From: Panos C. Lekkas
Subject: RFI for metalanguage for next-generation SDR (software-defined radio) RF handsets
Date:
Message-ID: <E4Sge.9316$fY4.8022@fe07.lga>
We have discussed in length in the past about the undeniable superiority of
Lisp as an all-encompassing design tool in the VLSI and telecommunication
systems industry.
Well today I just wanted to bring up the fact that the SDR Forum
(software-defined radio) which is trying to address in an organized fashion
a real revolution in the way RF systems will be designed and built in the
21st century propelled by software that controls frequency synthesizers,
adaptive RF modulators, error correction, protocol handling, RF waveform
shaping, etc., has just issued an industry-wide RFI for language and tools
that can be used in the specification, design and version control of next
generation reconfigurable radio handsets.
According to their press release, the RFI is designed to provide the
forum with insight into the current state of the technology, as well as
requirements for future developments in this field. In gathering information
about commercial wireless handset modeling techniques and languages, the RFI
inquires about the current usage of tools, definition of interfaces, and
existing capabilities, as well as the potential utility of extending the
application of these tools. The RFI also solicits input for an inter-system
communications framework "meta-language" - a preliminary designation to
indicate a language that describes functionality and interfaces throughout
the life cycle of a system. The RFI will also be used to gauge how much a
meta-language might help those developing new technologies and processes.
According to the release, the results of the RFI will be used to
establish the foundation for a comprehensive roadmap, and for structuring
the work within the SDR Forum Commercial Technology Working Group.
The RFI document (SDRF-05-A-0004-V0.0) is available here:
http://www.sdrforum.org/doclist.html
I believe responses to the forum are due by May 15, 2005.
Despite the tight timeframe, I was wondering whether some commercial
leader like e.g. Franz Inc. may not have a vested interest in carrying the
Lisp torch in that environment even with a more or less canned answer that
should not require a tremendous amount of time. It will probably do good to
them and it will do good to those of us how have seen and believed how
powerful a metalanguage Lisp can be in addressing such needs. I would
strongly recommend that some effort be spent towards that direction.