The present paper introduces a new Vaisala state-of-an-art ground equipment radio receiver, the Software Radio. This technology is answer to increasing demand for telemetry link performance and bandwidth efficiency.

A full digital telemetry link between the radiosonde and ground equipment using the Software Radio enables use of efficient modern modulation techniques, error correction algorithms and telemetry diagnostics. In practise this means reliable low power narrowband radiosonde transimission, increased temporal resolution of measurement data, lightweight radiosonde with small battery and smaller weather balloon with less hydrogen. Software Radio functionality can be upgraded with a software update.

This technology is similar to the one used in cellular phones and their base stations. The technical means of a multichannel Software Radio implementation is also discussed.