Radiation Hardened Turbo Coded OFDM Modulator

Space Micro Inc. proposes to develop an innovative Turbo-Coded Orthogonal Frequency Division Modulation (TC-OFDM) ASIC device. The proposed device provides data transmission at very high data rates (1 ? 10 Gbps), with high bandwidth efficiency (up to 8 bps/Hz), and with excellent bit error rate (BER) performance at signal-to-noise ratios approaching Shannon's theoretical channel capacity limit. The TC-OFDM modulator is programmable so that a single ASIC device can support a wide variety of communication links, with different data rates, FEC code rates, and RF channel bandwidths. The modulator also supports dynamic adaptation of FEC code rate and modulation during operation, to maximize data transmission in systems with time-varying communication link conditions. The proposed TC-OFDM modulator is radiation hardened for operation on spacecraft and high altitude airborne platforms. The end result of the proposed SBIR program is innovative TC-OFDM communication link technology and components that will enable greatly increased data transmission rates from space-to-space and space-to-ground, to meet the needs of future NASA earth science missions.