A Low-Volume, Low-Mass, Low-Power UHF ... - ece.k-state.edu · C/TT-505 Microtransceiver – Design...

2006 IEEE/AIAA Aerospace Conference2006 IEEE/AIAA Aerospace Conference Kuhn, Lay, Kuhn, Lay, GrigorianGrigorianMars Proximity Mars Proximity MicrotransceiverMicrotransceiver

A Low-Volume, Low-Mass, Low-PowerUHF Proximity Micro-Transceiver

for Mars Exploration

William Kuhn1, Norman Lay2, and Edwin Grigorian2

1Kansas State University2Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Funded by NASA / JPL Mars Technology Program (MTP)


Existing Transceivers

Source:http://www.cinele.com/505.htm

•Full-duplex, 401.585 MHz tx, 437.1 rx•PSK or FSK modulation•Sensitivity: -124 dBm @8kbps•RF output power 10W•Size: 6.7” x 5.1” x 3.6”•Mass: 2kg•Power: 45W tx, 5W rx


Micro-transceiver Overview

A highly-miniaturized, extremely low-mass, low-power UHF transceiver module for aerobots, microrovers, low-mass penetrators and small network landers.

TCXO Digital Baseband/ Control Circuits

RFTransceiverCircuits

Antenna

Microprocessor/ Memory

Sensors/ Actuators

Small/low-mass

(7 - 20 cm whip)

Control/Sleep

Data

Scout Science Electronics

Microtransceiver Electronics


Microtransceiver Goals

• Eliminates need for warm-box and shielding, reducing launch costs, etc.

• Produce working prototype to TRL-6, targeting –100C and 100 krad tolerance

• Permits adoption in near-term mission hardware (e.g. 2011 scouts).

• Provide compatibility with Prox-1 communications infrastructure.

• Offers enabling technology for new classes of scouts, including aerobots, balloons, networked micro-rovers…

• Reduced mass/cost on larger scouts with lower data rate requirements and half-duplex operation.

• Reduce mass, volume, and power

SignificanceGoals

0.01 / 0.1 / 1 W10 WPower (RF out)

< 10 cm32000 cm3Volume

0.05 W / .1 to 3 W5 W / 45 WPDC (RX/TX)

< 10 gms (PCB)2000 gmsMass

MicrotransceiverC/TT-505

– Design employs a two / three chip solution for 10,100 mW / 1 Watt output.

– Off-chip components limited to Commercial Off-the-shelf (COTS) IF filter and TCXO

– Targets subset of Prox-1 protocols (half-duplex, asymmetric data rates)

– Circuits characterized to –100 C to enable operation outside warm-box in some applications

– Employs rad-hard process and digital library.

Optional1W PA

DigitalModemandControlIC

COTSTCXO

COTSBPF

Transmitter

Synthesizer

Receiver

TX data

IF out

Control

Frequency Reference

Status

RF Transceiver Circuits

RFIC

To / From HostMicrocontroller

Top-Level Block Diagram


Implementation Techniques

Peregrine Silicon-on-Sapphire “Ultra-Thin Silicon” IC process employed.

– 0.5um (0.25um available)

– Low parasitics => high fT

– No substrate losses/coupling

– Excellent quality inductors

– 6 flavors of FETs

– MiM capacitors

– MOSFET varactors

– Suitable for digital / analog / RF

– Radiation-hardened “FO” flavor available


Implementation Techniques

Cryogenic platform developed at K-State for pre-design characterization of COTS parts and IC process components to < –100 C.


Low-Temp Test ResultsSample Cryogenic Test Results

Detailed results presented at 6:30pm poster session.SFECS FA00-R0

-50

-45

-40

-35

-30

-25

-20

-15

-10

-5

0

8.2 9.2 10.2 11.2 12.2 13.2

Frequency (MHz)

Am

plitu

de (d

Bm

)

24˚C -110˚C

0

0.002

0.004

0.006

0.008

0.01

0.012

0.014

0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5

Vds (V)Id

(A)


Gain

IQModulator

Image RejectMixer

400/450 MHzSynthesizer

TempSensor

RSSI

ADC

IQ10mW

PA

100mWPA

P/S

S/PNcountFcountRcount

IdataQdata

PgmLatch

PgmData

PgmClk

Ref

StatOutStatClk

ADCout

ADCclk

AIFout

RFin

MPAout

LPAout

MPAin

TCXOPwr

IFout IFinGround(multiple)

Vdd(multiple)

VCOcoarseTune

Spare

Spare

AIFoutctrl

ModeSelect

LockDet

GainGain

TX

TX

TX

MPAena

ModeSelect

Reg

PwrDn

Tx/Rx-

Stby

1WPAon

RFIC Development

– Proven architectures employed (superhetreceiver and direct modulation transmitter)

– Iterative fabrication runs to test and center designs

– Transmitter employs large size, high-Q inductors to achieve good efficiency

– Receive trades off IP3 and compression performance for low power

– Half-duplex operation allows transmitter and receiver on same die

– IF sampling and companion digital modem IC provides high-quality demodulation

Optional1W PA


COTSTCXO

COTSBPF

Transmitter

Synthesizer

Receiver

T X data

IF out

C on tro l

Frequency Reference

Status


RFIC



Fab 1 Receiver RFIC Circuits Operational

–Integer-N Synthesizer–LNA + TR switch–Image-reject mixer–IF amplifiers–Amplitude detector–1-Bit ADC–Extensive supply filtering–Stand-alone test structures–Probe points

