In this role I have worked on the main product developed by Sonus Networks. This is a softmsc written in C++. All features are developed in UML I have written features to extend the capability of the product so it can now handle multiple BSCs and also Inter MSC handover. I have also familiarized myself with the product so I can also commission new devices. The platform used for this product was Linux( RedHat 8.0 – 2.4 Kernel). SVN has been used for code development and the Vi editor/SourceInsight has been used to examine the code. The system under development is being used to handle 2G BTS units.

In this role I worked on two products for wireless customers at PA Consulting. The first was a WIMAX basestation. My task was to build a L3 platform to show handover functionality as part of a Wimax simulator. The next task I had was to build some message handling software to be executed on a customer PHS basestation. This software will handle incoming messages from a layer beneath the MAC layer. The message handler processes these messages and stores their contents in FPGA RAM. The physical layer will call the message handlers later on and retrieve this information in byte aligned order32 bytes packed). My final task will be to build a PMAC layer. This layer will also sit beneath the MAC layer and process MAC Control and data plane information. All the work was done in C using CodeWarrior. I also used the MKS version control system. I used a combination of Vi, SlickEdit and XEmacs for code development.

In this role I worked on the Lucent UMTS radio card. I supported the board level support test software which initiated the boot up sequence for the FPGA, PPC405 and other components. In addition to this I also wrote a driver to communicate the FPGA on the card via the serial bus as opposed to across a JTAG.interface. The work here was performed in C and UML I also used Clearcase.

In this role I worked on porting a UMTS RNS/CN emulator from the QNX rtos to a Linux RTOS. The Linux kernel image used here was CentOS 2.6.1.3. This development work was done using C++ and UML. The hardware which the emulator was ported to a PowerPC 405 embedded processor. This was part of a development platform designed by PicoChip to be used for a picoCell basestation. The hardware platform also comprised of 2 picoArrays which were used to develop the baseband architecture. Each layer of the RNS and all the CN elements(MSC, SGSN, HLR, GGSN) were ported to the Linux platform. The ported RNS/CN emulator was then tested by using a software UE. This helped to exercise both the CS and PS signaling of the RNS/CN subsystems. Also basic voice and packet data services were tested.

Aided in the implementation of a GPRS protocol stack in a new hardware architecture. This development work was done using C++. The type of protocol stack here was similar in design to work performed previously on a UMTS stack. The SGSN, HLR and MSC CN elements were ported to the hardware platform executing the RNS components of the protocol stack. These had previously communicated with the BSS via sockets.

In this position I aided in the design of a condensed set of protocol stacks for the 3G UMTS UTRAN. This development work was done using C++. These stacks are connected to a condensed Core network and peer test UE stack. These systems make up a 3G UMTS simulator and all reside on laptop PCs. In this way this functionality can be used to test the Physical layer part of the UMTS solution by setting up the necessary behaviour to start the construction of signalling and data bearers. The transmission of both CS and PS can be demonstrated across the UMTS simulation platform. The 3G UMTS simulation software has GUI front ends. The voice part of the solution has also been built for a 405 PPC with the picoChip device being used as the physical layer processor. Some prior analysis was also done to dimension the size of the PPC needed for the simulator platform. This solution uses the VxWorks RTOS and has also been ported to the QNX RTOS. In addition I enhanced the functionality in the simulator last year by adding HSDPA in the higher layers. All the RNS/CN development was done on MFC and ported to QNX and VxWorks.

In this position as research engineer I worked in the Wireless Research Group. Here I began investigating ways of condensing the protocol stacks for the UMTS UTRAN and Core Network. The stacks were to be situated on each node of a Mesh network. This meant multi elements of the 3G system were to be handled by each node. Each node was to have the capability of handling 3G UMTS as well as, GSM/GPRS and 802.11 protocols. The name of the project was called the Base Station Router. In this way each node could be used as a ubiquitous access point into the network. I also did work on the size of PPC that would be needed to handle the message processing on the device. The development work performed here used C++. Analytical work was done using MathCad.

In the UMTS Packet Core Advanced Development Team(UPCAD) I was involved in designing the core network part of a 3G solution. I also designed, wrote and tested a new protocol layer written using C++ for the control plane of the product. This was the RAL(RANAP Application Layer) which condensed the SS7 layer stack.
In the first position I worked in for Lucent Technologies I coded in C++ for the Airloop project in Chippenham and have been involved in maintaining software within all areas of the Airloop product. This also involved some work using SDL tools. In particular I designed a feature to monitor the receipt of incoming and outgoing calls into the call processing unit of the Airloop apparatus. I have developed skills needed to integrate and implement V51 ISDN, and CAS protocols for delivering calls across the air interface. My development work also has been involved in developing ways of supporting ADPCM, PCM and LDCELP calls via a 5ESS switch.