Software Communications Architecture
The Software Communications Architecture (SCA) is
an open architecture framework that tells designers how
elements of hardware and software are to operate in har-
mony within a software dened radio. SCA governs the
structure and operation of the U.S. militarys Joint Tacti-
cal Radio System (JTRS), enabling programmable radios
to load waveforms, run applications, and be networked
into an integrated system. A Core Framework, providing
a standard operating environment, must be implemented
on every hardware set. Interoperability among radio sets
is enhanced because the same waveform software can be
easily ported to all radio sets.
The Object Management Group (OMG), a not-for-prot
consortium that produces and maintains computer in-
dustry specications for interoperable enterprise appli- 1.2 Resource interface
cations, has established a Software Based Communica-
tions Domain Task Force (SBC-DTF). This group and The SCAs resource interface inherits interfaces from
the Wireless Innovation Forum (formerly Software De- four other interfaces:
ned Radio Forum) (WINNF), are working on an inter-
national commercial standard based on the SCA.
The SCA is extending its coverage to programmable
hardware FPGA and digital signal processors.
1 Overview
A software-dened radio's transmitter can be changed
through software, not hardware, to alter frequency range,
modulation type, and maximum radiated or conducted
output power. The Software Communication Architec-
ture (SCA) outlines several interfaces, which describe
what operations the various components can be made to
do.
1.1 Member variables
Member variables are not exposed to the outside world.
The device interface in the diagram provides an interface
with attributes, shown in the rst compartment, and op-
erations, shown in the second. It is easy to make the erro-
neous association of CORBA attributes to C++ member
variables and CORBA operations to C++ operations. In
CORBA, both attributes and operations are operations.
Attributes have implicit set and query operations. Again
using the device interface in the diagram as an example,
the label attribute has implicit operation signatures:
label(in listString:string):void
label(void):string
The software component provides the internal storage
variable for the label string. It is not directly available
to the outside world. The CORBA interface provides the
implicit operations for changing the variable.
In contrast, the allocateCapacity() operation of the device
interface has a dened function signature instead of the
implicit signatures of attributes. Since operations handle
exceptions better, many programmers use only operations
in an interface denition. However, the SCA uses both
attributes and operations in some interfaces.
TestableObject
PortSupplier
LifeCycle
PropertySet
The resource interface is inherited by applications and
hardware devices. Because of its importance, the exam-
ple in this section will dene a software component that
inherits the resource interface. It could inherit other in-
terfaces, but this would add complexity without providing
further insight into the development of SCA components.
2 Component Placement
The CORBA middleware allows software compo-
nents to be distributed anywhere within the radio.
The Core Framework provides distributed object
launchers for each processor board within the set.
The radios application factory launches a waveform
or application by providing the object les and ex-
ecution parameters to the various processors within
the radio.
After objects are instantiated, they may be co-located,
or distributed among the dierent processing elements
1
2 5 EXTERNAL LINKS

within the radio. These objects do not have any knowl-

edge of other application objects or the hardware re-
sources within the radio.
A set of XML les is associated with each software and
hardware object. These les provide information about
the objects, including their port references. The appli-
cation factory parses these les along with an application
schematic le, the Software Assembly Descriptor (SAD).
The SAD provides the necessary information to connect
the hardware and software components together.

3 Hardware Conguration
The SCA System Communications Architecture does not
specify a hardware conguration. However, one of the
requirements for SCA certication is that the waveform
must be ported successfully to a government test plat-
form.
Most previous military radios had a specialized down-
converter and modulator integrated circuits. With the
non-standard JTRS conguration shown here, the wave-
form developers must provide FPGA code that can per-
form the function of operating directly with the A/Ds and
D/As. The hardware does not provide direct digital syn-
thesizers and upsamplers typical in previous radios. The
waveform designer must provide that functionality in spe-
cialized FPGA code that constitutes part of the delivered
waveform.

4 See also
Service Component Architecture

5 External links
Software Communications Architecture Homepage

Open Source SCA Implementation - Embedded

(OSSIE) - Virginia Tech

Advanced Open Source Implementation based on

the SCA - REDHAWK

SCA Waveform Development - Etherstack

SCA Integrated Development Environment - Nor-
diaSoft - Makers of SCA Architect and the SCARI
Core Framework

SCA Tools, Software Infrastructure, Development

and Test Platforms - PrismTech Spectra
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