Product category:
VMEbus Boards and Assemblies
News Release from: Pentek | Subject: Model 7140 PMC
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 25 March 2005
PMC hosts complete software radio
transceiver
Pentek has released a complete software radio transceiver module suitable for connection to IF or RF ports of a communication system.
Pentek has released a complete software radio transceiver module suitable for connection to IF or RF ports of a communication system The Model 7140 PMC module combines both transmit and receive capabilities with a high-performance Virtex II-Pro field-programmable gate array (FPGA) and supports the emerging VITA 42 XMC standard with optional switched-fabric interfaces for high-speed I/O
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 14 Apr 2004 at 8.00am (UK)
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This module is also available in a variety of form factors including PCI, 3 and 6U cPCI and a PMC conduction-cooled version.
The front end of the module accepts two +4dBm full-scale analogue RF inputs and transformer-couples them into 14bit A/D convertors running at 80 or 105MHz.
The digitised output signals pass to a Virtex-II Pro FPGA for signal processing or routing to other module resources.
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These resources include a quad digital downconvertor, a digital upconvertor with dual D/A convertors, 512Mbyte DDR SDRAM delay memory and the PCIbus.
The FPGA also serves as a control and status engine with data and programming interfaces to each of the onboard resources.
Factory-installed FPGA functions include data multiplexing, channel selection, data packing, gating, triggering and SDRAM memory control.
Because the FPGA controls the data flow within the module and provides signal processing as well, the module can be configured for many different functions.
In addition to acting as a simple transceiver, the module can perform user-defined DSP functions on the baseband signals using Pentek's GateFlow and ReadyFlow development tools.
These functions can include demodulation/modulation, decoding/encoding, decryption/encryption, digital delay and channellisation of the signals between reception and transmission.
"This board is ideal for developers requiring complete transceiver functions in a compact module, such as military radios and commercial wireless", says Rodger Hosking, Pentek's Vice President.
"This board has a unique combination of functions with two receive and two transmit channels, all the power of the FPGA in between and XMC for high-speed I/O - perfect for software radio, signals intelligence (SIGINT) and Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) applications".
The module includes a Texas Instruments (TI) Graychip GC4016 quad digital downconvertor along with a TI DAC5686 digital upconvertor with dual D/A convertors.
Each channel in the downconvertor can be set with an independent tuning frequency and bandwidth.
Channels may also be combined to increase bandwidth up to 10MHz.
The upconvertor translates a real or complex baseband signal to any IF centre frequency from DC to 160MHz and can deliver real or complex (I+Q) analogue outputs through its two 16bit D/A convertors.
The digital upconvertor can be bypassed for two interpolated D/A outputs with sampling rates to 500MHz.
Inputs to the downconvertor can come from many sources, including the input A/D convertors, the FPGA signal processing engines, an SDRAM delay memory or data sources on the PCIbus.
The built-in clock/sync bus supports multi-module synchronisation as well as dual onboard oscillators for independent input and output clock rates.
Further, the Model 7140 is also one of the first to offer the VITA 42 XMC interface.
This allows it to transfer data through optional Serial RapidIO, PCI-Express or other switched-fabric interfaces, providing a high-speed streaming data path independent of the PCI bus.
A clock/sync bus allows synchronisation of local oscillator phase, frequency switching, decimating filter phase and data collection among multiple Model 7140s.
One board acts as a master, driving clock, sync and gate signals out to a front-panel flat cable bus using Low Voltage Differential Signalling (LVDS).
The master alone can drive as many as seven slaves.
By using a Pentek Model 9190 clock and sync generator to drive the signals, up to 80 boards can be configured to operate synchronously.
The GateFlow FPGA design kit provides designers with all VHSIC Hardware Description Language (VHDL) source code and device configuration for the basic factory-installed functions to facilitate the addition of custom algorithms.
Also available are Pentek's GateFlow IP cores, including wideband digital receivers, fast Fourier transform (FFT) and pulse-compression algorithms.
Pentek's ReadyFlow board support libraries of C-callable device functions for the processor platform are supplied with all I/O modules.
Board operation and setup is simplified through easy-to-use function calls and it still provides the flexibility and power of low-level access to all of the board's hardware.
Pentek support libraries, device drivers and software development tools, plus third-party offerings, are all available for a variety of platforms, including PCs running Windows 2000/XP or Linux and PowerPCs running VxWorks, Linux or eCos (an open-source real-time operating system).
The Model 7140 PMC module, Model 7240 6U cPCI board, 7340 3U cPCI board and 7640 PCI board prices start at US $6995, with first delivery 12 to 14 weeks ARO.
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