Multi-level Modeling and Simulation of Cognitive Radio Equipments

In this paper we propose a co-design methodology, based on a UML and Model Driven Architecture approach, in order to design embedded reconfigurable systems. We particularly focus on the design of software radio and cognitive radio equipments. A potential hardware target is System on Programmable Chip (SoPC), like FPGA components, taking into account the specific capability of partial reconfiguration. A reconfiguration and cognitive management architecture (HDCRAM for Hierarchical and Distributed Cognitive Radio Architecture Management) is used in addition to the device’s radio application. The system (functional architecture and hardware architecture) is modeled in UML using MARTE. Going through Model-toModel transformation the cognitive radio equipment is first modeled at a high abstraction level first, based on HDCRAM metamodel, and then modeled at a lower level of abstraction in SystemC, which enables to simulate and validate the system at transfer level (TLM). We illustrate the proposed concepts with a cognitive radio case study involving reconfigurable radio signal processing executed on a dynamic reconfigurable target.