The JTRS SCA specification-the past, the present, and the future

This paper steps through the evolution of the software communications architecture (SCA) specification to support a family of software defined radio (SDR)s that meet one of the key goals of the joint tactical radio system (JTRS) program-portability of waveforms. This evolution is examined from the conception of this specification to achieve the goals of the JTRS program, to what the SCA is today, where it is headed in the future, what it enables for the communications industry, and finally, the role it plays in the future of communications platforms in the military and the commercial sectors.