ARLA/CLUSTER: Primeiros SDR-IQ sairam da Fabrica.

[João Gonçalves Costa]

Prezados.

Os SDR - Software Defined Radio são a ponta do iceberg do que iram ser os equipamentos do futuro. Uma das firmas com maior projecção no mercado de amadores é a RFSPACE  que acaba de lançar o novíssimo SDR-IQ, uma mera placa, mas com enormes possibilidades.

Desde o lançamento do SDR-14, um equipamento de recepção com prestações profissionais, rondando os $1.000 Dólares, que a RFSPACE se tinha comprometido colocar no mercado um receptor com prestações equivalentes, mas a cerca de metade do preço. Pois bem, a firma acaba de anunciar que expediu ontem as primeiras 25 unidades do primeiro lote de 200.

Estas unidade são enviadas a um grupo restrito de compradores que iram servir de teste final ao produto. 

Nada será o mesmo depois deste lançamento no mercado de recepctores.

Deixo-vos algumas das características do novíssimo SDR-IQ que como o seu irmão mais velho, o SDR-14, é antes de tudo um fantástico Analisador de Espectro :

500 Hz to 30 MHz FREQUENCY COVERAGE AM, WFM, USB, LSB, N-FM, DSB, CW & More


The SDR-IQ(tm) with RF DSP(tm) offers unprecedented performance with a frequency coverage of 
500 Hz to 30 MHz in 1 Hz steps. It features the fastest and highest resolution plug and play 
spectrum display available. The SDR-IQ(tm) comes with the latest version of SpectraVue(tm) 
software.  It supports AM, WFM, USB, LSB, N-FM, DSB and CW with fully adjustable DSP Filter
bandwidths and FFT sizes of 2048 to 262144 points. The resolution bandwidth is as low as 0.031 Hz.

Uses:

* Very High performance HF Receiver with 190 KHz realtime Panoramic Adapter
* Ultrasound experimentation (Sonar, Underwater ultrasound, Bat and Insect detectors)
* IR (Infrared) subcarrier detection and communications
* Record up to 190 KHz of spectrum to hardrive for later playback and demodulation
* Panoramic adapter for Communication Receivers (any IF in HF band 455 KHz, 8.83 MHz, 10.7 MHz, 21.4 MHz, etc)
* Very Low Frequency (VLF) Studies
* Spectrum Analyzer backends
* Processor for Radio Astronomy receivers


Features:

* Smallest SDR with RF DSP(tm) that samples the whole HF band at once and performs the initial filtering at 67 MHz
   sample rate with 23 bit accuracy. Uses a high performance Analog Devices 14 bit analog to digital converter.
* Sends 16 bits of I/Q Data to the PC via USB. No messy soundcard cables required.
* SDR-IQ is USB powered. No power supply is required. Works great with laptops running on batteries.
* Small size of 3.75 x 3.75 inches.
* Incredible receive performance.
* High resolution spectrum display with higher resolution and speed than those in $10K radios.
* RF preselection filters for great IMD performance.
* Serial port to directly interface with radios like the Icom IC-R8500, IC-R9000, IC-R9500, IC-R7000, IC-R7100 and
   AOR AR-5000.
* 50 ohm RF input that can be easily interfaced to antennas, Ultrasonic transducers, IR detectors, and other RF
   equipment.
* Open source ActiveX control and ActiveX sample program for easy software customization. SpectraVue (not
   open source).
* Windows, Linux and Mac OS drivers for developers.
* Network server that allows remoting of the SDR-IQ(tm). Servers available for both Windows and Linux.
* Adds the best panoramic display features to transceivers like the Yaesu FT1000, FT2000, FT9000 using the RX
   output connector.

Preliminary Specifications:

* Frequency Range: 500Hz to 30 MHz in 1 Hz steps. (Usable down to 100 Hz)
* Input Impedance: 50 Ohms
* Clipping RF level (Max Gain): -4dBm (TBD)
* Maximum Frequency display BW: 190 KHz
* Sampling Rate: 66.666 MHz
* I/Q Image Rejection: 80 dB+ Typ.
* MDS (500 Hz): -127 dBm
* Input IP3: (TBD)
* Voltage: 5 Volts (USB port powered)
* Current Draw: 425 mA
* Connectors: BNC (RF In), USB 2.0, RS-232 (Serial Bi-directional)
* Indicators: Power (Green), Sample (Yellow), ADC Clip (Red)
* Dimensions: 3.75x3.75x1.25 Inches
* Processor: Atmel AT91SAM7S256 w/ JTAG port.
* Analog Demod: AM, WFM, USB, LSB, N-FM, DSB and CW
* Measurements Functions: IQ vs. Time, Power vs. Frequency, Power vs. Frequency vs. Time 3D Surface,
   Power vs. Frequency vs. Time Spectrogram, Power in BW vs. Time, IQ Phase
   Max FFT Size: 262144 Point
* Max IQ Recording (All BWs): Unlimited to Hardrive.
* Screen Update Rate: 50 FFTs/sec , 190 KHz SPAN @ 100 Hz RBW
* Window Type: Rectangular, Hanning, Hamming, FlatTop, Blackman, Blackman-Harris
* Displayed Average Noise Level dBm/Hz:-133dBm/Hz TYp. 14.200 MHz
* Worst Case Spurious Carriers (Birdies):-80dBfs , -100dBfs (typ)


SPAN             IQ DATA RATE          Min Resolution Bandwidth
5 KHz                8.138 KHz                       0.031 Hz
10 KHz              16.276 KHz                     0.062 Hz
25 KHz              37.792 KHz                     0.14 Hz
50 KHz              55.555 KHz                     0.21 Hz
100 KHz            111.111 KHz                   0.42 Hz
150 KHz            158.730 KHz                   0.61 Hz
190 KHz            196.078 KHz                   0.75 Hz

Future options:

* Ultrasound Sensor 20KHz to 100 KHz+
* InfraRed Sensor.
* SONAR ranging module.
* 144 MHz to 148 MHz Front End
* TX Bypass for use with Transceivers.

SpectraVue Galleries:
http://www.rfspace.com/gallery.html