Legacy SDR
Our legacy SDR features a flexible, very low noise front end with 3 independently tunable analog channels each with 15 MHz of instantaneous bandwidth. The first legacy receiver operated from 138 MHz to 2500 MHz. We have recently identified design modifications to expand the reception range up to 27 GHz. The digital receiver features a power MPSoC FPGA that implements 6 tuners that can be dynamically assigned in any combination to the analog channels as needed to optimize mission performance. Data pre-processing algorithms running in the FPGA’s fabric condition digital data for subsequent on-board processing or for downlinking for ground processing. The legacy SDR also includes a very high-performance GPS-Disciplined Oscillator (USO) and a large capacity SSD buffer (512 GB). The legacy SDR has surpassed all performance requirements and provided ad hoc mission support all while surpassing its design life in extensive flight operations.
Next Generation SDR
To dramatically increase the collection range, capacity and adaptability to meet emerging and future customer requirements, we have developed and tested our first-ever RFSoC-based SDR under government funded R&D. Each next generation SDR provides between 8 and 16 independent, superwide band channels through a direct digital architecture, can produce 600 times more data than our legacy system, and supports reception up to 100 GHz. The next generation SDR design supports highly synchronized collection across multiple FPGAs which we are leveraging in the design of novel and tightly coupled ultrawide band apertures.
Electronically Steerable Arrays
To improve our customer’s ability to access very weak signals in highly congested environments, we have designed ultrawide band ESAs that, combined with the next generation SDR, support simultaneous operations of literally hundreds of independently steerable and tunable beams. Our ESA’s unmatched performance is based on a proprietary element design that can be steered in azimuth and elevation, can receive both left and right hand circularly polarized RF, and provides up to a 40:1 bandwidth reception range. By scaling elements and employing non-uniform geometric arrangements, we can achieve low UHF to high millimeter wave reception in a single aperture.
Co-Processors
To address our customer’s requirement for low-latency mission results, we have designed and developed our Rapidly Extensible Application Processor (REAP). This system featuring low SWaP, high performance GPUs provides NRT processing of our signal detection, characterization and geolocation algorithms. In extensive benchmark testing, we have confirmed that REAP combined with optimized algorithm reduces processing time by 100-fold. REAP also supports efficient development, integration and testing of 3rd party applications.
HDRT (High Data Rate Transmitter)
To improve our customer’s ability to access very weak signals in highly congested environments, we have designed ultrawide band ESAs that, combined with the next generation SDR, support simultaneous operations of literally hundreds of independently steerable and tunable beams. Our ESA’s unmatched performance is based on a proprietary element design that can be steered in azimuth and elevation, can receive both left and right hand circularly polarized RF, and provides up to a 40:1 bandwidth reception range. By scaling elements and employing non-uniform geometric arrangements, we can achieve low UHF to high millimeter wave reception in a single aperture.
