DVB-S2x Software Modem (SOMO)

User terminals (Ground)

Status

Completed
Status date

2024-11-11
Activity Code

7B.058

Objectives

Nowadays, the modem part of the user terminals for Satcom market is implemented on dedicated hardware components, which brings a number of constraints, such as customised production and long development cycle time, among others. There are certain Satcom market areas (e.g. automotive, IoT, multicast, VSAT) where user terminals could benefit from the use of a software modem implementation running in already existing general purpose computing hardware, thus with lower development cycle and costs.

In the activity, a fully software-defined wideband DVB-S2X demodulator prototype that runs on the CPU of consumer hardware platforms has been implemented. The focus has been on low-complexity and power-efficient algorithms optimized for the vector instruction sets of different CPU platforms. Intel and ARM-based CPUs like Apple’s M1 as well as Windows, MacOS and Linux are supported.

The software demodulator prototype supports the full range of normative DVB-S2 and DVB-S2x MODCODs, including time slicing capabilities (defined in EN 302 307-1 Annex M). The architecture of the software is modular and flexible and enables simple and effective customization to a wide range of different platforms and application scenarios.

Challenges

Comprehensive support of a wide range of MODCOD profiles and options fully compliant to the DVB-S2x standard.
SW Implementation minimizing computational resources while maintaining any combination of application specific data-rate and latency requirements.
Scalable, modular and flexible SW design that allows execution on various consumer target platforms, simple upgrades and user-defined extensions.

Benefits

Cost effective and flexible solution providing a wideband DVB-S2x demodulator. The software-defined demodulator is power-optimized and runs on consumer HW devices on the CPU. A variety of systems and platform is supported, such that it can be easily adapted to different scenarios and use-cases.

Features

Full support of the DVB-S2x standard.
Purely software-defined solution.
Speed and power optimized implementation.
Support of Windows, Linux and MacOS based systems.
Support of x86 and ARM based platforms.
Flexible architecture that allows adaptation to many different scenarios and use-cases.
Throughput of up to 72 Msymbol/s carrier size and up to 120Mbit/s user data rate has been tested.