Abstract: A method for controlling bi-directional data transfers in an electronic circuit is provided. The method involves when a first of at least two data signals is activated as an originating data signal prior to a second of the at least two data signals: allowing only a device associated with the first of the at least two data signals to be a signal source, and causing a device associated with the second of the at least two data signals to enter a receive state as a signal sink. The method further involves passing at least one bit of data from the signal source to the signal sink.

Abstract: A method of upgrading the system capability of a communications network is provided. The method involves initiating a transfer of at least one set of upgraded system capability software machine-coded instructions to a host card, instructing the host card to begin an upgrade process, determining whether at least one set of system capability software machine-coded instructions on the host card is valid, and completing the transfer of at least one valid set of system capability software machine-coded instructions to the host card, wherein the system capability is upgraded without affecting operation of the network.

Abstract: The present invention relates to buffers that handle multiple protocols in a communication system. In one embodiment, a plurality of communication channels is provide. There is a buffer for each communication channel. Moreover, each buffer is adapted to pass data samples in more than one protocol.

Abstract: Systems and methods for maintaining data stream synchronization are provided. A system comprises one or more radio head interface modules and a call processing software module each adapted to communicate with each other. The call processing software module performs modulation and demodulation of voice and data streams using one or more air interface standards. The call processing software module communicates a forward data stream to a first radio head interface module. The forward data stream comprises a plurality of data samples representing voice and data streams and a plurality of fixed synchronization words. When the first radio head interface module does not observe the receipt of a first fixed synchronization word of the plurality of fixed synchronization words word from the call processing software module when expected, the first radio head interface module concludes that it has lost synchronization with the call processing software module.

Abstract: A frequency hopping communications system is disclosed. A server is adapted to have one or more radio head interface modules and a call processing software module. The call processing software module performs modulation and demodulation of voice and data streams using one or more air interface standards. A radio head unit is coupled to the radio head interface module over one or more transport mediums and communicates with one or more subscriber units using the one or more air interface standards. The one or more radio head interface modules, are adapted to receive frequency channel hopping information, including a channel and a time to hop trigger, from the call processing software module for one or more of a plurality of communication channels.

Abstract: The synchronization of timing between devices in a communication system is presented. In particular, in one embodiment, a method of synchronizing timing of communications between a software module and a host card in a forward direction is presented. The method comprises reading a time start message in a header of a page of data received from the software module and transmitting the page of data when the time start message matches a time of a time clock in the host card.

Abstract: Systems and methods for handling buffer overflows and underflows in a software defined radio are presented. A communications system comprises one or more radio head interface modules and a call processing software module. The radio head interface modules are adapted to communicate with the call processing software module. The call processing software module performs modulation and demodulation of voice and data streams and transmits complex RF data samples to the radio head interface modules. A first radio head interface module is adapted to create zero value data samples when complex RF data samples are not received from the call processing software module at an expected data sample rate. The first radio head interface module is further adapted to count zero value data samples created and discard a number of complex RF data samples based on the number of zero value data samples counted by the first radio head interface module.

Abstract: Methods and systems for reconfiguring communications systems are provided. A communications system comprises one or more radio head interface modules and a call processing software module. The one or more radio head interface modules are adapted to communicate with the call processing software module. The call processing software module performs modulation and demodulation of voice and data streams using one or more air interface standards. The one or more radio head interface modules receive reconfiguration parameters from the call processing software module for one or more logical channels. The call processing software module and the one or more radio head interface modules communicate one or more pages of data samples to each other, each of the one or more pages of data samples having a page header. Reconfiguration parameters are contained in the page header.

Abstract: The synchronization of timing between devices in a communication system is presented. In one embodiment a method includes attaching a time stamp message to a page of data samples that indicates when a first one of the data samples was received by a receive engine in a host card. Passing the data samples and the time stamp message to a call processing module and synchronizing communications between the host card and the call processing module based at least in part on the time stamp message.