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Harris to Deploy Neutrino in Battlefield Radios
RTOS simplifies upgrading in software-defined radios
Charles J. Murray, Senior Technical Editor -- Design News, January 7, 2009
QNX Software Systems announced its Neutrino embedded operating system will help cut costs and simplify upgrades in future Falcon III software-defined radios made by Harris Corp.
The POSIX-compliant real-time operating system (RTOS) will enable military users to easily change radio waveforms and add new protocols dynamically, without requiring replacement of entire handsets. QNX said the Neutrino RTOS had been deployed in the Falcon III for some time, but the software-maker was unable to divulge it publicly until now.
"With this, they can upgrade their radios dynamically in the field and add new coding or security measures, without having to re-equip everyone," said Kerry Johnson, director of product management for QNX Software Systems.
Harris' Falcon II radios include multi-band, multi-mission radios in vehicular, handheld and so-called "manpack" configurations. The company's AN/PRC-152(C) handheld radio recently became the first and only radio to be certified as fully compliant with version 2.2 of the Software Communications Architecture of the Department of Defense's Joint Tactical Radio System.
Harris reportedly opted for Neutrino as one of its RTOSes because it supports the POSIX (portable operating system interface) standards that define application programming interfaces (APIs) for embedded products. QNX engineers also said recently-rolled-out Neutrino Secure Kernel appealed to the OEM because it enhances security of battlefield communication systems.
Military users are expected to employ the software-defined radios (SDRs) to replace fixed-function radios because they offer reconfigurable devices that can "learn" new capabilities, as well as modulation schemes and wireless protocols.
By employing the SDRs, the Department of Defense reportedly realizes major cost savings. "The cost of retro-fitting and entire mobile force would be astronomical," Johnson said. "Software-defined radio allows them to deploy changes to each soldier every time there's an upgrade."
