A configurable timing and communications engine for radio positioning with implementations for an FPGA or an ASIC

Executing various combinations of external locating techniques provides many benefits over tracking and locating systems based on radar or GPS. These embedded radio positioning applications are built on a common set of functional capabilities. Development of a specific positioning system involves selection of a subset of these capabilities and implementation into a physical form that meets the size, weight and power requirements of the application while meeting cost, schedule and risk constraints. In this paper we present the design of a timing and communications engine, which is a highly configurable resource for radio positioning applications. We also present an analysis of the design trades in implementing this functionality in a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).