Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Tech Transfer
OpenSWIFT-SDR for STRS
Project Description
The OpenSWIFT-SDR Phase II effort will build upon our highly successful Phase I effort by extending the capabilities of the SWIFT-SDR platform and develop technologies needed for NASA?s next generation satellite communication architecture. The SWIFT software defined radio is a proven, SWaP-C (size, weight, power, and cost) efficient RF communications, signal processing, and general computing platform delivering on-orbit reprogrammability and flexibility for space missions. TUI plans to investigate and implement cognitive radio technologies on the SWIFT platform that will reduce mission planning and mission implementation costs by providing a standardized, robust, hardware and software platform that can dynamically adjust to a rapidly changing space communications environment. By using the mature SWIFT radio as a basis for integrating these solutions, and implementing NASA's STRS standard for radio software, TUI is in a strong position to continue research and develop cognitive radio solutions that benefit a wide variety of NASA science missions and future radio customers through tested, reusable, and portable software and firmware.
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Anticipated Benefits
The OpenSWIFT technology has multiple opportunities for NASA small satellite missions. TUI has previously delivered flight and development S-Band and X-Band units to NASA Marshall to support CubeSat missions, and successfully completed compatibility testing with NASA's Near Earth Network (NEN). With the achievements made in the Phase I, we have implemented a HAL that has made SWIFT-SDR Space Telecommunication Radio System (STRS) compatible. STRS has also influenced the architecture decisions of our next generation Baseband Processor currently under development to support several commercial . Having a reliable STRS-compatible platform, NASA missions can utilize the SWIFT-SDR as a proven user terminal, capitalizing on cognitive research performed, or as an accessible development platform to rapidly develop and test new technologies. TUI has already secured funding for and is developing a Ka-Band Radio Frequency (RF) transmitter frontend, which will cover the NEN and TDRS Ka frequency bands.
As the radio frequency spectrum continues to be more congested, the need to more efficiently use spectrum, sense channel characteristics, respond to dynamic channels, and mitigate interference is critical. We will reach out to DoD customers, such as the US Army, and US Air Force where the cognitive capabilities could benefit them as they look to improve upon their current communication systems, and develop future small satellite systems. Additionally, the OpenSWIFT cognitive solutions will benefit the many commercial small satellite customers who are using the SWIFT-SDRs as Telemetry, Tracking and Command (TT&C) and mission data delivery subsystems by enabling unprecedented efficiency, quantity and reliability in data return and commanding. More »
As the radio frequency spectrum continues to be more congested, the need to more efficiently use spectrum, sense channel characteristics, respond to dynamic channels, and mitigate interference is critical. We will reach out to DoD customers, such as the US Army, and US Air Force where the cognitive capabilities could benefit them as they look to improve upon their current communication systems, and develop future small satellite systems. Additionally, the OpenSWIFT cognitive solutions will benefit the many commercial small satellite customers who are using the SWIFT-SDRs as Telemetry, Tracking and Command (TT&C) and mission data delivery subsystems by enabling unprecedented efficiency, quantity and reliability in data return and commanding. More »
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Primary U.S. Work Locations and Key Partners
| Organizations Performing Work | Role | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tethers Unlimited Inc | Lead Organization | Industry | Bothell, Washington |
Glenn Research Center
(GRC)
|
Supporting Organization | NASA Center | Cleveland, Ohio |
Primary U.S. Work Locations
-
Ohio
-
Washington
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