Synthesizer

Mixer andIF Subsystem

Test Structures

Low NoiseAmplifier

SupplyFiltering

Optional1W PA


COTSTCXO

COTSBPF

Transmitter

Synthesizer

Receiver

T X data

IF ou t

C ontro l

Frequency Reference

Status


RFIC



Fab1 Receiver RFIC Testing

Optional1W PA


COTSTCXO

COTSBPF

Transmitter

Synthesizer

Receiver

T X data

IF ou t

C ontro l

Frequency Reference

Status


RFIC


Fab1 die

Packaged die on PCB

Spectrum of 1-bit ADC output (1.5 ksps QPSK) IF filter output from +25 C to

–100 C with –100 dBmunmodulated carrier.(reference harmonic spur visible to right)

• Fab-1 die includes all major receiver blocks• Successfully tested from RF-in to sampled IF-out• Low temperature testing shows nominal behavior to

–100C with low parametric drift• Identified areas needing improvement in subsequent

fabs to fully meet performance goals:1. Improve LNA gain to achieve system NF spec2. Provide finer tuning steps and reduce spurs

Cryogenic testing of PC board mounted die


Fab2 Transmitter Circuits Operational

– Improved synthesizer with dual-modulus prescaler and 3rd-order MASH fractional-N fine tuning

– First-spin design of 10mW and 100 mW PA circuits

– LNA re-spin with 15 dB additional gain to fix system NF issues from fab 1

– Test structures including temperature sensor

Fractional-NSynthesizer

Mixer and pre-IFfilter amplifiers

TestStructuresLow Noise

Amplifier Re-spin

10 mW / 100 mW PAs

Optional1W PA


COTSTCXO

COTSBPF

Transmitter

Synthesizer

Receiver

T X data

IF ou t

C ontro l

Frequency Reference

Status


RFIC



Digital Modem IC Development

Control Electronics•TX/RX mode control•Transceiver I/O•Subsystem Enable/Disable

Control Electronics•TX/RX mode control•Transceiver I/O•Subsystem Enable/Disable

RF Transmit Circuitry

RF Receive Circuitry

RF Transmit Circuitry

RF Receive Circuitry

Microtransceiver Antenna

Multirate Digital Modulator•1 ksps to 4 Msps•BPSK, QPSK•Rate ½ Conv. Code FEC•Scrambling, encoding, etc.

Multirate Digital Modulator•1 ksps to 4 Msps•BPSK, QPSK•Rate ½ Conv. Code FEC•Scrambling, encoding, etc.

Digital Command Receiver•1, 8, . . . ksps PSK demod•Doppler tolerant acquisitionand tracking

Digital Command Receiver•1, 8, . . . ksps PSK demod•Doppler tolerant acquisitionand tracking

Proximity Protocol Functions•Packet Framing•Single packet ARQ statemachine

•Transceiver commandparsing

Proximity Protocol Functions•Packet Framing•Single packet ARQ statemachine

•Transceiver commandparsing

BasebandI & Q

SampledData

Power Supply Enable/Disable(from Control Subsystem)

Mar

scra

ft I/O

and

Tr

ansc

eive

r Con

trol

Power Supply Enable/Disable,

PA Control

Digital Baseband Functions

Optional1W PA


COTSTCXO

COTSBPF

Transmitter

Synthesizer

Receiver

TX data

IF out

Contro l

Frequency Reference

Status


RFIC



Summary

• First prototype RFIC receiver and transmitter circuits are operational and critical demodulator digital circuits have been prototyped in Matlab and Verilog

• Final version will provide TRL6 validation of Prox-1 compatible micro-transceiver with 100X reduction in mass and volume and > 10:1 reduction in power consumption (for low rate applications) relative to existing solutions.

TCXO Digital Baseband/ Control Circuits

RFTransceiverCircuits

Antenna

Microprocessor/ Memory

Sensors/ Actuators

Small/low-mass

(7 - 20 cm whip)

Control/Sleep

Data

Scout Science Electronics

Microtransceiver ElectronicsThis project targets a highly-miniaturized, extremely low-mass, low-power UHF transceiver module for aerobots,microrovers, penetratorsand small network landers.


Acknowledgements and Additional Info

• Igor Kuperman, JPL• Dan Nobbe, Peregrine Semiconductor• Yogesh Tugnawat, K-State / Sprint • Xin He, K-State / Philips• Jeongmin Jeon, K-State• Kai Wong, K-State• Mark Hartter, K-State• Evan Cullens, K-State• Keith Kovala, K-State

Project Web Sites:

Acknowledgements:

• www.eece.ksu.edu/research/mars (public)

• www.eece.ksu.edu/research/microtransceiver (private)

A Low-Volume, Low-Mass, Low-Power UHF ... - ece.k-state.edu · C/TT-505 Microtransceiver – Design...

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