OpenVPX software-defined radio (SDR) kit with PCI Express and Ethernet introduced by X-ES

MIDDLETON, Wisconsin, December 11, 2013 Extreme Engineering Solutions Inc. (X-ES) in Middleton, Wisconsin, introduces the XPand1202 OpenVPX software-defined radio (SDR) development system for creating software-defined radio communication technology with VITA-65 boards and interconnections.

XPand1202 has VITA 67 RF connections and integrates an XPedite7470 3U OpenVPX Intel Core i7-based single board computer, up to four DRS SI-9138 3U VPX VITA 67.1 dual channel RF receiver and one DRS SI-7138 3U VPX VITA 67.2 RF frequency reference module.

This standard-based system also includes OpenVPX Ethernet and PCI Express switches, as well as an OpenVPX backplane with 3U VPX VITA 62-compatible power slots.

The XPand1202 VITA 67 RF connectors allow the SI-9138 and SI-7138 to access sensitive analog signals via the rear board. This simplifies module installation by eliminating the need to manually connect cables between payload modules after insertion. It also reduces system size, weight and power consumption (SWaP), eliminating the extra routing space for these cables.

The SI-9138 modules use their dynamic range and phase noise performance to analyze the input RF signals of the system and digitize them using a 16-bit A / D sampling converter at 128 MHz. The digitized waveforms are time-marked and formatted using VITA 49 (VRT) radio transport and then transported to the motherboard via a high-performance x4 PCI Express interface to the XPedite7470 single-board computer for processing.

The installed modules communicate with each other via an OpenVPX backplane, using PCI Express and Gigabit Ethernet. PCI Express is for sending high-bandwidth data between the SI-9138 RF receiver modules and the VITA 48 REDI XPedite7470 single-board computer and is routed through the OpenVPX XChange3012 PCI Express switch.

Gigabit Ethernet, meanwhile, is for sending command and control messages between payload modules and is routed to the backplane as a dual-star configuration from each payload module via two separate 3U VPX Ethernet switches, XChange3012 and XChange3011.

The XChange3012 can provide a switched SerDes 1000 BASE-X port to each payload module slot, while the XChange3011 provides a switched 1000BASE-T port to each payload module slot. Both networks can be accessed outside the system via external Gigabit Ethernet ports from the switches.

For more information, contact X-ES online at www.xes-inc.com.