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SDR - Software Defined Radio: Reduce Risk with Zeligsoft

Component-Based Development

Component-based development refers to both the development environment and the deployment environment of component-based systems. Component-based systems consist of assemblies of components. Developers work on components in isolation; they build them, test them, and deploy them as individual components. Once deployed, the individual components are initialized, connected together, and started. The connected components deliver the full functionality of the entire system.

In order for a component-based system to be correctly defined and deployed, several pieces of technology need to come together, including:

Well defined interfaces
Components need to have a well-defined external interface that expresses what the component offers to and needs from its environment. In this sense, components can be either application (software) or platform (hardware) components. The Interface Definition Language (IDL) is a language commonly used to describe interfaces.

Descriptors
Descriptors describe the interfaces of the components, their properties, the relationships they have between each other, and how they are interconnected. Descriptors are frequently provided as a set of XML files.

Communication Layer
Components need a common way to communicate. Communication may be local, within one processor core, or in between processor cores-depending on the hardware design. The communication layer needs to manage these different situations transparently. CORBA is a common choice for the communications layer.

Component Management Framework
The component management framework is responsible for the final deployment, configuration, start, and management of the software pieces. It decides which processors are used and how the component is downloaded. It interconnects the components and starts them.


The Core Framework provides the component management framework. CORBA provides the communication layer. The RTOS (Real Time Operating System) provides the general operating system level abstraction of the hardware.

Zeligsoft CE™
Zeligsoft CE enables users to graphically define the architecture of a system. Visual models give the development team a clear, common understanding of the system, including component interfaces and their relationships.

The graphical definitions of the system help to validate and prepare the component-based system for deployment. Users are able to add all necessary details to the model, validate Component Framework imposed rules, and generate descriptor files.

CE supports the SCA standard as defined by the US Department of Defense Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) Joint Program Office (JPO).