In the Aug 16 '99 EETimes, there are several articles
about software radios. These have analog front ends,
and after down-conversion are digital. This lets you
deal with complex back-compatability/protocol/DSP improvement/legal issues
flexibly.
The FCC is flipping out, considering how to regulate these.
Because the software *is* the radio. And software is
anarchy :-)
Anyway, p 70, there is a 3 paragraph mention of:
1. secure computer systems to handle software changes (ref
to GSM)
2. monitors, which prevent unwanted send/receives (sort
of a primitive sanity-check, probably more an EEPROM'd lawyer)
IMO, given that the radios will be field-upgradable
(after all, besides development/marketing economic issues, this is the
benefit of reprogrammable systems) there will be
plenty of fun for the phreak of 2005.
David Honig
