Ruggedized Software-Defined Radio Features TwinRX Option

Feb. 4, 2020

Housed in a weatherproof enclosure, the RX310-2 software-defined radio can integrate up to two of Ettus’ TwinRX daughtercards.

David Maliniak

Related To: Pixus Technologies

By installing motherboard and daughterboard configurations into a rugged, weatherproof enclosure, Pixus Technologies has developed ruggedized versions of commercial software-defined radios (SDRs). The latest in the series, the RX310-2, features standard commercially available TwinRX daughtercards from Ettus Research, a National Instruments brand.

The RX310-2 allows one or two TwinRX daughtercards to be installed in the chassis. The TwinRX is a dual-channel, super-heterodyne receiver that offers wide dynamic range and accurate phase synchronization with local-oscillator (LO) sharing for spectrum monitoring and direction finding. A GPS-disciplined oscillator is optional as are versions with one UBX daughtercard and one TwinRX daughtercard. The UBX is a full-duplex wideband transceiver that covers frequencies from 10 MHz to 6 GHz.

Pixus installs the motherboard and daughterboard configurations into a rugged weatherproof enclosure that features IP67 sealing for water and dust ingress. The conduction-cooled chassis is also optionally designed for MIL-STD-810 for shock/vibration and MIL-STD-461 for EMI. Light, rugged versions of the RX310 series with fans and filtering are available upon request.

The I/O panel for the RX310 is modular, allowing for inclusion of various customization options. The RX310 series can be used in various types of airborne, shipboard, ground vehicle, or outdoor designs. Example applications include SIGINT, spectrum monitoring, passive radar, smart agriculture, smart energy, and prototyping systems for advanced wireless standards.

Pixus Technologies, www.pixustechnologies.com

About the Author

David Maliniak | Executive Editor, Microwaves & RF

I am Executive Editor of Microwaves & RF, an all-digital publication that broadly covers all aspects of wireless communications. More particularly, we're keeping a close eye on technologies in the consumer-oriented 5G, 6G, IoT, M2M, and V2X markets, in which much of the wireless market's growth will occur in this decade and beyond. I work with a great team of editors to provide engineers, developers, and technical managers with interesting and useful articles and videos on a regular basis. Check out our free newsletters to see the latest content.

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In his long career in the B2B electronics-industry media, David Maliniak has held editorial roles as both generalist and specialist. As Components Editor and, later, as Editor in Chief of EE Product News, David gained breadth of experience in covering the industry at large. In serving as EDA/Test and Measurement Technology Editor at Electronic Design, he developed deep insight into those complex areas of technology. Most recently, David worked in technical marketing communications at Teledyne LeCroy, leaving to rejoin the EOEM B2B publishing world in January 2020. David earned a B.A. in journalism at New York University.