PMC-based digital receiver dons rugged guise

Pentek has released a new ruggedised version of its Model 7131 16-channel multiband digital receiver PMC module.

Demonstrating its commitment to offer ruggedised products for applications in extreme environments, Pentek has released a new version of its Model 7131 16-channel multiband digital receiver PMC (PCI mezzanine card) module.

Like its namesake, the 7131-702 features two 14bit 105MHz ADCs and four quad digital receivers.

This board also couples the Virtex-II FPGA technology with these channellised software radio functions, providing over two million gates available for user customisation.

Most importantly, the module achieves Pentek's highest level of convection-cooled ruggedisation, joining the 6821, 6822 and 7140 PMC and VME boards as part of Pentek's growing family of ruggedised board products.

The Model 7131-702 targets software radio applications including synchronous data communications, direction-finding, wireless telecomms, satellite communications, wireless LAN and high-frequency sonar.

Ruggedisation now makes the Model 7131 especially well suited for stressful environments such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and other combat applications.

It has an operating temperature range of -20 to +65C and a storage range of -40 to +100C.

It is qualified for 20g shock, 2g sine vibration and 0.04g2/Hz random vibration.

A conformal coating is also available that extends operating range to 100% relative humidity and protects the board from environmental contaminants.

"With its full complement of resources and extremely flexible architecture, the Model 7131 can tackle a wide variety of applications in communications, signal intelligence and data acquisition", said Rodger Hosking, Vice President of Pentek.

"These new ruggedisation levels now extend the deployment space into harsh environments covering a significant range of important military and aerospace platforms".

The Model 7131-702 accepts two analogue inputs on front-panel SMA connectors, either from baseband HF sources or IF outputs from communications receivers.

Each of the two inputs is transformer coupled and digitised by a 14bit A/D convertor capable of operating at sample rates up to 105MHz.

The sample clock is derived either from an internal crystal oscillator or an external clock supplied through a front panel SMA connector.

This board also includes four quad multiband digital receiver chips driven by the samples from both ADCs.

Each device includes four receiver channels capable of independent centre frequency tuning from DC to 40MHz with output bandwidths ranging from 4kHz to 2.5MHz.

A crossbar switch allows all 16 receiver channels to independently select either of the two ADC inputs.

The front-panel clock/sync bus allows one 7131-702 to act as a master, driving the sample clock out to a front-panel cable using LVDS differential signalling.

Multiple slaves can be then clocked synchronously with the master.

The Model 7131-702 is equipped with either XC2V1000 or XC2V3000 FPGA devices from the Xilinx Virtex-II family, offering logic densities of one or three million gates, respectively.

The FPGA is factory-configured to perform standard modes of data packing, formatting and channel selection.

An optional FPGA developer's kit is available for custom applications to take advantage of the 70% unused resources within the optional XC2V3000 FPGA.

Also supported are Pentek's GateFlow IP cores, such as pulse compression algorithms and FFTs (fast Fourier transforms), so customers can take immediate advantage of FPGA technology.

The Model 7131-702 starts at US $7495 with availability at 8-10 weeks ARO.

ReadyFlow board-support packages are available to speed development tasks, and both Linux and Windows drivers are available to allow high-level programming on workstations.

Driver source code is included, allowing users to modify software functionality.

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