PAGE CONTENTS
Objectives
The objective of the project is to develop a Software Defined Radio (SDR) Modem for addressing Telemetry, Tracking and Command (TT&C) functions in satellite testing Electrical Ground Support Equipment (EGSE) systems and simulation environments for telecom market and ground stations market.
The project is starting from the existing prototype work (from former GSTP activity), which is for the implemented features mainly on Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 5, with the Technology Phase to add missing modem functionality and enhance the existing prototype to bring all features to TRL 5/6.
In the next step, the Product Phase shall productise the SDR Modem (all features shall be fully implemented, all admin functions shall be available, all features shall be verified and validated on module and system level up until TRL 8).
The figure below shows the main components of Terma SPECTRA SDR Modem. Terma SPECTRA SDR Modem is a distributed system that consists of a generic hardware backend (server) connected to an RF frontend (digitizer) via SFP+ cables. The RF frontend can be positioned close to the antenna to reduce signal loss, while the backend can be located in a server room.
Challenges
The main challenges were found in the SDR technology, implementation of the required capabilities, modulation types, Turbo coding, Doppler correction and impairments correction, ranging as well as the related performances.
Another challenge was the selection of the baseline solution (HW and SW COTS platform). The main criteria were the processing performance, cost and the portability of the implementation, as the SDR modem is desired to be as much as possible HW independent.
System Architecture
Terma SPECTRA follows a distributed architecture, where the SDR backend, powered by the generic hardware (server), communicates with the RF frontend (digitizer) via high-speed SFP+ cables (200 MS/s). This setup allows for a separation of the SDR processing from the RF front-end, enabling the possibility of placing the RF hardware close to the antenna and the backend in a more centralised or remote location, such as a server or workstation room. This approach maximizes operational flexibility, enabling easy integration into different environments while maintaining high performance and signal integrity. The following figure presents the hardware architecture together with internal and external based on a rack server and USRP X310 digitizer:
Plan
Technology Phase was used to de-risk the SDR modem functionality and to enhance the existing prototype to bring all features to TRL 5/6. Technology Phase was completed in September 2024.
The Product Phase which then starts shall productise the SDR modem. All features shall be fully implemented, all admin functions shall be available, all features shall be verified and validated on module and system level up until TRL 8.
Current Status
Currently test and verification of the SDR modem product phase are ongoing. We expect the project to be completed by the end of 2025 / beginning of 2026.
