Patent ID: 6944475

Claim:
An electronic radio system multifunction slice for supporting a predetermined number of communication threads, the multifunction slice comprising: an RF aperture interface; a plurality of simultaneously operable bi-directional transceivers coupled to the RF aperture interface, wherein each of the transceivers is a single module operable over a wide band of frequencies in order to support a wide range of radio function frequencies; a processor coupled to the transceivers, to control operation of the transceivers and to process data transmitted and data received through the transceivers; a local RF control bus inaccessible directly from outside the multifunction slice and coupled between the processor, the transceivers and the aperture interface, to provide control signals from the processor to the transceivers and the RF aperture interface; a network bus coupled to the processor; a network bus connector coupled to the network bus to provide direct accessibility to the network bus from outside the multifunction slice, wherein multiple multifunction slices are interconnectable through the network bus, to provide increased functionality and to form a programmable radio system capable of performing a desired set of functions; and a backplane interface coupled to the processor, the backplane interface providing a backplane output and a backplane input.