Communications device with a plurality of processors and compatibility synchronization module for processor upgrades and related method

A software defined radio, comprising:

• a radio circuit having multiple radio subsystems each having a processor that is dependent on a respective other processor in another radio subsystem for radio circuit operation and each processor having at least one independent channel for updating a respective software version within the processor;
• an executable radio software system operable with the radio circuit and multiple radio subsystems and conforming to the Software Communications Architecture (SCA) specification and defining an operating environment that allows a waveform application to operate with the radio circuit for transmitting and receiving voice and data;
• and
• a compatibility synchronization module having a database storing a table of compatible software versions for each processor and that is updated when a new software versions for a processor is created, wherein the table is independent of software images for the software versions and the compatibility synchronization module is operative for verifying if the software version for a processor is compatible with other software versions at other processors and instructing a respective radio subsystem to revert back to a compatible software version within a respective processor or prevent any incompatible software updates within a processor.

A method of determining compatible software versions within a multiprocessor device, comprising;

• updating a software version within at least one processor contained within the multiprocessor device having a plurality of device subsystems each having a processor dependent on a respective processor in another device subsystem for device operation and each processor having at least one independent channel for updating a software version within a processor through which software versions are loaded;
• storing a table of compatible software versions for each processor within a database of a compatibility synchronization module, wherein the database is independent of software images of the software versions;
• updating the database when new software versions are created;
• verifying through the compatibility synchronization module if the software versions within each processor are compatible with each other;
• and
• if a software version for a processor is incompatible, instructing a respective processor to which the incompatible software version is to be loaded to revert back to a compatible software version or prevent any incompatible software updates within a processor.