1. RF section Control section Output Section Df Df Df CPU Hybrid LC
GPS
Control section
915MHz
10dBm
CPU
TI CC1101E Transceiver
Hybrid
Mixer
HMC 1056 LO
HMC765
7 GHz
10dBm LC
Interface board
8 GHz
6dBm
DAC Df
DAC
DAC Df
splitter Df
8 GHz
0dBm
Kuhne Amplifier PA
CPU
Tegra TK1
12V 1A
USRP
Ettus B210
USB powered LO
HMC GHz
15V, 5.5V
DAC
MCP4725
3.3V
DAC buffer
RF Switches
Peregrine PE42441
3.3V, TTL
RF Power Amp
Kuhne KUPA
2A (x3)
Output
Section
3-way splitter
PE42441
3-way splitter
PE42441
3-way splitter
PE42441
8 GHz
30dBm
Antenna 1
Antenna 2
Antenna 3
Total ~ 100W

2. RF section Control section CPU Pointing Control Total ~ 100W
GPS
Control section
915MHz
-100 dBm
CPU
TI CC1101E Transceiver
Mixer
WJ-12 LO
HMC765
High Gain Antenna
7 GHz
10dBm
Digital Recorder
Low Gain Antenna
Pointing Control
CPU
Tegra TK1
12V 1A
Digital Recorder
Ettus B210
USB powered LO
HMC GHz
15V, 5.5V
DAC
MCP4725 5V
DAC buffer
RF Switches
RLC SR-2-MININ
12V, TTL
120mA (x6)
RF Power Amp
Kuhne KUPA
2A (x3)
Total ~ 100W

3. Flight computer NVIDIA Tegra TK1 ARM processor 12V DC USB3.0 for SDR
USB2.0 for webcam
Digital IO and RS232
SPI bus for LO
I2C bus for DAC
IO for RF switches
13 x 13 x 4 cm
Status
In lab, software mostly in progress

4. General interface board Multiplexes and Interfaces peripherals to flight computer
8-output digital IO
(4 reserved)
4-input temp AD590 temp sense
(or general +/- 2.5V 16-bit A/D)
0-12V 12-bit DAC output
(3 reserved for phase shifters)
GPS w/ external antenna
SPI bus outputs for synthesizer
On-board I2C bus
TI CC1100e 950 MHz radio Txcvr
Freescale K20-family microcontroller

5. Flight Power Supplies Four board models TI Power Modules
Out Voltage Range (3-12V or 12-15V)
Out Current Range ( A or 3-6A)
TI Power Modules
PTN78000W/H
PTN78020W/H
PTN78060W/H
Input Range 18-36V
Input/Output Filtering capacitors
Electrolytic, Tantalum, Multilayer Ceramic
Status
PCB boards arrived
Parts ordered, to arrive 5/10

6. Software Defined Radio
Universal Software Radio Peripheral
USB Bus powered
Radio Transceiver chip with FPGA to decimate baseband signal to fit over USB pipe
Software design
GMSK / QPSK modem to modulate signal
Status
Link working, not up to adequate speed
Fall-back position of TI transceiver chip (CC1100) and microcontroller currently working at 100 kbps

7. RF Hardware Local Oscillator Synthesizer
Hittite HMC766 Eval board
+10dBm 7-8 GHz tunable Integer/Fractional VCO/PLL
+15V, +5.5V
3-Way splitter to feed triple-monopole line feed
SP4T switch to feed three antenna designs
Status
LOs ordered and arrived (x2)
3-way splitters exist
SP4T switches (two options identified and in stock)

8. Mechanical and Heat dissipation
In design stage
CAD sent out to shop
All electronics parts exist in lab and are being coded / tested.
Currently at 7.5 lb.
30 cm
Power supplies
Heat strap
20 cm
10 cm
CPU & Interface board
8 GHz power amplifiers
and RF switches

10. Breadboard for lab test
DCDC converters
Interface board
Power amplifiers
Flight computer
RF splitter and phase
shifters

11. Optional RF re-packaging for cubesat volume Duroid 4350 / FR-4 Trade
Section
Length
Duroid Loss
FR4 Loss
Part Loss
1 (950 MHz)
90° hybrid + mixer
1.3 in
0.11 dB
0.18 dB
2 (7700 MHz)
splitter + phase shift
0.7 in
0.20 dB
0.50 dB dB
3 (7700 MHz)
Antenna switch
1.0 in
0.28 dB
0.71 dB
1.2 dB
Total loss
0.59 dB
1.39 dB 3
Notes:
Section 3 is the only one after the power amplifiers.
Board layout is conceptual for trades – would be decreased in size and integrated with interface board for cubesat. 2 1

12. Df Df Df radio Hybrid LO IF2 LO IF1 RF splitter 950MHz +10 dBm
GHz
+15 dBm
IF2
radio
Hybrid
mixer LO
IF1 LO
-8dB
-3dB RF
7.7 GHz
-1 dBm
7.7 GHz
-5.8 dBm Df Df
splitter Df
-4dB
7.7 GHz
-10 dBm

13. 21.5mm (0.847”) 11.627mm (0.458”) 18.4mm (0.724”) 2.0mm (0.080”)
(0.050”)
17.75mm (0.700”)