Radio Frequency-Field Programmable Gate Arrays

Added: Aug 06, 2012 10:20 am Radio Frequency Field Programmable Gate Arrays (RF-FPGAs), a thrust within the DARPA Microsystems Technology Office's Adaptive RF Technology (ART) program. The goal of RF-FPGA is to enable a common hardware architecture that facilitates reutilization of the same set of RF front-end components across disparate applications through programmability of the transceiver chain. RF-FPGAs will impact the areas of communications, electronic warfare, and signal intelligence by eliminating redundant and costly hardware development required for the adoption or recognition of a new wireless function or waveform.    

DARPA envisions that the hardware resulting from this program will realize dynamically programmable analog and RF blocks similar in purpose to the digital FPGA slice. To prove this capability, this program will develop blocks of reconfigurable components and fully programmable transceivers capable of configuring for a variety of wireless applications while maintaining near optimal performance. Additionally, it is expected that the hardware developed from this program will be capable of adapting to future wireless standards, thus positively impacting upgrade and procurement costs. DARPA maintains that this goal can only be achieved by investigating the ability to adapt, switch or otherwise alter the RF front end with flexibility far beyond the current demonstrated capabilities of tunable systems and existing multi-band radios.