Programmable High-Rate Multi-Mission Receiver for Space Communications

Current and upcoming NASA space links require both highly reliable low-rate communications links supporting critical TT&C, ranging and voice services and highly efficient high-data rate links supporting Mission or Payload Data return. Both are important to the success of a mission and for many ongoing missions rely on aging ground element equipment. Investing in re-usable elements, such as Programmable Communications Radios, for ground and flight data handling that are capable of receiving both highly-reliable low-rate links and highly-efficient high-rate links would address current Communication and Navigation needs without foregoing future capabilities. Current receiver designs typically address either high-rate or low-rate requirements but not both. NASA has requested a high-rate receiver capable of receiving coded and un-coded highly efficient modulation schemes supporting data throughput greater than 300Mbps. The proposed Phase I effort by Summation Research, Inc. (SRI) will develop, load, characterize and optimize these high-efficiency CCSDS and related modulations on a modern, high speed digital processing platform that can also support lower rate TTC and related links. Phase II work would then implement an analog IF front-end, develop deployable digital hardware to replace the evaluation boards used in Phase I, and combine the elements in an innovative Programmable High-rate Multi-mission Receiver (PHMR).