Characterization of a COTS-Based RF Receiver for Cubesat Applications.
Sensors (Basel)
; 20(3)2020 Jan 31.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-32023903
ABSTRACT
This paper reports the experimental results of a test campaign performed on the radio-frequency (RF) receiver prototype operating at a 2025-2110 MHz frequency range, designed and fabricated for CubeSat applications. The prototype has been tested through a board-level test approach for the verification of the functional requirements and a component-level one for specific characterization measures. The tests have shown the following results:
a -115--70 dBm sensitivity range, 390 MHz intermediate frequency, a 0 dBm output power level with ±1 dB error, a 2.34 dB noise figure, and a 4.86 W power absorption. Such results have been largely achieved implementing an automatic gain control system by cascading two Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) amplifiers. Moreover, an innovative technique based on RF test points has been successfully experimented and validated to measure the S-parameters of a custom low-pass filter integrated on the receiver, showing the possibility of even characterizing the single COTS components exposed to radiation through a unique board-level test setup. The technique may have a great impact on the cost reduction of electronic boards for space applications, since it would avoid using expensive evaluation boards for each COTS component that needs a radiation test.
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MEDLINE
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En
Ano de publicação:
2020
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Article