CHAPTER When radio meets software Alexander M. Wyglinski 1 , Maziar Nekovee 2 , and Y. Thomas Hou 3 1 Worcester Polytechnic Institute, United States 2 BT Research and University College London, United Kingdom 3 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, United States 1 1.1 INTRODUCTION Data communication networks are a vital component of any modern society. They are used extensively in numerous applications, including financial transactions, social interactions, education, national security, and commerce. In particular, both wired and wireless devices are capable of performing a plethora of advanced