may be enhanced if the IDL from more
constrained profiles are used when defining application interfaces
targeted for components deployed within less constrained
processing elements.

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Full Profile (Highlights) 10

Based on CORBA/e Compact Profile

IDL data types - boolean, octet, short, unsigned short, long,
unsigned long, enum, float, double, long double, long long,
unsigned long long, char, string, unions, arrays, struct, sequence
Minimum CORBA POA
Restricted Any data type
SYNC_SCOPE_POLICY
RT CORBA including PriorityModelPolicy,
PriorityBandedConnectionPolicy, ServerProtocolPolicy and RT
Thread Pools
COS Event PushSupplier and PushConsumer
ORB_init() parameters - allows Root POA to be created with non
default parameters

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Lightweight Profile (Highlights) 11

Based on CORBA/e Micro Profile

IDL data types - boolean, octet, short, unsigned short,
long, unsigned long, enum, float, double, long double,
long long, unsigned long long, char, string, unions,
arrays, struct, sequence
Root only POA
ORB_init() parameters - allows Root POA to be created
with non default parameters

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CORBA Ultra-Lightweight Profile 12

ULW profile only IDL basic data types Short

standardises the subset of Long

unsigned short
IDL a CORBA capable unsigned long

FPGA can use Boolean

Octet

ORB internal details are IDL complex data types struct (restricted to supported basic data types)
sequence (restricted to supported basic data types)
unspecified and could be Enum
implemented in a number of IDL keywords Module

ways, for example: Interface

In
1. Software ORB using a Out
Inout
processor core Void
embedded on the FPGA Typedef
oneway
2. Hardware ORB key Return value
Return values of a basic data type to be supported
functions of an ORB
implemented as an IP
core

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Spectra SDR Product Suite 13

Spectra Spectra Spectra Spectra

CX CF CDB DTP
Spectra CX is a model- Spectra Core Spectra Common Data Bus Spectra DTP is an SDR
driven development tool Framework (CF) is a (CDB) is a high- development and test
that enables SDR and high-performance, performance, integrated data platform that supports
waveform software to be ultra low footprint, bus providing a unified data waveform design and
rapidly developed, radio management exchange protocol and implementation for military,
integrated and tested. framework providing format. Spectra CDB homeland security and
Spectra CX allows radio advanced capabilities supports a wide range of commercial SDRs. Spectra
platform details to be and extensibilities for General Purpose Processor DTP is an optimized small
packaged and delivered to multiple software (GPP), Digital Signal form-factor platform with low
distributed independent radio architectures. Processor (DSP) and Field power consumption that
development groups using Programmable Gate Array enables the development,
the tools to hide platform (FPGA) processing testing and deployment of
complexities and IP as elements. waveforms.
needed.

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Spectra Product Integration 14

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Spectra CDB SCA Everywhere 15

The first standards based, high performance, low footprint, fully interoperable COTS SCA
middleware solution that can be deployed across multiple processor types, including GPP, DSP
and FPGA environments

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Spectra Common Data Bus (CDB) 16

Spectra Common Data Bus (CDB) is a fully integrated and optimized Software Defined
Radio (SDR) middleware stack

Spectra Common Data Bus (CDB), runs across a wide range of General Purpose
Processor (GPP), Digital Signal Processor (DSP) and Field Programmable Gate Array
(FPGA) processing elements

Spectra CDB includes the following:

Spectra ORB
C++ ORB (for GPP)
C ORB (for GPP and DSP)
Spectra Lightweight Services
Spectra Lightweight Naming Service
Spectra Lightweight Event Service
Spectra Lightweight Log Service
Spectra IP Core ORB (ICO) for FPGA and ASIC

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Spectra ORB 17

An ORB specifically designed for SDR

(Software Defined Radio) and other
resource constrained DRE (Distributed Common Micro Kernel Architecture Supporting
Multiple Language Implementations (C & C++)
Real-Time Embedded) systems
Spectra ORB SDR Lightweight COS Naming, Event & Log
Small footprint and memory overhead
Efficient use of resources Client Server

Highest performance and throughput IDL ORB

IDL
Pluggable POA
Interface M-POA RT-POA

Open & configurable architecture

Highly portable, scalable, flexible & IDL Threading Models
Micro ORB Kernel

Portable CORBA
GIOP

Compiler
reliable Thread Pool Interceptors Messaging
Extensible Transport Framework

Thread Per Connection SSLIOP IIOP DIOP

An interoperable GPP and DSP solution Thread per Request

in the same ORB family RT CORBA SHMIOP UIOP

Complimentary SDR products and 3rd Party

wireless software solutions Scheduler

Key middleware component of

PrismTechs SDR products
Low Total Cost Of Ownership no
runtime fees for internal use

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Spectra IP Core ORB (ICO) 18

FPGA
Rx Meta Data
FIFO
Bridge ROM

GIOP
ICO
Message
Arbitration

GPIO
Transport
External
Interface
Servant Servant Client

Meta Data
ROM

GIOP Arbitration
Message

Tx
Bridge

ICO is a hardware implementation of a CORBA ORB The ICO design environment consists of:
Implements a subset of the most commonly used The ICO engine (IP interface core)
CORBA functions IDL to VHDL code generator
Eliminates the need to develop custom proxies A hardware developer treats ICO as any
(HALs) on GPP processor or DSP in order to other IP core interface
establish communication with the FPGA Software developers treat ICO
ICO has been written in portable VHDL & can be components as they would any other
synthesized onto any FPGA or ASIC platform CORBA object

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Spectra CDB SCA 4 Roadmap 19

Spectra CDB suite of CORBA ORBs will be fully SCA 4

compliant by the end of the year 2012

Spectra ORB v2
Spectra ORB C++ Edition will provide support for SCA 4 Full
Profile
Spectra ORB C Edition will provide support for SCA 4 Full and
Lightweight Profiles

Spectra ICO v2.3

ICO already supports SCA 4 Ultra-Lightweight Profile

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For More Information Contact: 20

For additional information on PrismTechs Spectra

products and services:
E-mail:
info@prismtech.com

Website:
www.prismtech.com/spectra

Spectra Product Manager:

Andrew Foster, Spectra Product Manager
Email: awf@prismtech.com

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 21

Thank You

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