Reconfigurable terminals: an overview of architectural solutions

Key technical aspects concerning the realization of a reconfigurable user terminal based on software-defined radio technology are discussed. These include functionalities such as mode monitoring, mode switching, adaptive baseband processing, and software download. The implications of these functionalities and the need for related entities within the network are also discussed. The concepts presented here form part of the 5th Framework IST European Research project Transparent Reconfigurable Ubiquitous Terminal (TRUST). It is the intention of this article to present the technical achievements of the TRUST project together with an overview of the potential complexity in the realization of a reconfigurable user terminal.