OpenCPI in an SDR Application

Posted by Laura B
August 12, 2024

OpenCPI is the current hot topic in our industry. But what is it, and how can we use it in an SDR application?

If you’re an engineer focussed on Software-Defined Radio (SDR), you’ll know how complex it can be to develop, integrate, and deploy all the different software components needed to make everything work smoothly. This is where OpenCPI could make life a lot easier.

There are 4 basic components:

1. Component-Based Architecture: OpenCPI allows developers to create reusable software components, which are a bit like building blocks that can be assembled to create larger applications.
2. Portability: One of its key features is that these components can be used across different hardware and software environments without needing to be rewritten. This includes CPUs, GPUs, FPGAs, and other hardware.
3. Interoperability: It ensures that components can work together seamlessly, even if they were developed by different teams or for different systems.
4. Efficiency: OpenCPI is designed to optimise performance by allowing components to take full advantage of the underlying hardware.

First up, OpenCPI helps developers create individual software components for SDR. Think of these components as the building blocks that handle specific tasks like modulation, demodulation, filtering, signal processing, and decoding. The key differentiator for OpenCPI is that these components are designed to be reusable and portable, meaning you can use them across different projects without reinventing the wheel every time.

Once you’ve got your components ready, the next step is integration. OpenCPI provides the tools and infrastructure to connect these components seamlessly into a larger SDR system. It’s a bit like having a universal connector that ensures everything works together perfectly, no matter where each piece came from.

This is the bit that is REALLY smart - SDR applications often need to run on various types of hardware—CPUs, GPUs, FPGAs—you name it. OpenCPI steps in by abstractingthe hardware details, which means the same software components can be deployed across different platforms without any modifications. So, whether you’re working with a general-purpose processor or a specialised FPGA, OpenCPI has got you covered. The WILDSTAR™ Software Defined Radio 3U OpenVPX Module (WS3XBP-17 - pictured) is an assembled solution that is 100GbE-enabled, SOSA-aligned, and highly rugged and thermally-controlled.

After everything’s developed and integrated, it’s time to deploy. OpenCPI makes this process smooth by facilitating deployment across different hardware environments. This means your SDR application can run efficiently on anything from a personal computer to specialised radio hardware, making it incredibly versatile.

One of the coolest things about OpenCPI is its focus on interoperability. In the SDR world, components often come from different sources—open-source libraries, commercial vendors, or your own in-house development team. OpenCPI ensures that all these components can work together, no matter where they originated. This makes it easier to collaborate, share components, and build more robust SDR systems.

If OpenCPI is key to your project, give one of our sales engineers a call. We’re already working on some OpenCPI requirements, and we’d love to hear how you would use OpenCPI to deploy your program efficiently.