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.
Highlights
The research on the framework of the aerospace applications has been devoted to CubeSats because they are small and compact, characterized by low launch costs, and suitable to create satellite constellations that can improve the terrestrial network infrastructure, providing better global coverage
The Low-Earth Orbits (LEOs) are the best environment for the allocation of hardware based on Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) components
The RF incoming signal was downconverted to the Intermediate Frequency (IF) by a COTS RF mixer, amplified, filtered, and output through a coaxial connector
Summary
The research on the framework of the aerospace applications has been devoted to CubeSats because they are small and compact, characterized by low launch costs, and suitable to create satellite constellations that can improve the terrestrial network infrastructure, providing better global coverage.The CubeSats are typically designed using Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) components. The research on the framework of the aerospace applications has been devoted to CubeSats because they are small and compact, characterized by low launch costs, and suitable to create satellite constellations that can improve the terrestrial network infrastructure, providing better global coverage. The use of COTS components has the great advantage of widely reducing the costs of the satellite subsystems, since additional screening and reliability tests/inspections are not mandatory. In recent years, they have generated a great deal of interest from the industry of small satellites, especially for. Low-Earth Orbits (LEOs) [1,2]. The LEOs are the best environment for the allocation of hardware based on COTS components. The satellites find a less severe environment in such orbits, within which the components, even if not space-qualified, could “survive” the strong temperature ranges and the ionizing radiations
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