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Completed TRL 4 (started at 2, targeting 4)
The modularity of Software-Defined Radio (SDR) makes it an enabling technology for both science instruments and communication systems, and is essential to meet the SWaP-C (size, weight, power, and cost) requirements of future CubeSat and SmallSat missions at Goddard. Technology advances in SDR have significantly reduced the classically large, RF and microwave circuits, transferring them to the RF system-on-chip domain. This proposal aims to develop a prototype of an affordable radiation-tolerant synchronized multi-input multi-output (MIMO) SDR in a CubeSat 1U form factor (10 cm × 10 cm), and corresponding software interfaces to support a plurality of applications including communication, navigation, and remote sensing.
In the past, RF systems have independent chains to transmit and receive gigahertz (GHz) signals, and both require large power consuming components to convert high-frequency signals to usable signals in the megahertz (MHz) range for processing. However, with the advent of Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuits (MMIC), these complex systems have been combined into a single reconfigurable circuit, known as a Software Defined Radio (SDR). The combination of components enables the optimization of bandwidth, noise, and power when compared to classic RF systems. This significant footprint reduction allows for the replication of these RF circuits to create a synchronized multi-input multi-output (MIMO) system that can transmit and receive at multiple frequencies simultaneously.
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