Abstract

Problem statement: This study presents an in-depth analysis of the performance of Software Communications Architecture (SCA) component-based waveform applications in terms of inter-component communications. The main limitation with SCA, in the context of embedded systems, is the additional cost introduced by the use of Object Request Broker (ORB) middleware. The ORB middleware handles the interaction between components and objects in SCA distributed environment. This interaction should be highly efficient, due to the real time nature of SCA systems and transparent to the application programmer. Approach: We can achieve high efficiency in SCA systems by enhancing the Inter-Process Communications (IPC) mechanisms in Operating systems (OS) micro kernels, while we achieve transparency through Interface Definition Language (IDL). Different encoding mechanisms like “External Data Representation (XDR), Network Data Representation (NDR) and Common Data Representation (CDR) facilitate inter-component communication transparently and efficiently”. Marshalling procedures format data from the local machine representation to common network representations. A most common encoding mechanism for Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) systems is CDR representation. Measurements have been performed with ORBExpress DSP as a CORBA distribution and Open Source SCA Implementation Embedded (OSSIE) for SCA implementation. In order to perform these measurements we proposed two metrics for profiling the ORB that are invocation and marshalling. In addition, we propose three elements of data types to evaluate the performance of ORB middleware that are, Basic, Array and Sequence data types. Results: The CORBA bus is really the part, which brings an overhead to the SCA radio systems. This overhead is due to method invocations that have been carried out by ORB middleware. Conclusion: Performance benchmarks of ORBExpress DSP middleware show that, although using CORBA for inter-component communications introduces delays and overheads, the overall effect can be reduced by sending packets of data instead of basic data type elements.

Highlights

  • Time delays are an inevitable aspect of any real world communication system

  • Stub code plays a vital role in Software Communications Architecture (SCA) distributed we focused on middleware latency that has a major environment

  • Profiling ORBExpress Digital Signal Processor (DSP) Object Request Broker (ORB) middleware: The performance of the ORB has a great impact on the overall performance of the distributed SCA radio system

Read more

Summary

Introduction

Time delays are an inevitable aspect of any real world communication system. As radio applications and underlying hardware becomes increasingly complex, these latencies become more and more difficult to predict and understand (Tsou et al, 2007). J. Computer Sci., 8 (6): 957-964, 2012 are necessary in order to meet the requirements of a examined in this study. While a typical TI C6416 DSP wide range of today’s communication needs. The is used as a test case in this study, an effort is made advent of software defined radio and the use of the such that the general concepts presented are applicable

Methods
Results
Discussion
Conclusion
Full Text
Published version (Free)

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call