FlexiRad

About

Technology Researchers at Trinity College Dublin have developed software which, with the addition of an extraneous antenna, will perform all the functions of traditional radio without any additional hardware. FlexiRad is presented as a software radio toolkit and development system for communications products. All extant commercially available radio solutions require a certain amount of essential hardware which in this system is replaced by software which can be installed on any computer. One concrete example of this toolkit being used in the real world: a Cognitive Radio system was built using FlexiRad that automatically searches for free bandwidth, providing an interference free signal at all times. This is possible due to the ‘backhaul’ element of the system which uses combination of otherwise unused frequency spectra in the television band and self adaption technologies to achieve blanket coverage across an area. This is a product that is tailored for cost effective wireless across non-line of sight distances and/or terrain where conventional line of sight links cannot be established. Advantages Minimal hardware required; FlexiRad is not hardware device specific. Solutions can be implemented by updating software.  The backhaul solution allows the signal to penetrate buildings and provide blanket coverage of an area Coverage is vastly improved compared to 2.4GHz ISM, 3.5GHz WiMAX and 5GHz UNII band solutions. The Cognitive Radio Solution example provides a unique method of maintaining a wireless link as it: 1. Detects potentially interfering signals and existing protected in-band services and working around them. 2. No need for on-site visits or manual frequency reconfigurations when an interference event arises. 3. 15 times less expensive to operate compared to microwave and trenched fibre links.