It's been a long time since I posted something... I have been busy with some hardware development.
But in my Company we finally have some new data grabber prototypes for our software receiver (and the future ones).
The first is a neat USB dongle:
The second is bigger (has more "stuff" inside of course):
Well I'm not allowed to say too much but.. these two have in common:
- the RF chip from Maxim-Dallas MAX2769,
http://www.maxim-ic.com/quick_view2.cfm/qv_pk/5241
- a Rakon IT3205 TCXO with 1ppm accuracy,
http://www.rakon.com/models/display_model?model_id=503&reset=1&dont_refine=1&action=display
- a USB 2.0 micro controller.
The big one has inside also CPLD:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CPLD
This is inserted between the RF chip and the USB micro controller, and can perform simple data pre-processing before streaming the signal samples to the computer.
The beauty is that the micro controller firmware allows to program the RF chip and the CPLD in software, as many times as you want.
Like them?
Maybe more coming soon,
Michele
