Satellite Radios & SDR
Satellite radios and software defined radios.
Custom development
We design UHF and S-band telemetry and telecommand radios, X-band payload downlinks and mission-specific SDRs. RF hardware, digital baseband, firmware and spacecraft interfaces are developed as one communications chain.
- UHF / S-band / X-band
- FPGA baseband
- Mission-specific receivers
Radio configurations
| Configuration | Development focus |
|---|---|
| UHF TMTC | Command reception, housekeeping downlink, beacon functions and low-power operation |
| S-band TMTC | Command and telemetry links, programmable link parameters and spacecraft integration |
| X-band payload downlink | Payload-data transmission, high-throughput baseband and spacecraft data interfaces |
| Mission-specific SDR | Receiver, transmitter or transceiver architecture with selected RF front ends and waveforms |
| Receiver payload | Signal acquisition, demodulation, message storage and raw-sample access for dedicated applications |
| Satellite IoT link | Space and ground radio development with matched waveform and Doppler strategy |
Key features
RF and digital baseband
- Receiver, transmitter and transceiver developments with separate or integrated RF front ends.
- FPGA, processor/FPGA and dedicated-transceiver implementation options.
- Digital up/down conversion, channel filtering and sample-rate conversion.
- Carrier, symbol and frame synchronization.
- Programmable modulation, coding and symbol-rate profiles.
- Automatic gain control and configurable transmit power.
- Frequency-offset estimation and Doppler compensation.
- Single-channel or multichannel processing where supported by the selected architecture.
- I/Q sample capture, diagnostic modes and packet-level telemetry.
Link management and recovery
- Packet buffering, payload-data storage and scheduled transmission.
- Protected radio configuration and recovery to a known command-link profile.
- In-orbit firmware and FPGA-image update paths with integrity checks and rollback.
- Independent controller supervision and power-cycle recovery interfaces.
- Primary/backup radio configurations and selected redundant control links.
- Command authentication and encryption integrated at the selected protocol layer.
Waveform, interface and protocol options
| Layer | Design options |
|---|---|
| RF hardware | UHF, S-band or X-band front ends; channel plan and bandwidth defined per design |
| Modulation | FSK/GFSK, BPSK/QPSK/OQPSK and mission-selected higher-order modes |
| Dedicated payload waveforms | LoRa reception or custom digital waveforms on a suitable radio architecture |
| Synchronization and coding | Framing, scrambling, CRC, convolutional, Reed-Solomon or LDPC coding as selected |
| Space link | Selected CCSDS TM/TC or AOS framing; DVB-S2/S2X profiles for suitable payload downlinks |
| Onboard network / packets | CSP or CCSDS Space Packets matched to the spacecraft network |
| Application services | PUS telemetry/command services and CFDP file delivery where implemented in the system |
| Control interfaces | CAN, CAN FD, RS-422, RS-485 or UART |
| Payload data interfaces | SpaceWire, Ethernet or FPGA-defined LVDS data paths |
| Timing and reference | External reference clock, PPS and timestamped data |
These are selectable architectures and protocol layers, not a single mandatory stack. Simultaneous transmit/receive operation is established by the RF isolation and duplexing design.
CubeSat and SmallSat integration
Compact modules, stack-compatible layouts and enclosed units are configured around the spacecraft power, throughput and thermal needs. Digital and RF partitioning addresses grounding, clock leakage, shielding, conducted noise and coupling to nearby antennas or payloads.
Verification
Receiver acquisition, BER/PER, transmit spectrum, error-vector magnitude and interoperability are tested against the selected waveform. Channel tests address noise, frequency offset, Doppler rate, interferers and interrupted links. Radiation and environmental verification follow the mission-specific component and test plan.
Delivery
Radio hardware, baseband implementation, firmware, integration libraries, configuration tools, interface documentation and measured results support integration with the spacecraft and representative ground endpoints.