Patent ID: 8090928

Claim:
An apparatus, comprising: a scalar computation unit configured to execute control software to process data packets for transmission via a wireless protocol, wherein the control software includes scalar instructions, vector instructions, and a plurality of function calls respectively corresponding to a plurality of digital signal processing functions; a vector co-processor coupled to the scalar computation unit; and a plurality of dedicated hardware engines configured to perform respective ones of the plurality of digital signal processing functions; wherein the scalar computation unit is configured to: perform scalar instructions included in the control software; cause the vector co-processor to perform vector instructions included in the control software; and cause at least first and second dedicated hardware engines of the plurality of dedicated hardware engines to perform digital signal processing functions corresponding to ones of the plurality of function calls included in the control software and subsequently send information to one or both of the scalar computation unit and the vector co-processor, wherein the first dedicated hardware engine is different from the second dedicated hardware engine, and wherein the first and the second dedicated hardware engines are selected from the group consisting of: a convolutional decoding engine, a modulation engine, a transform engine, an error correction engine, and a cryptographic engine.