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If a device can only be activated by way of RF then I would tend to believe that the BB processor (embedded via ASIC design) would need to be active and powered on yes ? If correct then does it have its own core and dedicated embedded OS and if yes would it need system RAM or embedded RAM in order to operate to process incoming and outgoing signals ?

Thanks

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The BB processing is part of the receiver so yes, it needs to be on in order to receive anything. What the RF does is select, filter and convert down (in frequency) the BB signal. You still need to demodulate the signal which is what the BB processor does.

There are several ways to implement a BB processor. That can be in software, in hardware or a combination of the two. If (part of) the BB is software based it can have its own core but that is not required. It depends on the design implementation.

Most BB processors do use RAM and mostly this will be embedded. But it depends on the application. Simple protocols (for example Bluetooth 1.0) require much less processing power than a complex OFDMA signal (for example LTE, Wifi AC).

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  • \$\begingroup\$ FakeMoustache thank you. Two things first when you say "Most BB processors do use RAM and mostly this will be embedded." do you mean nearby flash or on die RAM ? Secondly if the BB processor needs to be powered on then would the main or primary device's core would also need to be powered on in order for the main core to communicate with the BB processor yes ? What I mean by the system core I mean take any SoC processor like the ones used in smart phones. Or could the BB processor power on the main or primary core upon receiving a command to do so via RF ? \$\endgroup\$
    – JkT
    Commented May 27, 2016 at 2:00
  • \$\begingroup\$ Embedded means that it on the same die as the BB processor. Not in an external chip. You could design a BB Processor that could place data in some memory without the Application processor being awake, a bit like DMA (Direct Memory Access) on a PC. But I guess that in practice the App. Proc. remains in control and receives the data packages from the BB for further processing. I do not expect the BB to start doing something on it's own or waking up the App. Processor like with an interrupt. The App . Proc. can enter a low power state anyway, so it's usually not switched off. \$\endgroup\$
    – Bimpelrekkie
    Commented May 27, 2016 at 8:59

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